Tigers Today podcast: Henning, Paul talk early returns, Jason Benetti, Opening Day
Tony PaulTony Paul and Lynn Henning talk about the team's fast start, new TV play-by-play broadcaster Jason Benetti and Tigers Opening Day 2024 against the A's on Friday at Comerica Park.
After they finished 2023 with a 78-84 record, Tony predicts an 87-win season for the Tigers, while Lynn is on the record for 85 wins.
"When you start off 4-0, you're playing with house money, getting to 85 wins," Lynn said on the podcast. "There's going to be tougher games, tougher weeks, tougher opposition but they've beaten those (weaker) teams, which is the hallmark of why this team is going to be better this year.
"Not only do they have the pitching but they have very good defense. Apart from the pitching and defense, I also thought the offense would probably surprise on the plus side. That won't be immediately apparent but progressively through the year; the offense will surprise and keep them in the hunt for that division title."
Both Tony and Lynn are big fans of Benetti, the team's play-by-play announcer who worked with the Chicago White Sox from 2016-23.
"I probably laughed out loud three or four times during the first game of that Mets series," Tony said. "(I liked) the line in the extra innings, where the Tigers scored five runs and the Mets booted a couple of balls, Benetti said, 'Citi Field has turned into a game of pinball and the Tigers are coming up with a free game.'"
"They have now, in Jason Benetti, what they haven't had since the days of (George) Kell," Lynn said. "He's a truly institutional, truly enduring and utterly surpassing talent in that broadcast booth. It's that simple. This is not ambiguous. This is not debatable. They have a talent here who is stratospheric."
And finally, they reminisce about Opening Day in Detroit being a "civic holiday," which is Tony's favorite time of the year, along with the Masters and Final Four in early April.
Lynn also remembered his first Opening Day covering the Tigers for the Battle Creek Enquirer in 1975. Detroit lost, 10-0, against Jim Palmer and Brooks Robinson of the Baltimore Orioles in front of 40,139 fans at Tiger Stadium.
1975 Tigers starting lineup
▶ 1. Ron Leflore, CF
▶ 2. Gary Sutherland, 2B
▶ 3. Willie Horton, DH
▶ 4. Nate Colbert, 1B
▶ 5. Bill Freehan, C
▶ 6. Dan Meyer, LF
▶ 7. Art James, RF
▶ 8. Tom Veryzer, SS
▶ 9. Aurelio Rodriguez, 3B
▶ Joe Coleman, P
Here are the highlights from today's Detroit News/Detroit Tigers podcast. Chris McCosky will return when the Tigers take on the World Series-champion Texas Rangers during the week of April 15.
▶ 2:40: Perfect 4-0 record despite a .214 batting average
▶ 6:15: Tigers "not giving away baseball games"
▶ 9:30: Jason Benetti's first week on the job
▶ 12:50: Benetti on how he measures a successful broadcast
▶ 18:30: Detroit "still an old baseball town"
▶ 25:40: Opening Day memories
Subscribe to Detroit News podcasts
▶ Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tigers-today/id1739432190
▶ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3GpFGEjKATB6QCWghdRWCs
Previous Tigers Today podcasts
▶ Graham, Paul unveil inaugural baseball movie draft