Providing a behind-the-scenes look at the personalities and events that have shaped the Detroit Tigers’ recent resurgence, readers will meet the players, coaches, and management and share in their moments of greatness, grief, and quirkiness. Beginning in 2002, when author Mario Impemba arrived in the Tigers’ broadcast booth and when the team had consecutive 100-loss seasons, the book details how, in just three shorts years, team president Dave Dombrowski and manager Jim Leyland led the Tigers to the American League pennant—a feat the Tigers repeated in 2012. Impemba takes readers into the Comerica Park broadcast booth alongside the legendary Ernie Harwell, onto the team plane during the team’s two runs to the World Series, and into the clubhouse as Miguel Cabrera closed in on the 2012 Triple Crown. He shares personal stories about several Tigers stars, including Cabrera, Justin Verlander, Prince Fielder, Curtis Granderson, Ivan Rodriguez, Kenny Rogers, Magglio Ordonez, and more. If These Walls Could Talk: Detroit Tigers gives fans a taste of what it’s like to be a part of the Tigers storied history from a perspective unlike any other. Mario Impemba is the play-by-play voice of the Detroit Tigers on Fox Sports Detroit. The 2014 season will be his 13th with the Tigers after seven years as the radio voice of the Los Angeles Angels. A Detroit native, Impemba was voted the 2011 Michigan Sportscaster of the Year by the membership of the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. His work on Tigers games earned him a Michigan Emmy in June 2006 in the "Sports Play-by-Play" category. A 1985 graduate of Michigan State University, Impemba and his wife, Cathy, have two sons, Brett and Daniel, and reside in Macomb Township, Michigan. Mike Isenberg is an Emmy award-winning Coordinating Producer at Fox Sports Detroit. Prior to moving to Michigan, Mike spent nearly 10 years at ESPN in production. He played basketball at Emerson College before starting his career as a sportscaster in Elmira, New York. Mike lives in West Bloomfield, Michigan. David Dombrowski is the current general manager of the Detroit Tigers. If these Walls Could Talk: Detroit Tigers Stories from the Detroit Tigers Dugout, Locker Room, and Press Box By Mario Impemba, Mike Isenberg Triumph Books Copyright © 2014 Mario Impemba with Mike Isenberg All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-60078-927-4 Contents FOREWORD BY DAVID DOMBROWSKI, ACKNOWLEDGMENTS, INTRODUCTION, 1. The Minors: Paying My Dues, 2. CLIMBING THE LADDER, 3. CALIFORNIA DREAMIN', 4. HEADING HOME, 5. GAME DAY, 6. MAGIC MOMENTS, 7. NO-HITTERS, 8. MANAGERS, 9. LIFE IN THE BOOTH, 10. Chasing the Prize, SOURCES, ABOUT THE AUTHORS, CHAPTER 1 The Minors: Paying My Dues Pass the Toilet Paper Like baseball players, most baseball announcers spend time in the minor leagues, honing their skills and hoping for a shot at the big leagues. Even with that goal in mind, I wouldn't trade one minute of my minor league experience. Where I'm now fortunate enough to travel on team charters and stay at five-star hotels, that wasn't always the case. Working in the minor leagues will keep you humble and give you important perspective. It will also teach you how to be resourceful. In 1987, I was broadcasting for the Peoria Chiefs, the Class A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. I was 24 years old and just two years out of college. This was my second job. The team had just completed a three-game series in Wausau, Wisconsin, with a trip to Appleton awaiting us. In the minor leagues, broadcasting is often a one-man job. I was serving as announcer, engineer, analyst, and the guy who set up and broke down equipment before and after games. Eventually, it all becomes routine, which is good. If the announcer isn't five minutes early for the bus, he's late, and the team ain't waiting. On this day, I was running a little behind but was able to make the bus. For some reason, though, I felt out of sorts. I figured it was just the adrenaline of the game and rushing to board. Two hours went by, and we pulled into the hotel in Appleton. My uneasiness was about to go into full-fledged panic. The trainer unloaded the bus, and my suitcase was one of the first off (since I was one of the last to board). I waited patiently for my equipment case ... and waited ... and waited. When the final bag was pulled off the bus, I finally figured out why I had that strange feeling. I had left the equipment case back in Wausau, two hours away! It was now 11:00 am, about eight hours before game time. This was not good. The game was going to start at 7:00 pm, with or without me. And if I wasn't on the air, I would have a hard time explaining to my boss why. My broadcasting career, as it was, flashed before my eyes. As cutthroat as broadcasting can be, we all realize that at some point, we are going to need help. Maybe a machine breaks down, or we need information about a player on the other team. Or so