Mike is one of my two regular traveling partners from when there was actually baseball to watch and Mike was gracious enough to participate in the series.
Mike: What are your thoughts on Andy Kaufman's wrestling career?
TRS: Well, his spots on the Memphis television show are hilarious to watch even today as Kaufman plays the role of big Hollywood star talking down to the Southerners and driving them crazy by hitting them in their sore spot- the stereotypes that people from the South aren't very intelligent.
Very few things will make someone from the South madder than some bigshot from the West Coast (let alone that is originally from New York City) telling them how inferior they are and their quality of life is as well and Kaufman did that to the hilt.
Kaufman played the heel very well, but what isn't remembered as well is that Kaufman's run in Memphis didn't do as well at the box office as so many believe.
I wasn't positive though, so I asked an expert in John McAdam.
John is the host of the successful Stick to Wrestling podcast and I asked him about the legend of Lawler-Kaufman as an attendance hit.
"Jerry Lawler vs Kaufman with the neck brace angle on April 5, 1982, drew 8,091 (at the Memphis Mid-South Coliseum), Lawler vs the Colossus of Death with Andy Kaufman drew 9,194 on May 2, 1983, and Jimmy Hart and Andy Kaufman vs Lawler drew 8,774 on July 4, 1983.
All of these were slight upticks in attendance, but Kaufman vs Jimmy Hart on July 11, 1983, as an undercard match drew 7,466- No difference.
Lawler and Kaufman vs Jimmy Hart and Assassin #1 on July 18, 1983, drew 6,790- You can see where we're going here, the novelty was over.
On November 14, 1983, Andy Kaufman (wearing boxing gloves) and Jimmy Hart against Jerry Lawler drew 3,800.
Attendance was down anyway, but this didn't help and Kaufman vs Lawler in a "Wrestling vs Boxing" match on November 21, 1983, drew 3,800 in Kaufman's final appearance and you can see why"
In other words, as brilliant as the microphone work as Andy Kaufman was, it didn't pay off at the box office for the Memphis territory
Thanks to John McAdam for his thoughts on the drawing power of Andy Kaufman and if you like wrestling from the 70s and 80s, give Stick to Wrestling a listen as it is one of the top podcasts each week that I enjoy!
Mike: Ball Four is a great book- What is your favorite story from the book?
TRS: Wow. This one is tough.
So many lines from the book are constantly swapped between Ryan and me and so many great stories that it's hard to choose one.
I've always been partial to the Astros team bus complete with singing "It makes a fellow proud to be an Astro'" and the players riding manager Harry Walker at an Old-Timers game.
I cannot think of Sicks Stadium without thinking of Jim Bouton breaking into the stadium to grab Gerry McNertney's knuckleball glove after hours, only to see that guard dogs were around after he had left.
But there can be only one and it is the story of Fred Talbot's "Home Run for the Money" that won Donald DuBois of Gladstone Oregon $27,000 (which currently would be over $188,000!).
Talbot hit a homer during a "home run inning" and won Dubois this money, so the Pilots bullpen sent Talbot a letter from "DuBois" promising him five thousand dollars with the joke progressing from there!
Mike: Name one sporting event on your bucket list and why so?
TRS: I'm not as much of an event person as I am a venue person.
For example, I'd like to see Churchill Downs, but I don't have to be there for the Kentucky Derby.
But to answer your question, I think I'd like to go to a college basketball tournament and see the entire tournament from start to finish.
And I think I'd also prefer a mid-major or small conference tournament so that the seats could be good without breaking the bank.
Examples for a few would be the MAC tournament in Cleveland, the Ohio Valley in Evansville, Indiana, or the CAA tournament in Washington.
Mike: Name your all-time baseball announcers for radio and television
TRS: It's funny that the current announcers that I'm familiar with are the television people, but the past announcers, I am better versed in the radio game-callers.
Television, I've always thought Bob Costas is top-notch nationally and his NBC game of the week pairing with Tony Kubek was outstanding.
Team announcers for television? I wouldn't have become a Giants fan without being hooked by San Francisco's team of Mike Krukow, Duane Kuiper, and Amy Gutierrez.
I was a big fan of Baltimore's' 1980s and 90s team of Mel Proctor and John Lowenstein.
I know Hawk Harrelson was a polarizing figure, but I got the biggest kick out of him during his years with the White Sox.
I've liked Bob Carpenter well before his time with Washington and I also think Brian Anderson of the Brewers is excellent.
I also like the teams in Texas with Dave Raymond, Tom Grieve, and Emily McCoy and Tampa Bay with veteran Dwayne Staats, the "other" Brian Anderson (the former Indians pitcher), and Tricia Whitaker.
On the radio, you have to love Vin Scully with the Dodgers and Bob Prince with the Pirates in the same manner as Hawk Harrelson.
I've always thought Pittsburgh lost a gem in Lanny Frattare when they let him go in 2008 and I loved the Reds duo of Marty Brennaman and Joe Nuxhall.
Mike: What is the one thing that you would change in professional sports today?
TRS: There are many things I would say, but the number one would eliminating the "one and done" rule for basketball players.
The NBA won't allow high schoolers to enter without one year in college and as a result, the college game has been weakened in quality with hired guns playing one year for most notably Duke and Kentucky among a few.
My answer would be this- Use the baseball rule.
You can enter the draft out of high school, but once you attend your first class you are not eligible for the draft for three years.
The college game will improve with better players for a longer time, the pro game can add those impact players right away, and for the player that isn't an impact player, has potential, but doesn't want to play the facade of college player?
That's where the NBA's minor league can come in with an agreement to farm out those players.
College basketball was so much fun before this rule and it needs to change to get back what it has lost.
Thanks to Mike for his questions and thanks again to John McAdam for his help!
I'll be back with more soon!
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