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Frank Beckman R.I.P.


Motor City Sonics

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I knew Frank when I interned at the FM station and he was on WJR.   Always nice to me (and trust me, not every radio personality was nice to the interns).   He was also smart enough to not take the Tigers radio gig after Ernie got fired.  He knew that person wouldn't have had a chance.     Can't say I agreed with his politics and he stepped in it badly a few years ago.

I thought he was good at play by play for both Michigan and the Tigers, but the standard is Ernie Harwell and Dan Dickerson and that is a very high standard.   

 

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28 minutes ago, sabretooth said:

Frank was a legend and FWIW I agreed completely with his politics, though he whiffed very very very badly on the Sergio/Tiger thing.

I was more of a David Newman guy in terms of talk radio, miss him so much.

Man... David Newman was so so good... he would speak off the cuff in a way that would take us a few days to write ourselves.  So intelligent.  I loved his movie quizzes.  He was the very best of talk radio.

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10 minutes ago, Tenacious D said:

Poor Frank.  Only got 2.5 posts in his own eulogy thread.

I think it might have had a little to do with his politics and I do think some people believed that he, very quietly, pushed for the Ernie firing.   I don't know if he did that, but he was smart enough to pass on replacing him right away.   Didn't matter what Rathbun & Rizz did (was that their names?),  people were going to hate them for replacing Ernie.     All I can say is that the few times I did actually talk with him, he was very nice and I was a lowly intern. 

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34 minutes ago, Jim Cowan said:

I heard Frank Beckman doing Tigers games a few times in the mid-90's and really liked him.  He was paired with Lary Sorensen whom I didn't really care for.

I like Sorensen a lot—thought he was very insightful.  Was sorry he had his challenges with alcohol that derailed his broadcasting career.

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I grew up listening to Frank Beckman call UofM football games. I was too young for Bob Ufer as he died before my time, so for me it was always Frank Beckman on the radio. I really enjoyed Frank as a play-by-play guy for Michigan and the Tigers. Sad to see he had just retired and barely got to enjoy a minute of it. 72 years old and just into retirement, such a shame to have happen. RIP Frank Beckman!

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15 hours ago, Tenacious D said:

I like Sorensen a lot—thought he was very insightful.  Was sorry he had his challenges with alcohol that derailed his broadcasting career.

I remember tuning into a pregame on the radio and Sorensen's letter of resignation was read on air, I think by Beckman.  It was just a strange beginning to a ballgame.  The situation itself was bizarre because I think it kind of came out of nowhere, at least for those not privy to the situation.

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Larry has been very public about his severe drinking problem.  He went to jail.  Lost his marriage.  He seems to have rebounded quite well.  I follow him on social media.  Works for a college now.  

The rumor I heard at the time is he got drunk and insulted Marian Ilitch.

Right before he got the Tigers gig he was briefly on the WDFN in the morning when they launched.  That was June of 94.  By the 95 season he was with the Tigers.

 

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