Note: Listener’s e-mails italicized.

Hi Doug,

I heard you and Ron talking about the D-backs and the playoffs. I have been a D-backs fan ever since they started here. I am also an Angles fan since 1982, but I feel one can have an AL and NL team. I moved to AZ when I was five, so I am, close to being a native.

Once the younger fans like my son grow up, the place will sell out He will look at pictures of Byrnes, Webb, Hudson, Young, etc and know who they are by looking at them or their jersey number. I took him to 8 games this year and he loves going. We went opening night and plan to go to every opening night from here on out. A friend of mine and I are going to game two of the NLCS and I am excited because I went to one NLDS game back in 1999 and could not get tickets for 2001.

I did not want to see Gonzo go, but one must deal with it. I like the new uniforms and hope they stay for a while so some type of tradition can begin. Look at the Yankees and some older teams. They do not mess with uniforms much at all.

Have a great day.

Matt

I’m so glad you wrote a positive e-mail to my issues with attendance for the D-Backs. I completely understand what you’re saying. What people don’t understand with me is when I complain about attendance, I’m talking about going to three games or so a year. I completely understand the prices adding up for someone during the year. However, a family of four can go to a D-Backs game during the regular season for less than $50. Am I really crazy for thinking that 80% of the valley can afford to spend $100 a year on D-Backs tickets?

I would never call out someone for not buying season tickets because I choose not to afford them either, although it’s time to consider it for 2008.

Hello,

Once again I wake up to the 15 -20 minutes I can handle of your morning show to hear this whining and sniveling about the fans apathy towards the Diamondbacks. Doug, you’re the biggest reason why 15 minutes is all I can handle. You are the biggest bozo I’ve ever heard on the air. But this isn’t about you. My point is I am appalled that the national media would dare consider the fact the game on Thursday is not sold out yet a national issue or problem. That’s just plain stupid. You keep asking what the problem is or what can you do to get fans to go to the game. The answer is there isn’t anything you can do………not one blessed thing because there isn’t a problem! I’m with Wolf on this. Who cares? And to go along with the egg sucking dog national media about this is ridiculous. You want to compare the Phoenix fans to the ones in Colorado? When was the last time the Rockies even made it to the post season? That might have something to do with what is going on in Colorado don’t you think? Since the game isn’t until tomorrow night, how do you or the national media know it won’t be a sell out? What the hell is the matter with you? And anyone who is willing to spend $650 or whatever a scalpers asking price may be ought to have his/her head examined. Of all the things there are to worry about in life and in our society……….attendance at a Diamnondbacks playoff game just isn’t one to worry about or even be worthy of national attention………………..Freaking unbelievable…………

Dale

Why am I a bozo, simply because I disagree with you? And I have to know, if it’s not about me–as you said–why did you feel the need to call me a name?

Why shouldn’t the national media consider this a national story? It’s not “plain stupid” as your vocabulary describes. If every other city in America sells out except one, the rest of America wonders, “What’s wrong with that city?” The national media then covers the story.

It’s a topic for me because I love baseball. The sport is a great passion of mine and I want others to feel the same way about it I do. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with asking what I can do to increase attendance. Maybe a fan doesn’t like baseball because they don’t understand the game at a high level. My wife fell into this category before we met. If I had a special baseball beautiful part of the program, I might be able to convert someone to the game. Maybe someone could have suggested that we have a Doug & Wolf day at an Arizona Fall League game with a scout to explain how interesting scouting players is. I don’t have the answers. I just know that playoff baseball is a great gift for any city and Phoenix doesn’t care about the gift as much as other cities. Why shouldn’t we talk about ways to find those answers?

Did you know there’s a baseball office in Phoenix in charge of “Western Operations” for MLB? Did you know Major League Baseball employees listen to the show? Do you have any concept regarding the number of D-Backs’ personnel and employees that listen to Doug & Wolf in the morning? I happen to believe that we have some very intelligent listeners who could come up some great ideas. Those ideas might be implemented because one of those employees heard it straight from one of their potential customers.

If Colorado has sold out because it’s been a long time since they were in the playoffs, why did Boston sell out? They were in the playoffs last year so that point is gone.

Cleveland had some attendance issues this year but sold out in a heart beat for the post-season. There’s a favorable comparison to the D-Backs since AZ had issues as well. That would be another point you’re wrong on.

We don’t know it won’t be a sell-out. What we do know is that D-Back fans are not the ones buying the tickets recently. It will sell out because Rocky fans will buy the tickets.

I’m terribly sorry that a bozo just destroyed every point you made and embarrassed you. I hope your family doesn’t read this.

You say “get over the color change”.Easy for you to say,you make enough money to buy all new team colors.Which brings me to the new color.It is not a special color just for us-its red, same red everyone else has.

New ownership could care less about the average fan,only looking for more money!Want me to go to a D Back game? Have a purple night!

Jeff

This doesn’t happen very often. Normally I get e-mails from rude people. Sometimes I get e-mails from uninformed people. Rarely do I get e-mails from someone who represents both groups.

Do you normally tell people how much money they are making? How do you know how much I’m making? You look at the home prices of Huntsville, AL and compare it to Olathe, KS. When you’re done compare the home prices of Olathe and Phoenix. See, when you’re good at your job you move up in market size it kills your finances. Since you feel comfortable telling me about my financial state, is it OK with you that my family has decided to keep one parent at home. That’s a killer on your finances. How about the fact that I live in Goodyear because I couldn’t afford to live any closer? The truth is I have one D-Backs t-shirt because Baxter threw it at me at a recent road show and he was giving free T-shirts to everyone that was there.

If I’m making so much money now, where were you to help me when I was making $13,500 in Athens, OH? I paid my rent in installments with interest because I couldn’t afford the whole $275 every month in one chunk. Whatever I make now, I’m damn sure I’ve earned it. You are the exact problem with our country. When are we going to get the point where people are driven everyday by personal excellence as opposed to speculating about what others have instead of earning it ourselves?

Now, onto the uninformed part. Let’s pretend that MLB told the D-Backs they had to change their colors. What would you do? Would you throw MLB under the bus and tell all the fans that you’ve been forced to change your colors or would you tell fans that you’ve come to this decision.

Now don’t listen to me. Call the D-Backs and ask to talk to Derek Hall, the team president. Tell him ownership could care less about the fans and see what kind of response you get. Have you ever seen him take a fan to his office to show them the new colors before the rest of the general public got to see it? Have you ever seen him race up the aisles to check on the fans after a foul ball was hit into the crowd? How many baseball stadiums have you been to? I’ve been to eight. I’ve never seen an ownership group care more about the fans than this one.

How is ownership looking for more money? Is it because they charge $5 a seat during the regular season? Is it because they donated over $200K to the YMCA this year based only on ticket sales in the last month? Is it because MLB sets everyone’s post-season ticket prices (but I’m sure you knew that because you know everything about other people’s lives and the businesses they run)?

Everything you said in your e-mail is wrong and rude at the same time.

The D-Backs had no business being in the playoffs. They were fortunate to run into the curse in the first series. Blame the fact that they made it to playoffs because they didn’t belong…hopefully I won’t have to hear about the AMAZING dbacks after today!!!

Blaming the curse is a joke.

The Cubs got out-hit, out-managed, out-pitched, and out-played. It was the Central division that had no business being in the playoffs.

The Western Division had three teams playing beyond the regular season (first time in history). The Western Division swept both competitors in the NLDS and, therefore, is providing the World Series representative for the NL.

Doug:

I have been listening to KTAR since your arrival, and at times, your arrogance is reason enough to change the channel, but the comparison of Mark Reynolds and Ryan Howard, and asking the caller 2 or 3 times to make sure you embarrassed him on the line, is as idiotic a point as I have ever heard on the radio. Again, you have caused a caller to change the channel, nice going.

Dave

What is it that I do that’s arrogant?

If you work 12 hours a day reading newspapers and talking to authorities in the sports world to refine your opinions, why shouldn’t one express that knowledge shamelessly? When did our country attach the word arrogant to work ethic?

Not for one second did I compare Ryan Howard to Mark Reynolds. The caller on today’s show (10/16) disagreed with Wolf that Mark Reynolds would develop into a 30 HR guy because Reynolds strikes out so much. I mentioned that Ryan Howard led the league in strike outs. My point was that strike outs are a problem but wouldn’t you take the strike-outs if we got Ryan Howard production? I’m sorry my point went over your head.

The caller said he didn’t know if Ryan Howard would fit into this offense. That’s why I asked him again about Ryan Howard. If the caller would have said that he did think that Howard would fit, I wouldn’t have asked him again. Since he didn’t answer the question I had to ask him again. Isn’t there a chance you’re feelings towards to me affected your opinion of the phone call?

ARRGGHH!!

I got to praise the D’Backs!! There are.. 26 GM’s wishing their team

made it to the postseason much less the Championships. And to boot with

a payroll of 50mil or so.

Who would have thought thru 3 games, hold the Rockies 3,4,5 hitters to

.200 average and 1 or 2 rbi’s.. And we are down 0-3??? Gotta give credit

where credit is due, the Rockies pitched well.

Go Backs in 08!!!

Allan

ARRGGHH!

Not only are you right on, but you’re educational.

Thanks for listening Allen.

I try to answer my e-mail as much as possible. I appreciate you listening and taking the time to write me so I respond even when I get ripped. Here’s a sampling:

The men in the AZ Cardinals locker room are just giddy about the fact that you (Doug) didn’t pick them to go to the playoffs this year. Now I don’t think they’re playing games in Jan. of 08′ either, but your analysis of the D-backs chances does lend some credence to the idea that blah blah blah…

Bottom Line… You were WRONG!

Go D-Backs and while we’re at it Go Cardinals!

Will in Fountain Hills

Will:

Your e-mail makes no sense.

What analysis of the D-Backs chances are you talking about? I mathematically explained why it will be very difficult for the D-Backs to miss the playoffs when it became appearant, although it was possible. How is my analysis flawed?

If you’re talking about my predictions, you’re calling half of Phoenix stupid. I said in April the D-backs will be in it to the very end and they will fall just short of the playoffs. I received over 400 e-mails on my prediction. 20% of the e-mails said thanks for not being a homer. 25% said I had no business being on the home station of the D-Backs if I don’t believe in them. The majority of e-mails I received were explaining how I know nothing about baseball to even consider the D-Backs close to a playoff team. They thought the D-Backs wouldn’t be close to the playoffs and I was an idiot for putting them barely on the outside.

You were not one of those e-mails. I always find it interesting when someone can write in to say I’m wrong, but they couldn’t do it at the time when I said it, they had to wait till the end.

I also don’t think the AZ Cardinals care what I think or predict.

I didn’t hear Donovan McNabb complaining about extra attention when Campbells Soup and EA Sports were shoving cash into his pockets.

Blaise in KC

Amen to that. Your point is better than anything I’m going to write.

If shawn received a max deal we wouldn’t be having this conversation his motives are motivated by money and as good as he is he doesn’t deserve 20 mil a season

–gary

Gary:

I completely agree that he doesn’t deserve $20 million, but I don’t think his motives are money. I know this sounds silly but he’s so insecure that he has to be made to feel wanted. The best way to feel wanted is have your team offer you max money.

Shawn Marion needs to have his ego coddled. Look at his numbers on the Suns and in the league: #1 in shots, minutes, and salary on the team–#11 in salary in the league. This guy has an out-of-control ego and a very low self-esteem. It is impossible to make those types of people happy unless you coddle them constantly. I just think the team is tired of coddling so now he’s offended.

Doug

We have to get rid of Wolf when talking about the Cardinals. This team has been is now and always be losers. The one win they had was after they choked away I believe a 17 point lead. Last week they played catch up but the “D” could not do the job. The high hit call was a good call the man led with the forearm and elbow. I have lived in this valley for more the 15 years and am tired of hearing sports guys in this town BS everyone about this is the year they have so much talent YADA, YADA, YADA and every year they keep losing. Wolf is the biggest yapper about how good this team is but I guess that is because he gets a check from them so his reality is a bit skewed. Again this week you two are building up a game the Cardinals will lose in all odds by 10 points. Do me a favor and think about when it comes to the Cardinals, If, if, ands and buts were 5, 10 and 20 dollar bills I would be the richest man in the world. Then I would buy the team from Bidwell and dissolve it. The sad part is they were able to get a new stadium mostly at tax payer expense and still produce a losing product. Think about this for 1 minute. How may times would you buy a specific model of car, truck listening to claims of how great it is only to have it towed to the shop every week and listening to some rep spew more crap about it. I am willing to bet that you would not buy more then 2 before you moved to a much better product.

Bruce M. Crow

Bruce:

Wouldn’t you agree that if over 60K people are showing up at an event in the Valley, we should talk about it?

Don’t you think that since the country is talking about Leinart v Warner and Steelers v Whisenhunt/Grimm that we should talk about it?

If you don’t think this team has talent, you don’t know football.

If you don’t think this team has a good coach, you don’t know football.

I can’t defend ownership in any way. They have been the worst ownership group in the history of sports. If your e-mail was spent torching ownership, I would understand but the rest of your opinions are uninformed because you’re bitter.

I’m in no way trying to be offensive by saying that but when a team plays to three point games in every game under a new coach and a new system, while ownership is spending money to change the fortunes of the franchise, I think you’re being unfair.

Hi Ron and Doug:

I love listening to your shown in the morning, and think you do a great job, so I hope you don’t mind some constructive criticism. It seems that when I have turned on the show lately, you don’t talk about the Cardinals that much (or at least as much as I would hope). For example, after the Steelers game, the Cardinals just won one of their biggest games in years, but the show seemed to be dominated by baseball.

I love the Diamondbacks and watch almost all of their games (and go to the games when I can), but it was an “in between” day for the Diamondbacks. The Diamondbacks were the big story on Friday night, and will be again in a couple of days.

In contrast, the Cardinals just won their big game yesterday in front of a sell out crowd, etc. I would have thought that the show would have been at least equally split with Cardinals coverage, but it didn’t appear to be when I was listening. Even after the coach’s segment, you immediately switched back to baseball in the same breath that you said goodbye to coach Whisenhunt. It seemed like the other station was more interested in discussing the Cardinals game than you were, which was surprising to me given that KTAR is also the flagship station for the Cardinals.

I hope this doesn’t come across as too negative, as I find your shows very informative and entertaining. I was also looking forward to hearing more of Wolfley’s insights into the game (he is one of my favorite all-time Cardinals players since they moved here in 1988), so that added to the disappointment. Maybe I just listened at the wrong times, but in any event, I just wanted to pass along my thoughts.

Thanks! Go Cardinals and Diamondbacks!

Sean

The first thing you should do is talk to Bruce, however, I always appreciate someone giving criticism when it’s done in the fashion you chose. There’s no way you were “listening at the wrong times” because you were listening during your times. You should judge the show by what you get out of it. I want you to take ownership of this show.

We have three segments every hour. I can tell you that the show was set-up so that every hour we did one segment that was Cardinals with a little NFL talk mixed in, one segment of D-Backs with a little Mets mixed in because of their melt down, and one segment that was one of our standard features.

Please understand that due to the fact it’s the post-season, the D-Backs dominate the headlines. I’m even getting criticism from some fans that for a team to be as surprising as the D-Backs, we talked too much Cards. If the Cards keep playing well, just imagine, how many complaints we’ll get from Suns fans when we’re hopefully talking Cards football in January.

Your e-mail will be taken very seriously. I agree completely with you that when someone sells out in this town, they deserve plenty of attention.

Thanks for listening Sean.

Good morning Doug.

Today may very well be the last day that I listen to your show.

I am absolutely sick and tired of being told to go to D-Backs games.

I am as big of baseball fan as there is out there. I am an Arizona native and I grew up listening to Dodger games on the radio with my dad listening to Vin Scully and Rick Monday. When I moved to southern edge of the valley in ’95, I got a map to make sure that I was in Maricopa county so that a percentage of my taxes where going to the stadium.

I can handle the D-backs and their marketing department trying to get more fans in the seats and get the games sold out but I don’t need to hear it from you or any other talk show host.

I don’t care how affordable you or any one else claims the tickets are, I cannot afford to go the games. I have a family to support and feed.

If you and others like you are so concerned about getting games sold out, why do YOU buy up some family packs and give them away. And not to contest winners, just give them to people to get the games sold out.

I can’t tell you how much I am offended by someone trying to tell me how to spend my money, even if it were on entertainment. To me its just as bad as the government trying to tell me they need more of my money going toward taxes.

Good luck getting those tickets sold out but I’m probably done with you program after today.

I will continue to listen to Gambo and Ash everyday because I can’t recall them ever trying to tell me how to spend my money.

Nathan

For the time you have listened, thank you.

I have no right to rip you as an individual for not buying tickets. What you do with your money is none of my business.

However, fans in this city do more complaining about ticket prices than any other market yet the D-Backs are in the bottom half of MLB in ticket prices. It is the only city that doesn’t sell out playoff games.

The afford ability isn’t even the main issue. There are plenty of fans that can afford games and aren’t going because of Luis Gonzalez. Why haven’t they admitted they were wrong and the D-Backs outfield this year was better without Gonzalez? Why don’t the fans realize that it was MLB that had them change their colors and not some “erase the past” idea? There are plenty of people who can afford to go to games but won’t because they’re bitter at the new owners. How about the fact that MLB was worried about the D-Backs going bankrupt and the new ownership group stepped in and saved the team and still had the class to recognize what Jerry Colangelo means to the city and asked him to throw out the first pitch? These are all facts that the team doesn’t want out because they feel like the fans will think they are blaming others for past problems.

I’m bitter at fans who come up with all these excuses for not going to games. Do you really think I’m telling someone who can’t afford to go to games to suddenly spend money? Isn’t there a chance that the one subject you are very sensitive to is the one that you are offended by? I don’t think you had a major problem with my points about ownership or Gonzo.

Every city has fans that love their team and can’t afford to go to a game. Why are those cities still selling out?

Good morning again Doug.

Thank you for responding to my e-mail. I’ve e-mailed you a couple times before and you have responded each time. The other two times were not complaints.

I really appreciate you elaborating on your point. As you put it, I guess I was focusing on only one part of the issue. If people are complaining about getting rid of Luis and being mad at new ownership, they are misguided. I bet some of those people were the same ones that were mad at Colangelo about how he got the stadium funded.

Maybe I just needed my opportunity to vent as well. I’ll continue listening. By the way, I caught a little bit of your College Game day show the other weekend. Good job.

Catcha on the airwaves.

-Nathan

I’m glad you’re staying with us and thanks for the compliment on the college football show.

It also drives me crazy that sports radio hosts who with media credentials who do not pay to get into the ball park. When you all start paying for games especially Play off games ($70.00 for upper deck.) Then you all can start talking about why people don’t go to games.

Ohh By the way Love the show.
Matthew

It’s easy to rip media with credentials.

But nobody ever rips media with credentials when they go to an Orioles/D-Backs game on a Saturday night when they’ve already been to three games during the home stand. Going as a fan is a wonderful experience with my kids and my wife. Going as media is work at the end of a day that you woke up at 2 A.M. and then you have to leave for work 3 hours after you got home.

This job has incredible perks. It’s just that I’d love for someone to go do something with their family on a Saturday afternoon knowing you’ve got four college football games to watch on tape when you get home and after you’re up half the night you get a call from the boss that says you’re on the air for the 13th straight day.

Sorry you had to hear the sob story but you earned it.