Justin Verlander is a Detroit legend. A future Hall of Famer. One of the greatest pitchers ever to wear the Old English D.

But there’s another side to the story. And former Detroit Free Press Tigers beat writer Anthony Fenech is finally ready to tell it.

STRAIGHT DOPE: In a revealing conversation with M.L. Elrick and Marc Fellhauer, Fenech opens up about his bitter feud with Verlander, the infamous clubhouse confrontation, and the superstar’s public accusations that Fenech was an unethical journalist. Fenech says the fallout nearly destroyed his career, sent him into a personal tailspin, and left him questioning the newspaper that employed him.

Now, after five years, he’s fighting back with a new tell-all book, Off the Record.

Nothing is off-limits: Verlander’s temper, the Tigers’ attempts to control the media, the ugly side of sports journalism, and how a couple of Jet’s pizzas helped bring Fenech’s Free Press career to a bizarre conclusion.

Plus, Fenech pulls back the curtain on the Tigers’ clubhouse, dishes on Miguel Cabrera and other Detroit stars, and explains how teams and agents manipulate the reporters who cover them.

And there’s more!

GEEK OF THE WEEK: Christopher Ilitch earns Geek of the Week for his handling of the Red Wings’ troubles and his preference for LinkedIn over facing angry fans. We also get into the controversial renaming of Comerica Park, the explosion of sports gambling, and millionaire athletes willing to endorse just about anything for another paycheck.

It’s baseball, big egos, corporate media, and a little Detroit dirty laundry.

Because when the legend becomes bigger than the truth, somebody still has to tell the story.

Only on ML’s Soul of Detroit.

Thanks to our supporters Pinnacle Wealth Strategies, Cadieux Café, Detroit City FC, and our SOULmates on Patreon.

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