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A former Detroit News editor and publisher, Robert H. Giles, joins critics decrying the paper's involuntary reassignment of veteran baseball writer Tom Gage. He speaks admiringly as a Tigers fan as well as a past boss.
After seeing a link to the original version of this article, posted Thursday morning by national blogger Jim Romenesko, the retired journalism executive emailed Deadline to say:
"I am stunned by the decision to take Tom Gage off the Tiger’s beat. He is a gifted baseball writer and represented the paper in the best possible way during my tenure as editor. I was very proud to know that he was our guy on the baseball beat.
"Since I left the paper in 1997, Tom has been my window on the team. It was a joy to discover his innovative ways of making the game story interesting, day after day.
"Say it ain’t so."
Giles led The News from 1989-97 and served as curator of the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University from 2000-2011. He and his wife live in Traverse City.
Original article, Tuesday night:
Here's what other admirers, including News colleagues, post at Facebook:
► "Incompetence:" It's decisions like these where I begin to believe newspaper management is only capable of incompetence. -- Jon Zemke, Detroit
► "Thougtful and courteous:" I've enjoyed reading Tom's work, and on the couple of times I wrote him regarding his column, his replies were thoughtful and courteous. -- Michael Porter, Farmington Hills
► "Against his wishes:" After all those years he's going to cover another sport, clearly against his wishes? -- Tim Grand, Detroit
► "Bad call" -- Jennifer John, Deadline reader
► "Ridiculous:" Just ridiculous. This industry continues to crumble. -- Jeff Barr
► "Example of what's wrong:" Just another example of what's wrong with "journalism" today. -- Dave Allen
► No class: Total lack of class by the News. -- Barry Smades, Pontiac
► Comparison to a legend: He is the Ernie Harwell of Detroit print media. -- Jim Pesta, Detroit
► "One of the best:" Horrible. Best baseball writer in Detroit, by far. One of the best, period. -- Glenn Stevens, Grosse Pointe Woods
► "Ridiculous:" This is ridiculous! Doesn’t the paper realize what they are giving up? I’m cancelling my subscription!! -- Cary Jarnac, Grosse Pointe Park
► "Makes no sense:" I've been scratching my head quietly about this for a while now. It just makes no sense. . . . In a long list of dumb things to happen at The News, this one is the ultimate foul ball. Gage is a good guy and great writer. I've been asked, but I have no idea what they're thinking. -- Tom Gromak, Detroiit News director of digital innovation (2 posts)
►"Defined the Tigers:" It is hard to be surprised anymore when experience and quality are devalued. Tom Gage defined the Tigers for many of us. -- Bruce McLaughlan, Milford (former News staffer)
►"Dumbass move:" No matter how they try to sell it, it stinks and it's a dumbass move. They assigned him an ice-fishing story last week. Swell. -- Michael J. Happy, Grosse Pointe Woods (former News staffer)
►"The best:" Tom is the best. Who made this decision? Same guy who laid off the late, great Charlie Cain after 35 years as the best political reporter. Ugh. -- John Schultz, Royal Oak (former News staffer)
