LAKELAND, Fla. – Glenn Ezell is gruff and old school.
The Detroit Tigers’ director of player development oversees the daily operation on the minor league side of the Tigertown Complex. He usually walks around with a black bat in hand, barking instructions as he simultaneously monitors activity on multiple fields.
Thursday morning, as all of the Tigers’ minor league affiliates played intersquad games, Ezell’s ire was fueled by what he wasn’t seeing.
Feeling some players in the various games weren’t hustling, Ezell stopped all of the games, ordered all of the position players from each affiliate to gather around the pitching mound on one of the fields and proceeded to give them a verbal dressing-down.
“It’s not your right to wear that uniform,’’ Ezell bellowed. “It’s a privilege to be out here.’’
After a few minutes of scolding, which included a threat of possible monetary discipline, the players returned to their respective games, apparently with a heightened sense of urgency.
“I think that was a little going-away pep talk,’’ Erie SeaWolves outfielder Matt Joyce said, referring to the end of spring camp this weekend.