He continued, "I remember catching Tim Wakefield. KDKA is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. All rights reserved. By Nick Deeds | April 30, 2023 at 1:54pm CDT. '"While he was working as color analyst for the Bisons, Brown was also hosting sports talk shows on WGR. "As of right now I like the Pirates chances better than the Chicago Cubs," Wehner said. Wehner, the last person to hit a home run at Three His wife is from the Pittsburgh area and they will reside in the Pittsburgh area for the upcoming season. 6 San Francisco still in the playoffs. Harold Arlin became the nation's first baseball broadcaster when he called the play-by-play of the Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Philadelphia Phillies game from Forbes Field on August 5, 1921 for Pittsburgh radio station KDKA. But he was also an engaging personality. It's a pretty short sample, I don't know if they've made 10 appearances apiece so there's a lot of season left.". If the Bisons were home, I would be at Fredonia during the day and I would drive to Pilot Field and do games at night, so I would broadcast home games but not road games." It sure sounds like Pirates Broadcaster John Wehner believes they can when he joined The Cook and Poni Show on Friday in his regular weekly spot. The only thing more far-fetched than me being a Major League Baseball player is me being a broadcaster, he said. ', screaming. He says that despite being 5 games under .500 right now he sees a lineup that is solid and the rotation is one of the top in the NL Central. Brown said. Perhaps this is the broadcast teams way of grooming a replacement for Wehner, as the three will rotate throughout the year. (Image credit: Universal Pictures/Nintendo) The Super Mario Bros. movie is in the headlines this weekend, for reasons both good and bad. Tom Prince would always get on me saying how easy I thought it looked. Im excited to pinch-hit as the fantasy waiver column writer this week. "They created a broadcast coordinator position. I took a bus because we didnt have a car to get there, he said. I was thinking how cool it would be, because in Chicago they raise a W on a flag over Wrigley Field when they win. Brought to you by ShopYinzz.com! For the complete Pirates Spring Training broadcast schedule please visit pirates.com/broadcast. Well, you dont need one. Trying to muster conversation or insight from Wehner seems akin to pulling teeth. He was a utility guy. If he's hitting let's say .280 or .290 and he's hitting some balls out of the ballpark and he's playing the defense that he's played so far, that's a hard decision for a team that's near the top of the division to send that back. Then for the next week doing sports talk just rehashing the game." The next day, Brown was called in to WGR program director Chuck Finney's office, for what he assumed would be a reprimand for shouting over Miller's call on the crucial play. "And that's what Van did all the time I just adored him. Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/KS/LA (select parishes)/MA/MD/MI/NH/NJ/NY/OH/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. 1 New York, No. He does admit that the everyday lineup has a few holes but that there are guys capable of hitting, but it's the rotation that keeps him the most optimistic. It makes for a potent offense considering the Pirates rank second in the NL with a .343 on-base percentage meaning dozens of those walks and singles have essentially been converted to doubles. Like Walk, Wehner also spent time as a player in Pittsburgh. They couldn't really hold a candle to the Bisons. The Bisons were about to enter their second season as a Pirates affiliate. Boston is No. "I would stand in the back of the broadcast booth, and any time Mike or Steve needed anything at all, a drink of water, a Coke, a scoring decision, anything, I was at the ready. It will be the first of a total of 14 televised games by the Pirates television partner, AT&T SportsNet, the most ever in its long-standing partnership with the Pirates. A three-team trade headlined by Joe Musgrove heading to the Padres in January 2021 brought him back to the land of Sheetz. They will attempt to improve on their 62100 record from last year, make the playoffs for the first time since Brown knew Wehner from his time with the Bisons, where Wehner played 268 games over four seasons. "You're actually closer to the fans than we are here," Brown said while sitting in Pittsburgh's PNC Park's radio booth. They'd know that the Pirates had won the game the night before." He was a passionate Bills fan. And some has come from ownerships refusal to spend money on the people who play in it: The As roster this year will make $56.8 million, last in the league by a good margin. "Lanny (Frattare) always told me if I wanted to become a major league announcer I had to get experience in the minor leagues. Happy were settled with all that and look forward to continuing what were doing.. He was one of those guys everybody liked. When asked about who the Steelers were going to take in the first round this year, Rock said he "couldn't care less" about the draft, that it is the most over-covered thing in sports and that overall, the heightened interest in it is "dumb. Johnny Cueto dropped the ball on the mound; two more playoff appearances followed. But then he went to Giant Eagle and ran into announcer Bob Walks son. WebJohn Paul Wehner (pronounced "Waner") (born June 29, 1967 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is a former utility player in Major League Baseball and a current broadcaster for the Pittsburgh Pirates. They talked about the broadcast spot, and he told Walk he was interested. I was the liaison between the radio network stations and our flagship KDKA radio." He said Miller demonstrated that broadcasting sports should be fun. And hopefully theres a lot of winning to be done in Pittsburgh., This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pirates' NL-best start to 2023 has Pittsburgh charting new course, eight-year, $100 million contract extension, Bet $10 and get $100+ in bonus wagers with our link at BetMGM, changed its rules to encourage stolen bases, Full list of every baseball team from highest to lowest, Database of every player on anopening day roster, Pirates' NL-best start to 2023 has Pittsburgh charting new course, Man who lost wife, son in Texas mass shooting tells story, E. Jean Carroll resumes testimony in Trump rape trial after mistrial denied, Michael J. "I remember being down by the dugout," Brown said. He called minor league games for the Great Falls White Sox, Jacksonville Suns, Billings Mustangs, and select games for the final two seasons of the Montreal Expos. '"The internship led to many other opportunities with the ballclub. During the confusion, Miller paused briefly in his call and Brown remembers yelling "Darby!, Darby breaks it up!" He was called up in 1991. Wehner, the last person to hit a home run at Three Rivers Stadium, spoke at a private event Friday sponsored by Somerset Trust Co. at the Somerset Country Club. If the three consecutive last-place finishes followed by a second 100-loss season werent enough, the outfielder ran headlong into a ceiling so many stars had in the past: A de facto cap on salary commitments, an unwritten edict that prompted past stars to flee or get traded, that prevented free agents from joining the squad, that kept a franchise with a rich history operating in the 21st century at 20th-century prices. Wehner, who grew up about 8 miles from the ballpark in Carrick, said his first break came when he played in a 1985 American Legion all-star game. Went to Indiana University. "I happened to be away that week. This is unbelievable when you think about it. "One memory that stands out for Brown is the dramatic one-game playoff Buffalo played with Nashville in 1990 to decide the American Association East Division Champion. Brown remembers Miller having a similar influence on him as Pete Weber had, "but in a different way." When Jerry Springer retired from "Judge Jerry" a year ago after 40 years on TV, he told me he had "a great life, it's a life of no regrets." "Sure enough, he hits a home run," Brown remembered. So, what gives with the major league-leading 41 steals? A Pittsburgh native and graduate of Carrick High School, Wehner was drafted out of Indiana University by the Pirates in the 7th round of the 1988 MLB draft and made his MLB debut on July 17, 1991. Young spent a lot of time at first base through the nineties and early part of the 2000s. Although he didn't get the mascot job, the tryout led to other opportunities. His reputation was pretty amazing, obviously, for what he did, the way he hit, the home runs, the RBIs, said John Wehner, the former Pirates player and current broadcaster. He says many of his friends growing up are either dead or in jail. The guy who once stood in the back of the broadcast booth and acted as a runner now enters his 27th season as the Pirates' play-by-play man. Miller's infectious enthusiasm rubbed off on Brown. It's live. The epic game went 18 innings before the Sounds finally prevailed by a score of 9-8.Brown also reminisced about Game 4 of Buffalo's five game playoff series with Denver in 1991, when the Bisons staged a furious comeback after trailing 9-0 and being no-hit for eight innings. The list of alumni includes former Pirates pitcher Matt Capps; former Pirates catcher and current AT&T SportsNet analyst Michael McKenry; and former Pirates first baseman Kevin Young. And we laughed because he didn't hit home runs." Right-hander Vince Velasquez, signed for a $3.15 million flyer this winter, has a 3.06 ERA through six starts, nearly two runs better than his 4.93 career mark entering the season. He started helping out legendary public address announcer Art McKennan, which led to Brown becoming the team's public address announcer in 1987.Through it all, his goal was to become a broadcaster for the team. And I said 'Well, I guess it's not very good because the color analyst' And he said 'Exact opposite. Brown remembered he "got called into the (WGR's) GM's office, and he said to me, 'Hey, we're making a change to the color announcer. Block is a Michigan native, but he had family ties to the Pittsburgh region. Walk told his father, who called the office and got Wehner a tryout. In '90, '91, '92, they won the division, so they were drawing well then. I said to him, 'How cool is it that you're starting today?' Everything you need to know about MLB news, Pirates and other Pittsburgh teams for Monday, May 1, 2023. Brown eventually teamed with Blass on Pirates broadcasts from 1994 up until Blass's retirement last season, while Lange helped give Brown his first break into broadcasting. I said 'I came up here to be a baseball broadcaster and you're asking me to do football. He graduated from Michigan State University of 1999 and resided on the east side of Milwaukee with his wife, Bethany, when he was with the Brewers from 20122015. OK, so Santana has just three stolen bases in three attempts one of seven Pirates with multiple thefts through 29games. Brown auditioned to become the team mascot, the Pirate Parrot. This seems like strange criticism to me because that appears to be part of the job when youre an employee of the team. So is Wehner ready to call the Pirates the favorite to win the division? His big break came during a doubleheader at Three Rivers Stadium. In 1997 the Marlins won the World Series. The somewhat errant throw is fielded in Jeter-esque style by Justin Morneau and then relayed to Russell Martin at home, who then tags out Nate Schierholtz. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. "I was standing in the back and Mike took his headset off and walked to the back of the booth and said 'Go get 'em kid' and left the booth. Pete also had secured the Bill Polian Show and the Marv Levy Show and there would be times he would have me host those." Void in ONT. "I remember saying goodbye to Jay Bell, when he got the call to go back to the big leagues. Lanny Frattare had 'There was no doubt about it!' Not a bad idea. Martin rolls to his knees and holds the ball up in triumphant victory as Jason Grilli comes to hug him, an image that will be immortalized in our collective Pirates memories. Like The Fan On FacebookFollow The Fan On Twitter, First published on June 30, 2017 / 3:45 PM. Its just that Santanas three steals in his 26 games exceeds his total for 349 games between 2020-2022. And the Pirates largely returned a core group of players who combined for 89 steals all of 2022 14th among 30 major league teams. "The seats are very close They'd score a touchdown to put the game away. In 1997 he joined the Florida Marlins as a bench player, staying there for two seasons before rejoining the Pirates in 1999.[2]. As of late, however, the Pirates booth has received low marks from a slew of online evaluators (whether or not theyre qualified to judge them is another story). It remains an open question how long it might last. His nickname is "Rock". Front-page story, big black skull and crossbones, Jolly Rogers waiving everywhere. I stood in the back of the booth, not knowing what was going on, because I didn't know what he meant. His nickname is "Rock". Therefore, if the Bisons were on the road at that point, I wasn't going on the road. "It was from John Wehner." "One day he said to me 'Be ready kid, next week I'm not going to do 18 innings of that doubleheader against the Mets.' "The guy that called me said 'I've got good news and bad news. Some included Pirates broadcaster John Wehner. He shares a league record of 99 consecutive games at third base without an error with Jeff Cirillo. So for the next two innings, I called a major league baseball game." He's dynamic. Brown's suggestion was shot down at the time, but the idea returned years later. At that moment in time I said to myself 'Is this really happening? Sports is unrehearsed. Johns approximated net worth is $1 Million. I can remember looking into the dugout and seeing the exhaustion on the faces of the players. Brown has great memories of his time working with the Bisons and broadcasting games alongside Pete Weber. "Yeah, I did actually I'm sure I didn't catch every one, but a couple of them anyway." He was a late inning replacement. Can that continue? Reynolds extension got the Pirates off a rather ignoble list now only the Kansas City Royals, Chicago White Sox and Oakland As havent signed a player to a nine-figure deal, even if the Pirates needed every penny of Reynolds deal to do so. Its kind of an amazing, long, hard road, he said. John Paul Wehner (pronounced Waner) (born June 29, 1967 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is an American former utility player in Major League Baseball (MLB) and a current broadcaster for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Grew up in Pittsburgh as a Pirate fan. And it's just mayhem and spontaneous joy. He rejoined the Pirates in 1999. It was one of those moments. I said 'Oh I can pitch.' 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"I had gone from a team (the Pirates) where I was in the promotions department, marketing, and broadcast department, when the team was celebrating a million in attendance at a major league ballpark. "After those games, the next day, I would be on for three hours I believe on the morning drive taking phone calls. Anything but." Jerry Springer, Cincinnati politician turned daytime 'ringmaster,' dies at 79. Its significantly different, Reynolds says of the vibe as May dawns this season compared to years past. I feel happy Im going to be here for a long time. "Those 3 starters are every bit as good as any other 3 in the central right now.". He was just a ton of fun." This is sports. He played for Pittsburgh for 9 of his 11 Major League seasons between 1991-2001. In 11 seasons in MLB, Wehner compiled a .249 batting average with four home runs and 54 RBI in 461 games. MLB PAYROLLS 2023:Full list of every baseball team from highest to lowest, 2023 MLB SALARIES:Database of every player on anopening day roster. Pete did an hour show every night and there would be some nights he'd give me the show. I did morning drive sports news. Walk spent time in Pittsburgh as a player before moving to the broadcast side of things, as is usually the case for color analysts. Odds and lines subject to change. They'll stand the test of time.'" On the radio side, the Pirates Flagship Radio Partners station 93.7 The Fan, News Radio 100.1 FM and 1020 AM, as well as the Pirates Radio Network will broadcast 18 contests in total, the most ever on radio during a Spring Training season. "It's a game, it's fun." Starter Mitch Keller is nearing the ace status the club once envisioned for him, and will have two more years of control after this one. Brown and Block will handle the play-by-play duties, Walk and Wehner will serve as the primary analysts, with Capps, McKenry and Young joining the broadcasts on a rotational basis. Wehner doesn't expect that the Brewers can hold on, and both the Cardinals and Cubs have injury issues. It's impossible.' I was proud to make some contributions, he said. Derek Dietrich has as many home runs in the last three games against Pittsburgh as Wehner had in his entire 11-year Major League career. Craig Toth covers the Pirates for Inside Yet you dont have to squint too hard to see a core forming. Follow them on twitter as well, @HerdChroniclesPittsburgh Pirates play-by-play man Greg Brown looks back fondly on his five seasons calling Bisons games with Pete Weber and three years working with Van Miller on Bills games. Not only did Brown catch Wakefield, he also stepped on the mound once to throw to Buffalo Baseball Hall of Famer Tom Prince. His Pirates are off to a 20-9 start, the best record in the National League, and while Reynolds, wife Blair and their two children are rooted in Tennessee, they can certainly shop around in preparation for Steel City summers: Reynolds last week signed an eight-year, $100 million contract extension, the first nine-figure commitment in club history. So that's where I fell in love with the Pirates." WebJohn Paul Wehner [1] is an American former utility player in Major League Baseball and a current broadcaster for the Pittsburgh Pirates. At one point the fledgling cable company was looking to hire a play-by-play and a color guy, and our president at the time, Malcom Prine, asked me to spearhead the guys who were coming in to try out for the play-by-play and color analyst." The Pittsburgh Pirates today announced the complete broadcast schedule for the teams 2021 Spring Training Grapefruit League games. They talk about RTJR, Raise the Jolly Roger, #Raiseit. He stopped the tape and said 'What do you think of that call?' Its cool to see the buzz around it is definitely back.. We think you've got some talent. Prior to the draft, he said, he received a call asking if he would sign or finish college. He was so much fun and Greg Tubbs, what a great guy he was Dorn Taylor was so much fun, and Rick Reed and Mike York." "I tell people that I had that call for several years before the Pirates won in 2013, and nobody noticed it," Brown said, "But then in 2013 they were doing stories about it in the paper. The call has become synonymous with Pirates wins. There are four of the nations top six television markets No. He believes the emotion is what helps make a call memorable.Brown got the opportunity to return to Pittsburgh in 1994, where he's been the Pirates play-by play-announcer on both radio and television ever since. "I started to write and produce commercials. Lange meant that Brown would finally get a chance to call his first big league game. "There were many aspects of being in Buffalo that made Brown feel like he was still in the majors. After an outfield bobble by Marlon Byrd, Andrew McCutchen picks up the baseball and fires towards home. wvxu.org. "We were really ahead of our time, because we had wireless. Leyland, who managed the Florida Marlins, signed Wehner after he was released by the Dodgers. Because of injury he went back and forth between the major and minor leagues before being picked up by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1996. I was very blessed and I owe that to Jim Leyland.. The incredible moment came in front of a full house in the final Pirates game at Three Rivers Stadium. "Just the fun that he had. Pirates Broadcaster John Wehner Still Believes In Bucs Bullpen, Steelers take press corner from Purdue in 7th round, Steelers sign free-agent corner, where hes expected to help, SirVocea Dennis stays with Calijah Kancey in the NFL, Im at a loss for words Nick Herbig joins brother with Steelers. Block used to call games for the Milwaukee Brewers, and Ive heard some fans suggest he still has somewhat of an allegiance to the Brew Crew. MICHELLE GANASSI michelleg@dailyamerican.com. Pittsburgh is such a great sports town, says Bednar, who spent his college years on the Wawa side of Pennsylvania before San Diego drafted him in the 35th round out of Lafayette College in 2016. Home News Random Article Install Wikiwand Send a suggestion Uninstall Wikiwand He was drafted by the Pirates in 1988. WebWehner was born in Pittsburgh on June 29, 1967. Malcolm Prine said, 'You can't be our play-by-play guy, but we would like you to do some pre- and post-game stuff. Now its on! Reynolds hasnt been caught in five attempts, while leader Ji Hwan Bae has 11steals in 12 attempts. So he was a showman. 4 Philadelphia and No. Pete's rsum was big league, and that was certainly part of it, that he treated that position like a major-league broadcaster. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. This kid's athletic defensively, he swings the bat, he definitely has pop, that home run was impressive the other day. Radio: KQV -- Jimmy Murray; WWSW -- Walter E . WebThe 2023 Pittsburgh Pirates season will be the franchise's 142nd season overall, 137th season as a member of the National League, and 23rd season at PNC Park.Before the season, Andrew McCutchen came back to the team via free agency. "And I'm going crazy. Brown helped coordinate the search. Five years later and McCutchen is back, on a one-year deal that puts him directly behind Reynolds in the batting order. "I still think he's effective enough and he's good enough to get the job done based on what I saw last year. He spent parts of 11 years in MLB, with the majority of that time coming with the Pirates. He's a wonderful individual, too. Not unless you consider 37-year-old first baseman Carlos Santana a speed merchant. In addition to game coverage, AT&T SportsNet will air exclusive Pirates programming prior to the start of the season, including new editions of Inside Pirates Baseball. His nickname is "Rock". [Richard] Rodriguez isn't getting as much swing and miss, that's the only thing about him that I scratch my head a little bit. Pirates Preview: Can Oviedo & Bucs maintain momentum and earn the sweep? But safety Matt Darby intercepted Aikman at the goal line with just 12 seconds remaining to seal a Bills victory. On many nights we would outdraw Pittsburgh. 2023 Audacy, Inc. All rights reserved. WebJohn Wehner was used to living out of a suitcase six months each year from March to October. WebTHE ROCK joins us for one of the final times of the season. Brown vividly recalled listening to Weber's call of the Bisons' ninth inning comeback attempt and said it was "one of the greatest games in the history of sports, let alone minor league baseball. It seems as though, despite the moment, Block has trouble mustering excitement. Top prospect Roansy Contreras has been dominant his last three starts, completing at least six innings and striking out 19, albeit with seven walks. Van would actually go up on the desk and he'd be reaching down and start high fiving people. He spent parts of 11 years in MLB, with the majority of that time coming with the Pirates. Brown and Weber began doing Bills pre-game shows on WGR, even though the station didn't have the rights to the team's broadcasts yet. Brown remembered listening to Weber's radio call from his Delaware Avenue apartment, "because I was on the Bills beat, so when the Bills started up in Fredonia, I was there every day. And I scoffed at it. Most times you go from the minors to the majors. The schedule gets tougher immediately: The Pirates opena three-game road series Tuesday against the only other team hotter than them the 23-6 Tampa Bay Rays. For 11 years as a player, nine with the Pirates, and 15 as one of the Bucs The voice of the broadcaster breaks up the low crowd murmur on a hot August afternoon. ", Check out his fiery response about it along with the entire interview on. "There is a ton of holes in that (Cubs) lineup and the rotation is iffy. [2] He played every position except pitcher at least 3 times. For the next 10 seasons, Brown worked in the Pirates' sales, public relations, and broadcast departments. I was still working full time for the Pirates and traveling to Youngstown, Ohio and doing Saturday and Sunday 6 and 11 o'clock sportscasts So I had to make a decision whether I wanted to leave the Pirates and become a sports anchor, which was kind of my dream to a degree, because I wanted to get into the business. So that made it easy for me to feel like I was to a degree already in the major leagues." I went from the majors to the minors. Steve Blass waved at me to sit down in Mike's chair. He goes 'What?' Finally, there are some signs of permanence. WebPirates Broadcaster John Wehner The Fan Morning Show 11:40 Play Audio Add to Playlist ShareReport 144Listens THE ROCK joins us for one of the final times of the Block previously worked with veteran broadcaster and former Major League Baseball catcher Bob Uecker. Throughout the course of the truncated 60-game regular season, all 30 Major League Baseball teams played games without spectators as a Brown has become a favorite for many, in part by virtue of being such a mainstay with Pittsburgh only Prince and Frattare were around longer. Coming off a loss to the Cowboys in the Super Bowl the previous season, Buffalo headed to Dallas for a rematch. Block grew up in Roseville, Michigan. More recently, the Pirates had one of my personal favorites, Tim Neverett, who served for a comparatively brief term, being with the Bucs between 2009 and 2015 before departing for the Boston Red Sox. I dont know how the rest of the fanbase feels about Wehner I dont keep my finger on the pulse in that regard, but I think he is nothing short of bad. After the first year, the station decided to bring in a new color analyst and offered Brown the job. Mike Billoni (vice president/general manager of the Bisons at the time), I think Bucz (Mike Buczkowski, who was Bisons public relations manager at the time and is currently president, Rich Baseball Operations and vice president and general manager of the Bisons), and John Dandes (who was vice president/general manager of stadium services at the time) might have also come down to see the parent club and how they were operating," Brown said. Brown responded, "I assume because Van probably didn't like me stepping on him." Frank has done extensive research on the early days of the Bisons and shares tremendous stories about the team and baseball in the Queen City that are must reads for Buffalo sports fans. Brown laughed as he remembered Collins saying, 'You can't be doing this. I can strive to have fun at the job and yet take the job seriously at the same time like Pete, but I'll never match his memory. His Pirates are off to a 20-9 start, the best record in the National League, and while Reynolds, wife Blair and their two children are rooted in Tennessee, they can certainly shop around in preparation for Steel City summers: Reynolds last week signed an eight-year, $100 million contract extension, the first nine-figure commitment in club history. If you go the next week or 10 days and Tucker is still doing the things he's done, I mean he's fun to watch isn't he? The comeback game. With impeccable timing: The Pirates 82% success rate reflects a sound exploitation of the larger bases and the limit on disengagements from the pitching rubber. WebPittsburgh native John Wehner is in his 19th season as a member of the Pirates broadcast team. After a successful collegiate career at Indiana University, he was drafted by his hometown Pittsburgh Pirates in the 7th round As fate would have it, the Pittsburgh kid came up big in the historic game. Sure, the bats will slump. Neverett replaced Dave O'Brien who switched over to TV for the Red Sox after Don Orsillo left the team to join the San Diego Padres. McCutchen signaled his commitment to Pittsburgh by signing a team-friendly six-year, $51.5 million extension in 2012, yet even his affordable deal and connection to the city couldnt stop him from hitting the road. The way that the Riches treated me. Frank has done extensive research on the early days of the Bisons and shares tremendous stories about the team and baseball in the, This article is written by Brian Frank of HerdChronicles.com, a website dedicated to some of the many great stories from the storied history of the Buffalo Bisons. They are all, of course, former Pirates, with most of their tenures coming during years of Pirate futility. "He was from Cincinnati," Brown said of Finney.