UDM Athletics & Detroit Media Join to Honor Late WXYZ Sports Producer Reggie Hall

It was a picture-perfect afternoon for a little matinee baseball in Detroit. 

In this case, it wasn’t the Tigers taking the field to stay in the American League playoff race.

Reggie Hall (WXYZ photo)

It was members of the Detroit media as well as the Detroit Titans athletic department coming together to honor the late, great Reggie Hall.

The game, titled the Reggie Hall Memorial Classic, was the brainchild of P.J. Gradowski (UDM Director of Athletic Communications).  The media side was captained by WXYZ sportscaster Brad Galli.

The man affectionately known as “Titan Reggie” had a significant impact on both the Detroit sports scene and the Titans’ athletic teams.  He worked for decades as a sports producer, most notably at WXYZ, while moonlighting as a deeply passionate fan of the UDM basketball squad.  His reach within the hoops world was such that after his passing in December, many of the other programs within the Horizon League would go on to honor Reggie with a pre-game tribute or a plaque created in his memory.   

No slouch himself in his athletic prime, Reggie was a member of the Detroit Titans baseball team.  Thus, it was appropriate that the game honoring Titan Reggie took place on a perfectly-manicured diamond on the UDM campus. 

As for the game itself, the media couldn’t quite make the transition from press row to the batter’s box.  Over a trio of three-inning affairs, the UDM side swept the series handily. 

Notable members of the media side were Galli and Justin Rose from WXYZ, Matt Shepard from Fox Sports Detroit, Rob Parker from TV20, Rod Beard of the Detroit News, and Mike Stone from 97.1 the Ticket.  “Stoney” was a late addition to the lineup, but finished the day 1-for-1, ending his career with a record 1.000 batting average.  As is generally the case with most media gatherings, there was a noticeable uptick in energy and enthusiasm once the softball action  ended and the postgame buffet commenced. 

There was a moment of silence before the game to honor Titan Reggie, and the dirt behind home plate was adorned with those familiar initials, “TR.”