Comments on: Talking with the Prez http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2007/12/10/talking-with-the-prez/ A Rough Draft Blog Sun, 14 Mar 2010 21:35:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Ryan http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2007/12/10/talking-with-the-prez/#comment-3449 Ryan Tue, 18 Dec 2007 09:01:11 +0000 http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2007/12/10/talking-with-the-prez/#comment-3449 It's worth noting that Jason Whitlock is a card-carrying member of the BBWAA. I bet he hasn't been to 10 games in the last five years. It’s worth noting that Jason Whitlock is a card-carrying member of the BBWAA. I bet he hasn’t been to 10 games in the last five years.

]]> By: Chris Dankberg http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2007/12/10/talking-with-the-prez/#comment-3133 Chris Dankberg Thu, 13 Dec 2007 04:43:07 +0000 http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2007/12/10/talking-with-the-prez/#comment-3133 Count me as one of those who is surprised to see Rob Neyer writing on this subject. I'm one of the dozens of people who bought Feeding the Monster, and I really have enjoyed Neyer's work over the years. Passive-aggressive doesn't just describe Neyer's writing on this subject, but on the entire sport in general. It seems to be at a level just above comatose. I'm not sure what happened, though I've also been a little confused on the direction baseball has been headed the last ten years. I think the sabermetric "movement" has left everybody feeling a little spent. I'd love for a great writer like Neyer to find his groove again. The HOF discussion just isn't all that compelling to me. And Neyer has pretty much taken a pass on the PED issue. Not to mention the economics of the sport. Oh well. Count me as one of those who is surprised to see Rob Neyer writing on this subject. I’m one of the dozens of people who bought Feeding the Monster, and I really have enjoyed Neyer’s work over the years. Passive-aggressive doesn’t just describe Neyer’s writing on this subject, but on the entire sport in general. It seems to be at a level just above comatose. I’m not sure what happened, though I’ve also been a little confused on the direction baseball has been headed the last ten years. I think the sabermetric “movement” has left everybody feeling a little spent. I’d love for a great writer like Neyer to find his groove again. The HOF discussion just isn’t all that compelling to me. And Neyer has pretty much taken a pass on the PED issue. Not to mention the economics of the sport. Oh well.

]]> By: DB Cooper http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2007/12/10/talking-with-the-prez/#comment-2990 DB Cooper Tue, 11 Dec 2007 05:04:59 +0000 http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2007/12/10/talking-with-the-prez/#comment-2990 Did anyone see the names who were voted in? It's guys like Gammons, Stark, Olney, Verducci, Scott Miller . . . they didn't "vote internet writers in," they just gave cards back to some long-time members who had abandoned their print affiliations. Maury Brown has posted the entire list. It's simply absurd. Did anyone see the names who were voted in? It’s guys like Gammons, Stark, Olney, Verducci, Scott Miller . . . they didn’t “vote internet writers in,” they just gave cards back to some long-time members who had abandoned their print affiliations.

Maury Brown has posted the entire list. It’s simply absurd.

]]> By: Jacob http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2007/12/10/talking-with-the-prez/#comment-2986 Jacob Tue, 11 Dec 2007 01:49:13 +0000 http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2007/12/10/talking-with-the-prez/#comment-2986 If nothing else, there's cause to be excited about all of this. Folks are really talking about this issue, and I think it speaks a lot about where people go for MLB news: the internet. Nobody cares if a guy from a newspaper is or isn't in, and I've never even heard of this much information being bandied about on the subject, until two writers the online generation loves are denied for silly reasons. <a HREF="http://www.baseballthinkfactory.org/files/newsstand/discussion/the_biz_of_baseball_brown12/" rel="nofollow"> There's a great thread of discussion about this over at Baseball Think Factory as well.</A> Information's out there, and the internet has accomplished more in the way of enhancing the ability of the average person to research than I, and all of my colleagues, ever have teaching composition. Some of the BBWAA folks must be shell-shocked at how quickly information is ciculating, and how easily folks are able to call a person's bluff. At this point the BBWAA either adapts, or folks begin to have real reasons to stop caring... I know one more thing: If, and when, Tim Raines isn't elected to the HOF, a lot of people will be right back on top of this issue! If nothing else, there’s cause to be excited about all of this. Folks are really talking about this issue, and I think it speaks a lot about where people go for MLB news: the internet. Nobody cares if a guy from a newspaper is or isn’t in, and I’ve never even heard of this much information being bandied about on the subject, until two writers the online generation loves are denied for silly reasons. There’s a great thread of discussion about this over at Baseball Think Factory as well. Information’s out there, and the internet has accomplished more in the way of enhancing the ability of the average person to research than I, and all of my colleagues, ever have teaching composition. Some of the BBWAA folks must be shell-shocked at how quickly information is ciculating, and how easily folks are able to call a person’s bluff. At this point the BBWAA either adapts, or folks begin to have real reasons to stop caring… I know one more thing: If, and when, Tim Raines isn’t elected to the HOF, a lot of people will be right back on top of this issue!

]]> By: Grant http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2007/12/10/talking-with-the-prez/#comment-2977 Grant Mon, 10 Dec 2007 22:14:59 +0000 http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2007/12/10/talking-with-the-prez/#comment-2977 re: the existence of credentialed membership for non-(baseball)writers. As I understand it, most people get membership through their local chapter president (KC Chapter, NY Chapter, etc.). Since these local chapters operate like any other local insiders' club, guys who are friends with local chapter leadership and express an interest can be shepherded through. These online people went through the national office and don't really have buddy-buddy friends there in the same way, since they don't work for the same papers (or any paper, obviously). Thus they don't get that preferential treatment. The question of wire service writers is an extremely valid one, and I think it's just another indictment of the AP. You'd think Dave (who has covered the Tigers since 1989 or so) would have a better idea of Alan Trammel's worthiness for the Hall of Fame (Trammel retired in 1996) than some beat writer for the LA Times who maybe never saw him play. Then again, this is also why we have stats, but that appears to be a virtual non-starter for people like Plaschke anyway. re: the existence of credentialed membership for non-(baseball)writers.

As I understand it, most people get membership through their local chapter president (KC Chapter, NY Chapter, etc.). Since these local chapters operate like any other local insiders’ club, guys who are friends with local chapter leadership and express an interest can be shepherded through.

These online people went through the national office and don’t really have buddy-buddy friends there in the same way, since they don’t work for the same papers (or any paper, obviously). Thus they don’t get that preferential treatment.

The question of wire service writers is an extremely valid one, and I think it’s just another indictment of the AP. You’d think Dave (who has covered the Tigers since 1989 or so) would have a better idea of Alan Trammel’s worthiness for the Hall of Fame (Trammel retired in 1996) than some beat writer for the LA Times who maybe never saw him play.

Then again, this is also why we have stats, but that appears to be a virtual non-starter for people like Plaschke anyway.

]]> By: Paul White http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2007/12/10/talking-with-the-prez/#comment-2976 Paul White Mon, 10 Dec 2007 21:58:53 +0000 http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2007/12/10/talking-with-the-prez/#comment-2976 Sorry, I'm not the USA Today Paul White. I'm some other schlep with the same name. Sorry, I’m not the USA Today Paul White. I’m some other schlep with the same name.

]]> By: Lisa G http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2007/12/10/talking-with-the-prez/#comment-2975 Lisa G Mon, 10 Dec 2007 21:40:58 +0000 http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2007/12/10/talking-with-the-prez/#comment-2975 i just wrote a letter (a nice polite one) to bob dutton asking him why the BBWAA admits people who don't write at ALL, let alone baseball articles in newspapers, but use the reason that neyer and law shouldn't be admitted because they don't need to go to the press box to do their jobs as the reason to refuse admission to them. as the old aesop's fable sez, any excuse will serve a tyrant.... i just wrote a letter (a nice polite one) to bob dutton asking him why the BBWAA admits people who don’t write at ALL, let alone baseball articles in newspapers, but use the reason that neyer and law shouldn’t be admitted because they don’t need to go to the press box to do their jobs as the reason to refuse admission to them.

as the old aesop’s fable sez, any excuse will serve a tyrant….

]]> By: Jon Morse http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2007/12/10/talking-with-the-prez/#comment-2973 Jon Morse Mon, 10 Dec 2007 21:12:57 +0000 http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2007/12/10/talking-with-the-prez/#comment-2973 Good read, Joe. Funny thing is, I think one of the more important things brought up here relates to my pal Dave, who commented above. It's all well and good for us to be up in arms over Rob not having a vote; it's a valid issue. However, it strikes me as extremely odd that almost every day during the season, virtually every major newspaper in the country carries at least pieces of a story Dave submitted to the wire, whereas virtually no newspaper outside of Detroit carries anything written by full-time Free Press employees. Neither you nor Bob cover the Tigers for the Star, after all (except for the occasional story when the Royals visit Detroit or the Tigers visit Kauffman, of course); the Star gets that stuff from AP. So, a question for you to pose to Bob: Why AREN'T the regular AP stringers eligible, despite not being full-time employees of a specific paper? With all due respect to Rob, if we accept the BBWAA's rationale, then folks like Dave have a greater complaint that Rob does. (Another question which occurred to me, just out of curiosity as it's not really relevant to anything: who credentials the USA Today guys? Washington chapter, or national office? Paul, you probably know this one, so feel free to field it.) Good read, Joe.

Funny thing is, I think one of the more important things brought up here relates to my pal Dave, who commented above. It’s all well and good for us to be up in arms over Rob not having a vote; it’s a valid issue. However, it strikes me as extremely odd that almost every day during the season, virtually every major newspaper in the country carries at least pieces of a story Dave submitted to the wire, whereas virtually no newspaper outside of Detroit carries anything written by full-time Free Press employees. Neither you nor Bob cover the Tigers for the Star, after all (except for the occasional story when the Royals visit Detroit or the Tigers visit Kauffman, of course); the Star gets that stuff from AP.

So, a question for you to pose to Bob: Why AREN’T the regular AP stringers eligible, despite not being full-time employees of a specific paper? With all due respect to Rob, if we accept the BBWAA’s rationale, then folks like Dave have a greater complaint that Rob does.

(Another question which occurred to me, just out of curiosity as it’s not really relevant to anything: who credentials the USA Today guys? Washington chapter, or national office? Paul, you probably know this one, so feel free to field it.)

]]> By: Jacob http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2007/12/10/talking-with-the-prez/#comment-2971 Jacob Mon, 10 Dec 2007 19:59:31 +0000 http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2007/12/10/talking-with-the-prez/#comment-2971 Ah, that's right. The GG is not one of the big four... Damned head-cold! Ah, that’s right. The GG is not one of the big four… Damned head-cold!

]]> By: Kucinich http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2007/12/10/talking-with-the-prez/#comment-2969 Kucinich Mon, 10 Dec 2007 19:26:45 +0000 http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2007/12/10/talking-with-the-prez/#comment-2969 Wow, I'm glad to see that D.B. Cooper is posting on the board now. I thought he died when he hit the Cascade Mountains. Anyhow, I've been doing some reading on the campaign trail here in New Hampshire and I'm now convinced the Indians can win the World Series next year. I truly believe that if Tony Bernazard keeps hitting well we've got a shot. Ken Schrom was an All-Star last year and I like what we've seen thus far of that rookie Swindell. Candiotti is scary with his knuckler, but his results are solid. Not sure about Camacho in the pen though. I think Cory Snyder is a certain future HOFer and Mel Hall has a good shot to end up on the All-Star team along with Joe Carter. Oh, and my favorite Native American is Brook Jacoby. What a third sacker! 1st place baby! Wow, I’m glad to see that D.B. Cooper is posting on the board now. I thought he died when he hit the Cascade Mountains.

Anyhow, I’ve been doing some reading on the campaign trail here in New Hampshire and I’m now convinced the Indians can win the World Series next year. I truly believe that if Tony Bernazard keeps hitting well we’ve got a shot. Ken Schrom was an All-Star last year and I like what we’ve seen thus far of that rookie Swindell. Candiotti is scary with his knuckler, but his results are solid. Not sure about Camacho in the pen though. I think Cory Snyder is a certain future HOFer and Mel Hall has a good shot to end up on the All-Star team along with Joe Carter. Oh, and my favorite Native American is Brook Jacoby. What a third sacker! 1st place baby!

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