Monday, September 28, 2009

WHO CAN YOU TRUST?

***NOT JAYSON STARK***
Last week, Stark rated the pitching staffs of all the contenders. Boston was rated 1st, Yanks 5th. Admittedly, Stark is a Yankee-hater, so that certainly plays a part. Jason has also been known to advocate the front-runners: win three in a row and you're the best team in baseball.

***NOT THE CLOWN PRINCES OF ESPN***
Phillips is the "I knew it all along" king: "I predicted this back in 2001, when I was GM of the Mets." He manages to get that statement into every broadcast. Morgan likes to dispute the obvious as though he were the only one smart enough to see the "real" deal. Both, of course, are always wrong.

***AND, OF COURSE, BOB MATTHEWS***
His incorrect evaluations have been documented many times in this blog.

From a recent column by Los Angeles' Jon Weisman on National Baseball Writers:

Too often, however, their opinions are based on factual errors that, while not intentional, clearly reflect a lack of familiarity with the team. And as much as it happens when people write about the Dodgers -- just today, I saw someone I respect write about Hong-Chih Kuo's ability to pitch multiple innings, when he hasn't done so once this season -- it's logical to assume that it happens with every other team.
It's no easy task tracking 30 major league teams, so I understand the challenge -- although they'll get no sympathy from me as I watch from 10 feet away as Michael Schneider operates as Variety's only full-time TV reporter (the only one who isn't juggling editing duties). Things are tough all over.
While degree of difficulty might put you in a forgiving mood, it doesn't change the fact that these national baseball writers have become inherently unreliable. It's hard enough finding scribes whose logic and style are top-notch, but when they don't have the facts in place to begin with, readers are really left in a position where they can't trust assessments of other teams from afar. (And don't get me started on network radio and TV announcers.)
National baseball writers today carry influence beyond their worth. I don't mean this in an unkind way, but they can't be trusted. If a writer clearly isn't up to speed on the Dodgers, why would one expect that writer to be up on any other squad?
If you really want to know the scoop on opposing teams, I'm not sure there are any shortcuts. You have to seek out the local writers -- whether they're newspaper beat writers or bloggers -- with the best understanding of each franchise and stick with them.


Team beat writers opinions are usually biased, so you have to take their opinions with a grain of salt, too. But they will know the current status of the players and who's playing well and who's not. Then you wouldn't make the Joe Morgan mistake of insisting a guy play when he has a neck problem and can't turn his head.

The solution: watch the games, enjoy the competition and ignore these so-called experts...except Picasner, of course.

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