Rob Neyer's irresponsible take on Sandberg's role in Peoria Brawl

Quoted, since the article is only available to "insiders".

"Ryne Sandberg, currently managing the Peoria Chiefs, said Tuesday that if he'd been with the Chiefs in Dayton last weekend, that big brawl (video here) between the Chiefs and the Dragons wouldn't have happened. Well, OK. These days, managers somewhat routinely skip games in favor of family events; graduations and such. But those are for someone else. Visiting Cooperstown in July is purely selfish. I don't mean that as a knock; we all do purely selfish things just about every day. But if I'm running the Cubs, I might have to suggest to Ryno that he can take his summer vacation in upstate New York once he's retired from professional baseball."

While I usually like Rob Neyer, he is just plain stupidly wrong here. He accuses Sandberg of taking a "purely selfish" "family vacation" to Cooperstown on the day of the Peoria brawl game. Uh, obviously someone forgot about the HoF induction ceremonies going on, which were even mentioned in the articles he linked. Pretty irresponsible to write this incendiary stuff without any fact checking.

over 3 years ago jbau 13 comments 0 recs |

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Neyer is a jackass

Speaking as a fan, it is meaningful to have the Hall of Famers at the HOF ceremony. It probably means something to the players being inducted as well.

Furthermore, I am pretty sure that the Cubs encouraged Sandberg to attend.

I wonder if he ripped on Peter Gammons for going? On the bright side, I doubt we will ever have to worry about whether or not ESPN will object to Neyer taking the day off for an induction to the HOF writer’s wing.

In the middle of a good time, Truth gave me her icy kiss. Look around, you must be joking. All that way, all that way for this -Oysterband

by Ross on Jul 30, 2008 3:40 PM CDT reply actions

You're just plain wrong.

Neyer isn’t a jackass. I have met him and he’s a good guy.

However, he happens to be wrong about this. I hope he prints a retraction.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Jul 30, 2008 4:06 PM CDT up reply actions

Perhaps you can email? You are linked in his blog-roll, after all.

by jbau on Jul 30, 2008 4:17 PM CDT up reply actions

No retraction is really necessary.

It’s Neyer’s sincere belief that a manager shouldn’t attend the HoF ceremony even if he is a HoFer himself. I disagree but Mr. Neyer is entitled to his wrong opinion, and as such, no retraction is necessary.

by Fraggin Judge on Jul 30, 2008 6:26 PM CDT up reply actions

Exactly

It’s an opinion. And it’s not a bad one when you look at it like this:

Sandberg is basically saying, “This wouldn’t have happened had I been there.” The Cubs organization could and should therefore say to Ryno, “Great, you’re not getting that day off ever again if you want to stay in this organization.”

I bow to no one in my love for Ryno, but it was a bit self-serving for him to say what he said. If your team is so immature that they don’t know NOT to throw baseballs into the stands while you’re gone, then what does that say about your teaching ability?

Pluto will always be a planet to me!

by DaBard on Jul 30, 2008 9:46 PM CDT up reply actions

My problem with Neyer

I respect Rob Neyer as a writer (he is really good).

I respect his right to have an opinion and say whatever he wants.

And while I like a lot of what he writes, he can come off as very opinionated and stubborn. So when he condemns an A-ball manager who is also a HoF member for attending the induction ceremony, he earns the mantle of jackass, at least as far as that is concerned.

If the fight hadn’t happened, nobody would have noticed that Sandberg was gone. And there is a part of me that bets that if he hadn’t gone and the fight hadn’t happened, Neyer would have ripped on Sandberg for not going. But maybe I’m just cynical.

In the middle of a good time, Truth gave me her icy kiss. Look around, you must be joking. All that way, all that way for this -Oysterband

by Ross on Jul 30, 2008 7:34 PM CDT up reply actions

You could be right...

Or no one might have noticed Sandberg wasn’t there.

Pluto will always be a planet to me!

by DaBard on Jul 30, 2008 9:47 PM CDT up reply actions

My take...

given the words of the article, especially because Neyer seems to justify missing games for things like graduation, because they’re “for someone else”, is that Neyer forgot about the HoF induction ceremonies.

How is attending a HoF induction ceremony NOT for someone else, especially when it’s another person getting inducted? How can that be construed as “purely selfish?” Wouldn’t the selfish thing be to not bother attending?

If he knew about the HoF induction ceremonies, not mentioning it in his article as the reason for Sandberg’s absence and rather calling the trip a “family vacation” is very irresponsible.

by jbau on Jul 31, 2008 12:40 AM CDT up reply actions

That's the important point here.

Writing that it was a “family vaction” was the irresponsible thing. It wasn’t. Virtually all the living HoFers come to the ceremony every year.

Now, I don’t know off the top of my head how many have to leave a baseball-related job to do that (Joe Morgan comes to mind, but none of us care if he misses work). But to call Sandberg “selfish” to do that is just plain wrong.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Jul 31, 2008 8:25 AM CDT up reply actions

Just curious, Al

If you hadn’t met Neyer, and you were just basing your opinion of him on his writing – would you still defend him?

That’s not a bait, btw. I’m seriously just curious, because he’s always rubbed me the wrong way.

Chicago Cubs Humor and Parody at The Cubs Brickyard

by AceCubbie on Aug 1, 2008 5:18 PM CDT up reply actions

Yes, I would...

... I have always liked Neyer’s writing. To each his or her own.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Aug 2, 2008 7:15 AM CDT up reply actions

It blows my mind that somebody can criticize Ryno like that

I mean, what is he? A babysitter that can’t take his eyes off the kids for a little while? I know the players are young, etc., but you still have to think that he can leave to attend the HOF ceremony for a couple of days without all hell breaking loose.

by bluekoolaide on Jul 31, 2008 5:32 PM CDT reply actions