The BBWAA Gets It Right - And Wrong

by Al Yellon on Dec 7, 2007 2:47 PM CST in Chicago Cubs News

Today, the Baseball Writers Association of America decided to table implementation of the rule passed yesterday which would have prevented BBWAA members from voting for awards for players who had incentive clauses in their contracts for said awards:

Said the BBWAA in a statement, "It is the goal of the BBWAA to work out a compromise acceptable to everyone."

That seems right to me. Here's wrong: Rich Lederer at Baseball Analysts reports that the BBWAA is opening up its membership to web-based writers:

Sixteen of the 18 nominations were recommended for approval: Scott Miller from CBS Sportsline; Jim Caple, Jerry Crasnick, Peter Gammons, Tim Kurkjian, Amy Nelson, Buster Olney, and Jayson Stark from ESPN; Ken Rosenthal from FoxSports; John Donovan, Jon Heyman, and Tom Verducci from SI; and Tim Brown, Steve Henson, Jeff Passan, and Dan Wetzel from Yahoo.

Hmmm. Sounds good on its face, but dig deeper and you find at least two important web writers missing: Rob Neyer and Keith Law. And why isn't he there? Read the comments to that post and you find the following response, an email reply from BBWAA president Bob Dutton to Rich Lederer:

One of the requirements for membership in the BBWAA is the need to be at Major League ballparks. Several members questioned whether Rob and Keith meet that requirement.

Some board members informally contacted folks at ESPN with this question and were told neither Rob nor Keith regularly attend big-league games and do not need to do so in order to do their jobs.

I can guarantee you that if my supervisors reported that to the BBWAA about me, I wouldn't have a card.

Also, this is how the system works. Newspapers designate candidates for membership. Reporters don't apply on their own. We followed the same basic procedure in adding internet reporters.

One difference: Candidates have always been reviewed each year by a chapter chairman, but since the internet sites were applying through the national office, they were reviewed by the national board of directors.

I've been in contact with Keith and Rob since the vote. Keith said he does attend games on a regular basis and expects to increase his attendance in the coming year.

If that's true, and I have no reason to doubt Keith, I hope ESPN confirms this and resubmits his name next year for consideration. If so, I would expect him to be approved.

I haven't heard back from Rob at this point, but if the view on his need was similarly misrepresented, I hope ESPN also resubmits him as a candidate.

Going to games? Seriously? You mean the rest of us, who can watch virtually every major league game via satellite or digital cable, don't know as much as a writer who goes to the ballpark? Is the BBWAA just for beat writers? If so, why are Gammons, Kurkjian and Olney in there? They aren't beat writers -- oh, but they used to be, and I guess the BBWAA is rewarding them because they no longer work for newspapers.

This ostrich of an organization needs to get its head out of the sand and recognize that there are talented and knowledgeable baseball writers who don't necessarily write a game story about each game. Hmmm... isn't that what I do here? Shouldn't I be qualified? I go to games and write recaps.

I'm not necessarily lobbying to get into the BBWAA here, but I'm sure you can see the hypocrisy.

Tweet Comment 28 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

AL - He's a COMIN'!

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7537414

K-FUKU in MLB!

Wait 'til next year. And the next. And the Next. And the next after that too.

by TheEman on Dec 7, 2007 2:33 PM CST reply actions

Excellent news

n/t

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

by Al Yellon on Dec 7, 2007 2:41 PM CST up reply actions

SCORE reports

that the Cubs are ready to outspend the competition for him.

Ed Lynch is STILL on the Cubs payroll, as our D-Backs scout in Phoenix. Lynch attends all 81 D-Back home games with a notepad in hand. Really paid off for us!

by SackMan on Dec 7, 2007 3:07 PM CST up reply actions

I think...

... it's pretty well understood that Jim Hendry is going to do whatever it takes to get Fukudome in a Cub uniform.

Here's hoping it works.

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

by Al Yellon on Dec 7, 2007 3:13 PM CST up reply actions

what could stop him?

assume a 3 year contract, at which point does he drop out of the bidding? 3/60 too high?

and how's this for classic rosenthal:

It's official: Japanese outfielder Kosuke Fukudome will play in the majors next season.

Fukudome, 30, is set to announce that he is leaving Japan

it's official, he'll play in the ML... but it's not official, cause he hasn't announced it yet... and actually, we don't know when that will happen, just that he's ready to announce it.

by jacob on Dec 7, 2007 3:56 PM CST up reply actions

LOL

It's official: there will be an official announcement. Today. Probably.

This stuff drives me crazy. Make the announcement already. I hate when people call a press conference to say that there WILL be news. Announce the news!

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

by Al Yellon on Dec 7, 2007 4:16 PM CST up reply actions

Don't hedge

You said "I'm not necessarily lobbying to get into the BBWAA here, but I'm sure you can see the hypocrisy."

Yes or no, do you think you should be allowed into the BBWAA? Why or why not?

by Porfi on Dec 7, 2007 2:37 PM CST reply actions

I don't have an answer...

... and I'm not hedging. All I'm saying is that if the qualification is going to ballparks and writing about a team every day, I'm as qualified as many people who are already in, and I daresay more knowledgeable than many of those already in who have Hall of Fame voting privileges (which is really what this is all about).

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

by Al Yellon on Dec 7, 2007 2:43 PM CST up reply actions

At least one additional qualification

seems to be that there is a major news organization willing to pay the writer substantial amounts of money to write about baseball.

by Porfi on Dec 7, 2007 2:53 PM CST up reply actions

Apparently so.

Drat. Know anyone who wants to do that for me?

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

by Al Yellon on Dec 7, 2007 3:05 PM CST up reply actions

You work for ABC right?

Can't you somehow spin that they pay you to write Cubs recaps and you voluntarily produce the morning news ;)

"Dad gum right this games gonna be played under protest. . . I guarantee this is gonna be one protest that's upheld." --Hawk Harrelson, 6/24/07

by RynoHoF on Dec 7, 2007 5:13 PM CST up reply actions

LOL

Correction: I direct news, not produce it.

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

by Al Yellon on Dec 7, 2007 5:29 PM CST up reply actions

Oops...

...my apologies. I knew you did something with the morning news. Took a stab, got it wrong.

"Dad gum right this games gonna be played under protest. . . I guarantee this is gonna be one protest that's upheld." --Hawk Harrelson, 6/24/07

by RynoHoF on Dec 7, 2007 5:35 PM CST up reply actions

My NHL

is ahead of the curve on this one. The Washington Capitals have credentialed bloggers. (A handful of other teams in the league have done so)

This is a video link to the CBC-TV's Hockey Night In Canada. The feature is "Inside Hockey" from 12-1, should this link break.

The CBC's site is not really user-friendly.....

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/player/?maven_playerId=sportsportalplayer&maven_referralPlaylistId=a685 f99f7262aa92e01c6885f87eba8b2827a704&maven_referralObject=602415916

And Al -- if you were 'allowed' to be with the big boys, you'd HAVE to be in the press box. That's the only way to be accepted as legit, until the league gets it's head out of the sand. It will happen eventually.

by San Diego Smooth Jazz Man on Dec 7, 2007 2:55 PM CST reply actions

The press box?

Well, at least they won't be assaulted by cigar smoke next year. After January 1 Wrigley Field must go 100% smokeless, by the new state law.

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

by Al Yellon on Dec 7, 2007 3:06 PM CST up reply actions

Thank God I won't be working there next year...

...it was tough enough trying to get all the smokers to the designated areas.

"Dad gum right this games gonna be played under protest. . . I guarantee this is gonna be one protest that's upheld." --Hawk Harrelson, 6/24/07

by RynoHoF on Dec 7, 2007 5:14 PM CST up reply actions

Why do I picture...

...overweight, white-haired, aging men making the decisions of Major League Baseball such this? Blackout restrictions, voting rights, Hall of Fame, seems like most of the decisions made are completely and wholly out of touch with the fanbase and the century we are in.

Dan

Evey Hammond: Vi Veri Veniversum Vivus Vici. V: By the power of truth, I, while living, have conquered the universe.

by dtpollitt on Dec 7, 2007 3:32 PM CST reply actions

It's a joke

The Tribune has an editor (Dan McGrath) and someone who doesn't even cover baseball (Phil Hersh) as members of the BBWAA. The fact that they've excluded Neyer and Law is despicable. In this day and age the requirement of attending games in person is laughable. I think it's a safe bet to say that Law and Neyer probably watch more baseball than 90% of the BBWAA writers who see one game per day. I'm going to e-mail Bruce Miles to get his take on this.

Al, I think a blogger such as yourself absolutely should be eligible for membership. You've written about the Cubs almost everyday for going on 5 years (that doesn't even include USENET). Your written output on baseball in that span has to be pretty close to most beat writers.

Finally if you want a good laugh go look at the BBWAA website. On the plus side it probably renders perfectly in NCSA Mosaic.

by jolietconvict on Dec 7, 2007 3:32 PM CST reply actions

I think the BBWAA has to...

... take its head out of the sand and get out of its 1930's mindset -- that website is a perfect example. They've accumulated a huge amount of power over the years, and as we have seen by the Bill Conlin incident recently, they really hate the idea that that power is vanishing.

I'm not saying that I need membership in the BBWAA to validate what I do -- I think the fact that a lot of people are reading what I do here is proof of that validation. But it's clear to me that many baseball bloggers -- not just me -- know more about the game and, for example, are much more qualifed than many members of the BBWAA (some of whom are retired and haven't been to a ballpark in years) for Hall of Fame voting.

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

by Al Yellon on Dec 7, 2007 4:15 PM CST up reply actions

Websites like that...

...cause seizures, headaches, hell, probably even autism.

Dan

Evey Hammond: Vi Veri Veniversum Vivus Vici. V: By the power of truth, I, while living, have conquered the universe.

by dtpollitt on Dec 7, 2007 4:20 PM CST up reply actions

I clicked on the link...

...and visited the website for about 45 seconds and my eyes are all ouchy now.

Seriously though, that website must have been produced by someone who had never visited this thing called the internet before.

"Dad gum right this games gonna be played under protest. . . I guarantee this is gonna be one protest that's upheld." --Hawk Harrelson, 6/24/07

by RynoHoF on Dec 7, 2007 5:18 PM CST up reply actions

Amy Nelson

Unbelievable...Amy Nelson gets in but Neyer and Law don't?!? I'm not denigrating her, but they've contributed so much more to baseball writing than her that this decision is beyond ridiculous. At least the BBWAA has figured out what the internets is - as the luddites die out, perhaps they'll even start letting bloggers with certain verifiable readership get into the club. Al and Aaron Gleeman probably get more readership than 1/2 of the columnists with membership.

Since I left, I've always missed Chicago but never as much as I do right now!

by TMOX on Dec 7, 2007 4:57 PM CST reply actions

Ridiculous

Both Rob Neyer and Keith Law are excellent writers and very astute baseball men. I've read both of them for awhile, Neyer in particular. In fact the main reason I spend $40 a year on an ESPN subscription is because of Neyer. Funny, I don't know if his writing has helped shape my view of baseball or not but I tend to agree with most everything he writes. I've read practically everything he's written for ESPN in the last 10 years, as well as a lot of the stuff that's been written by a lot of the other guys who have membership now with the BBWAA and I can tell you hands down he's as good or better than the lot of them. Law is very good as well, he's a very good talent evaluator with particularly good insight into big league players and their strengths and weaknesses. In fact Law changed my mind last year about Ted Lilly when he predicted that Lilly would be a better player than Zito this year and that he would thrive in the National League. What do you know, he was right. If he and Neyer aren't allowed membership then membership is a joke and every member of the BBWAA should be ashamed. Gammons, Olney, Crasnick and Nelson should boycott their memberships. No doubt they won't since for the most part they are old school compared to Neyer and Law. They are okay but they have more in common with their new cronies than the two guys on the outside looking in do. It's really too bad.

I know that you believe that you understood what you think I said, but I am not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant. - Robert McCloskey

by pageian on Dec 7, 2007 7:18 PM CST reply actions

I couldn't agree more...

... especially about Neyer; I've corresponded with him for several years. He found my old blog and plugged it on his ESPN.com column (this was before he was behind the pay wall); I know that's how quite a few people who are still here found it.

Having met him and shared a podium with him at BlogWorldExpo last month, I can also say that he's a pretty cool guy, knowledgeable and with a good sense of humor.

The BBWAA is a dinosaur. It's only a matter of time before it is rendered completely irrelevant.

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

by Al Yellon on Dec 8, 2007 4:27 AM CST up reply actions

The main reason that they tabled...

...the proposal about awards and contract incentives was that MLB was seriously considering changing who votes on those awards. THAT would have been the door to irrelevance.

FREE CARMEN PIGNATIELLO!

by cwyers on Dec 8, 2007 9:46 AM CST up reply actions

Maybe MLB will do that anyway.

If this is what wakes MLB up to changing who votes on awards... AND on who votes for the Hall of Fame (and yes, I know the HoF makes that decision themselves, but I imagine MLB could have some influence if they wanted to)... then this is a good thing.

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

by Al Yellon on Dec 8, 2007 9:52 AM CST up reply actions