i think it's easy to conflate reporters with analysts. to be fair-- they make it even easier by acting as talking heads a lot of the time and pretending to be analysts.
the skills required to be a reporter are != to those of being an analyst.
gathering and disseminating interesting information is a reporter's primary function, and tom is essentially peerless in that function, in my opinion. he gets us three hits/day of inside info. we can't get anywhere else during spring training. he's rarely scooped in an era when it's almost impossible to break news.
his analysis is... not great, in my opinion. but at the same time, i wouldn't ask an economics professor to fix my car engine, so why ask a reporter to do your analysis...
* full disclosure: i am both married to and the spawn of a journalist (not the same one-- that would be weird), so my biases are clear.
The big thing is I'm not sure I can do Thursday as I'm already taking two days off for Brewers' opening day and Cubs opening day (against the Brewers). I could almost certainly do the final if we make it, and if it's possible to get tickets.
Haudricourt IS essentially peerless in gathering and dissseminating information in large part because he is, almost literally, peerless in the pursuit of such. As journalists, it's just him and Witrado up there. Wasn't long ago that USAToday, stringers or any vagabond free-lancer with a press pass would beat him on just about anything not handed to him.
There just aren't many guys in the box anymore, and in a one-paper town where everybody has a co-op agreement of some sort with a radio "partner" there is no local competition. He breaks almost everything because he's the only guy there to break it.
19 comments:
More from Tom:
"An MRI performed on Brewers RHP Jeff Suppan revealed a cervical disk problem. It has caused periodic sciatic pain."
Tom Hardricourt was on the radio again. He said he doesn't understand things like sunk cost or wasted salary because he's just a sportswriter.
Then he said Baseball clubs don't think in terms of sunk costs, nobody does. They think in terms of what they can get out of a guy.
So Hardricourt doesn't understand a term but is quite certain baseball doesn't think in terms he doesn't understand.
i think it's easy to conflate reporters with analysts. to be fair-- they make it even easier by acting as talking heads a lot of the time and pretending to be analysts.
the skills required to be a reporter are != to those of being an analyst.
gathering and disseminating interesting information is a reporter's primary function, and tom is essentially peerless in that function, in my opinion. he gets us three hits/day of inside info. we can't get anywhere else during spring training. he's rarely scooped in an era when it's almost impossible to break news.
his analysis is... not great, in my opinion. but at the same time, i wouldn't ask an economics professor to fix my car engine, so why ask a reporter to do your analysis...
* full disclosure: i am both married to and the spawn of a journalist (not the same one-- that would be weird), so my biases are clear.
At least someone knew about sunk costs, since they asked about it.
And I agree. I actually think that Tom Haudricourt and Greg Bedard are both excellent reporters.
If an economist gave me stupid unsolicited advice about my car, however, I would call him stupid.
sure, but if you tune into a radio show that has an economist on giving advice about cars... then who's the stupid one.
(not starting an argument-- i do agree with your general point. just wanted to make the analyst/reporter point while it was kinda on topic)
Well the problem with the blogging by Haudricourt is that it turns into less reporting and more analysis.
I have zero issues with the way he reports games. However, when I go to the sports page and he is also giving analysis...
speaking of reporting ESK isn't Wisconsin in the Frozen four and not one post WTF?
No one but me and lost long Asian Badger give a shit. I'm heading up to Detroit next week for it though, maybe I'll post something.
Lost long....christ it's too early for me to be drunk
I actually care. Been watching the games, went to the outdoor game this year, etc. Might go up to Detroit. Still thinking about it.
If you do let me know, not sure where I am staying yet but I have tickets.
Sadly I've been to more Miami games than Badger games this year.
The big thing is I'm not sure I can do Thursday as I'm already taking two days off for Brewers' opening day and Cubs opening day (against the Brewers). I could almost certainly do the final if we make it, and if it's possible to get tickets.
Haudricourt IS essentially peerless in gathering and dissseminating information in large part because he is, almost literally, peerless in the pursuit of such. As journalists, it's just him and Witrado up there. Wasn't long ago that USAToday, stringers or any vagabond free-lancer with a press pass would beat him on just about anything not handed to him.
There just aren't many guys in the box anymore, and in a one-paper town where everybody has a co-op agreement of some sort with a radio "partner" there is no local competition. He breaks almost everything because he's the only guy there to break it.
When I refer to Witrado as a journalist, by the way, I'm making bunny ears with two fingers on each hand.
When I refer to Witrado as a journalist, by the way, I'm making bunny ears with two fingers on each hand.
McCalvy is the only other beat writer really and he is employed by the MLB so...
He does break a ton of shit though. He was first with Suppan on the DL for instance.
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