Master Index of Archived Threads


Players vs. the Press, Mariners Edition

Edgy DC May 17 2010 07:42 AM

So, it's happening way out there, so it may not huge nationwide press, but it's curious how this is going to shake out, or maybe it has blown over. But, you know, Ken Griffey, Jr. may be long removed from his last moments of relevance, but controversy swirling around a future Hall-of-Famer, one who has mostly kept his nose clean through a dirty era and is now on his last legs counts for something. [list=1][*]Ken Griffey was as good a player as there was in baseball.[/*:m] [*]Was beloved in Seattle.[/*:m] [*]Seattle couldn't afford him.[/*:m] [*]Ken moved on in just about as forgiveable a way as possible, engineering a trade to his hometown, where he took less than the market rate to play.[/*:m] [*]Ken quickly became a merely good and oft-injured player.[/*:m] [*]Ken returns to Seattle to finish his career and is more or less welcome.[/*:m] [*]Ken doesn't hit in 2009.[/*:m] [*]Ken really isn't hitting in 2010.[/*:m] [*]Here it gets interesting, where lack of productivity gets a moral angle. Reporter Larry Larue of the Seattle-Tacoma News-Tribune writes a story reporting that Griffey was unavailable for a recent pinch-hitting opportunity because he was sleeping at his locker. He credits as his source the two young players who found him there.[/*:m] [*]Griffey refutes the story aggressively.[/*:m] [*]The team bands together to deny the story, refusing to so much as acknowledge Larue in the Mariners press corps.[/*:m] [*]Both Buster Olney and Tim Kurkijan come out at ESPN and defend Larue as an honorable reporter who wouldn't concoct such a thing.[/*:m] [*]Griffey's agent says that the reporter and/or the paper has told him the story was published "by accident." Huh?[/*:m] [*]"Insiders" have reported that Larue is on his way out, which is funny in that the credibility of a citation of inside information is what got this mess started. Nonetheless, he's still there.[/*:m] [*]The publisher of the paper nonetheless writes in defense of Larue, seemingly suggesting that the factuality of the story is beside the point, going on to state that the writer is being attacked for having the temerity to criticize Griffey at all.[/*:m] [*]Larue, or his editor, may be pushing things a little bit, publishing a harsh game report this morning with a title like this.[/*:m][/list:o]

Ceetar May 17 2010 07:58 AM Re: Players vs. the Press, Mariners Edition

Caught some of the story at it's beginning, but I'd forgotten about it. Supposedly they've asked Griffey to retire as well. (prior to that). I've heard guys talking about not wanting to go out like that. Be interesting to see how it plays out. The story I figure would mostly go away if he retired. As he'd cross over from 'bum not getting it done' to 'former Mariner hero'. Might be best if Griffey could swing one more hot streak, knock a couple of home runs and either keep playing decently, or just cite some nagging injury or something and retire after that. Could try three home runs in his final game (sorta) like Ruth even.

metirish May 17 2010 07:59 AM Re: Players vs. the Press, Mariners Edition

It's hard to know who to believe, if the reporter is as reputable as mentioned then it is hard to believe that he would just make it up.

Edgy DC May 17 2010 08:11 AM Re: Players vs. the Press, Mariners Edition

But it would be interesting if he wrote up the story, including a fact based on a rumor, made a mental note to cross-check, reached across his desk for his sparkling water, and accidentally submitted as his elbow brushed his keyboard.

metsguyinmichigan May 17 2010 08:12 AM Re: Players vs. the Press, Mariners Edition Edited 1 time(s), most recently on May 17 2010 08:25 AM

This is the kind of thing that happens because sportswriters are too reliant on unnamed sources.

metirish May 17 2010 08:18 AM Re: Players vs. the Press, Mariners Edition

Edgy DC wrote: But it would be interesting if he wrote up the story, including a fact based on a rumor, made a mental note to cross-check, reached across his desk for his sparkling water, and accidentally submitted as his elbow brushed his keyboard. Now that would be interesting.

seawolf17 May 17 2010 08:53 AM Re: Players vs. the Press, Mariners Edition

Someone call Omar and ask him to trade Ollie for Griffey.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr May 17 2010 09:13 AM Re: Players vs. the Press, Mariners Edition Edited 1 time(s), most recently on May 17 2010 10:14 AM

Larue, or his editor, may be pushing things a little bit, publishing a harsh game report this morning with a title like this. Not least because "Mariners slumber their way to..." is a really awkward-sounding, slightly nonsensical beginning to any sentence*. "Sleepwalk" would have worked better there, with the same desired effect, I think. (I'm guessing the N-T sports editorship is saving "caught napping" for a game with a lot of pickoffs, or a loss to the Royals.) *Trust me-- I'm a subject matter expert. OE: Now impugning the correct newspaper's editorial staff.

MFS62 May 17 2010 09:55 AM Re: Players vs. the Press, Mariners Edition

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: (I'm guessing the P-I sports editorship is saving "caught napping" for a game with a lot of pickoffs, or a loss to the Royals.) That reminds me of when catcher Ray Kaat was picked off first base. The headline (IIRC in one of the defunct NY papers. The Mirror? ) was "Kaat Napped". Later

Edgy DC May 17 2010 10:02 AM Re: Players vs. the Press, Mariners Edition

Slow down. We're talking N-T, not P-I.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr May 17 2010 10:16 AM Re: Players vs. the Press, Mariners Edition

Edgy DC wrote: Slow down. We're talking N-T, not P-I. Oh, all those Pacific Northwest sports journalists look the same to me. (Brainfart. Since deodorized.)