Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
scott@scottlongonline.com
"Jim Hendry issued a strong denial on all fronts to that report."
Always fun to start Spring Training in the pages of the Sun-Times. What's funnier (besides some behind the scenes stuff) is that people are making this much more than it is. If you read the original report, you'll notice that I give all sides of the story and disclaim it so heavily that I should have included a couple grains of salt with the column.
Simply put, I got a report from a solid source, one that's been accurate on this very subject previously, and mentioned it as well as putting in as much context as possible. I don't say that my favorite Cub is hurt; I say there's a report. Now, I know Jim got the information second-hand. Someone told him there was a report that Prior had shoulder problems and that's where he stopped listening, if they told him the rest.
Jim probably didn't get the message I left. It's hard to get through to him. I know my email to a Cubs front office staffer wasn't answered. I had hoped that I could get their side of the story right there. Instead of dealing with the media, the Cubs had to deal with denials and reactions. Jim has better things to do, I hope, but the Cubs are like several other teams -- they'd rather deal with a very few trusted media types than getting their side of the story out.
Action is always better than reaction. Fred Claire started in journalism and shifted to PR before moving to baseball operations. Theo Epstein started in PR. There's a lesson there.
Hendry does come off a bit defensive though, stonewalling is decidedly not the better part of valor.
Have you ever heard the term 'Devil's Radio'? Guess what, you're filling the airwaves.
Here's your quote:
'Reliable sources--the same ones that tipped us early to Mark Prior's Achilles problem--now tell us that Prior is having shoulder problems.'
You called it a reliable source, and then you even gave evidence as to it's credibility. You then follow it with,
'Prior was doing towel drills on Saturday, but this is the same type of work he was doing last year when there was a problem.'
If you're going to rumor monger, live with the consequences. Don't get burned and then whine about it.
'Jim probably didn't get the message I left.' Or maybe he decided not to return your call after you refer to him as 'King of Denial' on your blog... just a thought.
Re: the Mark Prior injury report: "And because anyone with access to a Web site can pretend to be a journalist, they often do."
Just an fyi
In what sense do you disclaim what your "best sources" and your "reliable source" told you? By saying that we don't know until he throws? I don't know. It seems you put something out there and then put the burden on them to prove a negative ("I'm not hurt; I'm just starting slow due to a throat infection"). And considering that you got on Sports Central and questioned the Cubs honesty, I think your post hoc discounting of your "reliable source" is CYA.
"Maybe if Prior could get a little color in his face, it would squelch such reports as the one on the "Baseball Prospectus" Web site that he's behind the other pitchers because he's "sick and weak."
I like how the cubs website put baseball prospectus in quotes...
I can almost see Carrie Muskat making quote gestures with her fingers...
See what you started Will!
Well, at least it's publicity for bp, even if they make it sound "made up"...just like mark priors "shoulder problems" are "made up"....
Personally, like most fans, I'm apprehensive about the whole thing,
Given the Cubs history of handling these things in a less than up-front manner, and given Prior's injury history (freak accidents or not) I won't feel confident of Prior's health untill I see him throw for myself...(that means throwing a "BASEBALL" off of a "MOUND" to actual "HITTERS", in an actual (non-simulated) "GAME"
"Why do you think that's aimed at me?"
Paul Sullivan:
"While Pierre was relishing the moment, Prior was forced to rehash old coments after an Internet report suggested he looked 'weak and tired' and was hiding a shoulder injury."
"And because anyone with access to a Web site can pretend to be a journalist, they often do."
"It's par for the course now," Prior said. "Everybody seems to want to find something wrong. That's just life. You deal with it. I'm not going to sit here and defend or validate it. There have been a lot of rumors in my short career and this is just part of it.
"I can't control what people write and what people think. That's people's opinions. They have the right to their opinions, and in this country they have the right to make those opinions public."
And because anyone with access to a Web site can pretend to be a journalist, they often do. Prior said he feels good and expects to be throwing off a mound within the next few days."
Your column definitely caused a stir and I'm not sure of anyone else writing anything that could have done that. I dunno, maybe I'm reading to much into it, but it's just the impression I got.
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