By Ricky O’Donnell
I think it’s totally rad that the city’s two biggest newspapers have put an emphasis on blogging. After all, people, this is the future.
Writing a blog, obviously, isn’t like straight reporting: you’re supposed to have interesting opinions and give keen observations. Basically, a sports blogger is supposed to write like a fan watching a game at the local tavern would talk.
With that said, Steve Rosenbloom, top blogger for the Trib, went overboard this week.
Rosenbloom, in the never-ending search to get people talking, insinuated that surprising Sox slugger Carlos Quentin might be making routine stops to the ol’ steroids vending machine. How else could this nobody lead the league in home runs and be second in OPS!?
Never mind that Quentin certainly didn’t come out of nowhere: the former first-round draft pick never posted an OPS lower than .900 in the minors.
Rosenbloom’s post simply reeks of trying to stir up of a controversy with zero substantial facts. It’s the kind of thing old school journalists always accuse bloggers of doing. But what about when the blogger has a journalism degree and works for one of the country’s most prestigious newspapers?
The bigger issue, though, follows his Quentin indictment:
“Hold your outrage, people,” Rosenbloom writes. “If this were some other AL Central player, you Sox fans would be yapping. ”
Really? Is that right Steve? For the life of me, I cannot think of one person who believes that.
I doubt anyone looks at the hot starts by Ryan Ludwick and Nate McClouth and thinks that dude must be on steroids. Here, Rosenbloom is living in 2001: steroids obviously had a huge effect on baseball during the late 90s and early part of this decade. That doesn’t mean every time a player without a slugging track record starts mashing that we have to assume their performance is artificially enhanced.
I guess one way of getting people to talk is by almost forcing them to call you a moron. Maybe this is why the Trib only lets Rosenbloom write about poker in the newspaper.
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Week in Review: Even though the Sox saw their eight-game winning streak come to an end, going 4-2 against two solid American League teams, Cleveland and Anaheim, makes the homestand a success.
Week in Preview: At Cleveland and at Tampa Bay. You’re going down this time, Sonnanstine.
All Hail Jose: Consider this season the revenge of Jose Contreras. No Sox player was made fun of more in spring training, but Jose has been stellar so far. Last night’s gem against the Angels was the best he’s looked since the ’05 playoffs. All he surrendered was a two-run homer to Gary Matthews Jr. After that, he was lights out.
What’s an ambassador?: The Sox Report isn’t sure what a baseball ambassador does either, but we’re pretty sure it involves more motorcycles and no trips to Iraq.
Wise Decision: Uribe’s hamstring injury is a blessing not in disguise. We don’t expect much from Wise, but this is a great time for Alexei “The Cuban Missile” Ramirez to make an impact. Who knows, Uribe’s job may not be there when he gets back.
And suddenly, I like Nick Swisher infinitely less: Before heading to Swish’s official website, remember to mute your computer. You may be asked to save a horse. Someone please buy Swisher a ticket to Lollapalooza.
Over/Under: 140. The number of pounds The Cuban Missile weighs.
Draft Rose: Had to throw that in there.
Beachwood Sabermetrics: A complex algorithm performed by The White Sox Report staff using all historical data made available by Major League Baseball has determined that anyone who would ever take part in this is a complete dork.
The White Sox Report: Read ’em all.
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Ricky O’Donnell is the proprietor of Tremendous Upside Potential and a contributor to the Sun-Times’s Full Court Press.
Posted on May 27, 2008