The JS Sports Staff [Latest: Witrado leaves for Sporting News, replaced by Todd Rosiak]

[thebruce44]

Not sure if anyone else has read Michael Hunt's latest opinion article :

Need for upgrade: Deal could cure Brewers' woes

Now I have read a lot of head scratchers in the JS before, but this is the first time I actually felt the need to send in a comment. Coupled with Tom creating a "fight between Melvin and Braun" I have really had it with their sports section.

I have included my email to Hunt and his editor below, as I thought others might want to see it. We will see if I get any kind of response.


Mr. Hunt,

 

 

I typically look forward to reading your opinion articles on the Brewers as I think you add a lot over the beat writers, but I was very disappointed by the irresponsible reporting in this article. I have shaken my head many times over stories I have read in your paper before, but this is the first time I have felt the need to actually send an email.

 

 

I will keep it as brief as I can, but first of all you claim that the Brewers offense is ranked 12th in the National League. I am guessing you are using batting average to come to this conclusion, because by nearly every other statistical measure, the team is ranked in the top 5. Most people would agree that OPS would be the best method, and in that regard the team is currently ranked 3rd.

 

 

The reason I have an issue here is that I have been hearing casual fans call into radio stations lately bashing Braun and the offense. While the team has its issues on offense (Kendall, Hart, and Hardy come to mind) every team does. To suggest this is a problem and back it up with a somewhat random statistic, all the while not mentioning what statistic you are actually using, is wrong in my mind.

 

 

Then, as if the casual fans need more ammunition, you stated "the Brewers are paying Braun face-of-the-franchise money to be a leader." Huh? His contract is extremely reasonable as he signed for security early in his career instead of going the Boras/Prince route to get as much as possible after arbitration. He is the face of the franchise by his choosing and he should be admired for his commitment, not condemned.

 

 

Next, you wrote "As the Sabathia blockbuster demonstrated, the future is always now for a franchise like the Brewers." We obviously have a differing opinion on whether or not Gamel or Escobar should be traded for help this year, so I am not going to argue with you on that in this email. I do think it’s silly to suggest that a small market team like the Brewers should operate with the idea that “the future is always now.” This could not be further from the truth, and the Brewers have expressed this view many times when saying they would like to be similar to the Twins and Athletics.

 

 

To play the "Sabathia card" here is a low blow as well, since that situation was completely different. At the time the Brewers had Sheets (and had to assume he would finish out the year healthy) and assumed they could get the best 1-2 pitching combination in the majors. This year, Yo will most likely hit a wall somewhere on the plus side of 150 IP just as Parra did last year. Even if he somehow defies all known historical data on young pitchers increasing their innings, to suggest that a Yo and Vazquez tandem is even in the same realm as Sheets and Sabathis is ridiculous (and I have long coveted Vazquez for his modest salary and great peripherals).

 

 

In closing, we clearly disagree on the Brewer's chances this year trade or no trade. I am fine with this, as I think most people want the team to go for it and opinions will always differ. I do have a problem with the manner in which you defend your position, as you will take many fans with you through questionable logic. With the amount of readership you have, I feel as though you and your editors have a responsibility to report fairly in terms of the players you cover and the statistics of the game even if it is an opinion article.

 

 

I hope you have taken the time to read this, and it doesn't come off as "flaming" similar to what Tom experiences from time to time in his blog. As I said, I am a fan of your writing, but in this case I have to take exception.

 

 

Thanks for your time,

 

[logan82]

Mike Hunt really isn't a reporter. I think most of his stuff is editorial in nature. More written to sell newspapers or throw out off the wall opinions without much rational thought behind them. Putting out Gamel as a trade possibility just because we traded our best prospect last year is proof enough of that.

[SeriesFinale]

Jeez, a lot of middle-school-level cracks up in this thread. I'm as big on immature jokes as anyone, though, I suppose...

 

ANYWAY, due to the internet, guys like Hunt are going the way of the Dodo--why pay to read someone's half-informed opinion (and that is his job, essentially) when there are a sea of them out there? Gamel for Vasquez? Really, Michael?

[Bring Back the Stein]

Wow. You said you looked forward to his column. Beside the way you took apart everything he wrote, that should at least get his attention owing to the rarity of the sentiment you express.

[thebruce44]

Oh, I only wrote that I liked his work to get his attention. I will read his articles to pass the time over my lunch break, but I would rather put my hand in a toaster for the most part.

[pete]

I'd say that there is almost no chance that Haudricourt in any way caused or created an argument or fight between Braun and Melvin. I don't even think he was the js reporter who was working the day that Braun made his latest comment that caused controversy.

 

I don't read Hunt, but if the columnist said things you wrote, I'd disagree with some of them. I wouldn't therefore conclude that the paper was bad.

[SoCal Brew Crew Fan]

While I may not disagree with much of what you are saying, referring to the local paper as the "Urinal Sentinal" is not where I would go with this.

[sheethead]

I always thought of Hunt as a casual fan. He is a journalist who just so happens to write about sports. Similar to Bill Michaels on 620, Hunt doesn't seem to express a hardcore-fan type knowledge about any sport he reports on.

[sargennm]

Oh, I only wrote that I liked his work to get his attention. I will read his articles to pass the time over my lunch break, but I would rather put my hand in a toaster for the most part.

You started this thread to make Hunt look like a jerk, and now you've really only succeeded in bringing that judgment on yourself. His argument may have not been open and shut, but based on the team's recent performance - the OPS has remained good but the run scoring has been awful - it's not a crazy argument to make. He shouldn't of used BA as his methodology, true, but everything else is just his pure opinion. I'll never understand why people get so bent out of shape about that.

[sheethead]

You started this thread to make Hunt look like a jerk, and now you've really only succeeded in bringing that judgment on yourself.

Its pretty much a wast of time writing to any tenured opinion columnist for any paper. They get hundreds of letters and emails that they never read, because frankly they don't care. The only thing that would get the attention of Hunt, Kane, etc. would be a job threatening scandal.

[sargennm]

Its pretty much a wast of time writing to any tenured opinion columnist for any paper. They get hundreds of letters and emails that they never read, because frankly they don't care. The only thing that would get the attention of Hunt, Kane, etc. would be a job threatening scandal.

My wife has written to Jim Stingl and gotten a response the same day, and I've heard that Kane will engage some readers. It all depends. I think you would be surprised how much columnists/journalists read and how it influences them.

[sheethead]

My wife has written to Jim Stingl and gotten a response the same day

Was it critical of his writing?

[sargennm]

My wife has written to Jim Stingl and gotten a response the same day

Was it critical of his writing?

Fair point. No, it wasn't. But I've also worked at smaller newspapers and the critical e-mails, as long as they weren't nuts or out of line, typically got addressed unless we got a ton of the same one's over and over. More so than the positive ones to be honest.

[Daubs]

I'd say that there is almost no chance that Haudricourt in any way caused or created an argument or fight between Braun and Melvin. I don't even think he was the js reporter who was working the day that Braun made his latest comment that caused controversy.

Actually, I believe it was Haudricourt who asked the question to Braun. I think he addressed that while on with the Milwaukee ESPN station for his daily segments.

 

Haudricourt wrote the blog piece regarding Braun's statements, too.

[shelmark]

I can't get passed the title of the thread. It is for that reason I refuse to read your response to the article by Hunt. If you want to be taken seriously you need to show some maturity.

[John Brew]

I can't imagine any response, no matter how well written, could convince him to change his mind or see the error in his thinking. Furthermore I wouldn't be surprised if he and other columnists judge the success of a column in part on the number of responses they get, positive or negative. Therefore not sending in a response seems like a better protest, along with never reading his column again.

[DrugBust]

I've yet to write to a sports journalist for a major Wisconsin paper and not get a response. I received an email from Hunt yesterday evening, in fact. These guys don't mind talking and debating sports with the casual or hard-core fan. Just don't write the Magna Carta and, when possible, provide information they can use or appreciate. Above all else be respectful and well written.

[Nottso]

I've had minor correspondence with TH, and with Gene Mueller, although with Mueller it wasn't about sports.

[thebruce44]

I got a short response from Hunt's editor yesterday night basically saying I had an interesting letter. A friend of mine also got a direct response from Hunt, so yea...they do read their email.

In terms of the Braun/Hardicourt thing, I do think Tom embellished a story there, as the tone of his blog post was much different than the MLB story by McCalvey and Braun himself said his quotes were taken out of context. Looking back, it looks like Tom just posted in his blog, but Witardo actually wrote the article, so it makes me blame the paper as a whole even more.

I apologize for the thread title if it offended anyone. I have called the JS that for years and assumed it was a common Milwaukee inside joke as I hear it all the time, even from JS employees. For people to take the time to post in this thread saying it makes me personally look like a jerk or that I need to be more mature is surprising to say the least, but to each their own. I will change the thread title as my intent was to inspire a discussion on the quality of the JS's sports reporting, not entice personal attacks or be offensive, so in that regard I clearly failed. Moving on, I hope anyone offended will now look at the baseball reporting discussion here.

[Brewbadger]

I've heard from countless people and have used the "urinal sentinal" moniker for years. It's not that big of a deal IMO.

[topper09er]

I have always called it that too...but is there a sports writer for any paper in the country who isnt an idiot? Look at Gold glove awards and MVP voting or Cy Young voting where people reward pitchers for having lots of wins.

[phxMILWfan]

There was a joke that went around forever about an elderly man in the hospital asking his nurse for the urinal. No, no, not that urinal, the Milwaukee Urinal! My uncle would tell it, he worked for the Journal. Never offended him or the people he worked with. My understanding was that it was a play on the diverse population in Milwaukee and an accent. I didn't think it was offensive as the subject for the thread.

[lcbj68c]

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=As2eQPw2JPRiYmF8BMIDpRwRvLYF?slug=ap-brewers-braun&prov=ap&type=lgns

 

Anybody know who this Mel Hall guy is that might play left field tonight?

[CheezWizHed]

Anybody know who this Mel Hall guy is that might play left field tonight?

That one threw me for a bit also... I've been on vacation away from new/media/internet and thought they aquired someone... But I'm assuming it was Bill Hall...

 

It seems that more and more internet "journalism" is going the way of brash opinions to polarize people (not referring to this article, but in general) and ignoring accurate reporting of news...

[nohopspanther]

http://sports.yahoo.com/m...mp;prov=ap&type=lgns

 

Anybody know who this Mel Hall guy is that might play left field tonight?

LF woahs solvdd!