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

[logan82]

How about this part

When

he was called up to the Brewers for his first September, he didn't

always go to early batting practice and failed to tell the team about an

injury until it got bad enough that he could play and he was sent home.

He was sent home because he could play? I know I make mistakes like that, but I am not paid to write either.

[crewcrazy]

Witrado writing that Gamel was screwing himself is pretty unacceptable, blog post or not. He's being paid to cover this team professionally -- he's not supposed to write the same way a fan ranting about him would.

 

The post has been edited now, apparently, but if we ever wanted proof that these JSOnline posts weren't edited before going up, I think we have it.

[logan82]

Witrado is a fan though.. of the Dodgers.

[CreamCity]

Drew Olson was the Brewer beat writer before Hardicourt or worked with him?

[1992casey]

Drew and Tom worked together for a lot of years. I think Drew goes back farther. For a time earlier this decade, Tom worked for another newspaper out East and then returned.

[djoctagone]

The post has been edited now, apparently, but if we ever wanted proof that these JSOnline posts weren't edited before going up, I think we have it.

a year or two ago, tom admitted that blog posts were not reviewed by his editor and tried to use that as an excuse for a remedial spelling error i pointed out to him.

[GAME05]

as a former editor and former proofreader, it's really the job of the copy editors to fix grammatical mistakes. not that Witrado should be submitting chickenscratch as copy, but to complain about the copy errors, that's really a different department. and yeah, we can read an article and say "I can't believe they didn't see that error!" but in defense of my former profession, you run through a lot of copy every single day. you'd be amazed at just what does get caught and fixed, but sometimes things just slip by.

 

but to the use of the word "screwed," i couldn't agree more that it shouldn't have been used. a newspaper trying to sound like everyone else is just the opposite direction it should be going, especially when reading everyone else is so much quicker and more convenient (and free). i expect a higher level of thought from newsmen than "he sucks." that's why i hold a show like Outside the Lines in high regard, but can't stand stuff like PTI, where the journalists just yell at each other like children. Witrado using that word makes him no different.

[logan82]

I was reading the transcript of Witrado's chat from today and found this amusing nugget. Luckily I wasn't drinking or I would have shot liquid out my nose.

As for Tom, if it wasn't for that guy, you'd have very little idea about

what happens in the farm system of this organization or with the team

for that matter.

We get much better minor league coverage here and he is overlooking McCalvy for the MLB club.(probably purposely since they are somewhat in competition) I trust almost nothing TH has to say about our minor leaguers.

[TooLiveBrew]

I just don't think TH has the time to go see them in person enough to be reliable.

[TooLiveBrew]

From the batting order thread discussion of Witrado pushing his theory that Braun will be unhappy with his contract

 

If only we had some kind of first-hand quote from Braun that would set the record straight...

 

On him losing money when he signed the long-term contract back in ’08 and why he did so:

 

“I think that is something that people look back at in hindsight. I think it remains to be seen whether I stay healthy or whether I continue to produce, obviously. That is the plan. That is the goal, but for me for the Brewers to believe in me despite having less that a full year in the big leagues and committing that amount of money and that many years to me is something that means the world to me and is something that I will never forget. Looking back at it I would make that decision every time.”

 

From the Ryan Braun interview with Tim Allen thread. Witrado is an awful journalist.

[HiAndTight]

I just don't think TH has the time to go see them in person enough to be reliable.

I would agree, however almost none of us gets to see them often enough to make informed opinions based on that alone.

 

I see several games in Appleton(or did last year rather) and have made it to a handful of games on different vacations as I've passed through on my way to Florida or wherever it may be, and in all honesty those can almost do more harm than good.

 

We watch 162 Brewers games every eyar and we still fall victim to the "it just seems like" way of thinking. It just "seems like" Corey Hart always comes through with the big hit(just an example), and then we look at he has a .190 BA with RISP.

 

I think the best we can hope for is to read as many different opinions as possible, see what you can for yourself, and try to form as informed an opinion as you possibly can.

 

[HiAndTight]

From the batting order thread discussion of Witrado pushing his theory that Braun will be unhappy with his contract

 

If only we had some kind of first-hand quote from Braun that would set the record straight...

 

On him losing money when he signed the long-term contract back in ’08 and why he did so:

 

“I think that is something that people look back at in hindsight. I think it remains to be seen whether I stay healthy or whether I continue to produce, obviously. That is the plan. That is the goal, but for me for the Brewers to believe in me despite having less that a full year in the big leagues and committing that amount of money and that many years to me is something that means the world to me and is something that I will never forget. Looking back at it I would make that decision every time.”

 

From the Ryan Braun interview with Tim Allen thread. Witrado is an awful journalist.

 

This one I VEHEMETLY disagree with.

 

Do you honestly expect Braun to say anything differently? And do you expect Braun to go on the record saying anything differently? What's more, do you not think it's possible that Witrado having spent as much time as he has within the clubhouse and around the team that he's heard rumblings about Braun's take on his contract, or even from Braun himself?

 

Finally, do you think it's even the least bit surprising that Braun would be having a little...."signers remourse"....for lack of a better term? He sees Joe Mauer get 23 million a year....that's half of Braun's total deal.

 

Now Im not saying I think it was dumb for him to sign, so I don't need the whole laundry list of reasons why signing was a good decision by him, but in this case I can understand Braun having a little hesitation about having signed when he did.

 

By the way, when Prince signs, it's only going to get worse.

 

I DO hope however that Braun's ridiculously below market value contract will help us out in the future. I could see us offering something like 6 years 100 million to him when he's got 2 years left and him jumping on it. That's just a random guess as one has no idea where the market will be at the time, but something around what is 16-17 million dollars RIGHT NOW.

[Invader3K]

The thing is that Witrado has been the only person whatsoever pushing this "Braun is dissatisfied with his contract, and the Brewers may trade him", agenda. I remember hearing him say last season, without prodding from the hosts on a radio talk show on WSSP: "They may look at trading Braun this off-season. That contract is very tradeable." It's just borderline irresponsible journalism at best, or carrying a vendetta against a star player at worst.

[endaround]

People just don't seem to understand that baseball isn't football. Players don't hold out(well outside of draft picks to some extent). Players who sign long term deals never complain about it openly and they all seem to accept the trade off guaranteed contracts bring. The most you see is a Pujols who believes he gave a hometown discount once and so isn't inclined to do it again. You do have Ryan Howard type flareups over arbitration but again no hold out. You'll see trade demands over playing time or to try to get off a rebuilding team but nothing over salary. It just isn't done and to be a baseball reporter and not know this is irresponsible but I expect such things from the Gary Howard led sports page.

Also this does mean for all those people who want baseball to kill off guaranteed contracts that does mean you will have holdouts, you will have trade demands, and you will likely help large market teams even more as they have the cash resources to pay huge signing bonuses.

[Invader3K]

People just don't seem to understand that baseball isn't football. Players don't hold out(well outside of draft picks to some extent).

Unfortunately when you have people like Gary Ellerson on WSSP discussing topics like this on the radio, ideas like this can be perpetuated pretty quickly.

 

(I'm not trying to bash Ellerson, but he has even admitted on the air he knows next to nothing about baseball.)

[zzzmanwitz]

(I'm not trying to bash Ellerson, but he has even admitted on the air he knows next to nothing about baseball.)

Then why is he a sports radio host in a city where the main draw is the Milwaukee Brewers??? Ugh...

[pretendastronaut]

HiAndTight]Do you honestly expect Braun to say anything differently? And do you expect Braun to go on the record saying anything differently? What's more, do you not think it's possible that Witrado having spent as much time as he has within the clubhouse and around the team that he's heard rumblings about Braun's take on his contract, or even from Braun himself?

 

 

 

This is why stuff like this can be so dangerous though, it didn't take long for you to connect that Witrado has more access than us, so it makes sense to be true. But the facts don't support the belief in the least.

 

Braun could have said something much different to still make a PC type response to that question (which he is very good at) but he said something much more specific and honest. Everyone in the the baseball world knew this was a steal for the Brewers at the time, there is no way Braun and his handlers weren't aware of the trade off they were making at the time.

 

Also, if Braun was going to be looking to leave in a trade, would he really be helping in starting two business in Wisconsin with his likeness? Because leaving in that manner would certainly doom those ventures to failure.

[pretendastronaut]

Invader3K wrote:

(I'm not trying to bash Ellerson, but he has even admitted on the air he knows next to nothing about baseball.)

Then why is he a sports radio host in a city where the main draw is the Milwaukee Brewers??? Ugh...

 

 

 

Because he's a good radio host and the Brewers aren't the only thing they cover.

[zzzmanwitz]

I understand that it is not the only thing they cover, but if you are getting paid to cover sports in a city, you would think that you should have at least some knowledge on the most popular team in said city. He has admitted to having none (which is admirable, I would argue that the majority of sports talk show host know very little in general).

I just hate sports talk show hosts in general. If you are getting paid to do something, try and put some effort into your craft.

[endaround]

The problem with Ellerson is that he plays the ex-jock role to the hilt and so even in an area in which he has no knowledge but yet offers his opinion the audience of that show tends to always side with him.

[sheethead]

Do you honestly expect Braun to say anything differently?

 

I wouldn't expect him to, because Ryan Braun is THE man. But he absolutely COULD say something different (Sheff, Bradley, etc). I am very glad he is Ryan Braun, and not some other tool that doesn't understand his place in baseball. It was a fair contract when he signed it, and I have every belief that Ryan will think its a fair deal throughout the contract. Witrado is trying to stir the pot and create something out of nothing. He's the guy that spreads rumors and his opinions in an effort to create drama (you know the type). I just wish he would report on baseball, and leave his boredom out of it.

 

Also, Ellerson is entertaining. Why not leave it at that and not get so worked up over what he says. Its not like he is perpetuating lies and agendas on the radio like many other talk radio show hosts do to garner ratings.

[Patrick425]

endaround[/b]]Players who sign long term deals never complain about it openly and they all seem to accept the trade off guaranteed contracts bring.

Well, to be fair, there have been cases where players have complained openly about their contracts. Most notably, Rickey Henderson back in the 80s.

 

[sheethead]

Most notably, Rickey Henderson back in the 80s.

 

How many CBAs ago was that, and is it even still relevant to today's players?

[Patrick425]

sheethead[/b]]Most notably, Rickey Henderson back in the 80s.

 

How many CBAs ago was that, and is it even still relevant to today's players?

Yes, I understand that was ages ago and probably something only an "old man" like me would remember. I was just pointing out that it's not like no one has ever complained about their contract.

 

If no ever currently complains about their contract, then how are we so sure that Braun isn't at least a little upset about his contract. I like Braun, I think he's hard worker and a stand up kind of guy. To his credit, I also don't think he would ever blame the Brewers for a "bad" contract that he signed or ever complain about it openly. However, I don't think it's that far fetched to think that somewhere in the back of his mind he wonders if he could have done better with that contract. I wouldn't blame him and it wouldn't lessen my opinion of him if he did have those thoughts (As Frito pointed out in "Idiocracy" - people tend to like money). Is it a reporter's job to try to delve into the true thoughts of the player he's interviewing (regardless of what they state publicly)? I guess that's open for debate.

 

 

[sheethead]

I don't think it's that far fetched to think that somewhere in the back of his mind he wonders if he could have done better with that contract.

 

If you are referring to the human condition, and our tendency to second guess the decisions that affect our lives, then I suppose he would have those thoughts. Do I regret taking the airport spur this morning? Absolutely, but I am not going to blame the DOT for the miserable experience. To suggest these thoughts and second guessing will translate into malcontent is a whole other issue, and an issue that Witrado and others want to dig up. What is a reporter's job? To report I imagine. It shouldn't be to create the drama to advance a career or sell newspapers, which is what I think some of them do regularly.