Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Baseball writing you shouldn't miss
Back around the All-Star break, I learned that Twins relief pitcher Pat Neshek has a blog, in which he reveals that, well, he's a baseball nerd. As he put it in his pitch to fans to vote him into the last spot on the All-Star squad, if he weren't playing baseball, he'd be watching and reading and writing about it, like all of us. On top of that, he's obsessed with baseball cards.
Speaking of baseball cards, I know I've pointed out Josh Wilker's Cardboard Gods blog before, but it's been particularly good lately and seemed worth noting again. It's less about baseball per se than about how the way that baseball provides landmarks and highlights that help us to remember, preserve, and even sometimes to understand our lives--and it's really good.
Finally, a link at Baseball Primer today introduced me to Dirk Hayhurst, a minor-league pitcher who writes the Diary of a Non-Prospect for Baseball America. The column that drew my attention was a thoughtful, well-written piece about signing autographs, but his columns on early-morning bus rides and manning the ball bucket are also well worth your time. Hayhurst has a good eye and a surprisingly nuanced perspective on his profession, and while he's just a beginning writer, he clearly understands how to tell a story.
I wrote to him to tell him how much I enjoyed his column, and I got the following response:
The indexing at Baseball America is poor, but if you search on Hayhurst's name, you'll find quite a few columns. Here's wishing him luck in pitching and writing.
Speaking of baseball cards, I know I've pointed out Josh Wilker's Cardboard Gods blog before, but it's been particularly good lately and seemed worth noting again. It's less about baseball per se than about how the way that baseball provides landmarks and highlights that help us to remember, preserve, and even sometimes to understand our lives--and it's really good.
Finally, a link at Baseball Primer today introduced me to Dirk Hayhurst, a minor-league pitcher who writes the Diary of a Non-Prospect for Baseball America. The column that drew my attention was a thoughtful, well-written piece about signing autographs, but his columns on early-morning bus rides and manning the ball bucket are also well worth your time. Hayhurst has a good eye and a surprisingly nuanced perspective on his profession, and while he's just a beginning writer, he clearly understands how to tell a story.
I wrote to him to tell him how much I enjoyed his column, and I got the following response:
Levi,
I had no Idea my little story was out there in so many places. Its very
flattering to see because I honestly don't consider myself a very
talented writer. I have never done it before- no previous experience
etc... I just wanted to capture as many sides of the life of a real
person playing a surreal job. I didn't loose my humanity when I put this
uniform on, in fact, I'd say it became more real to me. What I used to
think about baseball before I signed is not the same as what I think
about it now. I guess I used to think this job, this high profile title
of pro-athlete would answer all my questions about life. IT just gave me
more. Why are so many of us pro anythings so distant? Why are we so
beloved for such a trivial job? Why do kids want my autograph when their parents make 8 times as much as I do!? Why am I more revered then a Doctor? I don't know, but I'll do my best to make the most of, because whether it makes sense of not, I have the opportunity to help- I'm going to take it.
Thanks for reading, and feel free to post this on any site you wish.
The indexing at Baseball America is poor, but if you search on Hayhurst's name, you'll find quite a few columns. Here's wishing him luck in pitching and writing.
Labels: Baseball writing, Cardboard Gods, Dirk Hayhurst, Pat Neshek
Thursday, October 26, 2006
"The Southpaw Wing"? "Section 60 on Stadium Way"? "Sports Night II"?
Comedy writer Ken Levine brings you a script from Aaron Sorkin's inevitably forthcoming show about baseball.
Labels: aaron sorkin, Baseball writing, ken levine
Monday, October 03, 2005
Everyone's getting into the baseball act
I know it's hard to believe, but even the monthly customer newsletter of the service that hosts baseballrelated.com wants in on the baseball commentary action...
Yes, the newsletter is always written in this style, although it's usually not about baseball.
Baseball is a weird sport because it's quite often the cheapest sport to attend, yet the players are paid the most of any pro sport. For example, I believe they were paying people $12 to attend the Giants games this weekend, but at the same time Alex Rodriguez earned $20,000,000 per attempt to swat away the ball while being tagged on his way to first like a little girl!
The way baseball can afford to pay its athletes so much while at the same time keeping ticket prices and stadium refreshments so reasonable is actually through a number of quite-unrelated side businesses. The most lucrative of which is the bulk purchasing and re-selling of highly desirable domain names! I KID YOU NOT.
It USED to be that only the richest sports franchise-owning billionaires and the president of the United States could get into this literal GOLD MINE of easy profits. But now, thanks to DreamHost lowering the price of .com, .net, .org, and .info domain registrations to just $9.95/year even YOU can now get in on this GUARANTEED PAYDAY! (You still get one free domain registration with every shared hosting plan too of course.)
Just remember, you are required by law to send all profits made through the resale of domain names to the New York Yankees. With the playoffs beginning tomorrow, they need this money more than ever to offer complimentary tickets to the starving children of the rest of the league's players.
Yes, the newsletter is always written in this style, although it's usually not about baseball.
Labels: alex rodriguez, Baseball writing, giants, yankees
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
Enemies
ESPN.com's Page 2 columnist, Dave Schoenfield, has a good piece today wherein he posits that each team has its number-one most-hated figure, be it an opponent, an owner, or an underperforming team member. He then picks each team's Public Enemy Number 1. Though I disagree with him on some choices (Smamy Sosa over Steven Bartman?), any article that includes references to Operation Shutdown, the hideous nature of the D'Backs' uniforms, and Kent Hrbek leg-wrestling Ron Gant in 1991 is a good way to start your day.
Jim: I would argue that, with Barry Bonds a non-factor so far this season, current Dodger hatred goes to GM Paul DePodesta (and to a lesser extent the owner and his wife, Frank and Jamie McCourt).
Original comments...
Jim: I would argue that, with Barry Bonds a non-factor so far this season, current Dodger hatred goes to GM Paul DePodesta (and to a lesser extent the owner and his wife, Frank and Jamie McCourt).
Labels: Baseball writing, operation shutdown
