More of a rant against ESPN

by samxrm on Nov 4, 2009 12:37 AM EST Comment 29 comments

Is everyone there who writes baseball for the website on Insider now? Is there anyone who writes for ESPN that's worth paying for to read? I used to go there after here to see if Jayson Stark was still holding out. But, alas, when the page loaded tonight after clicking on MLB, everything had a little orange box with the word "in" inside of it. It won't be too much longer before you have to pay for a box score there.

Big kudos for the guys writing and running this site.Your coverage of prospects is second to none. You guys do a fabulous job. Just wanted to say thanks!

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I know its really frustrating that they do that.
I have an insider account so if theres every an article that you want to read just let me know and i’ll get it for you.

by jack dein on Nov 4, 2009 12:57 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

I agree Sam

I’ve been a periodic “insider” member over there and when I’ve done it, I felt like it was worth it, but it’s absurd how much of their material is insider only now. With the advent of MLBTV, it sort of alleviates having to get an insider account every offseason, but still. What makes them think that it’s worth 40 bucks to hear what Steve Phillips… wait.. John Kruk has to say? Bah. Damn them all.

Didn’t watch Baseball Tonight once this season.

"...Braves tie! ...Braves tie! ...Braves tie!"

by The Keith Lockhart Era on Nov 4, 2009 1:40 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Hi, I’m GBNY and I haven’t watched BBTN in 2 years.

(Yunel is still the Queen of Hearts)

by GoBravesNY on Nov 4, 2009 6:34 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

The joys of Verizon

Free ESPN MVP app means I can still read Stark (albeit only on my phone), who’s about the only guy left worth reading over there.

Beyond him I’ve long given up on ESPN entirely. MLB Network for TV news, MLB.com or Yahoo! Sports for web coverage. And of course here.

by J-Freak on Nov 4, 2009 2:59 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

I hear ya, It bothers me

almost as much as FOX does, but thats another story.

(Yunel is still the Queen of Hearts)

by GoBravesNY on Nov 4, 2009 6:33 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

you didn’t enjoy the pregame debate before Game 5 about whether Derek Jeter was the greatest Yankee of all time, getting a 2/3 yes vote by the experts Guillen, Karros, and Grace?

"Matt Diaz is a baseball player."-Joe Simpson

by 10-4 on Nov 4, 2009 8:46 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

that was nice, but the first time they talked about the Yankees in 5 games. Plus I happen to not agree. Fox just sucks at baseball

(Yunel is still the Queen of Hearts)

by GoBravesNY on Nov 4, 2009 9:16 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Tim “What they need here is a home run.” McCarver?

by FineHamAbounds on Nov 4, 2009 6:26 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Or “an out would huge here” when the bases are loaded in the 9th.

"Are you tryin to say Jesus Christ can't hit a curveball?"

by mvhsbball on Nov 4, 2009 7:39 PM EST via mobile up reply actions 0 recs

*an out would be huge here

"Are you tryin to say Jesus Christ can't hit a curveball?"

by mvhsbball on Nov 4, 2009 7:40 PM EST via mobile up reply actions 0 recs

you socre more runs by leading off an inning with a HR than you do with a single

Heyward,Hanson,and Shaffer r ready now!! Why do you think they havent signed the "right handed bat"?

by fatazfoot on Jan 7, 2009 8:59 PM EST

by Swo12bv on Nov 5, 2009 11:10 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Here’s one from last night:

“Did you see that? He (the pitcher) just wiped his hands on his pant leg twice. Usually that means that he wants 2 less than the sign that was just given. So, if the sign from the catcher was “3”, then that means he wants to throw a fastball – a “1”.

Really? REALLY??? I am pretty sure that if Andy Pettit can flat out say “No, I want a cutter outside” while standing on the mound, then pitchers don’t need to have some special secret code like wiping their hands on their pants to change a sign.

"My team of nine guys who hit like Albert Pujols and never ever bunt just beat your team with one Shane Victorino 472 to 3."

by justincredubil02 on Nov 5, 2009 12:14 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I turned my TV off after I heard them say Jeter was the best of all time

“I was sitting there, eating a sandwich, in a perfectly good mood when I heard them vote yes. I was immediately pissed off, said "you gotta be f*cking kidding me, and turned the TV off.

Babe Ruth CHANGED BASEBALL. The most HRs that a player had ever hit was like 15…and he hit 62. Not to mention the Great Bambino got his daily vitamins and minerals from hot dogs and beer. Now, team’s have a million strenght & conditioning coaches, suppliments for the players eat and drink, they know exactly what foods to eat and what foods not to eat. Not to mention the pitching was 10000x better in the 1920s than now-a-days. There was no such thing as a “5 man rotation” with “middle relievers, set-up guys and a closer”. Pitchers pitched every few days and were consistently better than some of the garbage pitchers we have in the league now.

How the hell can someone pick Derek Jeter over Babe Ruth? Or Lou Gehrig? or Mickey Mantle? I’d even take guys like Yogi Berra and Joe DiMaggio over Derek Jeter, just cause of the era they played him.

You have absolutely no business on TV if you’re gonna say Derek Jeter is the greatest Yankee of all time.

"Are you tryin to say Jesus Christ can't hit a curveball?"

by mvhsbball on Nov 4, 2009 6:49 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

This

Except the Babe only hit 60 in one season. Maris holds the record at 61 ;)

by J-Freak on Nov 4, 2009 7:29 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Oops, thanks for fixing that for me! I always get Ruth’s, Maris’ and McGwire’s numbers mixed up

"Are you tryin to say Jesus Christ can't hit a curveball?"

by mvhsbball on Nov 4, 2009 7:35 PM EST via mobile up reply actions 0 recs

Well if you're going to throw McGwire in there...

technically the record was his for like 3 years until Bonds hit 73.

But Maris is the record holder at 61, and Aaron is the career record holder at 755. Just ask any true baseball fan.

by J-Freak on Nov 4, 2009 11:00 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

i always include McGwire cause i grew up watching him in St. Louis., but i agree, Maris and Aaron are the true leaders.

"Are you tryin to say Jesus Christ can't hit a curveball?"

by mvhsbball on Nov 4, 2009 11:20 PM EST via mobile up reply actions 0 recs

Makes me wanna slap somebody

Didn’t Gehrig have something like a .367 lifetime playoff average? Sorry, but in my view there isn’t a player alive today who compares with the crew you listed.

You aren’t the czar of typographic emphasis

by scstrato on Nov 4, 2009 9:11 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I agree with all of this…except the pitching was better then than now part. Just not true. Those guys threw 70mph, tops.

"At least he didn’t nail the bitchy fat girl from Hell's Kitchen."
www.dropoutproductions.com

by cbwilk on Nov 5, 2009 12:19 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

yeah, but the game was so much different back then. those ol’ time pitchers could do dirty, filthy things with their ball. And if you think about it, it would probably be harder to hit a 70mph fastball out of the park than a 93mph fastball cause of the speed of the ball coming off the bat. i don’t have any proof of this tho…just a thought.

"Are you tryin to say Jesus Christ can't hit a curveball?"

by mvhsbball on Nov 5, 2009 12:33 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

i agree with ur general premise but you rationale is severely lacking… sure Ruth ate hotdgos and drank beer… but so di everyone else… just like every uses strength and conditioning coaches now… you can only compare players to their era… Ruth was the best in his era (pretty much w/o question..although Gehrig has a convincing argument)… Jeter is not the best player of his era… ergo Ruth> Jeter [admittedly that logic is slightly skewed, but its passable… there’s no perfect logic for comparing players]

the hot dogs argument is the same as the steroids argument.. sure hitters used steroids… but so did pitchers… so we’ll never know the effect of it.

Heyward,Hanson,and Shaffer r ready now!! Why do you think they havent signed the "right handed bat"?

by fatazfoot on Jan 7, 2009 8:59 PM EST

by Swo12bv on Nov 5, 2009 11:14 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

i was just comparing how different the 2 eras were. im sure Derek Jeter eats hotdogs and drinks beer too.

"Are you tryin to say Jesus Christ can't hit a curveball?"

by mvhsbball on Nov 5, 2009 11:21 AM EST via mobile up reply actions 0 recs

insider does suck

but i cant blame them. they are providing a product and they want to charge for it. nothing wrong with that.

i remember a few years ago when they asked bill simmons to go insider and he refused. that was kinda nice.

"If I have asthma, they won't let me scuba. And if I can’t scuba, then what’s this all been about?? What am I working toward??"

by Doghnut on Nov 4, 2009 10:06 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Whats wrong with it?

Is the fact they locked up Peter Gammons, who in my estimation is probably the best journalist ever, to an exclusive contract then changed all his articles to “insider” only. You don’t lock up a Van Gogh or a Picasso in your basement then charge your buddies to come to dinner to show them off. ESPN is EVERYTHING that is wrong with the world today.

You aren’t the czar of typographic emphasis

by scstrato on Nov 4, 2009 9:28 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

“You don’t lock up a Van Gogh or a Picasso in your basement then charge your buddies to come to dinner to show them off.”

Ever heard of paying to get into a museum?

Espn is a COMPANY. They are trying to make money. Until internet ad revenue actually becomes significant, the best way to make money is to charge for the product you are producing.

Saying there is something wrong with insider is like asking a car company to give away cars for free. They are creating a product and are selling it. Nothing wrong with that.

"If I have asthma, they won't let me scuba. And if I can’t scuba, then what’s this all been about?? What am I working toward??"

by Doghnut on Nov 5, 2009 10:12 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs