First Chinese Democracy, now this

And directly on the heels of writing that mondo-long post about silly BBWAA voting, four people who would never employ dumbass reasoning like that are granted admittance to the tribe: Rob Neyer and Keith Law of ESPN.com and Will Carroll and Christina Kahrl of Baseball Prospectus have all been asked to join the BBWAA’s ranks.

Congratulations to Rob, Keith, Will, and Christina! They are all smart, capable people whose work and philosophy can form the basis for the future of an organization that spends too much time looking backwards.

Now the big question: do they accept?


20 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Chris H.
15 years ago

I wonder if klaw’s membership card will say “BBRAA” on it…

Jason @ IIATMS
15 years ago

Chris, you beat me to it!

I can’t wait to get their “takes” being on the inside…. sure wish I could be a fly on the wall for those meetings.

Chris H.
15 years ago

I’d be far more interested in the reactions of guys like, oh, I dunno, Plaschke maybe…

Doug
15 years ago

So should we start lobbying for Shysterball?

MooseinOhio
15 years ago

Wouldn’t it be great if adding four meant that four had to go to keep the number the same.  My first choices to be replaced Conlin and Paige.

Jeff
15 years ago

I love Klaw and all, but he strikes me as the type not to let go of a grudge easily.  I bet he tells them to go pound sand.  Which would be fitting, but at the same time a shame because people like him should continue to be part of educating the “BBRAA”.

Craig Calcaterra
15 years ago

Jeff—I question whether ESPN would let them pull a John-Lennon-sending-back-his-MBE moment.  I think there is some sponsorship by the network there, and ESPN does not strike me as an organization that is big on folks making a point like that, even if they are good points.

Grant
15 years ago

I agree with Jeff, but Craig your point is also valid.

I bet Law wants to say no, but “The WWL” might not let him. I bet Neyer accepts. Dunno about the BP guys, but my guess is yes.

Chipmaker
15 years ago

So, Neyer will be casting a Hall ballot in 2020? Cool. Stay healthy, Rob.

Chris H.
15 years ago

I’ll give the BBWAA their due on this; slowly but surely, they do seem to be acknowledging the changing face of both the sport and the associated journalism paradigm.

I’ll set the over/under for the BBWAA admitting their first shyster at 4 years.

Craig Calcaterra
15 years ago

I give the odds of a pure blogger* being admitted to the BBWAA in our lifetimes as 1000000 to 1.

*yes, I know that Olney and Neyer are both listed as bloggers on ESPN, but they both spent much more time writing columns and books and stuff and have only recently lowered themselves to blogger status.

Fred
15 years ago

You have to be nominated to the BBWAA before they vote on you – do you really think ESPN threw Law’s and Neyer’s cyberhats into the ring without checking with them first?

BP already has a piece up congratulating Carroll and Kahrl, so one presumes that’s a done deal.

Craig Calcaterra
15 years ago

Actually, Fred, it wouldn’t surprise me in the least.  I think ESPN editors may be far more interested in being able to say that their writers are BBWAA members than even Rob or Keith do.

Not that I think there’s some monster conflict there.  My sense would be that Rob and Keith are (rightfully) still annoyed with how it went last year, but that they will grudgingly accept an invitation to the BBWAA.  It’s an honor, even if it’s a slightly weird one given all that has transpired.

Chris H.
15 years ago

Craig: I’ll take that action.  Is there that much difference between Carroll and Kahrl and, say, some of the writers here at THT?

The line between “column” and “blog” blurs more every day.

Craig Calcaterra
15 years ago

Chris: Maybe there’s not a huge difference in the kinds of things Will and Christina do on the one hand and some of the THT writers do on the other.  None of those people are really bloggers, though.  And I mean that as a compliment to them and their craft.

I love blogging and everything, but the skills and work it takes to write long form articles, to engage in analysis, to publish books—all of that—are both different and in many ways greater skills than that which I, or David Pinto, or Duk at Yahoo! or the FanHouse guys or whoever do.  While we can all laugh at the BBWAA in the abstract, the work that most of their writers do is far closer to what Christina, Will, Rob, and Keith do than what we bloggers do.

And it’s also worth mentioning that 95% of the BBWAA members view bloggers as the reason for their career insecurity, and the label alone—blogger—will keep my ilk out even if I ever get to the point one day where I am even remotely deserving.

Mariano
15 years ago

that’s great news for Neyer and Law.  However, what about Olney and his now Insider “Around the Majors” links.  I didn’t know where else to comment on that so I figured i’d throw it in with Neyer and Law here.

That’s the best part of his blog now you have to be an insider to read it.  First Neyer comes completely un-Insidered, now Olney gets the big Insider tag.

http://cheapseats-blog.blogspot.com/2008/12/buster-onley-around-majors-now-insider.html

Daniel
15 years ago

Based on what Klaw has been saying over the last year, it seems like he would probably decline, if the decision was up to him.  I wouldn’t condone that, since he would by accepting he would strengthen the organization.  I understand the grudge, but it wouldn’t be good for the rest of us.

Grant
15 years ago

Olney used to be under Insider. I didn’t realize they had taken him out for a while. All this Insider stuff is kinda weird.

Olney doesn’t blog. He writes a daily notes column that is improved by being online (and thus being able to include links) and that ESPN calls a blog.
~~~

Somebody should tell all these cranky MSM types that their jobs are disappearing because of newspapers’ inability to adapt to the craigslist era.

mkd
15 years ago

So what’s the over/under on the BBWAA updating the most awesomly retarded website in the history of the world wide intertubes.. 2 years? 3? Or will they stick it out Drudge-like till the end of time?

Aaron
15 years ago

That site can’t be real, can it? It’s seared into my retinas now.