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Monday, March 26, 2007

Boston Globe: Shaughnessy: Famous guest blogs in

I believe it was Quintus Curtius Schillius Rufus that said...“Despair is a great incentive to honorable death”

Getting a little tired and bored here in the final week of the Grapefruit League circuit so I thought I’d take the day off and let Curt Schilling do the work. Schill started writing his own blog a few weeks ago, so today he fills the space with his latest Q & A session with fellow bloggers.

Loser38: I used to go to Star Trek conventions and comic book trade shows. No more. Now this blog is my life. My girlfriend says I’m spending too much time on this site. I say she’s being ridiculous. I mean, what’s six hours a day when you have a chance to communicate—cyberspace to cyberspace—with a legitimate Hall of Famer? Do you think I’m being reasonable, Schill?

38 Pitches: I’ve learned that greatness comes with a price. Only you can decide if you’re willing to pay that price. Personally, I’m spending about eight hours a day with this site and that’s not easy when you have as many responsibilities as I have. Whenever I begin to question things I just ask myself, “What would Gandhi do?” I mean, I never met the man, but I heard he was a really good guy. I think he would have been into 38 Studios.

Thanks to Can’t Stop the Bleeding.

Repoz Posted: March 26, 2007 at 01:10 PM | 47 comment(s)
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   1. Harold Reynolds: An Erotic Life (AG#1F) Posted: March 26, 2007 at 01:24 PM (#2318039)
CHB38: What do you say to those media morons who contend that you are a self-important blowhard with an ill-informed opinion about everything and an insatiable need to be worshipped by sheep-like fans and late-night blog boys who live in Ma's basement?

Heh.
   2. CFBF Has Neither Diabetes nor Cryabetes Posted: March 26, 2007 at 01:29 PM (#2318044)
This Schilling-CHB thing has extraordinary potential.
   3. GORP Posted: March 26, 2007 at 01:38 PM (#2318050)
At least the bloggers that live in their mom's basement write original things. Shaughnessy's a little late to the "Blogging is for geeky statheads" column.
   4. Mister High Standards Posted: March 26, 2007 at 01:42 PM (#2318053)
CHB38What do you say to those media morons who contend that you are a self-important blowhard with an ill-informed opinion about everything and an insatiable need to be worshipped by sheep-like fans and late-night blog boys who live in Ma's basement?


I was kind of cranky until I saw this and it cracked me up. Say what you will about CHB... but at least he realizes he is a #####.
   5. Darren Posted: March 26, 2007 at 01:42 PM (#2318056)
This is a joke, right? I mean, it's quite obviously a joke, but it's amazing to me that the Globe would run this without a large disclaimer somewhere.

The really funny thing is that Shaughnessy lives down to every one of Schilling's insults by publishing something like this. Wow, what a loser.
   6. kevin Posted: March 26, 2007 at 01:48 PM (#2318062)
That's what I'm amazed about, that the Globe would allow that to be published.

Really, between him and Borges, there is nowhere near the editing filter there needs to be. If I was his editor, I would have torn it up and told him to write something worthwhile and choose to vent his personal vendettas on his own time.
   7. Darren Posted: March 26, 2007 at 01:48 PM (#2318063)
Schilling's response was pretty good. From his blog:

The only response I have to Carl Everett’s Curly Haired Boyfriend is this.

“First they ignore you, then they mock you, then they fight you, then you win”
   8. Darren Posted: March 26, 2007 at 01:51 PM (#2318068)
Between this and Conlin's interview with Pat Burrell's inner child, we may be seeing a whole new form of journalism. Writers no longer need to be encumbered with talking to players or even getting information secondhand. Simply make up stuff out of whole cloth that fits your opinion.
   9. Mister High Standards Posted: March 26, 2007 at 01:55 PM (#2318071)
Schilling is dead wrong. He is gordon eades curly haird boy friend.
   10. Hello Rusty Kuntz, Goodbye Rusty Cars Posted: March 26, 2007 at 01:57 PM (#2318075)
I spent all weekend searching for Ben Oglivie's gold. Man, what a letdown.
   11. bibigon Posted: March 26, 2007 at 02:09 PM (#2318083)
Is CHB the worst MLB sportswriter for a major paper in the country? Who else is up there?
   12. Marc Sully's not booin'. He's Youkin'. Posted: March 26, 2007 at 02:21 PM (#2318097)
What a provocative douchewhistle.
   13. ghost of perros Posted: March 26, 2007 at 02:54 PM (#2318123)
They deserve one another.
   14. ellsbury my heart at wounded knee Posted: March 26, 2007 at 02:56 PM (#2318126)
Is CHB the worst MLB sportswriter for a major paper in the country? Who else is up there?


I don't think it's so much that he's the worst - I think he's a pretty smart guy and can be a decent writer - it's just that his pure, unadulterated nastiness and lack of interesting ideas can make him painful to read. If you're into reading attacks on your favorite players and columns that suck the fun and life out of baseball, he's your guy. He certainly writes like he's a pretty unhappy man.
   15. pkb33 Posted: March 26, 2007 at 03:04 PM (#2318132)
CHB's schtick is being the contrarian #######. He's the most talented writer on the Globe sports page...and perhaps the whole paper. But that writing skill largely goes to waste, because he's lazy, uninformed, and apparently disinterested in doing any legwork or much of anything other than his schtick anymore. So he churns out columns ripping on people, tries to get fans or players to take the bait, and then smarmily smiles about the response he's getting.

If you read some of the stuff he did when he was actually trying (like, many of the ALCS comeback and WS stories) you see that this guy really can write. He just usually doesn't bother to.

I agree with the comments on the Globe's editors. They are the ones who should be pushing him to improve his output or take off.
   16. ian Posted: March 26, 2007 at 03:36 PM (#2318150)
Shaughnessy and the Globe will forever be jokes to me, now.
   17. jim in providence Posted: March 26, 2007 at 04:00 PM (#2318168)
Conlin and Shaughnessy - the New New Journalism? I guess there's absolutely no reason for Shaughnessy to step foot in the Red Sox club house nowadays.

He certainly writes like he's a pretty unhappy man.

There really is something fascinating about him, to me at least. The rancor, the negativity ... how in hell did he end up writing about baseball in the first place? Something Oedipal? Who knows? Maybe I should have a look into back issues of the Globe to see if there was a time when Shaughnessy's writing was less bilious than it so often is now.
   18. shoewizard Posted: March 26, 2007 at 04:18 PM (#2318186)
I thought it was pretty funny. He is a bit of a nasty guy though, isn't he?
   19. Darren Posted: March 26, 2007 at 04:26 PM (#2318196)
Interesting tidbit about Shaughnessy--his daughter has some awful disease. I think he was pretty rough on Clemens until Clemens sent his daughter some giant stuffed animal. After that he was nice to Clemens.

It's an interesting way to about that job: using your column to pass judgment on people and settle perceived slights. He probably learned from the best at this: McDonough.
   20. kevin Posted: March 26, 2007 at 04:29 PM (#2318202)
Maybe I should have a look into back issues of the Globe to see if there was a time when Shaughnessy's writing was less bilious than it so often is now.


There was. When he was the beat writer for the Celtics, he was fine (even if he wasn't quite as good as Ryan). Somebody must have really pissed in cornflakes at some point.
   21. The Politics of Torre: How the HOF Really Works Posted: March 26, 2007 at 04:37 PM (#2318219)
Was McDonough the guy that called Clemens the Texas con man? I thought that that was a CHBism, but some moke on EEI said that it was McDonough.
   22. Jim P Posted: March 26, 2007 at 04:40 PM (#2318222)
I actually thought it was kind of funny. But the part about Loser38 wasn't realistic, because guys like that don't have girlfriends.
   23. Darren Posted: March 26, 2007 at 04:41 PM (#2318224)
I'm bored today so I decided to turn over my post to Dan Shaughnessy.

CHB: Hi everybody. I'm a big fraud who poops in my pants. Did you know that I like to have sex with trees? Hey, who wants to kill some puppies?
   24. kevin Posted: March 26, 2007 at 04:42 PM (#2318227)
Was McDonough the guy that called Clemens the Texas con man?


Yes. And he called Vaughn "Mo Money".
   25. Darren Posted: March 26, 2007 at 04:47 PM (#2318230)
Definitely McDonough. He hated Clemens--Shaughnessy liked Clemens.
   26. jim in providence Posted: March 26, 2007 at 04:59 PM (#2318246)
Apart from the question of journalistic ethics and the responsibility borne by Shaughnessy's editor, the piece shouldn't have run for the simple reason that it's lame. It's boring - the same thin joke stretched out to column length. We get it Dan, Schilling's a blogging blowhard and nerd fans are sycophants. Ha ha ... what've you got for the remaining seven hundred words?

There's more material out there. Manny's grill, obviously. Tavarez's grill. You could make (i.e. exaggerate) something about Papelbon's about-face re. closing. Crisp's said some funny things recently.

Just lame.
   27. ChuckMeehan Posted: March 26, 2007 at 05:44 PM (#2318309)
There seems to be an upper strata of reviled baseball writers, a ######### elite if you will. Current members of this elite are CHB, Conlin, Jay Mariotti and Bill Plashcke. Am I leaving out anyone else who belongs on this dungheap?
   28. kevin Posted: March 26, 2007 at 05:50 PM (#2318319)
LA people might put Simers in there. I used to hate Ralph Wiley but he's dead now and it's not polite to speak ill of the dead. I think most Yankee fans here really can't stand Mike Lupica.
   29. robinred Posted: March 26, 2007 at 06:11 PM (#2318345)
I commented negatively last week about all the sycophancy on 38Pitches, so I can see why Shaughnessy went with this. It would have been funny as one joke as part of a notes column.

As to the editorial quality issue, I think it is certain that several 38P regulars will fire off angry emails to the Globe and likely that Schilling himself will link to the piece and bag on Shaughnessy as well. A cyberfeud with Schilling will generate a little heat and controversy, and that, I think is what the editors mostly want these days. Shaughnessy's lead--Getting a little tired and bored here in the final week of the Grapefruit League circuit--kind of tells you what's up.
   30. jim in providence Posted: March 26, 2007 at 06:37 PM (#2318367)
"Getting a little tired and bored here in the final week of the Grapefruit League circuit--kind of tells you what's up."

Wait a minute. Doesn't the Spring Training gig for sportswriters consist of: 1) getting up, 2) getting some breakfast, 3) going to a game or two, 4) filing a story, 5) getting loaded (supper optional), 6) cavorting with prostitutes?

Oh, wait. That was the seventies.

In any event, complaining about spending the mostly dreary New England spring in Florida watching baseball and filing fluff pieces (or hatchet jobs, as the case may be) constitutes a whole new shade of jaded.
   31. Repoz Posted: March 26, 2007 at 06:44 PM (#2318377)
Current members of this elite are CHB, Conlin, Jay Mariotti and Bill Plashcke. Am I leaving out anyone else who belongs on this dungheap?

Lil' Mike Lupica, Bryan Burwell, Gene Collier, Jerry Green...and I would throw Bill Madden, Hal Bodley...and their grandson's Winky Dink magic drawing screen into that pile of ############### elite.
   32. jim in providence Posted: March 26, 2007 at 06:49 PM (#2318381)
"Getting a little tired and bored here in the final week of the Grapefruit League circuit--kind of tells you what's up."

Wait a minute. Doesn't the Spring Training gig for sportswriters consist of: 1) getting up, 2) getting some breakfast, 3) going to a game or two, 4) filing a story, 5) getting loaded (supper optional), 6) cavorting with prostitutes? 7) stumble into bed, 8)repeat?

Oh, wait. That was the seventies.

In any event, complaining about spending the mostly dreary New England spring in Florida watching baseball and filing fluff pieces (or hatchet jobs, as the case may be) would constitute a whole new shade of jaded.
   33. Buzzards Bay Posted: March 26, 2007 at 06:52 PM (#2318385)
#38 blog the other day outlined baseball thinking with regard to 'protection'(Ryan Howard,Burrell,et al) and gave an example of the execution of a specific strategy. This is one example beyond the attempt at comedy that DS missed. Fratboy Globe follies hip-to-be-square cartoonish missed gag- and since DS has only one character(himself) he repackages from column to column attempting the spawn of his previous comedies-which only seem long ago and forgotten-find the boob and hoot-or is it the satan/boob conjure that is dubious
disclaimer:I had the Globe delivered crosscountry to my dorm room BECAUSE of him------once upon a time
   34. Joe Bivens, Ditch Digger Posted: March 26, 2007 at 08:11 PM (#2318455)
Writers no longer need to be encumbered with talking to players or even getting information secondhand. Simply make up stuff out of whole cloth that fits your opinion.

He's a columnist, not a beat writer. He's supposed to be opinionated and provocative. I've said it before...that gig has got to get old real fast.

There really is something fascinating about him, to me at least. The rancor, the negativity ... how in hell did he end up writing about baseball in the first place?

He's not a baseball writer. He's a columnist. He writes about the Celtics and the Bruins and the Patriots and occasionally about minor sports like golf or track and field.

Re: the negativity: He has a kid who is a cancer survivor. I think that fuels his "the world is unfair/athletes are spoiled and should be more thankful and giving" slant.

I'm very tired and making little sense, as usual.
   35. Elevate Phil Coorey Later Posted: March 26, 2007 at 08:20 PM (#2318468)
Did anyone see the banter he had with Millar? It was pretty funny. This bit bought a laugh...

Then, I did call time out, telling Tek “What the hell is Schill doing shaking to the curve ball?”, and bam! sure enough here came this hanging curve ball (Curt: I beg to differ, the first one wasn’t hanging) I watched for strike 1, and couldnt pull the trigger. Then schill came back with another (Curt: which I did hang) whiched I pulled foul (Curt: into the vendor selling lemonade, which for anyone sitting along the 3rd base dugout knows is no surprise, Kevin hooking a pitch foul) and yes he threw the 3rd one in a row which I layed off.

I remember we used to go crazy in chatter cause Millar seemed to put all his good swings into the dugouts or foul territory!!1
   36. Darren Posted: March 26, 2007 at 08:25 PM (#2318473)
He's a columnist, not a beat writer. He's supposed to be opinionated and provocative. I've said it before...that gig has got to get old real fast.


Columnists are still supposed to deal in facts. They can add their opinion to it, but it should be based in reality. It's not performance art.

Re: the negativity: He has a kid who is a cancer survivor. I think that fuels his "the world is unfair/athletes are spoiled and should be more thankful and giving" slant.


Maybe he should take the "I should be less of a hack" slant.
   37. jim in providence Posted: March 26, 2007 at 08:53 PM (#2318491)
He's not a baseball writer.

I'm willing to defer to the knowledge of the native Bostonians on this. However, he is pretty well known for this book.

Which was the house warming gift from a Boston friend of ours when we moved to Providence. Way to set the tone, Rob!
   38. AlouGoodbye Posted: March 26, 2007 at 08:54 PM (#2318492)
There seems to be an upper strata of reviled baseball writers, a ######### elite if you will. Current members of this elite are CHB, Conlin, Jay Mariotti and Bill Plashcke. Am I leaving out anyone else who belongs on this dungheap?
It's a sad day when Skip Bayless doesn't get mentioned in this abysmal company.
   39. Jeff K. Posted: March 26, 2007 at 10:25 PM (#2318560)
It's a sad day when Skip Bayless doesn't get mentioned in this abysmal company.

What about Phil Rogers?
   40. tfbg9 Posted: March 26, 2007 at 11:07 PM (#2318580)
"Re: the negativity: He has a kid who is a cancer survivor."

A lot of people might react to this by becoming more positive, since the child evidently survived, right? I think he's pi$$ed at Curt for playing such a big part in cutting of the revenue stream from his silly, historically innacurate book (linked to above in this here thread).

After the 2004 Sox accomplished the greatest victory in sports history, my cousin Brian, himself a journalist, burned CHB's stupid book to cinders in my Dad's back yard at our family's big "We Finally Won the World Series Party.

Shanks will answer a "goading enough" email.
   41. Cooper Nielson Posted: March 26, 2007 at 11:12 PM (#2318584)
I don't agree with everything Phil Rogers writes, but he at least comes across as a nice guy.

When I read columns by CHB, Plaschke and Mariotti, I really feel like I hate the people behind them.
   42. kevin Posted: March 26, 2007 at 11:15 PM (#2318587)
I think he's pi$$ed at Curt for playing such a big part in cutting of the revenue stream from his silly, historically innacurate book


Bingo!
   43. Jeff K. Posted: March 26, 2007 at 11:42 PM (#2318600)
I don't agree with everything Phil Rogers writes, but he at least comes across as a nice guy.

What's funny is that nobody recognizes how godawful Dallas sportswriting was in the early 90s. Remember, Cowlishaw was a beat writer at best during these years.

Bayless (bonus points for being the morning drive on the Ticket sports radio when it debuted, so hours of Skip a day), Rogers, Blackistone (who I detest), and Galloway.

Boston right now may top that, and LA right now comes close. But that's a black hole right there.
   44. Smiling Joe Hesketh Posted: March 27, 2007 at 09:00 AM (#2318746)
It's pretty simple: Shaughnessy hates covering baseball. Hates it. He admits he's bored with it (even though there's no lack of stories an intrepid reporter could get in ST this year) and takes the path of least resistance every time. Mocking Schilling for his blog, and more important mocking fans responding to his blog, is the obvious choice to make if you're a lazy, bitter hack.

As for the claims that he's a talented writer, I no longer buy that argument. He writes maybe 1 good article a year; he's unable or unwilling to cover any non-Boston sport (the Globe sends Bob Ryan to cover the Olympics, or the NCAA tourny, etc.; Shank only covers the local clubs); he's too wrapped up in petty ######## to to a good job any more.
   45. Dizzypaco Posted: March 27, 2007 at 09:15 AM (#2318757)
It's pretty simple: Shaughnessy hates covering baseball.

This is true. And he takes it out on the Red Sox. About thirty years ago, he liked the Red Sox - you can tell by his writing that he was also a fan back then. He has become hard and cynical, and can't stand modern players, so that he stirs up controversy and brings the team down at every opportunity. His god-awful article in today's paper DiceK is a great example.

I doubt there's a worse baseball writer in America.
   46. The Politics of Torre: How the HOF Really Works Posted: March 27, 2007 at 09:21 AM (#2318761)
Shanks will answer a "goading enough" email.


He does respond to emails. I had to ask him about something about the '75 Red Sox and he replied right away.
   47. CFBF Has Neither Diabetes nor Cryabetes Posted: March 27, 2007 at 09:27 AM (#2318764)
"It's a sad day when Skip Bayless doesn't get mentioned in this abysmal company."

Bayless isn't really a baseball writer. Hell, I don't know if he even really writes any more.

But beyond that, I don't think I'd put Bayless in any group. He might not have been the first, but he has perfected the "say ridiculous, hateful things in a breathtakingly bilious tone" schtick. He's the Mt. Everest of evil sportswriters.
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