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Thursday, February 11, 2010

ESPN: Szymborski: 2010’s biggest breakout and bust

“Repoz, you think of something clever.”

Sorry. No can use…this is an ESPN Insider article and we here at BTF/Baseball Primer make it a poli…OH, ########…I PRESSED UPDATE!

He's Bought a Bat Like Prince Fielder Posted: February 11, 2010 at 04:28 AM | 66 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
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1. Der Komminsk-sar Posted: February 10, 2010 at 09:43 PM (#3458118)

ah.... that explains your comment in the toronto thread, um, "he's bought".

2. Pops Freshenmeyer Posted: February 10, 2010 at 09:44 PM (#3458119)

Dan, this is awesome! Will you be a regular contributor?

3. SoSH U at work Posted: February 10, 2010 at 09:49 PM (#3458121)

By Dan Szymborski
Baseball Think Factory

Love the byline. Congrats Szym.

4. Willie Mayspedes Posted: February 10, 2010 at 09:51 PM (#3458122)

ESPN: Szymborski: 2010’s biggest breakout and bust

So the breakout is writing for ESPN and the bust is being busy and writing less transaction oracles right?

5. Nasty Nate Posted: February 10, 2010 at 09:56 PM (#3458127)

I won't identify the breakout and bust players, but if Dan is right one team will be happy.

6. Drew (Primakov, Gungho Iguanas) Posted: February 10, 2010 at 09:58 PM (#3458129)

Wow, ESPN decided to buy all the big stathead players.

7. Snowboy Posted: February 10, 2010 at 09:59 PM (#3458130)

"Local guy makes good...pic at 11"
Congrats Dan.

8. meatwad Posted: February 10, 2010 at 10:15 PM (#3458147)

sorry Dan but i still refuse to get insider, and realy who would pay to hear you ramble?

9. Barnaby Jones Posted: February 10, 2010 at 10:25 PM (#3458158)

Ah, ESPN. The one comment on the article thus far:

"Wright's falloff---can't help but think of PED's--lack of. No idea, but it does make you wonder. "

10. Russlan will never be fond of Jason Bay Posted: February 10, 2010 at 10:36 PM (#3458164)

Wow, ESPN decided to buy all the big stathead players.

Will they now be able to move out into their own basements?

11. VK_Ratliff Posted: February 10, 2010 at 10:38 PM (#3458166)

Ah, ESPN. The one comment on the article thus far:

"Wright's falloff---can't help but think of PED's--lack of. No idea, but it does make you wonder."

Signed,
Murray Chass?

12. Athletic Supporter leads the nation in drifters Posted: February 10, 2010 at 10:48 PM (#3458170)

Dan definitely messed up here. CC Sabathia has an enormous bust.

13. Jim Furtado

Posted: February 10, 2010 at 11:14 PM (#3458193)

It's not worth paying $30 plus for me, but you can get ESPN Insider for less than $15.00 a year if you subscribe to the Mag. Around Christmas they even offered a $10 off coupon so it was even cheaper. So, isn't reading Dan on ESPN worth a little over a $1.00 a month? You make the call. :)

14. JoeHova Posted: February 10, 2010 at 11:15 PM (#3458197)

Congratulations Dan, you definitely deserve to be paid for your work.

15. Walt Davis Posted: February 10, 2010 at 11:26 PM (#3458208)

I think I'd pay $30 NOT to subscribe to the mag ... fortunately I can do that for $0.

16. Hang down your head, Tom Foley Posted: February 10, 2010 at 11:34 PM (#3458211)

"Wright's falloff---can't help but think of PED's--lack of. No idea, but it does make you wonder. "

It's Danny Wright, isn't it?

17. Der Komminsk-sar Posted: February 10, 2010 at 11:35 PM (#3458213)

The magazine is horrible. However, I got a subscription for $10 which gave me web access - more or less what I'd pay for it. (I wanted Hollinger stuff on a legit basis, rather than copying it from Chinese mirror sites.)

18. Sam Hutcheson is the Rickey Henderson of... Posted: February 10, 2010 at 11:51 PM (#3458231)

Dammit, when did "bselig/budzilla" stop working for these damned registration sites?

19. Der Komminsk-sar Posted: February 10, 2010 at 11:55 PM (#3458234)

Pay sites? Long time ago...

20. Repoz

Posted: February 11, 2010 at 12:05 AM (#3458245)

Dammit, when did "bselig/budzilla" stop working for these damned registration sites?

Soon after I did that interview with ESPN the Magazine...which never ran.

21. Forsch 10 From Navarone (Dayn)

Posted: February 11, 2010 at 12:08 AM (#3458248)

Well done, Dan. Much deserved.

22. Justin 'The Cespedobear' T Posted: February 11, 2010 at 12:30 AM (#3458266)

Congrats to Dan and to BTF for the visibility, but put me in the camp that needs to be paid to get ESPN The Magazine put in his mailbox. I got that sub and the Insider once when I was young and vulnerable, and it just wasn't worth the retching every time I saw a cover. And what would the neighbors think of me if it accidentally got put in their box or something?

23. RobertMachemer Posted: February 11, 2010 at 12:44 AM (#3458284)

Can't you ask them to deliver it wrapped in plain brown paper?

24. Famous Original Joe C Posted: February 11, 2010 at 12:54 AM (#3458291)

Can't you ask them to deliver it wrapped in plain brown paper?

You can actually ask them not to send it to you - I have an insider membership, but declined the magazine.

Also, good job by you, Dan Szymborski!

25. Matt Clement of Alexandria Posted: February 11, 2010 at 01:04 AM (#3458297)

Don't have the insider, so I like to think the article consists entirely of Microsoft Paint images.

(and well done, Dan.)

26. jyjjy Posted: February 11, 2010 at 02:03 AM (#3458326)

Would posting a plain list of the breakouts/busts sans explanations go beyond fair usage?

27. Dan Szymborski

Posted: February 11, 2010 at 02:44 AM (#3458345)

It's just about Wright and Happ (that's in the subject).

Thanks for the kind words.

For those that don't have Insider, I do hope you give it a chance this season.

28. Eugene Freedman

Posted: February 11, 2010 at 03:56 AM (#3458387)

I think I'd pay $30 NOT to subscribe to the mag ... fortunately I can do that for $0.

I signed up for the Insider a few years ago. I started receiving the mag out of nowhere. I never asked for it and have since put it straight into the recycle. I think it's just a way to say they have circulation of x, when a large percentage of those who get it never wanted it to begin with.

29. Tripon Posted: February 11, 2010 at 04:01 AM (#3458389)

Its cheaper to pay for the mag with a free subscription to insider than it is the other way around.

30. BTL Primate 4th Class Trainee for Life Posted: February 11, 2010 at 02:24 PM (#3458510)

I actually told them to cancel the mag and save the trees. I also kept the on line subscription, and they did drop the price from about $40-50 to about $15 or so.

31. 'Spos Posted: February 11, 2010 at 03:00 PM (#3458523)

I signed up for the Insider a few years ago. I started receiving the mag out of nowhere. I never asked for it and have since put it straight into the recycle. I think it's just a way to say they have circulation of x, when a large percentage of those who get it never wanted it to begin with.

So forward it to a school or youth centre or your dentist or something.

32. Los Angeles El Hombre of Anaheim

Posted: February 11, 2010 at 03:47 PM (#3458548)

Whoa, way to go, Szym!

Editted musing: If the comments section gets out of hand there, can Dan remove it? Let's find out!

33. SoSH U at work Posted: February 11, 2010 at 04:06 PM (#3458564)

For those that don't have Insider, I do hope you give it a chance this season.

If I had money to spare for content, there'd be a little diamond next to my name. While I'm glad you got this much-deserved opportunity, there's no way in hell I'd be giving any of my money to the thieves at ESPN.

34. HowardMegdal

Posted: February 11, 2010 at 04:19 PM (#3458575)

This is a well-deserved honor for Dan. The good news for my favorite team contained within makes it win-win.

As for those who don't want Insider content because a magazine comes to your house, consider me skeptical. I buy Insider for Insider, and seldom look at the magazine, either. But it doesn't actively make me angry that it comes.

35. Shalimar Posted: February 11, 2010 at 04:38 PM (#3458601)

As we have learned from political threads, many of us are prone to hyperbole and actively look around for small things to get angry about.

36. Nasty Nate Posted: February 11, 2010 at 04:47 PM (#3458611)

you guys are coming across as weirdly elitist here (magazine snobs?). ESPN magazine is so bad you would throw it directly from the mailbox to the recycling bin? I've never had it delivered, but I have leafed through it at barber shops etc and it didn't seem so offensive that I would be ashamed to have it in my home. Seems like at the minimum, each issue's pictures and maybe 1 worthwhile feature/interview would make it suitable to leaf through while on the toilet or on a train etc. I can understand not wanting clutter, but how is it so odious?

37. Repoz

Posted: February 11, 2010 at 05:05 PM (#3458625)

I buy Insider for Insider, and seldom look at the magazine

Same here, but I haven't been able to log on to Insider for nearly a year now...and yet the damn Magazine keeps coming.

38. TVerik Posted: February 11, 2010 at 05:14 PM (#3458630)

I got the Magazine for awhile (and finally had to move in order to get them to stop sending it to me), and the single thing that made me angriest is the "Athlete Apology Article", which ran every issue. You can play the Mad Libs - Athlete "A" has been accused of "B", which is true, but it isn't fair because he grew up on the mean streets of "C" with only his single mother's roommate to take care of him.

I'm as lefty as the next guy, and generally believe that poverty and living conditions during a person's early years are huge contributing factors in crime. But sometimes a thuggo is just a thuggo, and I object to being told that Terrell Owens is just misunderstood.

You got single twentysomethings making millions of dollars a year, but unable to overcome mommy issues? Cry me a freakin' river. I got a mortgage.

39. Jose Can You Seabiscuit Posted: February 11, 2010 at 05:20 PM (#3458634)

So forward it to a school or youth centre or your dentist or something.

I don't know if they still do it but several years ago they actually had a system set up so that if you bought insider but did not want the mag you could designate a school for it to be sent to.

40. esseff Posted: February 11, 2010 at 05:22 PM (#3458635)

Never mind. Confusing my sports mags.

41. Perros Posted: February 11, 2010 at 05:29 PM (#3458642)

You got single twentysomethings making millions of dollars a year, but unable to overcome mommy issues?

Millions make it less likely to deal with those issues..though it could buy you a petty good mommy substitute(s).

You never really get over it anyway..the shame of subscribing.

42. Designated Sitter (GGC) Posted: February 11, 2010 at 05:45 PM (#3458659)

I signed up for the Insider a few years ago. I started receiving the mag out of nowhere. I never asked for it and have since put it straight into the recycle. I think it's just a way to say they have circulation of x, when a large percentage of those who get it never wanted it to begin with.

I get The Mag even though my subscription to Insider lapsed. There's usually one thing per issue I find worth reading. The most recent one had a nice article that featured Joe Mauer. Occasionally, you'll get a neat piece on Devern Hansack living on the Miskito Coast or some Olympic wlaking hopeful who killed himself, but those are rare. At least SI still had beautiful photography last time I checked.

43. Designated Sitter (GGC) Posted: February 11, 2010 at 06:57 PM (#3458711)

I killed the thread!

44. Repoz

Posted: February 11, 2010 at 07:39 PM (#3458739)

I killed the thread!

Can you kill my worthless subscription?

45. Perros Posted: February 11, 2010 at 08:13 PM (#3458763)

if Dan worked for SI instead, we'd get some beautiful photography of him instead of this shot

46. Nathan Kunkel Posted: February 11, 2010 at 08:19 PM (#3458776)

"For those that don't have Insider, I do hope you give it a chance this season."

Dan, big potential market here. Convince Jayson to give registered BTF members a free pass through August 31st. The downside? Lost revenue that didn't exist anyway. The upside? More traffic, more linked ESPN articles to BTF, more talk about Insider writers - plain out more attention.

so.. um.. freebie, please.. please.. a freebie.. right here, i'm listening.. freebie.. think Big Picture... c'mon now.. bring it on.. make it happen.. think positive..

congrats, too

47. Voros McCracken, Human Shield Posted: February 11, 2010 at 09:02 PM (#3458811)

Think of how ahead of the curve someone would have been if they had just hired everyone on rec.sport.baseball a dozen years ago. They'd have everybody. :)

Congrats Dan.

48. Voros McCracken, Human Shield Posted: February 11, 2010 at 09:02 PM (#3458812)

double post
...
...

49. Der Komminsk-sar Posted: February 11, 2010 at 09:17 PM (#3458828)

Even rlm?

50. Pasta-diving Jeter (jmac66) Posted: February 11, 2010 at 09:29 PM (#3458836)

Think of how ahead of the curve someone would have been if they had just hired everyone on rec.sport.baseball a dozen years ago.

I'd like to see Roger Maynard in a FO position ("cordially, as always")

51. Gaylord Perry the Platypus (oi!) Posted: February 11, 2010 at 09:59 PM (#3458854)

Soon after I did that interview with ESPN the Magazine...which never ran.

I wondered if that ever ran. I talked to Sam too, so I was looking forward to my 15 seconds of fame...

52. Shooty: Applying to be Fearless Leader

Posted: February 11, 2010 at 10:40 PM (#3458883)

if Dan worked for SI instead, we'd get some beautiful photography of him instead of this shot

I can see an extreme boob man hitting that...

53. Repoz

Posted: February 11, 2010 at 10:56 PM (#3458897)

I wondered if that ever ran. I talked to Sam too,

I think it got dumped because I threw in the Bud Selig - R.Budd Dwyer kabob bit.

Maybe Sam will run it in TFT..:)

54. Dan Szymborski

Posted: February 12, 2010 at 12:42 AM (#3458960)

Think of how ahead of the curve someone would have been if they had just hired everyone on rec.sport.baseball a dozen years ago. They'd have everybody. :)

Would've worked! If you scooped up the most frequent usenet posters, here's a non-complete list of who you could have (feel free to add people that slipped my mind)

Jason Michael Barker
Cliff Blau
Harold Brooks
Dave Cameron
Clay Davenport
Chris Dial
Mike Emeigh
Sean Forman
Anthony Giacalone
Dave Grabiner
Gary Huckabay
Ron Johnson
Chris Kahrl
Sean Lahman
Keith Law
Don Malcolm
Voros McCracken
Gerry Myerson
Tom Nawrocki
Nelson Lu
Doug Pappas
Dave Pease
Greg Spira
Dale Stephenson
Dan Szymborski
David Tate
Keith Woolner
Derek Zumsteg

That's a ridiculous list and I'm not even including occasional posters like John Sickels, Mike Gimbel, or Craig Wright or some of the smart people who comment more often than write articles and stuff (Nieporent, Geiser, Peng, BlackHawkWaterloo, Machemer, and so on).

That's why some of us classic statheads still fetishize the usenet days.

55. Perros Posted: February 12, 2010 at 12:55 AM (#3458967)

That's why some of us classic statheads still fetishize the usenet days.

some things are best left in the basement.

56. Eraser-X is emphatically dominating teh site!!! Posted: February 12, 2010 at 01:54 AM (#3459002)

rec.sport.baseball.sausagefest did have an incredible roster!

57. Zach Posted: February 12, 2010 at 01:59 AM (#3459005)

So are you going to wear a flannel shirt for the byline photo?

58. Dan Szymborski

Posted: February 12, 2010 at 02:08 AM (#3459012)

I don't have any flannel!

59. Harold Posted: February 12, 2010 at 06:24 AM (#3459132)

Re #55: Ouch, Dan.

Kidding. Congrats on the gig.

60. Tom Nawrocki Posted: February 12, 2010 at 06:35 AM (#3459136)

rec.sport.baseball.sausagefest did have an incredible roster!

I apologize for not having been a woman. At least Chris Kahrl tried to make up for it later.

61. Tom Nawrocki Posted: February 12, 2010 at 04:39 PM (#3459276)

Speaking of r.s.bb., I hope all you guys are reading Jonathan Bernstein's blog. He talks baseball on Fridays.

Oh, and my new blog, too.

62. Ron Johnson Posted: February 12, 2010 at 07:50 PM (#3459455)

Dan. Arne Olsen (rbi vultures among other things), Paul Wenthold. And oh so many others.

And Tom, thanks for the list. Wondered what happened to Jonathan.

63. Lassus Posted: February 12, 2010 at 08:02 PM (#3459467)

Boy, looking at that list, now I feel like a total loser.

64. SoSH U at work Posted: February 12, 2010 at 08:07 PM (#3459472)

Boy, looking at that list, now I feel like a total loser.

If it makes you feel better Lassus, we all knew that about you without the benefit of the list. :-)

65. Lassus Posted: February 12, 2010 at 08:18 PM (#3459486)

You're welcome. ;-)

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ESPN: Szymborski: 2010’s biggest breakout and bust

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