Who would you pick over Ryan, though? I sometimes like Howard Bryant, but he doesn't write much anymore, and sometimes he doesn't appear to edit at all. The columnists in this city are for ####.

I agree about the beat writers, though. I think Rob Bradford is clearly the best, but Snow is very solid as big-city paper guys go. Silverman's quite solid, too.

Howard Bryant is gone from the Herald, he has moved to the Washington Post to take the Redskins beat.

I really don't read the Boston columnists much anymore. I really like Art Martone, but I guess he doesn't qualify as a "columnist" for purposes of this poll). I would take the Boston Sports Guy over any of these others, and that's not saying much (but again, he doesn't qualify as a "local" "print" columnist, either).

agree on Rob Bradford, too. I mentioned that in a thread a few months ago, and he emailed me a nice thank-you. So Rob, if you're lurking out there: you're welcome. Keep up the good work.

Both of those guys are decent, Bradford and Snow. I think they both go on the radio once in a while? Is it the pre-game stuff with Trupe?

Paps did not hit his spots that good tonight, 5/4. A win vs. Toronto anyhow. Expect Hansen sooner rather than later if this Seanez/Tavarez combo continues to get pounded either in part or in whole. Foulke was not great.

Last night, my nephew and I were watching the game together by phone, and the ESPN radrar gun was always 3-4 MPH higher than the NESN gun. So does that mean Foulke's 85 are "88-89's"?

Interesting Gammo tidbit today...paraphrasing, he said that Aaron Boone was able to read something in Beckett's motion or whatever that telegraphed the next pitch and pass it on to his teamates back when he was in Cincinatti and Beckett was a Marlin. Supposedly, sez Petey Boy, he pulled the same trick again in Josh's CLE disaster. It did look like some of those Indians hitters knew when the fast ball was coming.

Both of those guys are decent, Bradford and Snow. I think they both go on the radio once in a while? Is it the pre-game stuff with Trupe?

Each is sometimes on the pre-game stuff. Bradford has also appeared a few times on the Big Show on WEEI; don't know if Snow has.

i dont' like chris snow very much.

another vote for Bradford. I have also mentioned him here and he's sent me SQUAT! But he's a good writer.

Aaron Boone was able to read something in Beckett's motion or whatever that telegraphed the next pitch and pass it on to his teamates back when he was in Cincinatti and Beckett was a Marlin. Supposedly, sez Petey Boy, he pulled the same trick again in Josh's CLE disaster. It did look like some of those Indians hitters knew when the fast ball was coming.

It's a nice little theory, but it gather have the gaping hole of the entire 2003 World Series. Wouldn't Boone have passed that tip onto the Yankee hitters?

Wouldn't Boone have passed that tip onto the Yankee hitters?

you'd think that but no.

Good point RB. Maybe he did but they choked anyway?

What did Bob Ryan do to you Toby?

Ryan is pretty clearly the only columnist at the Globe who still, you know, likes sports. He can write about an Olympic archery competition and you'd get the sense he really enjoyed it.

I haven't met Ryan, but folks I know have and tell me he's a pretty friendly guy who'll talk sports with anyone. The choice of Ryan for best sports columnist in Boston is incredibly well-deserved.

I have exchanged emails with Ryan a few times. I agree with SJH--he really likes sports, and he likes arguing about it. I think if I watched a game wtih him we could spend the whole time yakking about the game, with segues into the the 1975 Celtics, the Orr Bruins, or Oil Can Boyd. He's great.

Per #4, something is definately up with the NESN gun this year. I can count at least 5 times when Remy has declared a pitch speed he seems to be reading somewhere wildy different then the NESN gun.

Per #4, something is definately up with the NESN gun this year. I can count at least 5 times when Remy has declared a pitch speed he seems to be reading somewhere wildy different then the NESN gun.

I've noticed this too. Maybe he's reading it from the Fenway radar gun? They flash the pitch speed on one of the scoreboards after most pitches.

Per #4, something is definately up with the NESN gun this year. I can count at least 5 times when Remy has declared a pitch speed he seems to be reading somewhere wildy different then the NESN gun.

BJ Ryan's 86-88 mph fastballs were the big tipoff to me. There's no way he's blowing away Big Papi with that.

bly,

basically, he would systematically give me the cold shoulder. Between my time at the Cornell Daily Sun and at the Middlesex News (now MetroWest Daily News) I covered many events in Boston, probably a half-dozen of which were also covered by Ryan. And he literally wouldn't talk to me in the press box.

example:
Q. "Mr. Ryan, how many Beanpots is this for you?"
A. (looks at me on his left. looks at Mike Shalin on his right. Turns to Shalin and strikes up a conversation.)

other times he would reply very gruffly and dismissively. To me, he seemed extremely self-important. Maybe he considered this to be some weird form of hazing, I don't know.

This is in contrast to a handful of other beat writers who were really friendly and helpful to a newbie, like Mike Shalin, and to the many other beat writers who were at least collegial. The only other writer I came across who had such a cold shoulder was Mark Blaudschun.

Toby,
That is weird. I have heard only good things about Ryan. This blogger had a fantastic experience with him. (Scroll to the bottom)

I don't mean to come down too hard on Ryan. My experience is just a very small sample, obviously. To me, it's significant because it was a pattern over several events over several months. But whatever. I'm not saying he's a bad person, just I had a bad experience with him and because I had that experience, my lukewarm assessment of his writing should be taken with a grain of salt. If he's vanilla to me, he's probably better than vanilla to most.

Blatantly off-topic, but I think Svrluga in the Post is a decent beat writer for the Nats. Also, the coverage of the Sox in the New York Times tends to be good, but that's a lot of features.

Someone should smack Ryan.

I like Snow a lot. He has gone out of his way to clarify things he has written upon request and seems to get things spot on more often than not.

On the topic of the Sox and the media: WEEI and the Sox reach $200 million/10 year agreement.

I believe the Braves' currently hold the record for richest deal, at $13 million./year The Yankees are at $10 million, IIRC.

There are going to be some unhappy radio stations in NYC.

Perhaps it was the familiar and reassuring nooks of the nonagenarian ballpark or the elan of the home crowd that lightened and guided Red Sox bats over the last week.

Snow should lose points for that lead sentence from today's game piece.

Almost sounds like something Scribbly Tate would have written.

And Eck wins the best studio analyst award. I would tend to agree, but I only know about the Sox, not the Pats, Celts, or Bruins.