My old friend Max Power sent me the following email this week:
http://blogs.democratandchronicle.com/extrabases/?p=1572&fb_source=message
Mark, turns out a friendly columnist from ol ra-cha-cha doesn’t care much for your boy Longo. Take a gander…
MP
Max is a native of Rochester, New York and this “column” appeared in the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle during Longo’s rehab start with Durham. I had subtly retired the Blow-It.com Category a few months ago beacuse, in all honesty, 90% of sportswriters are honest, hard-working folks that do a great job. It didn’t seem fair to smear them all by highlighting the bad apples. (As a lawyer, I can understand professionals that are unfairly tarnished by the bad acts of their colleagues). But this is a decidedly bad apple and it demands a response. Right?
I could take this column apart line-by-line* (in fact, Max, My College Boss Carnival Matleuse, and I took it apart line-by-line in a hilarious email conversation I will post in the comments if your interested) but that would be giving it due it doesn’t deserve. It’s central message is, basically, “Evan Longoria wouldn’t talk to me. Doesn’t he know who I am? I am the media! I am the most powerful columnist in this little corner of western New York! He crosses me at his own risk.” This column isn’t about Longo. It’s about Jim Madelaro. Someone who obviously grew up idolizing Max Mercy.
Sometimes, media types start creating their own hype and they get caught in this mindset that ballplayers have an OBLIGATION to deal with the media. After all, ballplayers exist because fans pay to see them play. Fans only love ballplayers because they learn about them through the media. Ergo, the media = the fans. Madelaro says as much: “[Cal] got it: The fans count. The media counts.” Incorrect. A more accurate statement would be: The fans count. The media used to count.
Fans consume baseball first hand now. Why do I need Jim Mandelaro’s opinion of Longo? It’s not like my only opportunity to form an opinion of Longo is on a black-and-white TV playing the Game of the Week. I see him play, interact with his teammates, interact with fans, every night. To paraphrase Jimmy Buffett, Mandelaro’s occupational hazard be, his occupation’s just not around.
In fact, as a Rays fan, I don’t really want Longo spending his time on rebah assignment talking to every local fish-wrap that stumbles by his locker. He’s not there to create a new generation of Rays fans in Caledonia or Mumford. He’s there to get healthy and get his hind-quarters back to the Trop.
I honestly have no idea why Longo blew this guy off. Maybe he was sore and didn’t want to answer questions about his hamstring. Maybe he thought Mandelaro was a vagrant that had mistakenly wandered into the Bulls’ clubhouse. Maybe he was just in a bad mood. Either way, I don’t care. Clearly, talking to this clown would have been a waste of time anyway.
*His comparison to Cal was too easy, though. Because I can actually refute that factually. The Rays VP of PR held the same position for the Orioles for 16 years. He has actually worked closely with Longo AND Cal. And he loves Longo and raves about what a good guy Longo is. So, there you go.
This is my favourite thing this week. If it contained more British typos I could easily have passed this off as my own thoughts.
This kind of story seems to pop up every now again and as one who generally romanticises the written press, it’s a shame because it will only hasten the ever widening gap between the importance of the written media and their own self worth. No longer are they the gatekeepers to fame and fortune for players or juicy gossip for fans (for better of worse). I can get quicker and often juicier info from Twitter and the a large portion of beat writers aren’t writing the kind of analytic piece that would really keep my attention. If Longo won’t give you a quote then write something else. Look something up, do some research. What was your big story going to be anyway? “I’m working hard to get back to my teammates, taking one day at a time, it’s a team game etc etc”. Stop the presses!
You hit the nail on the head Mark when you noted that the story is about Longoria not talking to a random reporter, who (again, for better of for worse) holds little or no importance in Longo’s life or the general public as a whole. I’d be disappointed if he blew off a young fan (though it still wouldn’t affect my view of his as a player) but not taking questions from every random hack seems like a total non story.
On a side note, please get healthy soon Longo, I am way too happy to have Jeff Keppinger back than anyone should ever be.
First, you spell “favorite” like a Brit. It’s hilarious!
Second, the comparison to the fan is among the most onerous parts of the column. He compares Longo not talking to the press in the clubhouse before a game to Reggie Jackson ignoring an autograph request from an old lady in an airport. And we’re supposed to just conclude that those are the same thing. That an autograph takes as much time as an interview. That waiting for an airplane is the same as a pre-game routine. That a male reporter (who undoubtedly was one of those kids that wore black dress socks in P.E. during school) is the same as a little old lady. It’s absurd.
I am a big fan of longo on the field but I have to agree with Max! I brought my 10 y/o cousin to a game, a game in which we lost 8-0 stayed after the game to see if we could get some autographs on the foul ball we got… my cousins favorite player is longo has his jersey and everything, I was ready to leave but we waited outside in the rain for about 2 hour, it stopped raining and longo finally made his way to his car. We are the only two outside and we asked for his autograph and he told us “not tonight” and kept walking. Ever since then I lost complete respect for him! My cousin was really upset we waited just for him but he was to busy to for an autograph…. I love him as a player but I don’t think he gets it without the fans there is no game!