Jacoby Ellsbury, His No-Trade Clause and Terrible Journalism

I feel a bit of rant coming on, you have been warned.

Remember back around Christmas when many writers and bloggers were reporting that Jacoby Ellsbury would be willing to waive his no-trade clause to a few teams, including the Arizona Diamondbacks and the San Francisco Giants? I would link that original article written by Jon Heyman of Fan Rag Sports by conveniently and coincidentally that article is now nowhere to be found on the web. Interesting, huh? Not for me, but I don’t believe in coincidence and I definitely don’t think it was convenient that the post just disappeared, especially after Ellsbury himself said that he was never approached by the New York Yankees or asked about waiving his no trade clause.

Come on, Jon. I know the offseason was a slow one and you have to justify your position at Fan Rag Sports because that’s what you do to make a living, but you’re making all the writers and journalist out there look bad when you downright lie, and then downright cover up your lie by making the article simply disappear. Just because you used the word “might” and other vague terminologies doesn’t mean you’re reporting anything, it means you’re baiting for clicks and you’re lying. It is journalism like this that made me even want to get into writing. On the other side of the equation though it is journalism like this that makes me want to just throw my hands up and quit as well.

This is why I don’t care if I ever get big, famous, well known, or anything like that. I’d rather be the king of the trailer park then the servant in a mansion, and I like doing things my own way. I don’t want to have to force or create content, and I never have, and I never will. I want to do things the right way, and I want to do things my way. Period, end of discussion.

If there are any publications out there looking for a writer who tells it like it is, does things differently than everyone else, and wants to actually make a difference in journalism… let me know. Until then, please stop emailing me asking me to write for this site and that site. The day I leave or write for another website not named The Greedy Pinstripes is the day I feel like I can be the change I wish to see in the world. Gandhi. Thanks for listening.

Trade Deadline: Click Baiting & What Happened to Actually Reporting on News?

Sources: Yankees may deal Chapman to Cubs https://t.co/NJ6ED6uLvP the story is via @ESPNChiCubs Send your comments his way, he loves them

— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) July 25, 2016

What the hell happened to actually reporting on the news? I’m sorry to start your Tuesday morning off with a rant but I feel like there is a lot of things I have to get off my chest right now and this is the best place for me to do so because I don’t want to be blocked by half of twitter or hated on by half my friends. What happened to actual journalism and why is click baiting so damn “necessary” in an era where news is always up to the minute and people are going to be reading anyway? It’s sickening and it’s why I got into blogging, not to change the world but to show people that it can be done the “right” way. 

On Sunday night I went on a bit of a sarcastic rampage because anyone and everyone was reporting what they “knew” about the potential Aroldis Chapman trade to the Chicago Cubs. Now I was on twitter when people like Chris Cotillo were still essentially “nobodies” in the grand scheme of things so I’m not knocking on people because they just own a blog or don’t have millions of followers but I saw people “breaking news” that had 36 and 46 followers citing “sources.” To complicate matters you then had real and true insiders citing these same “sources” with the vaguest titles or the most click baiting titles I have ever seen in my life. 

Andrew Marchand of ESPN “reported” that the Yankees “may” trade Chapman to the Chicago Cubs a good three-or-four hours into the whole debacle where names were being leaked and the trade was reportedly close. And of course they “may” trade him, they may not trade him as well. What’s your point? And where did the journalism in all these things go? Are there anymore journalists left in the world or are we as fans subject to the same recycled crap with a few words changed around for the rest of our reading lives? 

Twelve hours prior to the Yankees being “close” to trading Chapman to the Cubs these same “sources” and insiders had him going to the Washington Nationals. Six hours later they had him going to the Cleveland Indians. Then the Cubs. Do you guys actually believe anything that you write or is being first, whether it’s accurate or not, or does being first mean THAT much to you? What happened to integrity first? Come on guys you are better than this. I know it because I’m old enough to have seen it. Believe it or not you may get more clicks and more views, which I understand is what pays your bills, for being real than being a d-bag. Ask Robert Casey and his Bleeding Yankee Blue site who probably get more clicks per day than you do. Why? Because they are awesome and better yet they are ACCOUNTABLE. 

Oh and Cubs fans. You ought to be ashamed of yourself talking to Julie DiCario the way that you do. Shame the hell on you and I hope I’m around when karma comes back to bite you in the ass. Sad and pathetic little people. Rant over!

Christine Brennan, It’s Time to FORG1V3

Christine Brennan is a writer for the USA Today, a website that I frequent quite often as you probably already know, and a personality that I used to respect. A personality I used to respect up until she took, in my opinion, a hypocritical stance regarding Fox Sports decision to bring Alex Rodriguez into the fold for their postseason and World Series coverage and analysis. Brennan didn’t hold back whatsoever in her piece, which I was so ever graciously link HERE because I’m not a hater, but I personally believe she missed out on a few key points that I will try and cover here and yes, Christine, I will leave my Yankees fandom at the door.

Christine wasted no time pulling punches in her article as she called Alex Rodriguez the “worst” baseball player and expert they could have picked to join the Fox Sports crew. Of course it didn’t take more than two or three lines to bring up Alex’s steroids suspension and PED use but nowhere in the article does it mention that he did his time, apologized and has done everything in his power to turn his image, and more importantly his life around. Christine brings up the image that we as a society are sending to the children by using “the guy” for steroid use, what about the message that everyone makes mistakes? That everyone is entitled a second, and sometimes even a third or fourth chance, if they earn it? What about the image that no living man walking this Earth is perfect? What about the message of forgiveness?

I have children, one of which is old enough to watch and understand baseball but not quite old enough to understand the severity of steroid use and such yet, and while I will never prop up Alex Rodriguez as a role model or someone I want my son to emulate I will not merely throw him by the wayside either because of past mistakes. There are two sides to every story and every situation, there is also a high road and a low road. I prefer to take the high road with anyone who earns that, and Major League Baseball and Alex’s peers have him up for the AL’s Comeback Player of the Year Award so I’m obviously not the only one who thinks he’s earned at least something back, while you Mrs. Brennan decided to take the low road. What will your children think and the children of others think about the message being sent by a judgmental and hypocritical article like the one you wrote this week?

I have used the term hypocritical multiple times in this article but I haven’t fully explained what I thought was hypocritical. To quote your article you were quoted as saying “this tells us that the game, and Fox Sports, will do anything to get attention. Anything.” What exactly do you think you’re doing as a writer for the USA Today when you write what is more than likely going to be a controversial article about Alex Rodriguez? Are you not doing it to get attention, to get clicks and to look good for your publication? Of course you are, if you weren’t you wouldn’t be getting paid for it. No one is blaming you for that either, I just prefer to call it like I see it and call it fairly for both sides which is something that you showed you were incapable of in this article.

Be the change you want to see in the world. Gandhi said that, Alex Rodriguez is doing that and you, Christine, are everything that’s wrong with the world. Again, that’s just my opinion. Carry on. 

The Tanyon Sturtze Situation & "Journalism"

This whole Tanyon Sturtze situation really makes me ashamed to call myself a blogger, or a journalist, a writer or whatever word you want to associate with the job. I'm not going to simply copy and paste what others have said because I frankly feel like I am better than that. Also I haven't contacted Tanyon about his comments and I don't feel right frankly cherry picking his Facebook post. Honestly I probably won't, although if you're reading Tanyon and you want to talk I would be honored to pick your brain because it sounds like we have the same opinions and thoughts on the Hall, and I find it horrific that this kind of hack journalism is still going on.

I'm not going to copy and paste what is going on, you can Google it easy enough if you really want to know, this is simply calling out those who choose the same profession as me. Be a man, Tanyon will talk to you if you approach him about his comments. He's a cool dude. Just don't simply copy and paste and publicize his stuff, you're better than that.

/rant