Protecting the Shields -- The Nick Cafardo Thread

Status
Not open for further replies.

John Marzano Olympic Hero

has fancy plans, and pants to match
Dope
SoSH Member
Apr 12, 2001
24,533
"Why didn’t Yankee players get ALS shots? It’s like with everyone else. You’re offered one, but it’s up to you whether you want to get one. You can’t make players get ALS shots. When you’re young and a pro athlete, the last thing you think about is getting ALS. Maybe now players will reconsider when the shots are offered next spring."
 

shaggydog2000

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 5, 2007
11,482
Overrated for not avoiding it altogether!
Nick's file on Lou Gehrig:

Pluses: Hitting, white (potentially scrappy), looks dirty in most of the photos (but maybe old black and white photos just look like that?), didn't miss games (famously), good speechifier, that one movie with Gary Cooper was about him?

Minuses: Got Lou Gehrig's disease
 

E5 Yaz

Transcends message boarding
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Apr 25, 2002
90,014
Oregon
Just in case you fall asleep in the first sentence, Nick doubles up in the third paragraph

Red Sox players have lost an MLB-high 85 days because of sickness since 2011, costing the team about $3.9 million in salaries for those days missed.

The Sox players who missed the most time during that stretch were Clay Buchholz, who missed 22 days with esophagitis; Pablo Sandoval missing 15 days with pneumonia; and Josh Beckett missing seven days with an intestinal flu. Other illness-related absences were more along the lines of 1-4 days.

From 2011-16, Major League Baseball spent $27.8 million on sick days and the Red Sox had the highest percentage of that at $3.9 million. The league lost 812 player days to sickness and the Red Sox accounted for 85.
http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/redsox/2017/04/15/nick-cafardo-mike-hazen-wants-build-diamondbacks-like-red-sox-but-has-lot-learn/HQ10tpt21RjFg7lp0zHPXL/story.html

Meanwhile, he could run a selection of these until the end of days

7. Some good baseball names: Grant Balfour, Trevor Story, Damien Magnifico, Antonio Bastardo, Fernando Abad, Loren Babe, Jeff Bagwell, Homer Bailey, Trey Ball, Win Ballou, Yogi Berra, Karl Best, Vida Blue, Dave Chalk, Billy Champion, Dean Chance, Stubby Clapp, George Fair, Vern Fear, Nate Field, Prince Fielder, Frank Fleet, Gary Fortune, Dick Fowler, Brent Gaff, Wilbur Good, Tom Goodwin, Rich Hand, Greg Legg, Josh Outman, Joe Panik, Chan Ho Park, Ray Pepper, Ricky Pickett, Hal Quick, Herb Score, Pop Swett, Bill Swift, Bob Walk, and Randy Winn.
 

Lose Remerswaal

Experiencing Furry Panic
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
He has an article about that today talking about air purifiers that some teams have in their clubhouses, and those teams have lower numbers of "missed games due to illness".
Part article and part press release for the manufacturer.
And another free ad for that company in today's "Notes" column
 

Mueller's Twin Grannies

critical thinker
SoSH Member
Dec 19, 2009
9,386
If Munson and Lidle were tougher, they'd have walked away from those plane crashes unscathed, walked all the way to the manufacturer, then into the office of the head of the company and popped him in the mouth for such shoddy workmanship. Whitey Ford and Yogi Berra would have done it and then combined to pitch a perfect game and go 5-for-5 with 5 HR.
 

Granite Sox

Member
SoSH Member
Feb 6, 2003
5,054
The Granite State
12 games into the season and he's power-shaming the Red Sox:
Being dead last in homers at the “lyric little bandbox” is, well, not exactly something to be proud of.
I bet Nick has tiny hands, and that screws up what comes out of his old typewriter.

What is wrong with this dumb dumb?
 

Red(s)HawksFan

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 23, 2009
20,673
Maine
12 games into the season and he's power-shaming the Red Sox:

I bet Nick has tiny hands, and that screws up what comes out of his old typewriter.

What is wrong with this dumb dumb?
Hasn't it been said and shown time and again that Fenway isn't really a HR park so much as it's a doubles park? Lo and behold, while the Sox are last in MLB in home runs they are first in the AL in doubles (one behind the Nationals for MLB lead).

One only has to look at the regular lineup to see this isn't the old station-to-station, wait for the 3-run HR Red Sox. They'll be fine until the weather gets consistently warmer and the ball starts flying out of the park more often.
 

tims4wins

PN23's replacement
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
37,054
Hingham, MA
Yeah, they have 36 XBH, which is T-5 in the AL. They aren't raking, but the offense has been ok. 2nd in the AL in OPS (more OBP-driven than SLG).
 

John Marzano Olympic Hero

has fancy plans, and pants to match
Dope
SoSH Member
Apr 12, 2001
24,533
Cafardo's idea of being objective is to find the littlest thing and harp on it.

The flu. Not a lot of dingers. All grist for Cafardo's petty mill.

But the big shit. The stuff that gets managers fired? Fuck that. He won't go anywhere near it. And makes up excuses as to why it's not a big deal.

His journalistic radar is completely fucked.
 

joe dokes

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 18, 2005
30,233
Buck's team scoring with with home runs. Old School.

Red Sox scoring with not home runs. Computer Nerds Running Amok Ruining Game Making Scouts Homeless Wards of State.
 

E5 Yaz

Transcends message boarding
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Apr 25, 2002
90,014
Oregon
Grumpy old man makes oddball suggestion, gets shot down by manager, takes his ball and goes home

1. Chris Young, OF, Red Sox — As Hanley Ramirez’s shoulder issues continue to delay his season debut at first base, I recently asked John Farrell, “Why not Young?” Farrell said that job would be Josh Rutledge’s when he returns from his rehab assignment. Young has never played first, but he’s a very good athlete who would likely fare well. The Red Sox say they have no plans to experiment with this. This would also get Young more at-bats. So much for positional flexibility.
 

ifmanis5

Member
SoSH Member
Sep 29, 2007
63,740
Rotten Apple
Grumpy old man makes oddball suggestion, gets shot down by manager, takes his ball and goes home

1. Chris Young, OF, Red Sox — As Hanley Ramirez’s shoulder issues continue to delay his season debut at first base, I recently asked John Farrell, “Why not Young?” Farrell said that job would be Josh Rutledge’s when he returns from his rehab assignment. Young has never played first, but he’s a very good athlete who would likely fare well. The Red Sox say they have no plans to experiment with this. This would also get Young more at-bats. So much for positional flexibility.
Editor: Hey Nick, we're a little short staffed this week, think you can write up a restaurant review?
Nick: That's not what I do.
Editor: (Looks at Nick's mid-section) Oh really?
Nick: (*Makes fake cell phone ring*) JP, How goes it... I need to take this... (*walks away*)
 

geoflin

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Feb 26, 2004
709
Melrose MA
Grumpy old man makes oddball suggestion, gets shot down by manager, takes his ball and goes home

1. Chris Young, OF, Red Sox — As Hanley Ramirez’s shoulder issues continue to delay his season debut at first base, I recently asked John Farrell, “Why not Young?” Farrell said that job would be Josh Rutledge’s when he returns from his rehab assignment. Young has never played first, but he’s a very good athlete who would likely fare well. The Red Sox say they have no plans to experiment with this. This would also get Young more at-bats. So much for positional flexibility.
If Moreland continues to play 1B against RHP and Young plays either OF or DH against LHP, how exactly would this get Young more AB's?
 

Red(s)HawksFan

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 23, 2009
20,673
Maine
If Moreland continues to play 1B against RHP and Young plays either OF or DH against LHP, how exactly would this get Young more AB's?
I think, and deciphering Cafardo-ese is a dangerous proposition, if Hanley is not playing 1B, there are few if any DH at bats for Young.
 

John Marzano Olympic Hero

has fancy plans, and pants to match
Dope
SoSH Member
Apr 12, 2001
24,533
It must be difficult to type one-handed, but Nick Cafardo managed to do that this week with his orgasmic look at the Yankees first three weeks.

After a 10-5 start we’re all rushing to say, “Told you the Yankees would be better than expected.”
You're an idiot. It's literally been 15 games.

While Bird (.135) went through a tough stretch (1 for 23), he ended it with a 454-foot homer.
Which he then followed up with a sizzling 1-16.

But Judge (5 homers, 12 RBIs, 1.018 OPS) has been a force and is already considered a player other teams have to fear.
Move over Gary Sanchez, someone has a new crush!

Cashman said he feels good for Headley, who at this time a year ago was struggling mightily. Cashman remembers Yankees fans “getting all over him.” Recently, according to Cashman, when Girardi gave Headley a day off, the fan base “was up in arms.”
Typical Cafardo, does Cashman remember the fans getting all over him, as in Cashman, or him, as in Headley? I am going to assume it's the latter. And I'm really happy that Nick put "up in arms" in quotes otherwise I'd have thought that Yankee fans were really up in arms. Like a militia of Yankee fans were about to storm the Bronx Bastille and demand that Girardi start the former beleaguered third baseman.

The bullpen has been as advertised. Aroldis Chapman has pitched 5⅓scoreless innings with eight strikeouts.
And he also hasn't punched a woman in a long fucking time, you guys!

Cashman said that while most baseball people don’t put a lot of stock in spring training, he felt it was important for the Yankees to establish themselves early with a changing roster and breaking in young players.
Cashman keeps giving Nick what he wants.

2. Heard a good Josh Donaldson story. A couple of years ago when the Blue Jays were struggling, Jose Reyes said of the team’s slump, “It’s not like we’re not trying.” This sent the fiery Donaldson through the roof. He told Reyes, “This isn’t a trying business, this is a do-it business.”
What a delightful chestnut! And so quick with the quip! Josh Donaldson is a man of measured takes, how dare Jose Reyes not know his place in the pecking order of baseball? I hope that Donaldson beat Reyes within an inch of his life for that unpardonable quote.

And BTW, "It's not like we're not trying" should be engraved on Nick Cafardo's tombstone. In 3,000 pt font. HIs tombstone should be like Led Zeppelin IV, except instead of ruins, it should just have that quote on it. Passersby will know who it is.

The Fan’s Commish, Rick Swanson, makes a good point about Brandon Workman, saying the righthander should be the next reliever the Red Sox consider bringing up.
Yes. This is a good point. The Red Sox should consider to think about maybe potentially contemplate to deliberate the inspection of mulling over bringing up Brandon Workman. Great job Swanson! You just made the Cafardo Dream Team!

How about that 458-foot homer Travis Shaw hit on Thursday?
Glad to see DH3 getting some freelance work.

One scout said that [Manny] Pina has been the highlight of the Brewers’ young season.
Hmmm. I seem to recall another Brewer has been hitting the shit out of the ball. Who could that be? Oh yeah ...

5. Eric Thames, 1B, Brewers — In spring training one scout commented that Thames couldn’t catch up to a good fastball, but that changed when the season began. Thames put up big numbers in Korea — 124 homers and 382 RBIs in three seasons. Korea isn’t Major League Baseball, but the stocky Thames’s readjustment to the big leagues has been relatively seamless. This was a good scouting job by the Brewers.
My guess is that the Pina scout is the same scout scout that is quote above (emphasis mine). Great scouting job by the Brew Crew!

You can’t find anyone in scouting who has one negative thing to say about Sheffield, who was obtained in the Andrew Miller deal with Cleveland. In fact, one evaluator who saw Sheffield recently characterized the 20-year-old nephew of Gary Sheffield as “special.”
Speaking of scouts! Seriously, there is not one scout out there who has anything negative to say Sheffield? Not one.

Really? Because this seems kinda big, from RiverRave Blues:

During the 2014-15 offseason, Sheffield was arrested back home in Tullahoma for underage drinking and aggravated burglary after breaking into a home in the early morning hours to confront one of the residents about a personal matter. Sheffield pled guilty to underage drinking and a reduced charge of aggravated criminal trespassing, and was sentenced to probation. He also had to donate $500 to a local charity and was allowed to have the charges expunged from his record one year later.
Also:

Sheffield also throws a mid-80s changeup that has made a lot of progress since high school and is now an average-ish offering.
Throwing strikes has been an issue for Sheffield at times, which is surprising because he’s a great athlete and repeats his delivery well.
This whole article was like reading a Jon Abbey fever dream. EVERYONE is AWESOME! Players that are scuffling (like Brett Gardner or Chris Carter or St. Gary Sanchez) are completely ignored. "Leftfield? No one plays left for the Yankees! Jacoby Ellsbury is that fucking good, kid."

9. Josh Donaldson, 3B, Blue Jays — Would the Jays really deal Donaldson if things continued this bad? He would be their major chip in trying to rebuild the organization, but he’s the player fans flock to see.
But ... but ... but ... if Donaldson is dealt, who will yell at the other Blue Jays when one of them says something kinda dumb?

If you want to read this bullshit, be my guest.
 

jon abbey

Shanghai Warrior
Moderator
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
70,713
Hey! I came here to mock that article too and see myself cited in the mocking, no need for that.

Anyway, I'm not bothering reading most of that, but I did notice elsewhere that:

"7. Justus Sheffield, LHP, Yankees — You can’t find anyone in scouting who has one negative thing to say about Sheffield, who was obtained in the Andrew Miller deal with Cleveland. In fact, one evaluator who saw Sheffield recently characterized the 20-year-old nephew of Gary Sheffield as “special.” Sheffield is 1-0 with a 0.77 ERA in 11⅔ innings (two starts) for Double A Trenton, striking out 10. The scout felt Sheffield likely wouldn’t be in New York this year, but it wouldn’t surprise him, either. The scout is also high on Trenton reliever Domingo German, who is throwing in the mid-90s consistently."

Justus and Gary aren't actually related, and German is a starter. Nice research.
 

The Gray Eagle

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2001
16,720
Haven't read it, but what does he say about Josh Hamilton being released from the minors the other day? Maybe "I sure was wrong when I wrote again and again that the Red Sox needed to sign Hamilton to a long-term big money contract!"

Or "The Red Sox need to pounce on Josh Hamilton now that he is available again!"

Or more likely no mention at all of it, right?
 

John Marzano Olympic Hero

has fancy plans, and pants to match
Dope
SoSH Member
Apr 12, 2001
24,533
You know who else worked as a Red Sox consultant? I wonder if Nick will be updating us with a Mission of Burmas tour dates.

"The Kids Kommissioner says watch out for the return of Casey Fossum! He could be the next Randy Johnson!"
 

Granite Sox

Member
SoSH Member
Feb 6, 2003
5,054
The Granite State
Wait. He just made up the Sheffield's nephew thing?
If I felt like cutting Nick some slack (I do not), the Red Sox drafted JORDAN Sheffield in 2013. Jordan is, in fact, Gary Sheffield's nephew, but he spurned the Sox to enroll at Vanderbilt.

I'm sure numbnuts just confused the two. But it's pretty lazy and egregious to not really even check. The shady behavior is the dead giveaway.

Meanwhile, prepare yourself for a screed on baseball's unwritten rules and how unfair we're all being to that little twat Manny Machado and Greatest Evah Buck Showalter.

(Throwing at the head is bad; he still should have been drilled.)
 

jon abbey

Shanghai Warrior
Moderator
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
70,713
There is lots of misinformation about the Justus/Gary relation on the web, but they're definitely not related.
 

TheoShmeo

Skrub's sympathy case
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jul 19, 2005
12,890
Boston, NY
http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/redsox/2017/04/25/some-fans-may-turn-dustin-pedroia-but-teammates-won/78m9H327ya3FQ1VQbpjDWK/story.html

As usual, Nick gets it totally wrong on the Pedrioa thing.

His thesis is that some fans will turn on Pedey based on his reaction to the Barnes throw. He bases that on some emails from fans he received.

One, the lunatic fringe is hardly instructive. Two, even strong emotions fade, and this is the ultimate fade. Three, and most importantly, Nicky utterly fails at nuance. Even those who violently disagree with how Pedroia handled things when he mouthed to Machado -- raises hand -- can easily separate one incident from a body of work and contribution over a tremendous career. What happened Sunday is hardly a referendum on DP, likely even for those saying it is.

If there's even a murmur of booing for Dustin at Fenway, ever, it would be shocking.

Then again, the Garden crowd booed Rondo -- much less surprising than a possible Pedey boo, no doubt -- so I guess we cant totally discount the silly.
 
Last edited:

CoffeeNerdness

Member
SoSH Member
Jun 6, 2012
8,711
But there are differences.

Benintendi is from Cincinnati, Lynn from Los Angeles.

Benintendi attended Arkansas and Lynn Southern California.

Benintendi is listed at 5 feet 10 inches, 170 pounds, and Lynn was 6-1, 185.

Benintendi wears No. 16 and Lynn wore 19.

While Lynn has watched Benintendi play, Benintendi never saw Lynn play.
Myth busted! I'll never think of the Beni v Lynn comparison in the same way ever again. Thanks, Nick.
 

E5 Yaz

Transcends message boarding
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Apr 25, 2002
90,014
Oregon
Ultimately, a man named Lynn Benintendi will be an offensive lineman in the NFL
 

Humphrey

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 3, 2010
3,163
I noticed that most of Nick's "hopelessly out of it let's strart the fire sale with my proposed trades" teams aren't really that far behind the leaders any more. Good thing they didn't set April 15 as a "we're in it or out of it" deadline, as Nick insists upon
 

geoflin

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Feb 26, 2004
709
Melrose MA
If only the Red Sox had kept Bobby V and gotten rid of Ortiz, who knows nothing about defense, then quit on and refused to back or play for the greatest manager in history, imagine how many World Series they might have won.
 

CoffeeNerdness

Member
SoSH Member
Jun 6, 2012
8,711
3. I enjoy seeing exit velocity and pitch speed numbers, but in terms of their significance, I see none. The harder a pitcher throws, the harder the ball is hit.
I too enjoy seeing numbers that I deem insignificant.
 

The Gray Eagle

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2001
16,720
That comment on pitch speed and exit velocity is so pigheaded and stupid, it encapsulates Cafardo perfectly.

"The harder a pitcher throws, the harder the ball is hit." Oh really? So a 98-mph fastball that causes a weak dribbler is hit harder than a homer smashed off a hanging curveball? Well no but whatever, you know what he means, all this new stuff with numbers is dumb and confusing. Numbers have no place in baseball. Remember when guys used to hit .300 and that was how you knew who was a good hitter without any numbers?

The rest of his column was filled with similar junk.
His whole defending Valentine thing was more classic Cafardo. Ortiz was complaining about the way Valentine handled the incident and the way he went off on Aviles, he wasn't complaining about defensive strategy and claiming to be an expert. Of course Valentine had to comment on it so he tried to spin it that way, and of course Cafardo had to lap up whatever Valentine blathered.

Then comes some classic Cafardo laziness: "Overheard, David Price to Kyle Kendrick: “Hey, do you ever face Kyle Hendricks? Kyle Kendrick vs. Kyle Hendricks.”
Okay, mildly amusing I guess. Not really worth the space in the Sunday Glob but whatever, Nick needs to fill space. So what did Kendrick say to that? Who knows? No point in finding out and maybe adding something to this space-filler. But did Kendrick actually ever face Hendricks? Who knows? Not Nick. They were both in the NL in 2015 and 2016, so they may have faced each other, but Cafardo can't be bothered to let us know.
 

John Marzano Olympic Hero

has fancy plans, and pants to match
Dope
SoSH Member
Apr 12, 2001
24,533
This man has spent, what 30+ years of his life, covering baseball. From everything that I've seen, Cafardo seems to genuinely love the sport and his job.

I don't understand how a person who likes what he does can be so fucking obtuse and willfully ignorant about it. And then revel in his ignorance on a weekly, if not daily, basis. It really is mind blowing, if you think about it. Literally every single day there are some really smart people writing some really smart things about the sport you cover. And it's not rocket science. It should be a part of your job to read about these things and report on them. But not Nick, no way.

Like I said in the Main Board thread about Ortiz and Valentine, Nick Cafardo is exactly what's wrong with America today. He doesn't want to learn, he wallows in his own ignorance and he holds on to the first thought that he has about a subject and digs his heels in when questioned about. There is no learning in Nick Cafardo, everything he writes, everything he feels is determined by his gut (and I won't make the easy joke here).
 

Kliq

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 31, 2013
22,667
This man has spent, what 30+ years of his life, covering baseball. From everything that I've seen, Cafardo seems to genuinely love the sport and his job.

I don't understand how a person who likes what he does can be so fucking obtuse and willfully ignorant about it. And then revel in his ignorance on a weekly, if not daily, basis. It really is mind blowing, if you think about it. Literally every single day there are some really smart people writing some really smart things about the sport you cover. And it's not rocket science. It should be a part of your job to read about these things and report on them. But not Nick, no way.

Like I said in the Main Board thread about Ortiz and Valentine, Nick Cafardo is exactly what's wrong with America today. He doesn't want to learn, he wallows in his own ignorance and he holds on to the first thought that he has about a subject and digs his heels in when questioned about. There is no learning in Nick Cafardo, everything he writes, everything he feels is determined by his gut (and I won't make the easy joke here).
How much time in your life have you spent reading/writing about Nick Cafardo? For a guy whose opinion is consistency uninspired, you spend an awful amount of time occupying yourself with concern about what he says.
 

Smiling Joe Hesketh

Throw Momma From the Train
Moderator
SoSH Member
May 20, 2003
35,719
Deep inside Muppet Labs
How much time in your life have you spent reading/writing about Nick Cafardo? For a guy whose opinion is consistency uninspired, you spend an awful amount of time occupying yourself with concern about what he says.
Cafardo is the main baseball writer and columnist for one of the most well-known and well-regarded papers in the country, covering a team rife with rich history and accomplishments. The fact that Cafardo's writing is so anodyne and dull is reason itself to discuss it.

This man has spent, what 30+ years of his life, covering baseball. From everything that I've seen, Cafardo seems to genuinely love the sport and his job.
From what I've been told he's personally an exceptionally nice man as well. Which makes his attitude towards said sport all the more baffling.
 

Kliq

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 31, 2013
22,667
Cafardo is the main baseball writer and columnist for one of the most well-known and well-regarded papers in the country, covering a team rife with rich history and accomplishments. The fact that Cafardo's writing is so anodyne and dull is reason itself to discuss it.



From what I've been told he's personally an exceptionally nice man as well. Which makes his attitude towards said sport all the more baffling.
But if you don't like him why are you devoting so much time and effort to read him every week? Bill O'Reilly (until recently) was the most popular political commentator in the country and I never concerned myself with what he thought either.
 

John Marzano Olympic Hero

has fancy plans, and pants to match
Dope
SoSH Member
Apr 12, 2001
24,533
How much time in your life have you spent reading/writing about Nick Cafardo? For a guy whose opinion is consistency uninspired, you spend an awful amount of time occupying yourself with concern about what he says.
That's definitely a fair question. I can give you the "humorous" answer where I'd say that I'm a masochist and enjoy fucking up my Sunday each and every week.

Or I can be straight and tell you that I've read the Sunday Boston Globe practically every weekend since 1986. It's something I did with my Dad, it's something I did with my college roommates, it's something that I do with my wife. I know that I can read the paper online if I want, but I like that hour or so every Sunday where I can stretch out on the couch, shuffle sections back and forth and read the paper. Prior to my current job, I was a reporter for a mid-sized weekly newspaper. I like the printed word.

Since 1986, the Baseball Notes column has been my favorite thing written each week. From Peter Gammons to Larry Whiteside to Gordon Edes (I may have inadvertently missed someone along the lines), it was a treasure trove of baseball thought, tid-bits and stories from guys who were extremely well-connected and had a passion for baseball. They wrote intelligently and they wrote truthfully.

I'm not sure when Cafardo picked up this beat, but he's destroyed it (and I don't think I'm being hyperbolic). The Boston Globe's Baseball Notes is now filled with unimaginative "thought pieces" (Top 30 Managers Ranked!), silly and stupid trade possibilities, written hand jobs for Cafardo's buddies, weekly vengeance for people who don't speak to him and Quixotic defenses on "wars" that have been decided years ago (Moneyball, scouts vs. nerds!). It's embarrassing. To top it off, he writes with the skill of a fourth-grader who's finishing his assignment on the bus to school.

Nick Cafardo should not be writing these columns. Alex Speir or Peter Abraham or any number of people would do this job so much better than Nick Cafardo. This Baseball Notes column is no longer the top of its profession, it's a joke. And so, yes, when I read it now I get pissed not because it's not Gammons' quality, but because it's zero quality. It's slapdash and self-serving. It's boring and at the same time incredibly dumb. It's written by a man who stopped learning things in 1989 and that sucks.

If you don't agree, I'm not sure I can convince you. But, I think that when I write about Cafardo, I at least try to take apart what he wrote that particular week rather than acting like a broken record. However, maybe I don't. It is cathartic to me because I don't think that my wife cares about a baseball reporter nearly as much as most people here do.
 
Last edited:

Smiling Joe Hesketh

Throw Momma From the Train
Moderator
SoSH Member
May 20, 2003
35,719
Deep inside Muppet Labs
But if you don't like him why are you devoting so much time and effort to read him every week? Bill O'Reilly (until recently) was the most popular political commentator in the country and I never concerned myself with what he thought either.
JMOH covers most of it in his excellent answer above. But also it's because he covers the sport and team that I love, and it's amusing to me to read his nonsense. He's not a troll like CHB, he really earnestly believes the stuff he writes and thus deconstructing him FJM-style is fun. But I'd rather get a column from someone else where I might actually learn something.
 

shaggydog2000

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 5, 2007
11,482
That's definitely a fair question. I can give you the "humorous" answer where I'd say that I'm a masochist and enjoy fucking up my Sunday each and every week.

Or I can be straight and tell you that I've read the Sunday Boston Globe practically every weekend since 1986. It's something I did with my Dad, it's something I did with my college roommates, it's something that I do with my wife. I know that I can read the paper online if I want, but I like that hour or so every Sunday where I can stretch out on the couch, shuffle sections back and forth and read the paper. Prior to my current job, I was a reporter for a mid-sized weekly newspaper. I like the printed word.

Since 1986, the Baseball Notes column has been my favorite thing written each week. From Peter Gammons to Larry Whiteside to Gordon Edes (I may have inadvertently missed someone along the lines), it was a treasure trove of baseball thought, tid-bits and stories from guys who were extremely well-connected and had a passion for baseball. They wrote intelligently and they wrote truthfully.

I'm not sure when Cafardo picked up this beat, but he's destroyed it (and I don't think I'm being hyperbolic). The Boston Globe's Baseball Notes is now filled with unimaginative "thought pieces" (Top 30 Managers Ranked!), silly and stupid trade possibilities, written hand jobs for Cafardo's buddies, weekly vengeance for people who don't speak to him and Quixotic defenses on "wars" that have been decided years ago (Moneyball, scouts vs. nerds!). It's embarrassing. To top it off, he writes with the skill of a fourth-grader who's finishing his assignment on the bus to school.

Nick Cafardo should not be writing these columns. Alex Speir or Peter Abraham or any number of people would do this job so much better than Nick Cafardo. This Baseball Notes column is no longer the top of its profession, it's a joke. And so, yes, when I read it now I get pissed not because it's not Gammons' quality, but because it's zero quality. It's slapdash and self-serving. It's boring and at the same time incredibly dumb. It's written by a man who stopped learning things in 1989 and that sucks.

If you don't agree, I'm not sure I can convince you. But, I think that when I write about Cafardo, I at least try to take apart what he wrote that particular week rather than acting like a broken record. However, maybe I don't. It is cathartic to me because I don't think that my wife cares about a baseball reporter nearly as much as most people here do.
Between this thread and the FBOFW thread, you produce some of my favorite comments on this site. Do not stop. You are a next level hater, thoughtful and eloquent while still holding onto enough rage to be inspired. You deserve to be celebrated.
 

Byrdbrain

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 18, 2005
8,588
I appreciate what you do here, the fact that you read his drivel and comment intelligently on it means I don't have to.
I know I've said this before but this thread and the PK thread are must read for me when I see they are bumped.
 

JGray38

Member
SoSH Member
Oct 31, 2003
3,044
Rockport, MA
Thanks JMOH. I was a frequent critic early in the days of this thread, but at some point, I realized that I was still getting the Globe mostly for the sports section, but the content just wan't enough to make it worthwhile for me anymore. And I just gave up. I stopped getting it delivered during the week, then Saturdays, and finally Sundays. I admire your focus and dedication to something that I gave up on. At least you give me the ragey-cliff-notes version and I can go online and see it for myself if what you write inspires enough angry curiosity.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.