Protecting the Shields -- The Nick Cafardo Thread

Status
Not open for further replies.

Van Everyman

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 30, 2009
26,993
Newton
You guys are missing the point. The entire motivation behind both arguments was the same:

To ballwash a reliable source.

Mission accomplished, I'd say.
 

E5 Yaz

Transcends message boarding
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Apr 25, 2002
90,014
Oregon

John Marzano Olympic Hero

has fancy plans, and pants to match
Dope
SoSH Member
Apr 12, 2001
24,536
After reading today's column, I am more than convinced that Nick Cafardo does not know what words mean any more. I mean in both what he hears and what he writes.

It wouldn't surprise me if he writes like I mow my lawn. I gas it up, turn it on, go and an hour later I have a beer. Cafardo fires up his computer, starts banging out words, phrases and sentences, sprinkles in a few quotes (it doesn't matter if they contradict anything he just wrote) and then an hour later, calls it a day.

I am completely serious about this, BTW.
 

lexrageorge

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2007
18,096
I challenge someone, anyone, to translate this latest version of Cafardo-speak:

Dave Dombrowski unloaded some pretty good prospects for Thornburg, who was really impressive for the 73-win Brewers last season. But Thornburg didn’t take well to the Red Sox’ shoulder strengthening program; apparently, Milwaukee’s shoulder program isn’t as extensive. Thornburg misinterpreted the offseason training requirements and has suffered from soreness this spring.
So, did Thornburg blow off the offseason program he was asked to do on his shoulder? Or did he misinterpret the memo describing suggested shoulder exercises? Or does Nicky simply think the Sox program is unnecessary and therefore led to injury? Or is this simply a matter of Thornburg not being "Boston tested" like Koji was?[/quote]
 

joe dokes

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 18, 2005
30,236
I challenge someone, anyone, to translate this latest version of Cafardo-speak:

So, did Thornburg blow off the offseason program he was asked to do on his shoulder? Or did he misinterpret the memo describing suggested shoulder exercises? Or does Nicky simply think the Sox program is unnecessary and therefore led to injury? Or is this simply a matter of Thornburg not being "Boston tested" like Koji was?
[/QUOTE]

He spent the winter looking at this and strengthening his left shoulder.
 

geoflin

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Feb 26, 2004
709
Melrose MA
The Red Sox traded them Yoan Moncada, who could make the White Sox out of the gate
Another solid piece of research by Nick - Moncada was sent down on March 21, 4 days ago.
 

Humphrey

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 3, 2010
3,163
He isn't even waiting until the end of April (which is also too early) to start babbling about this or that team being out of it (White Sox, Royals, Twins) and speculating about players getting dealt off in fire sales.. Goddamn season hasn't even started yet.
 

CoffeeNerdness

Member
SoSH Member
Jun 6, 2012
8,712
Man, you're not kidding. That's his typical May/June they could move this guy or this team needs to upgrade here notes drivel in March. He's running on fumes at this point.

According to one major league source, the main name out there who could be traded before Opening Day is White Sox lefthander Jose Quintana. “Could be” is the key phrase because the White Sox are not backing down from their demands of getting a quality package not much different than the one they acquired from the Red Sox for Chris Sale.
Is there any precedence for this massive a trade this close to the season? I can't think of one and Cafardo unsurprisingly offers no insight here. I'd feel comfortable rating this as a 0% possibility of happening.

2. I really like Red Sox third base prospect Rafael Devers’s bat speed and eye at the plate, but he really needs to be careful about his body. The hope is as he matures so will his body, which can get a tad flabby.
Devers better show some grit and toughness soon or Nick won't care how good his eye is. You'd think the guy with the whose chin looks like it's filled with memory foam would come with a gentler critique than calling the guy flabby.
 

John Marzano Olympic Hero

has fancy plans, and pants to match
Dope
SoSH Member
Apr 12, 2001
24,536
So is his body flabby now? Was it once flabby? Was it once flabby, then cut, then flabby again? How much, exactly, is a "tad"?

In a completely unrelated note, women shouldn't be allowed in athletes' dressing rooms. All they would do is stare at the bodies of the people they were covering and then write about them. It's a good thing we have old school baseball guys like Nick Cafardo writing what us men want to read!
 

Granite Sox

Member
SoSH Member
Feb 6, 2003
5,054
The Granite State
I'm sure Nick is ever-vigilant about taking his vitamins and getting enough fiber in his diet:
Why didn’t Red Sox players get flu 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 flu shots. When you’re young and a pro athlete, the last thing you think about is getting the flu. Maybe now players will reconsider when the shots are offered next spring.
What a jerk...
 

Average Reds

Member
SoSH Member
Sep 24, 2007
35,330
Southwestern CT
I suspect that the Sox don't actually have the flu. If they are all puking then what they have is a norovirus, which is often confused with the flu.

No shot for that. (Also the fact that flu shots are only about 50% effective.)
 

John Marzano Olympic Hero

has fancy plans, and pants to match
Dope
SoSH Member
Apr 12, 2001
24,536
"The Yankees do things the right way, folks. The first day of Spring Training, they get their hair cut and get a flu shot. That's why the Yankees have won 26 World Championships and why I want to desperately cover them for one measly year. Won't someone please hire me away from these flu-infested rats?"
 

InsideTheParker

persists in error
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
40,371
Pioneer Valley
I suspect that the Sox don't actually have the flu. If they are all puking then what they have is a norovirus, which is often confused with the flu.

No shot for that. (Also the fact that flu shots are only about 50% effective.)
I haven't had the flu since I started taking the shots over 15 years ago. QED. It is so wrong to call what these guys have the flu when it's clearly a norovirus or similar. The symptoms don't line up with influenza. That this guy pretends to be some kind of journalist and sounds off without doing any research---well, I guess it's par for the course for most "sports" writers.
 

Over Guapo Grande

panty merchant
SoSH Member
Nov 29, 2005
4,459
Worcester
Aren't flu shots usually offered in the fall?

I would love to get the scoop on the last time Nick picked up a bad cold.
First link from Google (directed to Cafardo, not you SJH) -
"We're talking about guys that have received flu shots at the normal time of the year, late fall or early winter," Farrell said. "We've taken guys out of the clubhouse and kept guys off flights that have tested positive for the flu. "
 

Red(s)HawksFan

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 23, 2009
20,676
Maine
I suspect that the Sox don't actually have the flu. If they are all puking then what they have is a norovirus, which is often confused with the flu.

No shot for that. (Also the fact that flu shots are only about 50% effective.)
Sorry I don't have a link right now, but I saw a report over the weekend that Hanley actually tested positive for influenza. Doesn't mean they all had it, but there is at least one strain of influenza going around. It's entirely possible there are multiple strains going around. A flu shot 4-5 months ago might not be enough to guarantee protection for any and all flu viruses.

Edit: Found the link.

 

Average Reds

Member
SoSH Member
Sep 24, 2007
35,330
Southwestern CT
Thanks for that RHF - every report I had seen talked about players "puking in the clubhouse" which is not influenza.

At the same time, the seasonal flu is a mutation of a previous year's virus. That means that the vaccination cannot, by definition, provide complete coverage against contracting the flu. For some people, it works. For others, it may not prevent influenza, but it tends to minimize the impact of the virus by triggering an early active immune response.

Regardless, a flu shot is not a guarantee that you won't get the flu, which any so-called journalist should know.
 

MyDaughterLovesTomGordon

Member
SoSH Member
Jun 26, 2006
14,181
I've seen many reports that the team got flu shots. That Cafardo would write that is way lazier even than what's normal for Nick. That's a five-second email to Red Sox PR: "Hey, quickly - did players get flu shots this year?"

That's something the PR person replies to within five minutes, I guarantee.

And the dude is the beat writer, not a columnist who doesn't have a great PR connection with the team or something. Just so, so bad from a general journalism ethics standpoint.

Further, there's actually a pretty good story here he could report out: What do teams do to avoid infectious disease? We know staph is/was a big deal, and that they take big precautions there. What about the flu? What about things like norovirus that has a chance to wipe out a big series. Do they have protocol for when a player takes ill? Who on the training staff runs point? Etc. It's actually pretty interesting.

But Nick is the worst, so...
 

John Marzano Olympic Hero

has fancy plans, and pants to match
Dope
SoSH Member
Apr 12, 2001
24,536
Further, there's actually a pretty good story here he could report out:
This is my biggest problem with Cafardo. He has germs of really good story ideas but he never follows through with it. Never. He always lands on the same old bullshit that he wrote five years, ten years, 15 years ago. I'm pretty sure he still thinks that there is some sort of weird Moneyball war going on. Having said that, I don't really think he's dumb, even though I say he is many times, but I think he's incredibly lazy and so intellectually uncurious that it's sad in a bunch of ways. He's exhibit A as to why there should be a term limit to beat reporters. You do it for five years and move on.

The baseball beat is the toughest beat of the four majors, I don't doubt that. If you've been on the beat for five plus years, you build up biases. Not on purpose, but it's human nature. And after awhile you start getting into a rut, going to the same players for the same pat responses. You listen to your same sources for the same off-the-record bullshit. You dislike the same guys, year after year after year.

Nick has no real reason to do something new, talk to someone he usually doesn't talk to, look at the game from a different angle. It's the same obtuse story line day after day after day after. And by virtue of being around the Red Sox for tons of years, I don't doubt that he knows a lot of stuff, things that he can't print, but at the same time, when has he ever broken a story. Reported on something interesting. He's all reaction, all the time. Which is just odd for your beat guy.

The Globe needs new blood, though unless something happens to Cafardo, I doubt that they're ever going to get it.
 

Harry Hooper

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jan 4, 2002
34,367
This is my biggest problem with Cafardo. He has germs of really good story ideas but he never follows through with it. Never. He always lands on the same old bullshit that he wrote five years, ten years, 15 years ago. I'm pretty sure he still thinks that there is some sort of weird Moneyball war going on. Having said that, I don't really think he's dumb, even though I say he is many times, but I think he's incredibly lazy and so intellectually uncurious that it's sad in a bunch of ways. He's exhibit A as to why there should be a term limit to beat reporters. You do it for five years and move on.
Nicely put.
 

timlinin8th

Member
SoSH Member
Jun 6, 2009
1,521
Sorry I don't have a link right now, but I saw a report over the weekend that Hanley actually tested positive for influenza. Doesn't mean they all had it, but there is at least one strain of influenza going around. It's entirely possible there are multiple strains going around.
In today's pregame show, while interviewing Dombrowski it came up that it was three separate strains (may be misinformation from their end but thats what was said).
 

SydneySox

A dash of cool to add the heat
SoSH Member
Sep 19, 2005
15,605
The Eastern Suburbs
There always are a number of strains and the flu shot every year is a combination of those strains based on the predictive skills of clinicians reading data and examples of where and what strains were doing damage in previous parts of the world (ie where it's winter when you're in summer).

They are an educated guess and an attempt to counter as much as possible.
 

shaggydog2000

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 5, 2007
11,482
There always are a number of strains and the flu shot every year is a combination of those strains based on the predictive skills of clinicians reading data and examples of where and what strains were doing damage in previous parts of the world (ie where it's winter when you're in summer).

They are an educated guess and an attempt to counter as much as possible.
And all the new strains start in Asia, so I'm sure you get some interesting quick-hit flus where you live before the shots come out.
 

Reverend

for king and country
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jan 20, 2007
64,026
This discussion is funnier when you consider that the head of the CDC flu tracking team is a member of the site.
 

Byrdbrain

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 18, 2005
8,588
In the pregame on NESN Nick said that the Orioles were better at the flu than the Red Sox. The look on Bradford's face when he said that was priceless.
 

Granite Sox

Member
SoSH Member
Feb 6, 2003
5,054
The Granite State
Yes, and in the same article he singles out Hanley by name, continuing a long Globe tradition of Dominican shaming. I hope Hanley gets the message and puts on his big boy pants!
 

shaggydog2000

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 5, 2007
11,482
David Eckstein once felt a cold coming on a half hour before a game and willed his temperature to 120, burned it out of his body, then brought it right back down 98.6 in time for first pitch. He then legged out 2 infield singles and drew the gutsiest walk of his generation.
 

tims4wins

PN23's replacement
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
37,055
Hingham, MA
David Eckstein once felt a cold coming on a half hour before a game and willed his temperature to 120, burned it out of his body, then brought it right back down 98.6 in time for first pitch. He then legged out 2 infield singles and drew the gutsiest walk of his generation.
Don't forget that he executed a hit and run ground ball that advanced a runner
 

John Marzano Olympic Hero

has fancy plans, and pants to match
Dope
SoSH Member
Apr 12, 2001
24,536
"Legends. Lots of legends," Nick Cafardo recalled during his retirement speech. The Boston Red Sox? No. He was reminiscing about a team he didn't cover, but that he spilled a lot of ink on, the New York Yankees. "Those New York boys, why they never got sick! Never not once! It's true! I remembered old Gary Sanchez once shot a flu virus just for snoring too loud! Them's were the day alright. Them's were the days."
 

joe dokes

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 18, 2005
30,236
"Legends. Lots of legends," Nick Cafardo recalled during his retirement speech. The Boston Red Sox? No. He was reminiscing about a team he didn't cover, but that he spilled a lot of ink on, the New York Yankees. "Those New York boys, why they never got sick! Never not once! It's true! I remembered old Gary Sanchez once shot a flu virus just for snoring too loud! Them's were the day alright. Them's were the days."
It all goes back to Wally Pipp.
 

shaggydog2000

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 5, 2007
11,482
So does that make Lou Gehrig grittier for playing with ALS, or not gritty enough for quitting because of a little degenerative disorder instead of just spitting on it, taping it up, smoking two luckies, taking a shot of whiskey and going back out there?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.