93 replies to this topic

[absintheofmalaise]

We are proud to announce a chat with Mr. Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe for Friday the 30th starting at 11am. This will be a live chat and will end around Noon, but it would be great to have as many questions for him posted before 11 so he knows what to expect and in case he needs to do any research. He'll also be able to post answers and have more time for live questions and any follow-ups. Sorry I didn't make that more clear earlier. Thanks.

If any lurkers would like to ask questions, feel free to PM a member who's active and your question will be posted in the thread.

[AlNipper49]

This is awesome. Abraham is one of our best.

[absintheofmalaise]

Thanks for doing this Peter. You covered the Yankees for years. What would you say are the major differences between covering the two teams in dealings with the front office, players and fans?

[AlNipper49]

Pete -

If you were in Vegas and placing even money bets on the following question, which one would you pick?

- There is a 99.5% chance Jeter re-signs with the Yanks
- There is a 99.4% of less chance that Jeter re-signs with the Yanks

While at first glance it may seem a slam dunk re-sign there are additional factors out there, such as how they handle his desire to play SS, what his demands will be meshed with no George leading the way (could we see Cashman pull a tactical Epstein manuever?) and even wild theories such as returning to his hometown or playing with Torre.

Mind you, I really think he'll remain a Yankee but would be interested in hearing your thoughts, especially as someone who has covered him so closely for so many years.

[E5 Yaz]

Peter, thanks for spending the time.

1) If the bottom falls out on this team's chances, can you see Theo trying to get a high return on a pending free agent?

2) Are Papelbon and/or Ellsbury on the block this offseason?

3) How does it work among Amalie, Nick, yourself and others regarding who writes about what for a given week?

4) What's the best ballpark in terms of media access, info from the teams, etc.? What's the worst?

5) Had to throw this one in: When you were sitting in the Cage during the early years of the Calipari era, did you ever think he'd gain this presence in college basketball?

[Hambone]

Peter, Thanks for the time. We always appreciate new perspective.

What are your thoughts on twitter and other social media - specifically how it relates to how professionals in your field break news? Do you have any strong feelings for or against the medium or thoughts on how it will evolve?

[Foulkey Reese]

Thanks for stopping by Pete.

As somebody who has covered both the Sox and Yankees extensively, what are the major differences that you see between the culture of the two teams. I'm thinking about management style, club house cultures, front office culture and how it relates to the media, and the overall attitude of the fans.

Thanks in advance.

[Kevin Jewkilis]

Thanks for your time.

What's it like to switch sides for the Boston-New York media game and play with so many former rivals? Any of your former teammates give you a hard time?

[86spike]

Hey Pete - do you think Adrian Beltre has been valuable enough to this team to garner a big 4+ year contract offer from Theo this fall after he inevitably opts out of his player option for 2011? I mean a truly competitive and serious offer, though... no low balling for appearance' sake.

[deanx0]

Thanks for answering these questions Peter.

What is the single biggest misconception by the Red Sox nation about the Yankees (either its organization, management, or a player) and what was the single biggest misconception by Yankee fans about the Sox?

[Snodgrass'Muff]

Hey Peter, thanks for taking our questions.

Working off of deanx0's question, what is the biggest difference between the fan bases in New York and and Boston, and which is the single biggest thing the two fan bases have in common?

Also, there have been a ton of positive things said about George Steinbrenner in the wake of his passing. Having had much more access to him than the average fan, how accurate do you think the view of him that's currently being shared by a majority of the media is? I realize there are those who aren't pulling their punches just because his death is so recent (and that's not surprising considering how polarizing he was), but I'm curious if the proximity to his passing has had a significant impact on the perspective we've been seeing since.

[Joshv02]

Pete: Love how you made the extra bases blog so active.

Two questions:

1. What role does being a fan play in baseball writing (be it a fan of the player, team, city, sport, etc.), and what role should it play?

2. What the similarities and differences you see between sports writing and other non-frontpage areas of the paper (entertainment, business, ideas, etc.).

Many thanks.

[Rasputin]

Now that they're gone, how will you remember Bob Shephard and George Steinbrenner?

By which I basically mean, got any good stories about them?

[RedOctober3829]

Pete,
What players have you found to be the most open and closed in terms of interview availability?

How long before newspapers go totally digital?

Will Jacoby Ellsbury and Daisuke Matsuzaka be on the team next year?

Can you start writing the Sunday Baseball Notes?

Thanks for the time and appreciate your hard work. It's nice to have a writer who is so well-connected with the fans.

[SoxScout]

With Okajima declining to talk after his poor outing, the same thing he does after good outings, as you pointed out on your blog a few days ago, the beat writers all seemed to have a major problem with it today.

On twitter McAdam called it a "cowardly habit." Silverman, "From the Dept. of No Accountability." You added, "Unprofessional to say the least." And Amalie responded to a fan by saying, "Part of that is being accountable to the media/fans," to which she then got torched on Twitter.

Someone asked Beltre about the play, and when he said the words, "Did you talk to him?" you all tweeted victory in that other players care? If Beltre or Francona or John Henry really cared and had something to talk with Oki about, wouldn't the plane ride to Anaheim be a more appropriate time to talk than in a clubhouse after a loss with media out for blood?

If the fans, as represented on Twitter/SoSH/comments on your Extra Bases blog post, say they don't care, and if a member of the organization can easily talk about the misplay with Okajima in private, doesn't this all come down to the writers being mad that a player won't talk to them?

In short, do you believe it is part of a players job to talk to the media?

[E5 Yaz]

In short, do you believe it is part of a players job to talk to the media?

Piggybacking on Scout's question, is it "unprofessional to say the least" for media members to call out players for not speaking to the press?

[John Marzano Olympic Hero]

Peter, thanks for your time.

Who is mostly responsible for the amount of AAAA players that have come up and done pretty well? Is this an Allard Baird thing? And do the Sox brass feel that they are on the right path and that injuries have decimated this team or are they going to blow this team up in the winter?

[absintheofmalaise]

There were a couple of lines in an ESPN story last week that mentioned that some of the players were getting discouraged because the FO hadn't done anything to shore up the team yet. I don''t know if this was referring to just the pen or the team overall. I wanted to see if you had been hearing the same sort of things, without naming names here, from members of the team as well.

[Foulkey Reese]

Pete,

Gordon Edes posted a story about Hideki Okajima feeling isolated and alone on the team. Can you provide any insight into his relationship with Daisuke? Kind of odd that the two Japanese players on the team wouldn't form some kind of bond. Do you ever see them in the clubhouse hanging out or anything like that? Is there bad blood between them? And what is the dynamic between Oki and the rest of the bullpen pitchers? Do they just ignore him?

Thanks.

[PeteAbe]

Hey guys:

Thanks for the questions and I'll post the answers on Friday. I guess that is how it works.

I'm not comfortable answering questions about other people's stories, so I'll probably pass on any of those. People have different agendas which I can't speak to. That would only cause problems. Beyond that, I'm happy to answer most anything.

Pete Abraham

[86spike]

Hey Pete,

Terry Francona: Hall of Fame inductee someday?

[ToxicSmed]

Over the last decade or so the "image" of professional athletes has become increasingly part of the day-to-day operation sport. Obviously for baseball, perceptions related to PEDs has been the driving force in determining the image of athletes.

Recently, however, we have seen a discussion regarding the merits of free agents who stay in or leave markets in which they have formed a relationship with fans. Joe Mauer and Kevin Durant were applauded for their decisions to commit to franchises while the LeBron debacle may have put more of a negative spin on superstars who decide to move.

My question, ultimately, is whether you think that public pressure and concern about image will become, in any way, a mitigating factor that slows the seepage for talent from small-market clubs or if financial compensation and brighter lights of places like Fenway or Yankee Stadium negate the consequences?

[TomRicardo]

Would you vote for known steroid users for the Hall of Fame? If so how about Clemens and Bonds if they are convicted?

[Trautwein's Degree]

What do you think would surprise our members to learn about the 2010 Red Sox?

[drtooth]

1. Having covered both the Yankees and the Red Sox, how would you compare and contrast the managing styles of Torre and Francona?

2. Is there a long term future for baseball in Tampa?

Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions.

Edited by drtooth, 30 July 2010 - 08:29 AM.

[Orange Julia]

What are your thoughts on any last minute trade surprises for the Red Sox?

and

If Mike Lowell doesn't get traded at the last minute or released who will be DFA'd or sent down to AAA to make room for him?

[xjack]

Regarding your column arguing that we "forgave" Clemens and now should forgive Damon....

Pete, I think you've been away from the area too long. Damon has gotten kid-gloves treatment at Fenway compared to the abuse Clemens used to endure. Yes, we applauded Clemens when we thought he was retiring, but that was just to be polite. If Damon comes back to Fenway on some pre-retirement tour when he's 40, I'm sure he'll get cheers too.

I live in New York, and I remember hearing an interview with Andy Pettitte when he left New York for the Astros. He acknowledged that the Red Sox had tried to sign him, but he told the interviewer that he "could not do that to Yankees fans." Pettitte understood that going to the Red Sox would be an act of betrayal -- not just switching jobs, as you argue in your column. Damon should have understood that too.

Contrary to your straw-man argument, Red Sox fans realize Johnny had every right to sign with the Yankees. But we have the right not to cheer for a guy who skipped town for the Yankees and then helped them win a World Series. Johnny got plenty of gratitude in these parts in 2004 and 2005. There's no need to give him more now.

[BroodsSexton]

Regarding your column arguing that we "forgave" Clemens and now should forgive Damon....

Was there a question in there?

How about these:

First, to build off the recent Okajima story, there was a fair amount of talk this year about umpires inserting themselves inappropriately into the game (i.e., Joe West making himself the focus of the story.) What did you think of that? Do sportswriters face any of the same tempations/issues? What's the responsibility of a sportswriter in terms of objectivity?

Who's got the biggest schlong in the locker room? (See the previous question if you're tempted to say "Me.")

Finally, do you consider yourself a writer first, and then a sports fan? Or first a sports fan? Or is it Country First?

Edited by BroodsSexton, 29 July 2010 - 10:31 PM.

[absintheofmalaise]

A few weeks ago Youkilis spoke out about Ellsbury spending most of his DL stint away from the team. From what you heard, was what he said the general consensus among the players or was it just Youkilis mouthing off?

[Frisbetarian]

Thank you so much for agreeing to answer our questions, Pete.

This year's Red Sox team emphasized defense and starting pitching, which was termed "run prevention." This was ridiculed by many of the Boston media members, especially the weight given to the fielding. Injuries and poor play (mostly injuries) have made the "run prevention" model look bad - the Sox have allowed more runs than an average AL team, and are 10th out of 14 teams in runs allowed.

Do you think going after defense and pitching was a bad idea? In comparison to offense and pitching, how much does defense play a role in winning baseball games?

[SMU_Sox]

Pete, thank you so much for answering our questions.
Lately chemistry has been the focus of several stories. There was a lot of media coverage on Jacoby Ellsbury being away from the team during his stay in Arizona. Why did it matter to the players where he was during his rehab? Or was this less of an issue to his teammates than it had been previously reported? Has/had anyone stood up for Ellsbury or, at least didn't care either way or was the whole team upset about his decision?

Thank you again Pete.


Oh, by the way, I never forgave Clemens but I wouldn't boo Damon in a Tigers uniform.

[AlNipper49]

Pete -

Given Bill Simmon's recent column, which exhibited a shockingly embarrassing lack of understanding or knowledge of the Sox, do you find it:

1. Easier: With the internet and increased access to media bringing out any idiot with a keyboard and audience, it's easier to shine and engage readers.
2. Readers are so deluged with information that I need to force myself to make quick points or they'll move on. As a result it's tougher to differentiate myself.

Also, while twitter can be a great tool and one you apparently use a lot, do you find it to be a pain in the ass that basically all beat writers now need to update twitter frequently? Or does it help keep your readers engaged, or differently put, does the time spent twittering 'pay' for itself?

[Rudi Fingers]

Pete -

Regarding your column this morning, are the Red Sox truly less active this year at the trading deadline, or is the relative quiet a result of a concerted effort by the team to clamp down on media leaks? If so, are you increasingly relying on other teams' front offices to get new information?

Building on johnlimberakis' question on team chemistry, have you seen any significant changes in front office chemistry recently? Is the decreased visibility (or at least my perception of decreased visibility) of Larry Lucchino his idea, or has he been asked by others to stay in the background?

[Greg Blosser]

Pete -

Thanks for stopping by. With the Globe (and all newspapers, really) facing the harsh reality of dwindling numbers in the Internet Era, can you describe the dynamic in the sports department between the "old guard" and the tweeting, blogging young whippersnappers like yourself, Amalie, Breer, etc.?

[AlNipper49]

What does Heidi Watney smell like?

[Fratboy]

Pete - thanks for doing this for us today. I've enjoyed your former beat work on the Yankees and you're doing a great job with the Globe.

Do you as a writer/analyst find yourself gravitating towards using some sabermetric stats in your work? Is this a trend we can look forward to in the future as we look for better and more accurate methods of evaluating players rather than simply by BA/HR/RBI?

[PeteAbe]

Thanks for doing this Peter. You covered the Yankees for years. What would you say are the major differences between covering the two teams in dealings with the front office, players and fans?

Thefront offices are remarkably alike in that Epstein and Cashman are a lot alike.They are smart guys who make decisions after taking emotion out of the equationand they surround themselves with smart people. The Yankee players are more accessible to the media and morewilling to be interviewed. But I think that is the result of how the media isdifferent in Boston more so than the players. The yahoo factor is higher amongthe media. The fans are pretty much the same, passionate and knowledgeable.

[PeteAbe]

Pete -

If you were in Vegas and placing even money bets on the following question, which one would you pick?

- There is a 99.5% chance Jeter re-signs with the Yanks
- There is a 99.4% of less chance that Jeter re-signs with the Yanks

While at first glance it may seem a slam dunk re-sign there are additional factors out there, such as how they handle his desire to play SS, what his demands will be meshed with no George leading the way (could we see Cashman pull a tactical Epstein manuever?) and even wild theories such as returning to his hometown or playing with Torre.

Mind you, I really think he'll remain a Yankee but would be interested in hearing your thoughts, especially as someone who has covered him so closely for so many years.

He’llstay for two reasons: The Yankees don’t have an acceptable shortstop anywhereclose to the majors and Derek understands that much of his marketing valuecomes with his being the captain of the Yankees. Plus letting him go would be aPR nightmare after they decided to keep a PED-using clown like A-Rod.

[PeteAbe]

Peter, thanks for spending the time.

1) If the bottom falls out on this team's chances, can you see Theo trying to get a high return on a pending free agent?

2) Are Papelbon and/or Ellsbury on the block this offseason?

3) How does it work among Amalie, Nick, yourself and others regarding who writes about what for a given week?

4) What's the best ballpark in terms of media access, info from the teams, etc.? What's the worst?

5) Had to throw this one in: When you were sitting in the Cage during the early years of the Calipari era, did you ever think he'd gain this presence in college basketball?

It would have to really fall out. But sure. They should trade Beltre Aug.20 if they’re 12 out. They could get a lot back for him.

Ellsbury for certain and Papelbon less so. He seems to have learned howto pitch with a diminished fastball.

We’re basically assigned stories by the editors. There’s a schedule madeout every week,.

San Francisco is great. I like Tampa Bay for media access and info.Cleveland, too. Fenway has awful access, good info, Yankee Stadium is a greatplace to cover a game. Oakland is awful. Citi Field is awful.

I knew he was a crook. I can’t say I knew he’d become thiswealthy and well-known.

[PeteAbe]

Hey Pete - do you think Adrian Beltre has been valuable enough to this team to garner a big 4+ year contract offer from Theo this fall after he inevitably opts out of his player option for 2011? I mean a truly competitive and serious offer, though... no low balling for appearance' sake.

Iwould think he would get such an offer. Then I think he’ll sign with a team onthe West Coast, where he wants to be.

[PeteAbe]

Thanks for answering these questions Peter.

What is the single biggest misconception by the Red Sox nation about the Yankees (either its organization, management, or a player) and what was the single biggest misconception by Yankee fans about the Sox?

Yankeefans think Pedroia and Youkilis are bad guys, which they are not. They’reactually good dudes. Red Sox fans probably know how good the Core Four are inNew York but probably don’t know just how much those guys mean to thatfranchise and what they’ve done to hold things together.

[PeteAbe]

Thanks for stopping by Pete.

As somebody who has covered both the Sox and Yankees extensively, what are the major differences that you see between the culture of the two teams. I'm thinking about management style, club house cultures, front office culture and how it relates to the media, and the overall attitude of the fans.

Thanks in advance.

Frankly, they're a lot alike. The one difference is that with two teams and 8 million people in NYC, not everybody is attuned with everything going on with the team. In Boston, everybody knows everything with the Sox.

[PeteAbe]

Pete: Love how you made the extra bases blog so active.

Two questions:

1. What role does being a fan play in baseball writing (be it a fan of the player, team, city, sport, etc.), and what role should it play?

2. What the similarities and differences you see between sports writing and other non-frontpage areas of the paper (entertainment, business, ideas, etc.).

Many thanks.

I think you need to be a fan of the game to be a good writer. But ifyou’re a fan of a team, it makes you a lousy writer. Does that make sense?

As to your other question, I've never really done much other than sports writing. But I think we can take more chances and be less formal.

[PeteAbe]

Now that they're gone, how will you remember Bob Shephard and George Steinbrenner?

By which I basically mean, got any good stories about them?

Big Stein wasn't himself when I took over that beat. I felt kind of sorry for him because I've had experience with Alzheimer's in my family and it's sad. As for Mr. Sheppard, he was a gracious man and very formal. Whenever there were two outs in the ninth, he would stand in the back of the press box and literally run (well, as much as a 95-year-old man can run) to the elevator to get to his car and be driven home.

[PeteAbe]

Pete,
What players have you found to be the most open and closed in terms of interview availability?

How long before newspapers go totally digital?

Will Jacoby Ellsbury and Daisuke Matsuzaka be on the team next year?

Can you start writing the Sunday Baseball Notes?

Thanks for the time and appreciate your hard work. It's nice to have a writer who is so well-connected with the fans.

Open: Cameron, Pedroia, Bard, Hall, Martinez. I've done pretty OK with Beckett. Closed: Okajima, obviously. Drew is never around. Youkilis, to my surprise, doesn't seem to want to talk much. He should, because hes smart and people would want to hear what he thinks.

Newspapers will never go all digital, not in cities with subways anyway

I think Dice K will be, not Jacoby.

[PeteAbe]

With Okajima declining to talk after his poor outing, the same thing he does after good outings, as you pointed out on your blog a few days ago, the beat writers all seemed to have a major problem with it today.

On twitter McAdam called it a "cowardly habit." Silverman, "From the Dept. of No Accountability." You added, "Unprofessional to say the least." And Amalie responded to a fan by saying, "Part of that is being accountable to the media/fans," to which she then got torched on Twitter.

Someone asked Beltre about the play, and when he said the words, "Did you talk to him?" you all tweeted victory in that other players care? If Beltre or Francona or John Henry really cared and had something to talk with Oki about, wouldn't the plane ride to Anaheim be a more appropriate time to talk than in a clubhouse after a loss with media out for blood?

If the fans, as represented on Twitter/SoSH/comments on your Extra Bases blog post, say they don't care, and if a member of the organization can easily talk about the misplay with Okajima in private, doesn't this all come down to the writers being mad that a player won't talk to them?

In short, do you believe it is part of a players job to talk to the media?

I wasn't mad. Frankly, it's a better story that he doesn't talk. I do think part of being a professional athlete is being accountable to your fans and your teammates. If guys like Nuiman Romero and Eric Patterson can stand there and answer a few questions after blowing games, so can Okajima. It's gutless not to and several players thought so.

[absintheofmalaise]

A follow up if you have time.

You say Ellsbury will be on the block this fall. Do you think he would be on the block after the deadline if they fall out of it?

[PeteAbe]

Piggybacking on Scout's question, is it "unprofessional to say the least" for media members to call out players for not speaking to the press?

If we don't, who will? If you care enough about a team to buy tickets, watch the game, etc., then the least the player can do is help you understand the game a little better by offering his perspective.

[PeteAbe]

Peter, thanks for your time.

Who is mostly responsible for the amount of AAAA players that have come up and done pretty well? Is this an Allard Baird thing? And do the Sox brass feel that they are on the right path and that injuries have decimated this team or are they going to blow this team up in the winter?

It really is a group effort. Scouts, coaches, execs, etc. Baird has been very good finding guys under rocks, however. As for the right path, they think they're going to have a hell of a team in 2011 and a better one in 2012.

[PeteAbe]

There were a couple of lines in an ESPN story last week that mentioned that some of the players were getting discouraged because the FO hadn't done anything to shore up the team yet. I don''t know if this was referring to just the pen or the team overall. I wanted to see if you had been hearing the same sort of things, without naming names here, from members of the team as well.

I have not heard that. Frankly, that stuff is overplayed. The Sox shored up the team pretty well when they invested $170 million in the payroll.