Comments on: Thoughts on the Winter Meetings

By: Jeff

Jeff — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:45:49 +0000

Thank you for this great article, I really enjoy your blog layout.

By: HEEL PADS

HEEL PADS — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 14:55:39 +0000

Heel lifts are wedge-shaped inserts that are placed in the heel portion of a shoe, with the purpose of adding lift under one or both feet for therapeutic purposes. Those who suffer foot pain while wearing shoes for an extended time. Heel lifts can alleviate suffering. Shoe inserts are also perfect for those who wish to increase their height.

By: The Rabbit

The Rabbit — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:34:34 +0000

@Old Gator Amen
Craig, As someone from the same generation as Old Gator, I have easily adapted to new technologies as they were developed; however, I have also witnessed the evolution (erosion?) of decision making and critical thinking skills. In addition, there has also developed, IMHO, a misguided perception that the world needs to know every random thought that one may have in real time.(See: Texting)
I have yet to determine if this is the result of too much childhood self-esteem training and/or Sesame Street, but it someone would like to offer me a grant, I’d be happy to research it. I promise to provide a full white paper report with underlying data in lieu of a Powerpoint presentation.
Sadly, if America as a society suffers from ADD, then Twitter is the perfect communication for its members. For those of us who have seceded from that culture, please continue to provide insightful news/commentary in your well-written essays.

By: IdahoMariner

IdahoMariner — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 13:05:10 +0000

1) I like the blog posts! I check here, then I check Posnanski’s blog (because he writes beautifully AND references things like Clash of the Titans), and then I check Shannon Drayer’s blog (because she gives great stories about the players) and only then do I check the twitter stuff. USS Mariner helpfully linked to a page of all-Mariner tweets, so I don’t even have to check the Seattle-Times blog if I don’t want to (love Larry Stone, but some days Geoff Baker is too much for me). But I come here first, because I LIKE to read, and I like the references to hitchhiker’s guide, etc.
2)Speaking of Shannon Drayer…she’s there too, so it’s about 1000 guys to 2 women. BUt I am glad, Craig, that you are being a gentleman and a professional. stick with that, it’s another reason to love this blog.

By: Craig Calcaterra

Craig Calcaterra — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 10:43:25 +0000

I’m a gentleman and professional so I won’t lower myself to opine on such matters.
But I will note — in the most gentlemanly and professional way possible — that anyone looks much better after staring at Hal Bodley and his ilk all day.

By: Steve C

Steve C — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 10:41:56 +0000

Is Amalie starting to look really hot?
Back in engineering school we had two different types of hot. There was “engineering hot”, attractive for an engineer. The the hot that everyone else went by.

By: Andy L

Andy L — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 09:53:33 +0000

Twitter is frequently used to tease a story. Like “man ram to return to boston? new post up soon; will provide link.”

By: Bill@TDS

Bill@TDS — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 09:45:48 +0000

I won't complain about Twitter's impact on the meetings itself I will! http://thedailysomething.com/twitter-ruins-the-winter-meetings.html I really was never that into the winter meetings anyway, but you've got the screaming four year old child that has always been the winter meetings rumor mill, and Twitter gives that child a Red Bull. Mommy and Daddy need some aspirin and some noise-canceling headphones.

By: lar @ wezen-ball

lar @ wezen-ball — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 09:23:46 +0000

A couple of thoughts (one of which I shared via Twitter): most of these short tweets that we’re talking about are being put on twitter instead of a blog/site, I think, because the writers have nothing more to say about it. A “just throwing it out there” kind of thing. Craig’s right, in that they should be able to spend 5 mins adding a little context, but obviously they don’t want to do that. Maybe they’re too lazy too. Or maybe they think that writing a whole post on ESPN or the NY Times or something adds more weight to what they’re reporting than they’d like (even if they use a bunch of qualifiers… after all, we know how quickly people can jump on Craig here when he posts something short and simple).
I think the real reason, though, is that the writers are all in the “scoop game”, like Tim said. When you’re trying to be the first person to report it, 140 chars is a much quicker way to do it then 50 words. And this way, they can throw rumors around on Twitter for days on end and then only write a blog post/article on the ones that have legitimate chances. It’s kind of a free pass (not that it should be)…

By: Tim Dierkes

Tim Dierkes — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 08:40:25 +0000

I feel the same as Jason…if you are rushing to get a scoop out, OK, toss it on Twitter just to lock down the scoop. You almost have no choice, unless you can access your blog just as fast. But if you are passing along stock quotes from the manager, there’s no value in being the first to relay those via four tweets.

By: Jason @ IIATMS

Jason @ IIATMS — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 08:31:46 +0000

The Twitter phenemenon is fascinating. I can understand it if you have a posting/story to get out to the masses, but so many just dump ideas out there.
And don’t get me started on the incomplete rumors some tossed out yesterday. I wrote about it, but man, we need a rumor rating system of some sort, something self-imposed.
Won’t happen, but should.

By: Lorna

Lorna — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 07:50:45 +0000

Agree about the tweeting Craig. I haven’t been to the sites of any of the guys who tweet a lot; I rely on their tweets. Then I come here and a couple of other places.
Twitter, regarding the Winter meetings, are probably best served for little anecdotes they have nothing to do with trades and team moves.

By: John_Michael

John_Michael — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 07:39:09 +0000

Craig: No reports pertaining to the hotel bar’s bourbon selection?
OG: Please don’t tell me you invested in the best horse and buggy whip producing company last fiscal quarter.

By: Old Gator

Old Gator — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 07:27:05 +0000

I don't mind if you guys tweet a lot, as long as you don't defecate on my new car as well. Frankly, I think Twitter is the dumbest medium to come along since we tried to send intelligible messages through phones made of two tin cans and a tight string as pre-adolescents. All it did was distract from our weaning and toilet training, and I can already see Twitter having the same effect on all those oxymoronically titled "sports journalists." Why write entire stories when you can expectorate McNuggets of information in a few seconds and consider your job finished? Well, maybe because you've been a keen enough armchair anthropologist over the last decade or so and noticed that fully developed essays are a waste of time in an era when the vast majority of the population has become so virulently averse to thinking. Twitter seems to be the ideal communication system for an era wherein everyone wants to be an idiot processing thought fragments like bee stings. Soldier on, I guess.

By: YankeesfanLen

YankeesfanLen — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 07:26:36 +0000

Would hate to be following all those tweets, the quantity of posts here just overwhelmed me. Can’t we have Universe stories in blue headlines or something?
Having Bobby Cox wallpaper and Windows 95 on your laptop probably is what keeps it safe- or is it Ozzie?
Keep up the good work.