Baseball writers should Opt-Out of Baseball Awards voting--Star Tribune

Star Tribune: "Fifteen years ago, the New York Times was the first newspaper -- and so far the only paper -- to order its sports department to stick to sportswriting and avoid voting in the league's popularity contests."

• (I believe there are several other papers who've adopted the same policy). sm

Star Tribune: "As its baseball reporter Murray Chass wrote at the time: "Reporters have no business serving as the guardians of a private or public establishment. We should be covering the news created by the Hall of Fame elections, not creating the news itself."...

• His advocacy was recalled a few weeks ago when the BBWAA voted not to participate in voting for such awards as Most Valuable Player, which can translate into contractual bonuses for players. (That excludes the Hall of Fame voting, because the candidates are inactive.)...

The players union was said to be outraged by the agreement. It evidently believes the writers are conspiring to deny its members rewards for excellence. The union presumably is unaware of the writers' only function: to report the news.

The "get even" reaction, reports Star Tribune baseball writer LaVelle E. Neal III, was strong hints from the Players Association that it would push to severely limit reporters' clubhouse access to players -- or encourage the players not speak to the media at all..."

• (In conclusion the writer says):

"And if the baseball writers had followed Chass' advice years ago to simply report the news and not participate in making it, they wouldn't look so silly today."

• From article in Minneapolis Star Tribune by Lou Gelfand, "Journalists Shouldn't be Deciding Athletes' Performance Bonuses," 12/23/07

Via Poynter.org/Romenesko

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