XM MLB Chat: Sid Fernandez never pitched for the Yankees. BUT NY TIMES INVITES YOU TO THINK he did.

On the front of the NY Times Sports section web page is this lead in to a story:

"Sid Fernandez and Pete Rose Jr. became the last two players of note linked to the former Mets clubhouse attendant who provided performance-enhancing drugs to major league players."

The article leads with a photo of Fernandez in.... a Yankee hat.What other impression can the reader be left with except that he was on the Yankees and he cheated? But Sid Fernandez NEVER pitched for the Yankees. He had a substantial career with other teams-mainly the Mets-- but never with the Yankees. With all its resources, how did the NY Times come up with only one picture of Fernandez for their lead-in and for a team he never pitched on? Was this good journalism to give the reader the impression that he named/guilty as a Yankee? His last year in the major leagues was 1997.

Clicking through to the story, there's a huge picture at the top showing Fernandez in his Yankee garb in front of Mel Stottlemyre, with caption that he attempted a comeback in 2001.

All this, a lead in and huge picture along with Mel Stottlemyre, but the guy never made it onto a Yankee team, ever. Whatever he was doing in 2001 was a show up in Spring Training.

Well into the article it mentions Fernandez played a key role in the famous Game 7 of the 1986 World Series for the Mets when they beat the Red Sox.

Way down the page you see a small thumb-nail picture of Fernandez in a Mets uniform. The NY Times' caption takes a different route for the Mets, saying Fernandez pitched for them but that Radomski's check was not received til 2005--after he'd left the Mets. It doesn't mention when the check was dated.

So mention of the date of the check separates the Mets from suggestion? Even though Radomski and Fernandez worked for the Mets simultaneously for several years including the big 1986?

From NY Times.com/sports website, 12/22/07 (lead-in page)
From NY Times website, main story page, "Fernandez and Rose Jr. are linked to Steroids," 12/22/07

*********************************************** With the headline, "'Roids Report Bombs Bronx" follows this lead in to a feature story. The only problem is it's not true.

"The Yankees' most recent championship teams were fueled by steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs, according to the explosive, long-anticipated report released Dec. 13 by former Sen. George Mitchell."

From NY Daily News website 12/22/07

Labels: Sid Fernandez never pitched for the Yankees