First, the Varsity Letters wants to commend the few callers out there who know how to call in a score. Sounds simple, right? Well, you'd be suprised how many kettleheads can't do it.
Any time a varsity baseball or softball game is reported, the Observer-Reporter always needs the same information. Final score, score by innings, runs, hits, errors, winning pitcher, losing pitcher, battery, relief pitchers, extra-base hits, first and last names,
Amazing how many times we can't get the above information. Amazing how many times coaches, statisticians or students call in and say, "They didn't give me first names" or, better yet," I don't know who pitched after the starter left."
Arrrrghhhhhhhh!!!!
Next time, ask for first names. Ask for the opponent's record. We're not asking for a social security number. We just want to know is a guy's name is Tom and Terry. It's lazy and irresponsible.
It also makes one wonder the type of instruction some of these student-athletes receive.
4 comments:
so i really don't follow baseball ( thanks pirates), and I definitely don't know how official sports reporting works, but from a fan perspective, i've always thought that "calling in a score" was just that - calling in a score. i just figured you would tell the final score, the teams who played, and perhaps and just maybe the score by inning. I had no idea that all that other info is required. I figured if a newspaper wanted such info, shouldn't they send out a real reporter, or hire a statistician? I'm guessing that many students think along the same lines.
At least I know if I ever want to be nice and help out my daily newspaper that I should write down everything humanly possible, or suffer the rath of the angry reporters.
The way I look at it, somee info is better than no info.
If we sent out reporters to every game we needed a score from, our sports department would employ more people in Washington County than Coca-Cola. Not feasible in any sense.
And, as for some info, let's see if you find this example fair:
Immaculate Conception plays Mon Valley Catholic in a section baseball game. IC calls in the score with full info on their team but incomplete info on the other team and MVC won the game. Doesn't the MVC team and players deserve recognition in the newspaper for the achievement? I say so.
And, yes, at times we have rosters for these teams and can track down names. When we get 70 results in a night, tracking down information that should be provided to us is difficult.
Anyway, last night was a crank night. Today is a new day and, hopefully, no kettleheads call the paper.
With all the assistant coaches there are these days in football, basketball, and baseball, you'd think someone would be put in charge of this... Guess some coaches are organized and some aren't. I say send an email or memo to the local AD's requesting that this be handled more efficiently so that the school and its athletes can be better represented.
Brian,
Good suggestion and one we've followed through one a few times.
I will say this, the more organized coaches generally tend to be the ones in the playoffs.
Not always, but more often than not.
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