On the Beat is FanHouse's conversation with some of the game's top sports writers. Today we're talking with Peter Abraham, who covers the New York Yankees for The Journal News and whose immensely popular LoHud Yankees Blog sets the online standard for beat writers.
FanHouse: Have you had to deal with any kind of learning curve in terms of dealing with Joe Girardi as opposed to Joe Torre? What about Hank Steinbrenner as opposed to his father?
Peter Abraham: Girardi was a broadcaster last season and that seems to have helped him in terms of media relations compared to his rocky tenure in Florida. I'd say he's learning the beat writers and we're learning him. Hank is another story. He is clearly interested in being part of the story, which his father wasn't in recent years. The question for us is how much Hank is too much?
FH: Who's surprised you the most so far on the Yankees so far? What about some of the other teams you've seen?
PA: I've been stunned at how good Jason Giambi looks in the field. He worked hard over the winter to get in shape and it really shows. If he stays healthy, he's going to have a big season. As for other teams, I'm impressed with what Tampa Bay is doing. They could finish in third place this season if Toronto falters.
FH: Derek Jeter's defense is the subject of much debate -- some studies have indicated that he's among the worst fielding shortstop in the game, which elicits a violent reaction among those convinced otherwise. What role do sabermetrics play in shaping your opinion of the game you watch everyday?PA: It's hard to incorporate sabermetrics into day-to-day coverage because most readers don't understand the metrics and you have to explain them. I do try to use some in my Sunday notes column and in my blog because those readers are more sophisticated. I use sabermetrics every day as I evaluate players and try and get a feel for how the team will do. PECOTA's prediction that the Yankees will finish ahead of the Red Sox, for instance. The fielding metrics I tend to trust less because there are so many unquantifiable variables. Surfaces are different, scouting reports position players differently, pitchers throw different pitches, etc.
FH: Compared to most beat writers, you're ahead of the curve in terms of exploiting your access and offering your readers a glimpse of life behind the scenes through your blog, especially with the constant updates and all of the audio that you post. When did you realize that the blog was catching on, and do you have any advice for beat writers reluctant to embrace the medium?
PA: I realized it was catching on when the comments started to come in. For a while back in 2006, I think the only people reading it were my editors and my father. I owe the blog's success to my readers. Word of mouth really helped.
FH: Mark Cuban recently announced that the Dallas Mavericks would no longer allow bloggers in the locker room, to which my first thought was, "wait, he was allowing bloggers in the locker room?" His rationale was that he doesn't feel qualified to make a distinction between a newspaper blogger and an independent blogger, but that bloggers of all shapes and sizes would still be granted *some* access at games and practices. What's your stance on independent bloggers someday joining you in the baseball clubhouse, and what sites and/or blogs do you visit on a regular basis?
PA: I would venture that 90 percent of independent bloggers are fans of a particular team. These people often write well and have excellent ideas about the game. But you can't have fans in the clubhouse. It's a professional place of business for the media and the players. That said, newspapers and other forms of the mainstream media would be wise to hire some of these people are give them a bigger platform. Then, perhaps, they could get some access. Part of the problem is space, which many people don't realize. Press boxes and clubhouses can only hold so many people.
Blogs I read? The blogroll on my site has most of them. I read Buster Olney's blog on ESPN first thing every morning. I'm always on Baseball Musings, Bronx Banter, anything from the Baseball Prospectus people and most of the beat writer blogs in the AL. The Yankees Chick always make me laugh, too.
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Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 1)
1. Wow--
Great interview. Too bad Pete has let his *moderate* success go to his BIG head. He used to be fun to read when he was an anonymous writer. Now he's as cocky as Chris Russo. Almost impossible to read and take serious at this point.
Now that he thinks his ticket is punched to Bristol w/ the 4-letter network, his head has gotten WAY TOO BIG.
Seriously, readers of his blog could do without his take on the political influence on sports (Yes, we know people are dying in Iraq and Congress is spending way too much time on the MLB investigation, BUT Pete is spending WAY TOO MUCH time on the subject!), he preaches and preaches about the Patriots (to a NY based blog-- how did that crow taste on Feb. 3? Now that its known the Pats are a bunch of cheaters, he shut right up) and now his new mission is to make a mockery of the Billy Crystal thing.
Am I in favor of the Crystal 'signing'? No-- but, its spring training and I'm allowed to have an opinion. Peter is not a columnist, he is not entitled to an opinion, he is just a beat writer, thus he has to stay OBJECTIVE! And if fans on his site want to know the details about Crystal (they do, read the comment section), then he should be obligated to report it. Instead, he calls the poor guy, a die hard Yanks fan no less, 'some washed up actor.'
Low taste and low class Pete. We thought you were better than that.
Of course, if one has a disagreement with Pete on his site, like mine with him over his comparisons to the Iraq/Afganhistan wars, he just bans you for life. So much for being an objective, open-to-debate, journalist.
Too bad for Pete, he used to be fun to read. Now its just the same 20 or 30 people or so that fill his comments section with nonsense.
Stick to what you know Peter Abraham-- covering the Yankees, diet Coke/Big Macs/ and Bruce Springsteen tunes.
Posted at 6:46AM on Mar 12th 2008 by Fed Up with P-Abe
2. Ohhh... And its obvious he's infatuated with this Yankees Chick. My god...
OBSESSIVE MUCH ?!?!?!?!
Seriously Abraham... Don't say 'its just because shes a good writer'. I've read her stuff and it is sub-par at best.
Posted at 6:59AM on Mar 12th 2008 by Fed Up with P-Abe
3.
As a fanatical reader of Pete's LoHud blog I have to disagree.
If you read everyday his political comments are miniscule.
And about the Yankee's Chick
Who isnt infatuated with her?
She is one of us commencers
there are a few more than five or six IMO
dale d
Posted at 11:47AM on Mar 12th 2008 by dale d
4. Pete's blog is the perfect marriage of "blogginess" and "access to the players." Plus he's funny and seems like a dude you'd want to have a beer with.
Thanks for the commitment to the blog Pete!
Posted at 12:17PM on Mar 12th 2008 by SteveB
5. Clare
March 12th, 2008 at 11:18 pm
Peter,
I love your blog but I hate it when you scold your readers - most of whom read you religiously and flatter you mercilessly.
There’s a difference between being a fan and being a supposedly objective reporter. You have stated on multiple occasions that you’re the latter and not the former. But you have a whole different tone and perspective when you’re blogging as a fan about the Patriots than when you blog about the Yankees.
Most of the above post is just your opinion, not facts (with a few irrelevant-to-your-argument exceptions, like who knows whose name and who traveled to the game). I see no quotes or support whatsoever for what you claim the Yankees care about and don’t care about. I concede that your opinion is more informed than any of ours, but it’s still an opinion. (If I’m wrong, and you have actual quotes from the Yankees, I’m sure you’ll let me know).
Obviously, I’m not telling you not to express your opinion, and you have every right to state when you disagree with the opinions of your commenters. But it would be a lot more palatable if you could remember that we’re passionate fans, and you might sound a lot like us if the subject were the Patriots. With that in mind, it would be really nice if you could manage to express yourself without displaying quite so much contempt for those who spend so much time supporting this blog.
(And now, of course, I’m waiting for you to tell me I’m too sensitive or some other vaguely sexist comment.)
AMEN-- The MAN is A CONDESCENDING JERK. HE HAS LET HIS VERY SMALL AMOUNT OF SUCCESS GO TO HIS HEAD.
A lot of times, the posters in his comments section (ie, CB, SJ44, Rebecca, Brandon, Mel, Eric, and especially McLovin) are smarter and have a fresher take on news items/Yankees stuff than the blog's author does.
One commenter who is despised up and down the street: Hmmm, which a lot of people think is Pete Abraham under a different handle. Just look at how he talks to people: no class. Looks like the Round Mound of Rotund Bloggers has a split personality!!!!
Posted at 8:46AM on Mar 14th 2008 by Fed Up with P-Abe