Game Recaps

[VirtualBob]

For a long time I have found the OWA/SnS game recaps to be much more satisfying than the other on-line (or print) otpions.  Part of this, of course, is the real baseball knowledge encapsulated, and I certainly appreciate that.  However, it finally hit me that one of the key differences is that you guys have abandoned an extremely irritating journalistic 'trick'.  To be precise, you seem to have figured out that most games begin in the first inning, proceeding through any and all subsequent innings in sequential order all the way to the end of the game.  You do lead with the main point(s), of course, which often requires a reference to a later inning in the first paragraph, and that is fine.  Good, even.  But check out how many recaps in the sports pages start at the end and then back up through the whole game, making it difficult or impossible to "follow" what really happened and giving no sense of how things unfolded.

Thanks!

[Ty in Tampa]

For a long time I have found the OWA/SnS game recaps to be much more satisfying than the other on-line (or print) otpions.  Part of this, of course, is the real baseball knowledge encapsulated, and I certainly appreciate that.  However, it finally hit me that one of the key differences is that you guys have abandoned an extremely irritating journalistic 'trick'.  To be precise, you seem to have figured out that most games begin in the first inning, proceeding through any and all subsequent innings in sequential order all the way to the end of the game.  You do lead with the main point(s), of course, which often requires a reference to a later inning in the first paragraph, and that is fine.  Good, even.  But check out how many recaps in the sports pages start at the end and then back up through the whole game, making it difficult or impossible to "follow" what really happened and giving no sense of how things unfolded.

Thanks!

Thanks for reading them. I, for one, have no journalistic tricks because, well, I'm no journalist.

[pravata]

Thanks for reading them. I, for one, have no journalistic tricks because, well, I'm no journalist.

It's why the slow kids become sports reporters.  The game has a narrative built right in.  So does the season.  Every season is like a novel and every game has a beginning middle and end.  The only thing you can do to screw up is ignore the natural structure and impose your own agenda.

[JackAstro]

For a long time I have found the OWA/SnS game recaps to be much more satisfying than the other on-line (or print) otpions.  Part of this, of course, is the real baseball knowledge encapsulated, and I certainly appreciate that.  However, it finally hit me that one of the key differences is that you guys have abandoned an extremely irritating journalistic 'trick'.  To be precise, you seem to have figured out that most games begin in the first inning, proceeding through any and all subsequent innings in sequential order all the way to the end of the game.  You do lead with the main point(s), of course, which often requires a reference to a later inning in the first paragraph, and that is fine.  Good, even.  But check out how many recaps in the sports pages start at the end and then back up through the whole game, making it difficult or impossible to "follow" what really happened and giving no sense of how things unfolded.

Thanks!

Huh. I hadn't actually thought of it before, but that's a good point. Another key difference is that we don't get to interview the players, but we do get to shit on them unmercifully when required. Also, we can say fuck whenever we want to. Thanks for reading.

[Limey]

It's why the slow kids become sports reporters.  The game has a narrative built right in.  So does the season.  Every season is like a novel and every game has a beginning middle and end.  The only thing you can do to screw up is ignore the natural structure and impose your own agenda.

I think they make the mistake of using the inverted pyramid method for the entire article, instead of getting the 5 w's in the first sentence, then reverting to a chronological format to describe the details.

So, for example, in the latest recap, Ty tells us in the first paragraph that, on a night after they'd been made impotent by good pitching, the Astros thumped a bunch of early runs off the D-Backs starter, and held on to win in the end.  Perfect.  Then, he lays out the details in the order they happened, which is how a baseball game unfolds, as opposed to, say, an apartment fire.

[Noe]

Mucho deserved kudos go out to the Recap and Previews contributors to this site.  It's been a godsend to have you people stepping up like this and I hope more than anything you're having fun doing this as much fun as it is to read it.  One thing I'd personally like to publically give thanks to is our Editorial Staff.  It is a little known fact here at SnS because we've not made any sort of public fanfare over this, but we do have a staff of wonderful Editors who stepped up and provided the leadership for all contributors:

Andyzipp - Managing Editor
Jacksonian - Bus Ride Editor
pravata - News and Recaps Editor
Craig - Series Preview Editor

These four men do their best to provide as little interference as possible but step in whenever a contributor needs a point man to run ideas by, ask questions to, have schedules rearranged and they also make coffee and give backrubs.  Nice job guys, verrah nice!

Oh, in terms of Recaps... the best advice ever came from pravata (I think) "Call 'em as you see 'em".  Works for umpires, has to work for a game recap contributor.

[VirtualBob]

I think they make the mistake of using the inverted pyramid method for the entire article, instead of getting the 5 w's in the first sentence, then reverting to a chronological format to describe the details.

So, for example, in the latest recap, Ty tells us in the first paragraph that, on a night after they'd been made impotent by good pitching, the Astros thumped a bunch of early runs off the D-Backs starter, and held on to win in the end.  Perfect.  Then, he lays out the details in the order they happened, which is how a baseball game unfolds, as opposed to, say, an apartment fire.

Perzactly.

My daughter took a journalism class at UT and is still recovering from the "advice" she received.  I think pravata nailed it earlier with:

It's why the slow kids become sports reporters.

And of course, there are those who merely teach reporting ...

[Houston]

It's why the slow kids become sports reporters. 

HEY, HEY! No name-calling here. I used to be a sports reporter.

At least it's in the past tense now.

[pravata]

HEY, HEY! No name-calling here. I used to be a sports reporter.

At least it's in the past tense now.

Oh, but you were different, not like those other guys. 

[Jacksonian]

It's why the slow kids become sports reporters. 

What about those who write sports articles for internet sites for free?

[JackAstro]

What about those who write sports articles for internet sites for free?

Some would call those people "sources".

[Noe]

Some would call those people "sources".

Anonymous even.

[Houston]

Oh, but you were different, not like those other guys. 

Actually, I had a journalism professor who strongly encouraged his students to be a baseball writer, at least for a little while. His reasoning was that baseball teams played more often than other sports and it would sharpen one's writing skills and force them to be more creative in describing similar scenes on the field.

Guess that lesson didn't "take" for the Chronicle's reporters.

[JackAstro]

Anonymous even.

And now we've successfully gotten Jacksonian's blood pressure up again.

[Noe]

And now we've successfully gotten Jacksonian's blood pressure up again.

My job is done.  I'm going home, maybe catch up with my old friend the Sea Hag!

[pravata]

What about those who write sports articles for internet sites for free?

And use sports writers articles as their sources! Beyond help.

[Noe]

And use sports writers articles as their sources! Beyond help.

I think they call those guys "Beagles".  Some sort of code word I believe.

[Jacksonian]

And now we've successfully gotten Jacksonian's blood pressure up again.

I laughed.  I cried. 

You're both sonsabitches.