Happy Trails to ESPN's Rob Neyer

[cgilmo]

Rob has been a constant staple in the baseball information world since it first hit the internet.


I for one am gonna miss the guy, and hope he continues to write somewhere.

Whether you've been reading my ramblings since 1996 or just since last week, you have my profound, impossible-to-express-in-words gratitude. There is not a working writer on Earth who's more grateful than I for his readers. Without you, I would have nothing.

Today, I hand off this space to whoever's next. I don't know yet who is next, but I'm highly confident that this blog and the SweetSpot Network will soon be in excellent hands.

Meanwhile, I'll be around. The kids tell me it's all about search these days. You won't have to search real hard to find me, if you want.

Happy trails, until we meet again.


http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/ ... ws-amazing

 

[braden]

Maybe Ike Farrell will take over?

 

[cgilmo]

Maybe Ike Farrell will take over?

whoever takes over has big shoes to fill

 

[SamHell]

Neyer was too inconsistent for me. He would write some great insightful pieces then the next day put out something that read like a schizophrenic's diary.

 

[braden]

Maybe Ike Farrell will take over?

whoever takes over has big shoes to fill

Sorry, that might have been a bit too vague. Farrell was the pseudonym Neyer used to write a negative review of a competing book on Amazon. I lost all respect I had for him then.

 

[JoshHamilton]

He's the only non-humor sportswriter I read. Bummer

 

[cgilmo]

Maybe Ike Farrell will take over?

whoever takes over has big shoes to fill

Sorry, that might have been a bit too vague. Farrell was the pseudonym Neyer used to write a negative review of a competing book on Amazon. I lost all respect I had for him then.

I was not aware of this.

 

[Lifelongfan]

Could you guys post some names of the sportswriters that you enjoy reading.

 

[autorook]

whoever takes over has big shoes to fill

Couldn't agree anymore with this statement. Rob will be missed!

 

[hoopster3977]

Rob has been a constant staple in the baseball information world since it first hit the internet.


I for one am gonna miss the guy, and hope he continues to write somewhere.

Whether you've been reading my ramblings since 1996 or just since last week, you have my profound, impossible-to-express-in-words gratitude. There is not a working writer on Earth who's more grateful than I for his readers. Without you, I would have nothing.

Today, I hand off this space to whoever's next. I don't know yet who is next, but I'm highly confident that this blog and the SweetSpot Network will soon be in excellent hands.

Meanwhile, I'll be around. The kids tell me it's all about search these days. You won't have to search real hard to find me, if you want.

Happy trails, until we meet again.


http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/ ... ws-amazing

He would. And there was one particular game in 1990 that captured everything that Bo was about. It was the 17th of July, and the Royals were visiting Yankee Stadium. Bo was in center field for the Royals. Deion Sanders was in center field for the Yankees. Bo had been the first player to try his hand at the NFL and Major League Baseball; Sanders was the second. Bo didn't like to talk much; you couldn't get "Neon Deion" to shut up.

In the first inning, Bo hit a home run over Deion's head.

In the third inning, Bo hit a home run over Deion's head.

In the fifth inning, Bo went the other way with a home run in the right-field stands.

The Royals were up 8-4 after five innings, and Bo had knocked in seven runs. Deion had batted three times. The first two times, he'd been out on fly balls to Bo in center field. His third time up, he gave up on trying to get one past Bo and dragged a bunt single.

In the bottom of the sixth, Deion came up with two outs and a runner on third base. He wasn't bunting this time. Mel Stottlemyre (Jr.) got too much of the plate, and Deion laced a line drive toward the gap in right-center field. Bo didn't know you weren't supposed to fly, so he did it. The problem was the landing. Bo couldn't reach Sanders' drive, and he couldn't stick the landing. Instead, he separated his shoulder, Deion circled the bases, and Bo spent the next six weeks on the DL.

And his first at-bat upon returning to the lineup? A fourth straight home run. And two more in the next three games. Bo actually hit better after the injury than he had before. I won't suggest that Bo was heading for the Hall of Fame, but then again I don't know that I would have bet against him. The more he figured out the things you were supposed to do in baseball, the better he got.

Chris:
I actually watched this game on cable that day, WPIX was available to our "new cable franchise" in town. I was really amazed by Bo's preformance that day. 3 consective HR's in his first 3 AB's, and then lunging for Deion's texas leaguer that got by and Deion gets the inside the park hr. Amazing game as I have posted. Bo and Deion both with HR's in the same game from all-pro footballers.
Ralph

 

[JoshHamilton]

Could you guys post some names of the sportswriters that you enjoy reading.

Drew Magary
DJ Gallo
AJ Daulerio
Barry Petchesky
Will Leitch
John Salley

I'm not gonna bother listing local writers.