AP story on Mets-Nationals game...
"Pinch hitter Adam Kennedy's sacrifice fly broke a 2-all tie in the seventh, Drew Storen (1-0) got two outs for his first major league victory and Matt Capps closed for his major league-leading 15th save.
So to summarize, someone got to third base with the winning run, but the AP chose to credit Adam Kennedy for bringing him home by making an out. Both starters went six effective innings but the AP chose to credit a guy who recorded two outs for the win. And the game's second most ineffective pitcher, closer Matt Capps, who entered with a three-run lead and surrendered a run before coaxing three outs, is the man AP selected for special mention over everyone else.
This is what's wrong with baseball reporting in a nutshell. We count wins, saves and RBIs so sports media award merit badges for achieving them, even when it's transparent how poorly they correlate with performance. The three actors named in the story combined to contribute virtually nothing to the Nats' win.
Livan Hernandez, who hurled six-and-a-third frames of two-run ball? No mention, because Washington's third run didn't arrive until he had already left the game, so he wasn't credited with a win. Fernando Tatis's game-tying sixth-inning jack for the Mets? Hey, they lost. Carlos Guzman's single, triple and two runs scored in four at-bats? We don't really tally triples. Besides, he didn't drive home a run, which is an indication of being a clutch hitter, even though actual research demonstrates that it's no such thing.
The Associated Press could instantly transform the way baseball is covered in newspapers across America -- or at least the segment of America that still has newspapers -- by updating their reporting standards by 30 years. But that would require thinking. I'm not holding my breath.
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