Dear dimwit on the phone

Dear "Scorpio Cupid" (who signed his email as "Disappointed sports section reader"),

Just because you and some other parents think the ball was outside does not eliminate the fact that Johnny was caught looking on a 3-2 pitch. We reported it as a strikeout because that's what happened. I'm glad this batter was a pitcher who apparently has a 22 inning streak of no earned runs but that doesn't turn that strikeout into a walk.

And we didn't give said pitcher kudos for his 22-inning streak because we didn't know about it. Coaches never said a word about it to the reporter, so how were we supposed to know this? We cover 44 teams during the spring multiplied by however many athletes per team and we're currently a 3-person sports staff. Sorry we don't know every last detail about your favorite team.

 

I love creating "Disappointed sports section readers."

Sure sign you're doing a good job.

 

One reader once left us a message, saying we were the worst sports section in the country.
We thought about having T-shirts made.

 

Even by nicknames...geesh. That is absurd.

We have high school rugby in our parts, and they are notorious for 1) having numbers only on the backs of the jersey (a pet peeve any sport), and 2) the players switch jerseys every match. The teams just collect the jerseys at the end of the day and players apparently just reach into the pile and put one on before the game. So #9 changes five times a season.

Thus the reporter stands with the coach after the game, pours through his notes and asks "Now, who was #3 today? And #5, and #7...

 

Encountered a troubled Mama Bear earlier this week, complaining that we continue to ignore the seniors on this year's team.

Here's the lede to our story...
On Podunk's senior night, it was only fitting that a senior would make the game-saving play.

With the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the seventh, second baseman Sally Sue Game-Saver laid out to make a full-extended diving grab to preserve the Pioneers 4-2 win over Thomasville last Wednesday.

“I wasn’t nervous. When I saw the ball coming off the bat, I just threw my body at it and hoped for the best,” Game-Saver said. “Tonight was definitely a team win. To close out the last time were going to play on our home field like that was really cool.”
...

So did you read the story?
Never got an answer to that question. She was too busy moving onto complaints about photos "I can see where your reporter is pointing his lens, why isn't he using those photos."

Um yeah...it was one of those calls.

 

So the team doesn't assign jersey numbers by position? Very odd.

 

Gotta love those calls.

 

I'm guessing that's what's happening.

 

We have a regular who calls us about things he sees in town, such as graffiti, broken sidewalks, pot holes etc.
Today he calls in about a large pothole on his street.
In our town we have 211 service, which connects residents with the city so they can report broken lights and potholes and other things that the city can fix. We politely told the caller that we weren't interested in doing a story, but he should call 211. He then asked if we had that phone number.

 

Seems like something a reporter covering rugby should know.

 

nope...it's a grab bag every Saturday. A few players will seek out the same number each week, but there is no guarantee and 80 percent of the team is a bunch of rotating numbers. You eventually learn the main players by face after a few matches, but God forbid a support player comes up with a big play and you have to try to identify him. This team also has like three sets of brothers on the team, who look pretty similar. 'Hold on is that Henry or Jake?'

 

Fun twist to this story from December 2015/February 2016....

This Athlete we miss treated just sent us an email inquiring about a job posting from our shop. As the only sports staff member who was around for the above saga, I'm conflicted...