Top MLB beat writers?

Billy the drunken bum manager regularly ripped into Henry and was never afraid to use anti-Semitic slurs aloing the way.
Now, Henry could be one of the most annoying people you've ever met, but Martin's constant berating of him was beyond any reason.

 

Numerous points made here are open to debate, but to suggest that Peter Gammons "can't write a lick,'' is ridiculous. One of the most remarkable stories I've read was Gammons on Game Six in the 1975 World Series. It was incisive, evocative and written under extreme deadline pressure. I asked him about it in Cooperstown the year he was honored, and he told me he had 20 minutes. I would have been happy with something half as good with twice as long to write.

 

That might be and you're entitled to yo r opinion, Tim, but it was more than 30 years ago. I think he's about due for another well-written piece.

 

I always thought Jason Reid did a great job.

 

Used to love reading Rick Hummel in the STL PD. He's still there, but more of a national guy now. Should be in the HOF some day.

 

Game Six was an example, but not an exception. To suggest Gammons has written little or nothing of quality over the last 30 years is absurd. In any case, to suggest he ""can't write a lick'' is a cliche. Anonymous rips, like ambition, should be made of sterner stuff.

 

"What's there to look into?"

 

What, no love for Jayson Stark?

 

Madden and Moss Klein's book "Damned Yankees," tells how Hecht inadvertently caused Madden to spill the beans about the married Martin's woman on the side (who eventually became his last wife).

For those who haven't read the book: During a Sunday afternoon game in Cleveland in 1983, Martin spent all of the contest sitting on the top step of the dugout with girlfriend in the first row dressed rather provocatively with shorts and a halter top, and passing him notes, many times putting them between her toes and sticking her leg over the rail so Martin could take them. It was pretty hard to miss and, in fact, the TV crew refrained from even showing Martin during the game while this was going on.

Up in the press box, the reporters got together and agreed none of them would write anything about Martin's behavior that day (being Yankee writers in the '80s, they felt they were dealing with enough crap). However, the Yankee PR guy called Madden and told him Hecht, who was a columnist and still in New York, called asking some pointed questions about Martin. Madden believed the beat writer from Hecht's paper tipped him off about the GF in Cleveland and knew if Hecht knew, Hecht would write about it, therefore leaving the Yankee beat writers open to the wrath brought down on their editors.

Madden then called Steinbrenner, and George told him (without Madden tipping him off) that he knew about Martin's behavior and he was thinking of replacing Martin with Yogi Berra (which happened after the season). Madden now knew he couldn't sit on the story and wrote it, mentioning the girlfriend in Cleveland.

As it turned out, nobody tipped off Hecht (he was just on a "fishing expedition" as the book put it), and when Hecht's co-worker told Billy about Madden's story, Billy went nuts in his office because his wife was about to find out about the other woman.

 

I don't know that he's the best, but I really do love Paul Sullivan's stuff for the Tribune. The other day the Cubs debuted this wireless phone system to the bullpen at Wrigley that was the first of its kind in the league, which was what he led with, then got to the game story with the line "Meanwhile, the Cubs continued to phone it in on the field." Beautiful stuff. Of course, he learned from Royko, who may have been the best to ever get his mug next to a newspaper column, even if it wasn't sports.

 

Henry could make ME use anti-semitic slurs, and I'm Jewish.

The National Enquirer would have been too conservative for his tactics.

 

I agree with the previous post of Schulman from the SF Chronicle. He's probably gone through some because of what the Chronicle has done to Bonds. I don't think I saw any NY area beat writers, but what about Lennon, who covers the Mets for Newsday? I read his stuff all the time and try to pattern my style after his, as well as Schulman.