October 27, 2009

I am immenently useless

I write my own crap around here.

Sure, it's not always the highest quality detritus, but it clearly has my stamp on every word, image, and link.

You couldn't just replace me with a computer program.

Now, a baseball writer, on the other hand, should be worrying a bit because it seems that Northwestern University has found a way to write news stories about baseball games without a baseball writer.

For example, compare this recap from the New York Times on the Angels' 7-6 rally over the Red Sox...
In the hopes of channeling one of their most famous postseason moments, Boston reached back 23 years on Sunday and had Dave Henderson throw out the ceremonial first pitch.

It was Henderson’s home run that rallied the Red Sox when they were down to their last strike against the Angels in the 1986 American League Championship Series. Now with the Red Sox facing elimination by the Angels again, here was Henderson, proof that no game, no series, is over until the final out is secure.
But this time, all these years later, it was the Angels who made that point. Down to their final strike three times in the ninth inning — just as Henderson was in 1986 — Los Angeles scored three runs off Boston’s dominant closer Jonathan Papelbon, to win the game, 7-6, and eliminate the Red Sox from the postseason....
...to a recap written by the robot writers...
Things looked bleak for the Angels when they trailed by two runs in the ninth inning, but Los Angeles recovered thanks to a key single from Vladimir Guerrero to pull out a 7-6 victory over the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Sunday. Guerrero drove in two Angels runners. He went 2-4 at the plate.

“When it comes down to honoring Nick Adenhart, and what happened in April in Anaheim, yes, it probably was the biggest hit (of my career),” Guerrero said. “Because I’m dedicating that to a former teammate, a guy that passed away.”
I'll admit that I'm not sure I could tell the difference.
Of course, nobody's going to replace Hal McCoy any time soon.

No comments: