As editor-in-chief, I would humbly, and with a red face, like to offer a correction to the This Week In Quotes column that is running today on the site. More importantly, I would like to offer a heartfelt apology to Commissioner Bud Selig for our Alex Carnevale misquoting him in the story. Mr. Selig has long been an advocate of baseball journalism and is undoubtedly the most accessible head of any major professional sports league in the United States. Thus, the last thing we would want to do is damage the media's relationship with him.
In the story, we quoted Selig as telling the New York Post's Joel Sherman that he was ordering Mets owner Fred Wilpon to hire Sandy Alderson, currently working as Major League Baseball's point man on corruption in the Dominican Republic baseball system, as the franchise's next general manager. However, that was not the case.
This what Selig actually told Sherman: 'He would bring the Mets an intellect they have been missing plus instant organization, credibility and the perception throughout the game that the general manager—and not ownership—is running the baseball operations. None of the other candidates can do this. So if the Wilpons do not pick Alderson now they should know the first reaction is going to be that they will be giving their fans more of the same."
Again, we apologize to Selig, as well as Wilpon, Alderson and Sherman. Please understand that our mission is to get the facts straight, and when we don't, it bothers us.
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Again, I still don't think this is appropriate for him to comment on, especially in this manner. I really have no idea what the apology is for. I do not see this in a different light and I certainly don't think that BP is in any way at fault.
Other rumored candidates like Allard Baird have to be a bad joke.
Sandy Alderson is a known commodity. He's the only hire in this case.
My understanding is that the owner is the owner, and the commissioner is, in effect, an employee of the owners.
And lastly, this apology sounds an awful like Peter Pascarelli's mea culpa earlier in the year. It's no more tasteful now than that was then.
If so, isn't Selig's tampering directing a team to violate that policy?
If not, well, then this was just reading practice.
"Mr. Selig has long been an advocate of baseball journalism"
Right, he is fabulous.
"Thus, the last thing we would want to do is damage the media's relationship with him."
So, are you worried about your quote or Sherman's quote?
"In the story, we quoted Selig as telling the New York Post's Joel Sherman that he was ordering Mets owner Fred Wilpon to hire Sandy Alderson, currently working as Major League Baseball's point man on corruption in the Dominican Republic baseball system, as the franchise's next general manager. However, that was not the case."
Operative words are "ordering" and "not the case".
So, what is the case?
"This what Selig actually told Sherman: 'He would bring the Mets an intellect they have been missing plus instant organization, credibility and the perception throughout the game that the general manager—and not ownership—is running the baseball operations. None of the other candidates can do this. So if the Wilpons do not pick Alderson now they should know the first reaction is going to be that they will be giving their fans more of the same."
Ok, sounds good.
This is what your line originally said.
—Commissioner Bud Selig, advocating the Mets hire Sandy Alderson. (Joel Sherman, New York Post)
Please let me know, if Selig is not advocating Alderson, what is he doing? Mind you, all of this could have been perceived as nothing, had Selig not stated, "None of the other candidates can do this". You guys are smart, part genius in my opinion, and I think my membership is worth every penny that I pay. Why was this clarified? Are we missing something?
The realy good part is how long we were suppose to believe MLB didn't give 'em the line about Selig's "credibility" with the media. Too funny.