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mlb press credential restrictions

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by mustangj17, Aug 28, 2007.

  1. mustangj17

    mustangj17 Active Member

    email from my editor this morning:

    -when MLB Advanced Media came around a few years ago they wanted to be the best outlet around, so they stopped allowing other online sites from covering the games.

    Anyway from what I know of Detroit here is what the press box looks like:
    2 reporters from the Detroit News
    2 reporters from the freep.
    2 reporters at max from the oakland press
    3 photogs, if they go to the box
    MLB Writer Jason Beck, and an MLB Intern.
    the main thing is only three papers cover the tigers in person without using the wire.



    still not that crazy...
    maybe a scout here or there and a tigers intern but nothing the copa box cant handle.
     
  2. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    Wouldn't there perhaps be an AP writer and TV and radio people as well?
     
  3. There's usually way more people up there than that. Don't forget about the people who input stuff into the play-by-play features at sites like ESPN.com, Sportsline, etc., etc. Or the official scorer. Or the Japanese press if there's a player on either team (though I don't think there is). Or columnists. Or national writers dropping in. Or black newspapers in Detroit. Or radio people - there's typically a ton of them at an MLB game. Or various PR people, hangers on who have been credentialed for 30 years, authors, etc., etc., etc.

    It's always more crowded than you would imagine.
     
  4. txscoop

    txscoop Member

    I know some minor league clubs that don't allow credentials for Web site writers. My guess is that most of those writers are not objective. Too much cheering in the press box.
     
  5. Rhody31

    Rhody31 Well-Known Member

    Is this a story you could do over the phone?

    An unabashed Red Sox fan who works at a paper in our chain got credentialed at a Tampa-Boston game and stayed for the entire game after getting his interviews done with a Tampa player pregame. He also wrote a game story, which was the first one written by anyone for the Sox in our company (theye been running AP).
    I argued with some co-workers about him needed to be there. I looked at it as he wanted to go to a game, wanted to sit in the press box so figured out he could use the link.
    Best part - the pitcher isn't part of his paper's coverage area any more. They don't cover his high school team, but they'll cover him. It pissed me off royally.
     
  6. KP

    KP Active Member

    A pitcher? What RI really needs is more Rocco stories! I hear he's from Woonsocket and went to Hendricken.
     
  7. Some Guy

    Some Guy Active Member

    How's this for funny:

    The Major D-I I cover won't credential the local Rivals guy for football. Oh, he can come to all the midweek junk he pleases. But if he wants to see the game in person, he has to buy a ticket.
     
  8. txscoop

    txscoop Member

    I agree. Most of those guys are cheering & yelling in the box. We don't need that.
     
  9. mustangj17

    mustangj17 Active Member

    I forgot about the AP writer, but Radio has a seperate box.

    I'm not sure about if the camera men do, but 3 max.

    Japanese press at baseball games... now that's crazy.

    As for the Red Sox/Rays game... whats wrong with the guy staying for the game.

    Technically, the output of the game, or the game itself may have changed the content of the story, especially if said player was involved.
     
  10. mustangj17

    mustangj17 Active Member

    The stuff for rivals reporters is crap... Because Rivals actually gets content out for recruiting and stuff (in some cases) well before newspapers since they have the ability to post on the internet quickly.
     
  11. mustangj17

    mustangj17 Active Member

    Also cheering in the press box...

    I think that has more to do with your ethics and a professionalism as a reporter, not who your work for.
     
  12. Some Guy

    Some Guy Active Member

    I think they just don't like him personally, and do this to fuck with him. They do credential this old coot who runs a newsletter out of his home office (I'm not kidding). I guess just because he's been doing it for so long and he's basically harmless.
     
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