Wow

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/joe_posnanski/11/05/sports.politics/index.html

This, in my mind, is what sportswriting is supposed to do. It's about life's triumphs, but it's more than games.

And the last sentence just left me speechless.

 

If you're not a regular reader of the Kansas City Star, you may not know this, but Joe has written some absolutely epic columns about Buck O'Neil. The one he wrote when Buck died was particularly memorable.

 

I've said this before on other threads about Posnanski , but it's worth repeating. "The Soul of Baseball" is a fantastic book.

 

Damn, man. This is ridiculous. How can one guy be so good?

 

"Yeah, that's what she said."

 

Incredible. I'd read that man if he wrote a phone book.

His stories on Buck O'Neil never get old. Glad I was lucky enough to meet Buck once.

 

I did an item on the sports writing and editing blog (which I'm actually trying to update now) about that last paragraph.

Many writers -- you'd be surprised, I see it way too often -- would mess up that last paragraph by putting the attribution at the end.

 

That's one of the first things I tell my reporters. Attribute quotes as soon as you can, not necessarily at the end.

 

Terrific column. Posnanski nails it again.

 

Joe might be the best going today.

I need to go out and get that book.

 

Hey Bob, there's a thing now called the Interwebs where you type in a few characters, click on that mouse thing a few times and someone actually will bring the book -- maybe even a nicely preserved used copy at a great price, in just a couple of days -- right to your door!