Best baseball writers?

[txscoop]

I am covering a minor league baseball team this summer, and I was wondering who are the best current baseball beat writers to read?

 

[SoSueMe]

I love Troy Renck of the Denver Post. He's smooth, witty and gets the job done.

 

[Sweetness]

I like Jeff Passan's columns for yahoo.com. Even after the 803rd gyroball story.

 

[CapeCodder]

Nationally, if you want to drop a few bucks on ESPN Insider, Buster Olney is great.

 

[Left_Coast]

Tim Brown at Yahoo.

 

[Shaggy]

I would agree with Olney and Passan. I always check them out.

 

[Bob Loblaw Law Blog]

I think this conversation begins and ends with Tom Verducci.

The absolute best in the business.

 

[SoSueMe]

txscoop was looking for beat writers though.

 

[cranberry]

Renck, Brown, Passan are all very good, although Tim and Jeff aren't beat writers in the traditional sense -- they're Web columnists, more in line with a national baseball writer position. Gordon Edes does a very good job. I also like Geoff Baker's stuff most of the time. He moved from Toronto to Seattle late last season. Plenty of other very good ones.

 

[SoSueMe]

Baker's in Seattle now isn't he?

 

[Bob Loblaw Law Blog]

txscoop was looking for beat writers though.

My bad, yo.

 

[SoSueMe]

txscoop was looking for beat writers though.

My bad, yo.

I should have mentioned, I agree with your choice as "one of the best." No question.

 

[KnuteRockne]

Rob Neyer

 

[jfs1000]

Nationally, if you want to drop a few bucks on ESPN Insider, Buster Olney is great.

I second Buster. I read him at the Times and he was the guy I tried to pattern myself after. Since he has been at ESPN, he doesn't really write with the same eloquence though. I loved him covering the yankees at the Times and is a very good read.

 

[John]

The guy at the Cincy Post kicks ass.

 

[Ike Broflovski]

I've always liked Tyler Kepner, the Yankees beat writer for the Times.

He does a very good job making game stories and features enjoyable for hardcore and casual baseball fans. He's a thorough and consistent reporter and writer on a brutally competitive beat. Following Buster Olney on the beat was a tall order, but I think Tyler's body of work is very impressive, and I don't think you'll find many people who will argue with that.

 

[DavidPalmer4Prez]

I've enjoyed reading Barry Svrluga (Wash Post). It's tough to make the gawd-awful Nationals interesting, but he does.

 

[KnuteRockne]

Nate Silver

 

[Chi City 81]

Gordon Wittenmyer's pretty damned good, IMO. He used to cover the Twins, and just took over as the Cubs beat writer for the Sun-Times.

 

[John]

Charles Prince

Wait. You said baseball, not beach ball right? Never mind...