Nationals beat for Washington Post

[Smasher_Sloan]

I read that Chico Harlan has asked off the Nationals beat after two seasons. Any word on who will be taking over?

 

[Moderator1]

The job itself is on the jobs board - but to the journalistic question (though I guess this COULD be all on one thread): I'd be surprised if they went outside the paper. They may go outside sports but my best educated guess is someone who is already at the Post will get this gig.

 

[steveu]

I saw Dave Sheinin did a couple stories this past week. Any chance it goes back to him?

 

[cranberry]

I saw Dave Sheinin did a couple stories this past week. Any chance it goes back to him?

Dave should be more than a beat writer, no? I've always considered him more of a national writer type. Excellent reporter.

 

[Moderator1]

I think Dave will remain in that national role, rather than in a Nationals role. He did some beat stuff - including the manager hire - while Chico was on vacation. Chico has posted on his blog that he'll handle things from here until someone is annointed.

I wish it would be Dave. Damn, he's good.

 

[WriteThinking]

Jason Reid, if he wants back on baseball, maybe?

After doing football/Redskins, it's sort of doubtful that would be the case. But he's certainly another strong reporter, with a baseball history going back to his coverage of the Dodgers for the Los Angeles Times.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

Every time the Post assigns this they've told the writer "You only have to do it for two years..."

 

[WriteThinking]

Every time the Post assigns this they've told the writer "You only have to do it for two years..."

I think two-year rotations are often typical of major beats at major papers. Baseball, however, seems to be the only one for which writers often use the out clause after a certain amount of time, a span that usually depends on how much the individual writer loves and is committed to baseball itself as their sport of choice.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

Every time the Post assigns this they've told the writer "You only have to do it for two years..."

I think two-year rotations are often typical of major beats at major papers. Baseball, however, seems to be the only one for which writers often use the out clause after a certain amount of time, a span that usually depends on how much the individual writer loves and is committed to baseball itself as their sport of choice.

I think it's more typical for baseball than the other major beats. I know a lot of people (myself included) who begged off a baseball beat after two years. I don't know too many who have done that while covering the NBA, NHL or the NFL.

Covering baseball is a BRUTAL job. A lot of the big papers used to break it up into a three-man beat so it wasn't quite as brutal, but these days I doubt too many papers have three guys on a baseball beat.

 

[DCguy]

I would think that one of the younger college guys -- Steve Yanda or Zach Berman (who helped out when Chico was off) -- would have a good shot at it. Yanda has done a great job with colleges.

 

[Fran Curci]

If you're going to cover a major beat, you really should figure on three years. It takes the first year just to figure out what you're doing .....

 

[Joe Williams]

If you're going to cover a major beat, you really should figure on three years. It takes the first year just to figure out what you're doing .....

Doesn't acquiring and maintaining expertise on a beat add to one's job security? You'd think reporters would cling to their beats longer so as to make themselves more valuable, rather than interchangeable. I know it's a grind, believe me, but unless the brass mandates a beat rotation, I wouldn't be sticking my head up seeking a breather these days.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

I don't think there is a paper in the country that has a mandated beat rotation. In fact when you hear of a beat writer switching pro sports, it's almost always someone who doesn't want to cover baseball anymore.

 

[scribe77]

The three-year time period for developing sources and comfort level may be valid on most beats, but the learning curve on baseball is endless. You can never know enough scouts, agents or assistant GMs. Try recognizing an agent in a hotel lobby during the offseason, much less getting true insight, in the first few years on a beat.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

The three-year time period for developing sources and comfort level may be valid on most beats, but the learning curve on baseball is endless. You can never know enough scouts, agents or assistant GMs. Try recognizing an agent in a hotel lobby during the offseason, much less getting true insight, in the first few years on a beat.

My first season covering baseball I was lost, but I was also 23. After my first season the manager and GM were fired and when a new regime came in, we were all on equal ground, which was nice.

I never though dealing with agents was tough. Unless you're one of the top guys in the business they care more about your organization than they do your name.

 

[Rhody31]

Question from a guy who's worked preps and colleges his entire career.
How hard is the adjustment to an MLB beat? I'm not looking for this job for a variety of reasons - my fiancee's refusal to move from RI unless I'm making 3x as much as I am now - but wondered if a good prep reporter could just be thrown in and do the job seamlessly.

 

[zebracoy]

Question from a guy who's worked preps and colleges his entire career.
How hard is the adjustment to an MLB beat? I'm not looking for this job for a variety of reasons - my fiancee's refusal to move from RI unless I'm making 3x as much as I am now - but wondered if a good prep reporter could just be thrown in and do the job seamlessly.

In a way, you're doing all the same stuff - covering the game, plus the off-the-field stuff.

But then you've have to multiply the number of games by five, maybe six. Then you'd have to account for the long hours at the ballpark, and don't forget the travel. And add in the off-the-field stuff, which is now player arrests/suspensions/negotiations instead of just coaching changes and academics.

Could a good prep reporter do it? Probably, if you really worked your rear off and really knew what you were getting into.

But probably not, because it's still worlds apart.

Though, the college stuff would certainly help prepare you better.

 

[Smasher_Sloan]

Question from a guy who's worked preps and colleges his entire career.
How hard is the adjustment to an MLB beat? I'm not looking for this job for a variety of reasons - my fiancee's refusal to move from RI unless I'm making 3x as much as I am now - but wondered if a good prep reporter could just be thrown in and do the job seamlessly.

The travel is a *****, especially with the schedule the way it is now. You can get an Atlanta-Houston-San Diego trip, and almost nobody travels on team charters any more. See how many airline options you have for some of those segments.

You get to the park at 3 for a 7 o'clock game, so it's almost always a long day and you're almost always on deadline. Your paper probably also wants a notes package, which means updating injuries, trade rumors and that sort of thing. Sam Curveball might be throwing an extra bullpen today, or Mike Slider might be making a rehab start at Class AA. You're probably responsible for keeping an eye on the minor league system (usually five or six teams) and scouting, especially if your team has a prime draft spot. Are you doing Sunday notes, too?

There's always trade stuff to check with agents, scouts, other writers and the people with your team. There are usually a couple of pending contract issues, too. If your club is touting Joe Slugger as the next big thing, it's good if you can check with scouts and other teams' personnel guys to get a more objective viewpoint.

Your paper may want you to blog or do Q & A's or make a weekly appearance with Wally the Sportsdick on Fan Radio 720. Everybody in the office thinks spring training is a warm weather vacation, but your day will start at 7 and rarely end before 5. No need to take the golf clubs, tennis racket or Speedo. I've never spent much time in Arizona, but if you spend six weeks in Florida, you'll be sick of blue-haired drivers, outlet malls and shiftless, tourist-resenting locals in no time.

Oh yeah, then there are the games -- 162 of them, some of them extra innings, some of them rain-delayed, some of them just inordinately slow and dull. You'll curse out loud when Tony LaRussa makes the third pitching change of the inning in a 9-2 game. It helps if you can get to the other clubhouse and get to know people. Even if they don't know your name, they'll recognize you as someone who's around and you can get useful background information, some of it about your team. And I hope you're not competing against someone eho's been covering for 10 years.

Then there's that uneasy feeling when you're trying to get back to the hotel from the DC ballpark after everyone else has left, but I don't want to scare you away.

 

[golfnut8924]

Great post by sloan.

I've never been on a baseball beat and quite frankly, I have no desire to. The schedule of a regular sportswriter are tough enough on a family. I don't even want to think about what it's like for a baseball writer.

 

[Drip]

Question from a guy who's worked preps and colleges his entire career.
How hard is the adjustment to an MLB beat? I'm not looking for this job for a variety of reasons - my fiancee's refusal to move from RI unless I'm making 3x as much as I am now - but wondered if a good prep reporter could just be thrown in and do the job seamlessly.

The travel is a *****, especially with the schedule the way it is now. You can get an Atlanta-Houston-San Diego trip, and almost nobody travels on team charters any more. See how many airline options you have for some of those segments.

You get to the park at 3 for a 7 o'clock game, so it's almost always a long day and you're almost always on deadline. Your paper probably also wants a notes package, which means updating injuries, trade rumors and that sort of thing. Sam Curveball might be throwing an extra bullpen today, or Mike Slider might be making a rehab start at Class AA. You're probably responsible for keeping an eye on the minor league system (usually five or six teams) and scouting, especially if your team has a prime draft spot. Are you doing Sunday notes, too?

There's always trade stuff to check with agents, scouts, other writers and the people with your team. There are usually a couple of pending contract issues, too. If your club is touting Joe Slugger as the next big thing, it's good if you can check with scouts and other teams' personnel guys to get a more objective viewpoint.

Your paper may want you to blog or do Q & A's or make a weekly appearance with Wally the Sportsdick on Fan Radio 720. Everybody in the office thinks spring training is a warm weather vacation, but your day will start at 7 and rarely end before 5. No need to take the golf clubs, tennis racket or Speedo. I've never spent much time in Arizona, but if you spend six weeks in Florida, you'll be sick of blue-haired drivers, outlet malls and shiftless, tourist-resenting locals in no time.

Oh yeah, then there are the games -- 162 of them, some of them extra innings, some of them rain-delayed, some of them just inordinately slow and dull. You'll curse out loud when Tony LaRussa makes the third pitching change of the inning in a 9-2 game. It helps if you can get to the other clubhouse and get to know people. Even if they don't know your name, they'll recognize you as someone who's around and you can get useful background information, some of it about your team. And I hope you're not competing against someone eho's been covering for 10 years.

Then there's that uneasy feeling when you're trying to get back to the hotel from the DC ballpark after everyone else has left, but I don't want to scare you away.

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