I feel like I should just leave that headline stand on its own. Or maybe use it as the slug line on the movie poster of the baseball-themed exploitation (“Basesploitation“) flick I’ve been planning. Sort of a Russ Meyer thing. I’ll have more details later.
But do know the subject of the movie could very well be that which is discussed in Joshua Kusnick’s latest over at Baseball Prospectus, in which he talks about how often he is contacted by would-be teen scoopsmiths, looking for tips. In all seriousness, this shocks me:
. . . sometime in 2013 I began to notice what seemed like a potentially negative trend. I was contacted by well over 100 teenagers asking me to be “their source.” I would have people just flat-out ask me for information—sometimes just general information, but mostly secret information. I have gotten all sorts of variations: The “I’d be honored if you were my source” approach, or the “I have dream, just like you had to have had when you were my age, so you owe it to me to help” plea. My favorite: “If you’re not willing to work with me as a source can you just tell me who would?”
Kunsick has advice for these sorts of people, most of which boils down to “man, don’t be such pushy jerks, OK?” Which one would hope isn’t necessary, but apparently is.
I’m not sure what these hundreds of kids are after. I mean, sure, I suppose a lot of them want to be baseball reporters, but I would hope most of them realize that getting a random, minor bit of transaction news doesn’t exactly move that ball forward very much.
