Chicago Tribune, Phil Rogers hit all-time low with Cubs/Sox article

Since its commencement, I have never considered, nor wanted, this site to be a forum for the endless criticism and public humiliation of other bloggers and baseball writers.  Every writer or website has its flaws; nobody’s perfect.  Still, as both a writer and general baseball obsessive, I can always look past any petty grievance that I may have and appreciate the analysis and creativity at the heart of someone’s work.  It’s like when you are a pitching and one of your fielders makes a costly error behind you: it’s not like the guy did it on purpose.  At the same time, when a player isn’t giving a wholehearted effort, it’s painfully obvious.

That might be why I was astonished at the blatant lack of thought and effort that Chicago Tribune sportswriter, Phil Rogers, put into his Saturday column.  Rogers, who covers the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox for the Tribune, wrote an article titled, “Here’s a not so modest proposal for Chicago baseball,” that suggested the Cubs and White Sox should not only swap General Managers, but also execute an 11-player trade between the two organizations.

I have zero interest in dissecting Rogers’ argument.  It is so completely illogical and unstimulating that it would be a waste of my time, as well as all of yours, to proceed with such a discussion.  Rather, I would like to assert my disappointment with both the Chicago Tribune and Rogers for publishing the article.  Having grown up in the Chicagoland area, I remember when the Tribune was both reputable and enjoyable.  However, with the print industry fading fast, I sincerely believe that the Tribune’s attempt to combat this trend has lead it to it’s own demise.  Rogers’ absurd article is the epitome of their inadequacy and it marks a new low for the paper.

Now, I know that it can be challenging to write about baseball during the off-season, especially on a national level when there are no games to cover and trades are few and far between.  That is why it’s essential that any baseball writer, let alone a mainstream one like Rogers, be creative with the topics and ideas that they choose to explore.  Sure, there are a lot more people that read Rogers’ work than they do articles on this site, but that doesn’t mean he should comprise what little integrity he might have and write such unfathomable nonsense.

I can’t help but feel that Rogers’ article is an utter embarrassment and simply baseball journalism at its worst.  I have officially purged from my system the remaining respect that I had for the Chicago Tribune and even more so, Phil Rogers.

Please, if you love baseball and take pride in how you convey your thoughts on the game, read his article.  I highly suggest that while you’re it, you take a few extra minutes and read the article’s corresponding comments.