On July 20th, Sharon put up a diary about a column by Mychael Urban in the San Francisco Examiner that was a serious indictment of Milton Bradley's behavior. Many on AN, including myself, reacted with shock and anger because we didn't believe that Bradley had done anything to warrant the column.
Urban was a bit shocked by the reaction on AN and thus he wanted a chance to respond to some of the critiques, some of which were very personal in nature. In all likelihood, Mychael can't make this year's AN Day, so he's taking the opportunity to talk to ANers here.
Here is my quick question and answer session with Urban over email:
Blez: First of all, are you writing a regular column now for the Examiner?
Mychael Urban: Yes, I've been writing it for about a year and a half now. It appears every Thursday, and it's about baseball during the season and all sports in the offseason. One of the reasons the offer to write it appealed to me is the same reason I enjoy writing the mailbag you see on the A's site. As a beat writer, you're not to let your opinions on anything influence your work. The reader expects and deserves your complete objectivity, so you simply write about what was done, and what the doers have to say about it. And while we're all human, and by no means will I lie to anyone and say my opinion has NEVER seeped into something I've written as a part of the beat work, I think all of us on the A's beat do a pretty good job with objectivity. Wrting something like a column or a mailbag, however, allows you to be subjective and voice your opinions. It's a different, more creative outlet, and it obviously makes you more of a target to people who disagree with your opinions. I get that, and I understand completely why some of your readers bashed me; I went after one of their guys. They disagreed. That's fine. The personal attacks were a bit much -- some of them were pretty funny, though --and that's part of the territory, too. As far as the characterizations of me being a bitter failed athlete, I'll say this. :Sure, I pitched in college and would have loved to play at the next level, but I came to grips with my relative lack of talent in that arena while I was still in it, and anyone who knows my body of work knows I don't randomly atttack people. And no, I'm not gunning for a newspaper job or a full-time radio gig. I like it at MLB.com; we celebrate baseball, and not many media outlets do much of that anymore. But it's nice to get out of that box once a week and write what's on my mind.
Blez: What inspired you to write the column? Was it something said to you in the clubhouse?
Urban: I saw a player with a history of meltdowns have two pretty major public meltdowns in less than a week, and I'm privvy to several private ones over the course of the season that I won't get into for obvious reasons, so I felt he needed to be called out for the inappropriateness of his actions. Put it this way: I wouldn't write something like that if I wasn't positive that what I was writing was legit, was sourced well, and wouldn't compromise the many relationships I've spent years building. And for the conspiracy theorists on your site, it wasn't a message from the front office to Bradley's agent or anything of the sort. It was me seeing a situation that might be getting out of hand and shedding some light on it. I felt like he was embarrassing himself and the organization, and just as my opinions are fair game to the masses, so are the actions of highly paid professionals to columnists paid to put their opinions out there.
Blez: A lot of people on the site seem to have the impression that you have it in for Milton Bradley. How would you respond to that?
Urban: I'd point to my constant defense of the trade for Bradley prior to the Baltimore episode. Bradley's not big on talking -- especially when things don't go his way -- and that certainly gets frustrating at times because beat writers depend on the principals of any given night's action to give life to their stories. But I don't "have it in" for him at all. If people want to think I do, I can't do anything about that. You're talking to a guy who's been blown off a million times, by athletes as insignificant as Jeremy Giambi. If I had an axe to grind against everyone who's blown me off, I'd be chopping for years.
Blez: Do you think the column was fair to Bradley who from all appearances hasn't done much to bring on that kind of column in many people's opinion?
Urban: Fair? Hell, yes, it was fair. It certainly wasn't untrue. Was it harsh? Yeah, absolutely. But deservedly so in MY opinion, and that's what this was: MY opinion, based on a lot of supporting evidence. Look, I'd have loved to have gotten Bradley's take on everything before writing the piece. I even went to him privately that day in Baltimore trying to do so. But he wouldn't talk, so I went with what I had, and what I had was that there are/were people in that clubhouse who are/were concerned that if the kind of behavior he displayed in Boston and Baltimore went unchecked, it could lead to bigger problems down the road.
Blez: Unnamed sources have been a part of journalism since the profession began, but the big question is whether you heard the comment about people being tired of Bradley from multiple sources?
Urban: Yes, but my one regret is suggesting that the whole team was tired of his act. I didn't talk to everyone on the team. And one of your readers made a great point I might have made myself: The baseball season is a grind, and even the best of friends get tired of each other when they're in close quarters for a long period of time. But make no mistake: At the time, there were plenty of concerned parties who thought something needed to be done. Has something been done? I don't know. And if it has, I doubt we'll ever know.
Blez: Anything else that you'd like to add about the column that you'd like ANers to know?
Urban: Hmmm. Well, I will say I was surprised by the heated reaction to it. But like I said, getting bashed is part of the territory. I stand behind what I wrote, and I'm certainly in the A's clubhouse enough for anyone there who had an issue with it to confront me about it. But I've seen Milton since the column came out, and I've spoken to Billy and a lot of other players. The column hasn't come up, and nothing has changed as far as my working relationships in the room are concerned, so that's good enough for me. If I lost the respect of some of your passionate members, I guess I have to just wear it -- just like I'll continue to wear the earring I was hammered for. You've got some clever folks, Blez. Mean as hell, but clever. Thanks for letting me respond to some of them, and thanks to the people who came to my defense.
Blez: Thanks for being willing to talk to us about it.
0 recs | 126 comments
Ouch.
You're talking to a guy who's been blown off a million times, by athletes as insignificant as Jeremy Giambi.Buuuuuurn!
salb918 - July 25, 2006
I loved that line....
gigglingone - July 25, 2006
Hmm...
"Was it harsh? Yeah, absolutely. But not deservedly so in MY opinion"Freudian slip?
TurnTwo - July 25, 2006
Yeah
I just edited that...I'm pretty sure he meant it was deservedly so.Tyler Bleszinski - July 25, 2006
I figured as much
It just made me smile.TurnTwo - July 25, 2006
standup guy
Urban showed character by showing up but I still believe he lost his temper and wrote the article after a confrontation of some sort with MB. I'm not saying that a couple of his "insiders" don't have a problem with MB... but I think the overall team consensus would disagree with what he wrote. Just IMO.I have never had a beef with any of his articles in the past so I would never hold a grudge anyway. What an important asset Magnum P.I.??? really is and I hope he continues to regularly show up at AN.
ohtobe21likehuston - July 25, 2006
Thanks for another Exclusive
Great to see the direct feedback - one of the elements that makes AN different from just about every other fan site out there, Blez.Mychael - keep stirring up crap! Keep us informed on everything. :-)
louismg - July 25, 2006
Wow, very impressive Urban
To come onto to this site that ripped him to shreds with a lot of personal attacks says a lot to me about how much of a standup guy Urban is. I am very impressed...not many sportswriters would do ANYTHING like this, plain and simple.Well dont Blez and well doen Mychael.
OaktownPower - July 25, 2006
shoot...
Well done and well done. Sorry, typoOaktownPower - July 25, 2006
yeah, those attacking urban
should at least give him credit for being willing to interact with rabid a's fans on a blog.i may not always agree with urban, but at least he's not a pompous ass like ratto or plaschke...
xbhaskarx - July 25, 2006
i'll give you plaschke
if you back off on rattorubin sierra - July 25, 2006
fat chance
xbhaskarx - July 25, 2006
damn
xbx 1, RS 0but it's still early!
rubin sierra - July 26, 2006
Speak for yourself, man
I had the rabies but after a series of painful shots in the gut, I'm no longer a "rabid" A's fan. Strange though, the foaming at the mouth problem still hasn't gone away.Tyler Bleszinski - July 25, 2006
Mychael, thanks very much
Both for your candor and for providing an example of precisely the behavior you criticize Milton for not displaying: that is, not letting the heckling get to you, and responding to it positively.Oh, and thanks for the new signature line, too!
monkeyball - July 25, 2006
Eric Chavez
is the only clown who probably doesnt like MB. If Chavez played with MB fury maybe he would have lived up to his potential.tankormike - July 25, 2006
What?
Where the hell does this come from? Any basis for this kind of comment at all??OaktownPower - July 25, 2006
Chavez has publicly defended MB
we have no way of knowing who may have privately criticized him to Urban...and I wouldn't speculate on anyone in particular.OaklandSi - July 25, 2006
brilliant stuff, dude
xbhaskarx - July 25, 2006
oh please
batgirl - July 25, 2006
Thanks for the Q&A, Blez & Mychael
My original confusion still exists about teammates' "tiredness" and why it's "clear" -- but I understand that just as he shouldn't name names, he probably also shouldn't give examples which could be so specific that he might as well be naming names...Poppy - July 25, 2006
lol
"Some teammates, including one who is six foot three, 240 pounds, and have been known to like cupcakes...."gigglingone - July 25, 2006
btw
That was just an example, I know nothing about anything going on in the clubhouse or locker room, though really if they let me in I'd be happy to go into the locker room and find out what's really going on and perhaps hang out for a few days and maybe follow some of the players home, but no, I know nothing, this was just an example....gigglingone - July 25, 2006
LOL!
TurnTwo - July 25, 2006
"known to like Cupcakes"
Now that would be a revelation!monkeyball - July 25, 2006
Did he give him a puppy?
Poppy - July 25, 2006
Why
I am not in the media business at all but can someone tell me what the purpose of a beat writer is. I live in Ohio and if I want to see what the A's did the night before I will check out ESPN, the A's site or this site.Yes I know that the media is part of the game but I could care less what Milton Bradley does after the game. I have a felling that Urban made a mistake by making the news and not reporting it.
What happens in the clubhouse should stay there. If he wants a important job then have him write about topics that deal with the A's, such as injuries, stats, and so forth.
The media is the greatest example as to why the country is going down the toilet.
crd04 - July 25, 2006
You are in the minoroty though...
What athletes do off the field is hugely interesting and important to a lot of people.OaktownPower - July 25, 2006
Maybe
I just can't stand it when a reporting gets ticked off just because a athlete will not talk to them. I could care less as to what Bradley thinks about baseball, just as long as he plays the game.Take for example the Barry Bond issue. Now anyone with a brain knows that he took steroids but the media is not satisfied with that until Bonds admits it on TV.
Remember what Jim Gray did to Pete Rose on national TV. Everyone knew Rose was guilty but the media tried to make a opportunity for themselves.
Enough said I will get off my soap box.
crd04 - July 25, 2006
What a beat writer is...
He/she's basically a liaison (eh, for lack of a better word) between the fans and the team. A beat writer reports the daily goings-on of the team. They are not paid for their opinion (a la Plaschke, Ratto, Ostler, Mariotti et al), but to report what's going on in the clubhouse and on the field - good or bad.This is the job I'm hoping to get in the near future.
JLaff - July 25, 2006
Here's the rub
Urban says above, "People in that clubhouse are/were concerned that if the kind of behavior he displayed in Boston and Baltimore went unchecked, it could lead to bigger problems down the road."But his column wasn't about the potential problems so much as it was about the fact that the guy had already exploded, the die was cast, in his words "Game over."
That was the problem with the column. People would have accepted something about a potential problem down the road, but Urban amped in up and wrote as if that time had already come.
RLangford - July 25, 2006
Oh, and of course, kudow to Urban
for doing this interview.RLangford - July 25, 2006
kudos, I mean
or Lisa Kudrow, I wasn't sure.RLangford - July 25, 2006
kudzu?
koro?monkeyball - July 25, 2006
kudu!
Poppy - July 25, 2006
thanks for not posting a picture of koro
monkeyball - July 25, 2006
koko!
rockit - July 25, 2006
You know, that's a really good point.
It was written like MB was already the clubhouse cancer and the A's were just counting down the days until he left the club, instead of being written as a warning.People have been concerned all along about Bradley's 'fire', but this has been the only thing I've read that's suggested that the A's are tired of him, and wish he wasn't on the team.
All other accounts speak to the players really liking someone like him on the team.
baseballgirl - July 25, 2006
Exactly!
I for one love the 'fire' Bradley brings to the team. I want to know that at least we have one player/ leader who is willing to stand up to the opponent in their house.Macha won't retaliate when our guys get beaned over and over. Our so-called 'leader' allegedly wants to bat even further down in the order and the words he echoes is uninspiring if not down right depressing for a clubhouse leader.
I want Miggy after the 2003 playoff loss. I want a vociferous Bradley who lit up Redsox pitching. Give me more of that damnit!
sf drift king - July 25, 2006
What bugged me about the column
was the lack of even a single reference to a source on background. If there had been even one reasonably objective statement like "'I'm sick and tired of Milton,' said one veteran who asked not to be named," the column would have had way more legitimacy in my eyes. I remember back in the Canseco days there was a story that an unnamed player had called Jose "the biggest jerk in baseball." Now that was a legitimate story. Multiple reporters could attest that the statement had been made, though none would say who had made it.The fact that Urban could not relay anything - not an anonymous comment, not a private observation of an incident involving unidentified players - nothing to substantiate that there is any problem at all between Bradley and his teammates, made the column feel trashy.
Sorry Mychael. I love your work on mlb.com and really appreciate your spending time on AN, but I hated that column.
matthias - July 25, 2006
Agreed.
That absolutely sums up my sentiment on the column.Kyli - July 25, 2006
urban has always seemed like a pretty fair guy
to me. it's good to get his side of things.this whole thing has been blown way out of proportion. bradley wasn't exactly behaving like a model baseball player, urban's column may have gone too far, and ANers probably overreacted to the whole thing.
xbhaskarx - July 25, 2006
Well what fun is that? ;)
baseballgirl - July 25, 2006
ANers?? Overreacting???
We NEVER overreact!!gigglingone - July 25, 2006
Shut up! Just SHUT UP!!!
You know, I really didn't appreciate you making jokes in response to my earlier comment...{bursts into tears, gets drunk, shaves own head}
Poppy - July 25, 2006
<shaves Sal's head>
monkeyball - July 25, 2006
<shaves Monkeyball's arms, neck, and waist>
to create the look of an oh-so-classy sweater-vestrich @ Athletics Nation - July 25, 2006
well, slap a bow tie on me ...
... and call me George Will!monkeyball - July 25, 2006
AN has been quite the drama fest these days...
pickinmachine - July 25, 2006
And if he thought it was negative before...
!!!!baseballgirl - July 25, 2006
ANers have been watching too many
novellas. I'm putting a permanent ban on Univision for all ANers.Tyler Bleszinski - July 25, 2006
lol
xbhaskarx - July 25, 2006
what about 'toonivision?
monkeyball - July 25, 2006
Telemundo also has Novellas, too.
Plus, Unvision's sister station Telefutura has novallas also.pachydermOAFC - July 25, 2006
Destinos!!!
CALL ME RAUL!!!baseballgirl - July 25, 2006
Yes, yes, and yes.
kaweahkaweah - July 25, 2006
I'm going to agree with a number of people here
and thank Urban for this Q&A. The comments in the thread pretty much ripped him up, and yet he still came back and responded to us with class and good humor. Thanks Mychael, and thanks Blez!gigglingone - July 25, 2006
true
He did show some sack by showing upcrd04 - July 25, 2006
For sure.
baseballgirl - July 25, 2006
Likewise
but I still disagree with the article and think it went overboard.I'll give Mychal props for responding to all the negative feedback.
sf drift king - July 25, 2006
Suddenly it is the
beat writer's job to keep a player's actions in check? His clubhouse pulse isn't exactly stellar, see: Kennedy, Joe.southofcruiseamerica - July 25, 2006
Hey Mychael...
...good form to show up and try and answer some questions. I've always liked your work on MLB.com; you know that, but I just don't see what has changed from the hiring of Milton Bradley until now. All of us knew his passionate, fiery personality; that's kind of the appeal of the player.From all other accounts I've read, the players really seem to like him; he adds depth to a very weak lineup, and he threated to kick Boston fans' asses. Really, what's not to like?
It was just a little surprising reading all those accounts, and then reading your piece on how the players are sick of his act.
Maybe I'm biased; I think Bradley is one of the best things to happen to the A's this year, when healthy, and I'm not so much concerned with his innapropriatness at times. Lord knows, SOMEONE on the A's should be innapropriate. ;)
baseballgirl - July 25, 2006
Agreed completely
Both on appreciating Mychael for bothering to respond, and for admitting that it was over the line to imply that the whole team was sick of him. It was that broad generalization without any substance to back it up that made the piece look like a hatchet job.I like Bradley, and his fire, and think it's unfortunate that his reputation comes back to haunt him now in a town whose media at the start of the season were excited to have him, warts and all.
It just seemed a like kicking a guy when he's down on the basis of hearsay and rumor the way it was written.
LD - July 25, 2006
the only good i can see coming out of this
bradley is such a me-against-the-world guy, hopefully he sees that the a's fan base has his back.xbhaskarx - July 25, 2006
Just be careful with his back...
...breakable and all. ;)baseballgirl - July 25, 2006
good point
xbhaskarx - July 25, 2006
Off topic, but did anybody see the Gwen Knapp
column on SF Gate? Nice job, very up and positive about the A's being in first despite all the injuries. Urban's column was a complete opinion piece, which is fine, just be honest about it. Cool that he addressed it though.A'sfansince1970 - July 25, 2006
One objection to what Urban said,
Jerry Giambi is not insignificant, he significantly lost us that ALDS game a few years ago.The Jeter incident
uhoh, depression's setting in again remembering that play, and now that stupid reversal commercial.
robber23 - July 25, 2006
Gatorade SUCKS.
I'm boycotting.baseballgirl - July 25, 2006
They make up for it with The Catch in there...
OaktownPower - July 25, 2006
bad times
I saw that play on TV the other night and I prayed like hell he would slide this time.But he didn't
Oh well
crd04 - July 25, 2006
respect points for Urban
Way to face the firing squad, instead of being part of the problem, then claiming you're above it all and ignoring it like some others we know.My beef was the whole fair reporting issue, but if it's an op-ed piece, that argument is bunk. So, while I may fear what the article does to the clubhouse, I can't really rally against with the points that I was.
Besides, maybe it got Milt fired up....didn't Milton's absolute bomb in Detroit just scream, "Urbaaaaaaaaaaaan"???
Tony - July 25, 2006
respect
I respect Mychael Urban for responding to the AN community. And doing it this way rather than jumping into a forum where he was being savaged is quite smart.He is a good enough writer to be responsible for the words he writes. He stands for what he wrote and admits that it was harsh instead of saying that it was a matter of interpretation or some other line that journalists use to dodge responsibility for their writing.
I still feel that he could have made the same points in the column about Milton without the unsourced insinuations, and it would have been a stronger column generating less 'friendly fire'.
jakarta - July 25, 2006
Okay, for the umpteenth time
why didn't we bunt last night with two runners on and no outs? I don't know how many times this occurred, but when a pitcher like Beckett is on and we're not doing anything with his stuff, don't adjustments have to be made? AND why didn't anyone but Swish make adjustments? Sometimes this team just seems incompetent! Okay back to positives! Swish, hit a line drive through Schillings stones! Do it boys!A'sfansince1970 - July 25, 2006
Blez...
Ty for this interview. Good Job.M? Yes we were mean and cruel in the thread regarding you personally. I said then that I thought that and I still do. However,as for the criticisms of your article you have to expect criticism as a writer. Bradley has been a lightning rod for our A's when he plays and that inspires loyalty in the fans and appreciation. That was the catalyst for the anger. I like to see some sources sited when I read gossip. So keep that in mind ok? <g>
IM4Oakgal - July 25, 2006
He's just trying to eat his cake.
I liked Urban's mlb.com stories and even his mailbag, but with this article he's trying to have his cake and eat it too.I like that he answered some questions from Blez, but c'mon, guts? It doesn't take much guts to fire back some answers over e-mail, I mean, look at all of us.
I just didn't like the article, because it showed exactly Urban's tilt on things and now that's going to cloud every article that I read of his on mlb.com.
I mean, c'mon, we all anticipated this might happen with MB eventually, but to call it a huge meltdown is just trying to inflate it to the level of past incidents. He had altercations with fans, albeit Boston fans. It's not like he's punching teamates, writing "the ship is going down" or getting ticketed by the Law.
I stand by my comments that Urban made the article unnecessarily controversial to "sell papers". He littered it with pop-shots in a very pointed manner. The worst line is "And if the problem isn't nipped in the bud, the A's won't be in first place much longer." What?
Last thing, if MB did see the article, forget about ever getting any tidbits from him anytime soon. Not that he was free flowing before, but now the river will be dry.
rcb - July 25, 2006
Examiner Headlines!!!!
"Urban Preaches To The Stupid On Internet Blog To!!!"You gotta hand it Urban, he certainly knows how to work a crowd. First of all he writes a butcher job, a personal character attack, on a player and then he not only BLAMS the player for the peice but he then comes onto AN and justifies it! And he wonders why some on AN bit back in a personal way-"The personal attacks were a bit much". Gee, I wonder if Bradley said the same thing right after reading Urban's trash.
To recap, some of Urban's handy work:
"Now that Beane's success has increased the value of OBP, he's looking for weaknesses elsewhere, and what he's apparently discovered is that so-called "problem players" are undervalued"
"One of Beane's problem players is Milton Bradley, and he's becoming a bigger problem by the day"
"Bradley has five-tool talent, which is what enticed Beane into trading away his top outfield prospect, Andre Ethier, to get him. But he also has about seven screws loose."
"Until Saturday, Bradley had been on his best behavior. Of course, it's easy to behave when you're on the disabled list, which is where Bradley has been for most of the year."
And my favs:
"So on the A's moved to Baltimore, where the Orioles fans aren't exactly known for being harsh. But they certainly got under Bradley's skin, and Bradley gave them plenty of material with one of the weakest acts seen since the World Cup ended."
"After stumbling while rounding first base on Wednesday, Bradley appeared to be injured, and badly...There must have been some kind of medical magician in the dugout, because Bradley was back out on defense the next inning, even diving for a ball."
"So the fans let him have it, and rightly so."
Dat a boy Urban, you're a real hero.
bigelephant - July 25, 2006
Thanks Urban!!
Thank you for taking the time to respond to us. You absolutely did not have to do this. You could have easily said, "screw them and that site!"It takes a lot of courage to face a site like this and give them your side of the story. Many may not agree with what you did, but like everyone else on this site, you are entitled to your opinion.
I have always looked at you as one of 3 reporters I believe and trust to deliver the truth. My confidence in one of the three was shaken earlier in the season and to see this article made me sad. But I knew that it was you, so there had to be something to it. Your response today solidified that thought.
I don't want to believe the worst about Milton, especially because he is quickly becoming one of my favorite players on the team. And honestly, if his issues are mostly with opposing teams' fans, I can absolutely live with that. It is when he starts to impact the other 24 guys on the team that I will begin to worry, and so far I have not seen that.
I truly hope that the mean spirited comments aimed at you in the last week do not effect your opinion of the site as a whole. I especially hope it does not effect your writing and your decisions to include certain details in your stories.
Thank you Mychael for having the guts and the grit to face us head on, and remind us all that we DO NOT know the whole story, and probably never will.
One not-so-hot article does not change the fact that you are one of my favorite sports writers. Keep up the good work!
BobbyCrosbysGirl - July 25, 2006
{starts rumor about which mistrusted reporter}
Jayson Stark hit on you?!Poppy - July 25, 2006
EW!
BobbyCrosbysGirl - July 25, 2006
I think a good point was made above
by crd04 when he said that Urban made a mistake by becoming the news, and not reporting it. This is in no way a dig at AN - which I love - but by appearing on the blog to answer his critics, he only served to exacerbate the fact that he is now a news-maker and not a news reporter. And crd04 is correct - the fact that so many journalists in America have fallen victim to the temptation to become news-makers and not just news reporters (just take your pick of TV "news" channels) has indeed thrown the entire institution of journalism into disaray, which is a damage to the nation in general. Back to Urban and the case in point, any credible journalist would avoid committing that cardinal sin at all costs. But Urban, clearly, is not a credible journalist. There is a lot of evidence pointing one to the conclusion that he wrote his column to create a stir, to drum up some controversy. The fact that he waded neck deep into that controversy by appearing on the blog only confirms that suspicion. The best journalists of our age - be them sports reporters, political reporters, what have you - have delivered their critiques to the masses because of the firm belief of the necessity of their critiques to the arena which they are tasked with covering, not because of some twisted ego boost that they get from being controversial. Adhering to that standard is what gains journalists credibility. And when you have that credibility, your opinions are able to stand on their own, with no need to go running to blogs to defend them. Urban has failed at every turn on this one and, frankly, doesn't deserve the air time that AN has so graciously delivered to him.willcmatthews - July 25, 2006
he shoots! he scores!
You got it willcmatthews. This is the new "journalism": where I am the story for getting the story. It's all a big Hitchcock film and I have to insinuate myself into at least one shot, lest people forget who the director is!This is what's happened to the Fourth Estate, it's been taken over by this mentality of inclusion-in-the-exclusive, like "I was in the clubhouse (where you lowly peons will never tread, because you're not me!) and some of the players (whom you will never talk to because you're not me, so you don't get to go into the clubhouse, where you will never be, and talk to them like I do!) told me that this guy (whom you are already predisposed to dislike/mistrust because of previous media-inflamed circumstances in other cities) is reeeeeeealllly getting on his teammates nerves, and I oughta know because they told me! Unanimously!"
Oh, wait, it was only a few and they were really more concerned with what this player will do in the future. Yeah. Urban should just face up to the fact that he is just angry at Bradley because Bradley isn't the most friendly player to the media, and especially to Urban himself.
Of course, I don't see why that is... it's not like Urban ever goes off half-cocked and writes inflammatory, drama-inducing opinion pieces about the players he covers, especially when those players are arguably the ones CARRYING THE TEAM at present.
emperor nobody - July 25, 2006
let's also not forget
that portraying Bradley as an insane problem child, in addition to being infantilizing of MB and condescending-beyond-compare in its holier-than-thou, "behave or be gone" schoolmasterly approach, is EXACTLY WAHT THE NATIONAL MEDIA WANTS TO REPORT, having convinced themselves roughly 47 times in the last 4 years that Bradley really is one dugout tantrum away from a possible duel-at-20-paces-with-sidearms with another (usually W-H-I-T-E) teammate.The new "journalism" prominently features this to-the-choir aspect, as the Human race (surrounded by ever more damning uncertainty and gray area) attempts to tell itself over and over again that everything it thought it already knew about itself was, in fact, absolutely right.
Moral certainty may not be a constructive path for dialogue and real learning, but it sure does give people in need of an authority figure someone to tell them what to do.
emperor nobody - July 25, 2006
I agree with zack
urban is....well here is the link.http://elephantsinoakland.com/blog.html
I have less respect for him now.
Why should he have to answer to us?
Because he knows hes an idiot and wanted to defend himself.
Ionnes - July 25, 2006
we all know MB is sensitive to fan abuse
that's not news. We all wish he's find some mechanism to keep him from reacting, which only makes it worse.And as for unnamed A's players voicing concerns? Sure, who isn't concerned? But named A's players are defending MB.
I'm glad Urban is willing to respond to Fan criticism of his article...but it doesn't cancel out that criticism.
OaklandSi - July 25, 2006
That's how I feel.
Personally, I know I didn't overreact. I had the same reaction as Poppy did, and that was basically confusion. As for criticism, it reads like something Plaschke wrote, and most here know how I feel about that guy. But, hey...it's okay to disagree.Sharon - July 25, 2006
I find it suprising
that Urban was suprised by the reactionArakSOT - July 25, 2006
Great job Blez
Getting an interview like this so soon after the column in question was written ... well done.I thought this was funny:
That, along with the fact that we find out he's been writing this column for a year-and-a-half--is that right?--goes to show one very important point that's being overlooked here:
Nobody reads the Examiner.
rubin sierra - July 25, 2006
my thoughts exactly
The fact that AN -- the most obsessive of fan communities -- had no idea about this column's existence is pretty telling.(No slight to Mychael or his column intended; major slight to SFEx intended).
monkeyball - July 25, 2006
In its defense
The Examiner makes damned fine, free, packing material.LD - July 25, 2006
Hahaha, that was my thought--
With all the fallout about Slusser's article on Swisher's love of sweet, sweet vodka in the Chron, it makes me wonder what would have happened if this article had been in a paper that anyone actually, like, read.Kyli - July 25, 2006
The paper's FREE
and they can't give it away. I think it has equal billing to the 'Streetsheet', the paper the homeless tries to sell. I usu give them a buck and toss the paper in the garbage.sf drift king - July 25, 2006
To those criticizing M. Urban
for doing this interview ("he's becoming the story," "it didn't really take guts"...), remember that the only alternative was not to do the interview. Given that what was done was done, and these were the two options, I think Mr. Urban made the better of the two choices, the one showing more character not less, and I am appreciative of that.Nico - July 25, 2006
I agree
and I also think that columns by their very nature make the person who writes them the story. It'd be different if Urban included this in one of his stories on MLB.com, but as a columnist, it's his right to give his opinion as he sees it. I happen to disagree with that opinion and think it was overblown, but the fact remains is that he's a lot closer to the team on a daily basis than I am and privy to a lot more insider stuff than we are.Tyler Bleszinski - July 25, 2006
Sounds to me like
if the column had just been "positioned" more clearly as an editorial/opinion piece, or as a warning (not "game over?") piece, it would have been far better received by many. Small but crucial distinctions, perhaps.Nico - July 25, 2006
my only problem was with the ...
... anonymous sourcing. And I still have some questions about that.As I said in the initial thread, if the sourcing is true, then Mychael's on solid ground -- and we've got some real weasels in the A's clubhouse.
monkeyball - July 25, 2006
one problem, but i don't know
if it's the only problem.i think urban clearly miscalculated when he wrote this column.
i'm guessing urban didn't expect such a negative response because he figured the public was equally frustrated by bradley. well, we may be frustrated by the injuries, but i don't think most of us care whether he gets along with opposing fans (as long as he doesn't go ron artest on them) or whether he has a good relationship with the media.
bradley's unwillingness to cooperate is no excuse, urban went too far.
xbhaskarx - July 25, 2006
I disagree, but it's a fair opinion
Since it's pretty clearly a sports opinion column, I think pretty much anything is fair game.What I'm not quite so comfortable with is the using of unnamed sources without clarifying whether the unnamed sources were speaking out of school, or whether the columnist was speaking out of school.
I disagree with Urban's opinion, but I have no problem with the manner in which or the fact that he expressed it.
monkeyball - July 25, 2006
He didn't have any other choice . . .
but to bow to the power of AN.rcb - July 25, 2006
A Weekly Examiner column
Interesting that Mychael has been writing a weekly column in the Examiner and (at least in my somewhat cursory reading of over 100 posts) nobody on AN realized that fact --- which is really not that surprising given how few people read the Ex. I felt after reading it that the column was sufficiently an anomaly to suggest deeper motives (such as front office involvement), particularly since I thought it was a stand-alone. . But given this was part of a weekly series of columns, that idea fades to the background.The charge that the reporter should report rather than be the story is a very serious one, particularly in terms of the confluence of today's strident media pundits and so-called "gotcha" journalism. However, it's also true that a journalist is obligated to tell the truth rather than merely repeat press releases and propaganda. Sometimes there aren't two sides to every issue (Republican vs. Democrat). Sometimes there's one one (truth vs. lies). So while I think it's valid to argue Mychael stepped over the line (into the realm of "gotcha" journalism, for instance), I'd give him a free pass on "being the news." Assuming no hidden motives here, he was doing his job as a journalist to the best of his abilities, and I don't think he should be faulted for that. If telling the truth makes the reporter the news, then that should be okay. Otherwise, we'd have never seen the Watergate revelations or the Pentagon Papers, or even Ron Suskind's recent book, "The One Percent Doctrine."
richwol - July 25, 2006
Good of Urban to suit up and show up
for your interview.ak_A - July 25, 2006
that is at his end of his pc.
ak_A - July 25, 2006
and not at AN Day
OaklandSi - July 25, 2006
Thank you, Blez.
Thank you for coming on, Mycheal.I think there was overreaction all the way around, and I think I'm guilty of it, too. So...
<moves on>
Beat Boston, for the love of Pete!
FormerHuntsvilleStar - July 25, 2006
Thanks Mychael
I didn't really see the problem with the article, but it does take guts to come on and stand by your words, regardless of the reaction.Squeaky - July 25, 2006
OT
Theory on why Swish is flopping at 1B:He's trying to have his buddy DJ brought back to the majors.
OaktownRajah - July 25, 2006
Flopping at 1B??
Did I miss something? Other than those two errors on Sunday, (One of which shouldn't have been an error) what has been going wrong? I think he is doing a pretty damn good job over there!BobbyCrosbysGirl - July 25, 2006
Thank You, Mychael
My first reaction to this article was to critized since I have the hard cover of "Aces" even though I put "We still love you man" at the end of the post. I don't agree with Urban all the time, but I'll a book if he writes another one, and keep reading his article on the Internet or in print. Mychael is a great writer, he should keep on doing the great work.pachydermOAFC - July 25, 2006
I will give Urban credit for coming to AN
but that is about it. Everyone (after reading Urban's responses) should go back and re-read the article itself. I had kind of forgotten just how inflammitory it was -- and got ticked off all over again after re-reading it. Just because he had the guts to come on and answer the critics does not make the criticism of him wrong.I understand it is his opinions -- but where does he get off making these statements? By his own admission in his MLB.com Mailbag
Here are, however some quotes from the Examiner article about this person that Urban "does not know"
They're also tired of Macha playing the role of enabler.
So to summerize: Bradley is the reason we will fall out of first, he of the seven loose screws. Bradley then faked an injury on the field (why he would even think that is beyond me) and in conclusion all the A's are sick of MB and also sick of Macha letting him run amok.
I understand that these are his opinions, but shouldn't a journalist be responsible or at least accurate? I mean the first quote about the A's not being in first much longer if the Bradley problem is not nipped in the bud makes no sense. Is he suggesting trading him? benching him? Anger managment? If you are going to make a statement like that at least back it up with what you think the A's should do to nip it in the bud.
Next, the "seven screws loose" comment. Shoddy journalism at best. I mean you are already trashing the guy, is it really necesary to resort to name calling? But I guess that is what tabloid journalism is all about....
The "medical magician in the dugout" comment really pisses me off. Is he saying that Bradley just does not give a shit to the point where he would intentionally make an out for some sort of sympathy play? And then he is not even smart enough to pretend to stay injured (to keep up the ploy), as he later comes back to make a diving catch? We have not seen Bradley play as much as we would like, but he has played hard the entire time we have had him able to play and I can't see any reason that he would pretend to be in pain. To speculate that he does not hurt that much and should have gotten back to the bag is okay for AN blog posters, but journalists should have more integrity and realize that maybe, just maybe, it hurt like hell for a minute and then he was able to walk it off. Guessing on the amount of pain a person is in is tough for doctors who are actually examining a patient. Not sure how Urban would be better at it while watching from the press box.
Finally, the quote about how all the A's are tired of his act and that Macha is an enabler. He did cover this a bit in his interview w/ Blez and backed off the entire team being tired of his act. Still to even make that comment where every single quote from an A's player says how much they love Milton's fire is just incorrect. You have to at least say (in general terms) how you know this. Overheard clubhouse chatter? A quote from a current athletic who will remain annonomous? To make a blatant statement like that with nothing to support it is the height of irresponsible.
I could keep going (I really hated this hatchet job article) but I think I have ranted enough on this. I just hate to see him getting so much props for coming on (which he does deserve some) and not enough accountability for what he actually said.
AsFanInLA - July 25, 2006
Fair Points
My first reaction to him coming here was sympathetic, since some of the remarks were pretty personal. Then again, you've reminded us that Mychael's slams on MB were just as personal, so in the end he pretty much deserved what he got. Funny how easy it is to completely destroy your credibility, eh?LD - July 26, 2006
good points, but ...
... I for one actually think Urban deserves even more credit for coming here and answering Blez' questions, and for not overreacting to the scorn (deserved and undeserved) directed his way.Recently, many other journalists, covering much more important issues than baseball, have run shrieking from online criticism and feedback.
I'm not saying Urban's beyond criticism, or that by playing nice with us he gets a free pass (in fact, I agree with much of your criticisms of the piece), but I do think it's really significant that he "gets it" regarding the changing nature of the media-audience relationship.
monkeyball - July 26, 2006
What did he say?
A'sfansince1970 - July 25, 2006
CROSBY IS THE DOOMSDAY DEVICE!
Forget Bradley, this is all bull%$#$!Chavez is hurt, get mad if you WANT!
Crosby and the batting coach (is there one?) need to have their heads checked! Someone needs to make some concrete blocks fitted with a place for his feet to clamp in, and I don't care even if if fits right or not! This kid has a goofed out little league swing! PLANT YOUR FRIGGIN FEET IN THE BOX!
Keep Milton.
baseballbill - July 25, 2006
Meanwhile...Kenny Rogers
is knocked out of the game in the first inning: 0.2 IP, 7 ER. Which means the Tigers have now been involved in 4 straight games in which 5+ runs were put up in the first inning.Nico - July 25, 2006
Great game with Angels and DRays
No score, bottom 4. Go DRays! (That's okay I think. They aren't the Yankees, although they have that loud mouth fan who heckled Durazo.) Where is Erubiel, by the way? Dotel?A'sfansince1970 - July 25, 2006
Yeah, the Heckler from Tampa Bay...
makes me wonder if he's gonna pick on Bradley when we see the Devil Rays in Sept. It'll be interesting to see if he gets under Bradley's skin or not.Ice Cream - July 25, 2006
Dotel was on rehab,
and reported pain in his elbow just a few days ago. Durazo is dead, or maybe just rehabbing/training somewhere.These stats astound me: .320 AVG, .413 OBP, 9 HRs, twice as many BBs (44) as Ks (22)--in 270 ABs.
Scott Hatteberg. Apparently not so done.
Nico - July 25, 2006
amazing what Hatte can do when healthy
monkeyball - July 25, 2006
Billy made a boo boo!
Should have kept him. He would be nice in the front office too. Kind of like the Mets did with Rickey. Oh well. I met people at the Red Sox/M's game who got married over home plate and walked down the aisle to Dirty Water. Funny. She had a vail coming out of her Red Sox cap.A'sfansince1970 - July 25, 2006
DRAYS tied it up 2-2!
A'sfansince1970 - July 25, 2006
Awesome.
salb918 - July 25, 2006
yeah BUOOY! ! ! !
I love Tampa Bay... today.ohtobe21likehuston - July 25, 2006
here's the problem with Urban
from a journalist's perspective: A beat writer has to be neutral. She or he can't use a different forum to rip someone and pretend it's OK. I used to be a beat writer covering two California governors (Deukmejia and Wilson) -- there's no way I could have gotten away with a column ripping them, someone in the Capitol would have complained to management that I was prejudiced and gotten the paper to take me off the beat. If sports doesn't play by such strict rules, fine, but a beat writer still shouldn't do it.vk - July 25, 2006
Exactly
Sometimes perception is just as important as truth.My job doesn't even have anything to do with my paper's political coverage, but management would still frown on my having political bumper stickers on my car, for example, because it could lead to people outside the paper perceiving bias.
Even if Milton Bradley's teammates really are tired of him and he kicks puppies and makes babies cry, it still looks really bad for someone who covers the team he's on to say things like he has "seven screws loose."
Once readers know a reporter's personal feelings about a topic (or person), I think they will always have that in the back of their mind when reading that person's work.
At this point, I don't know how much I can trust anything else Urban writes about Bradley. Even if he is trying to be fair to him, there will always be the perception that he has an ulterior motive.
day-to-day - July 25, 2006
THANK YOU COMMUTER
for your clarity. I spent much of 2002, 2003 and 2004 covering the San Bernardino County government corruption scandal involving former state assemblyman Jerry Eaves. Whatever my personal feelings about Eaves, I had to carry myself at all times professionally because I had a sacred obligation to be fair. Journalists are not unlike any other human being in that we all have our biases. But we do have to be fair. Urban writing a column ripping Bradley and then turning around and pretending to be a fair and objective beat writer is mind-boggling to me. I said it earlier and I'll say it again - he's not a credible journalist and he doesn't even deserve all of the time and energy that we AN'ers are giving him. Granted, I'm contradicting myself in that this is the second post I've written on the subject, but I just thought commuter's point was so on the money I had to dish out kudos. That and I care and believe in journalism so dang much that it just infuriates me to see some jackass like Urban carry himself in such an unprofessional way that it gives the whole institution of journalism a bad name.willcmatthews - July 25, 2006
Hmm.....
One point we're missing is that it took a year-and-a-half for you so-called "Urbanites" to find out he also wrote for The Examiner.Quick, what did he write about in yesterday's paper?
Voltease - July 27, 2006
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