Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
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1) using profanity or any euphemisms for profanity
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4) arguing for the sake of arguing
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The writing of Sarah Morris has been hit-and-miss with me. She has a passion about the Dodgers and a diligence in trying to cover them well, but I think that sometimes she can't get past her own preconceived notions about the game. She's still learning (and aren't we all). The good news is, she is open-minded and determined to learn.
Today, she scored a hit. A couple of hits, in fact.
Not only was she able to provide perspective on former Dodger general manager Dan Evans and a brief interview with his replacement, Paul DePodesta, but she also had the integrity to politely disagree with the recent column on DePodesta by her benefactor, Bill Plaschke of the Times.
It was Plaschke's column about Morris that put her on the map and helped pave the way for her current recurring column, Sarah's Take, on Dodgers.com. But while acknowledging her friendship with Plaschke, Morris was able to critique him and his column objectively:
Plaschke believes the writer should take a stand and not worry whether he or she is right. I do not exactly agree with his ideas, but his philosophy has some merit.
I was disappointed and upset with his article about the Dodgers hiring DePodesta. He expressed prejudice against the young and people who use the computer.
DePodesta is young but probably has new ideas about putting together a baseball team. Older people do not like the young assuming they cannot do their jobs because of their advanced age. We young people do not like people thinking we cannot do our jobs because we are too young. I know experience is the best teacher, but bright and fresh ideas can be beneficial to the field. Come on, Plaschke, you have never eaten a 32-year-old Dodger Dog.
So what if DePodesta likes to use a computer? Nowadays if you do not use a computer, you are behind. Using a computer does not make a person a "computer nerd." I take offense at this phrase.
If DePodesta wants to use a computer to help him evaluate players, he might be able to do a better job than Fred Claire, Kevin Malone, and Dan Evans. The Dodgers need to improve this process to win their first playoff game since 1988.
Criticizing someone you have a fond relationship isn't exactly a rite of passage, but it's a difficult task that is worth recognizing when it is done with calm, cool class. It's a good moment for Morris - and I'm sure Plaschke feels the same way.
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