There's nothing quite like the media complaining about a subject's lack of press.
Dan's take today on the departure of unsung Red Sox 3B Bill Mueller is characterized by a pair of eyebrow-raising comments:
"How could anyone fly this far under the radar while playing a big role in the success of the Red Sox at a time like this?"
and
"The Sox manage to make big news almost every day, even when they do nothing but turn the light on for Theo."
No kidding. Remind me, how many times has Dan mentioned Bill Mueller during his three years in Boston? (Answer: Sixty-seven.) Of those, how many were anything more than a shoehorned-in afterthought? (Answer: One. Today.)
Let's look at a recent sampling of Dan's Bill Mueller mentions:
*Oct. 9, 2005: Tony Graffanino certainly deserves another look, and the Sox may try to work out a short-term deal with Bill Mueller, though that's unlikely.
*Oct. 8, 2005: The Sox are bound to undergo a major makeover before they next meet in Fort Myers, Fla.; well-known characters such as Johnny Damon, Kevin Millar, Bill Mueller, Mike Timlin, and maybe even Manny Ramirez are likely to be gone.
*Oct. 7, 2005: If the Sox lose today, it could be Damon's last game with the Red Sox. Same goes for Bill Mueller, Millar, and maybe even Manny.
*Sept. 3, 2005: If not for a tough error on Bill Mueller, all four Oriole runs could have been earned.
Why so little press for the man the CHB calls the "Sox' Stealth Star?" We need look only to Aug. 14, 2005, when one Dan Shaughnessy wrote: "Sorry, Bill Mueller fans. Your guy is simply too boring for words."
That one instance in three years that Mueller rated more than a footnote in a Shaughnessy column? July 25, 2004, after he hit a walkoff homer to beat Mariano Rivera and the Yankees.
In fact, on the Dan dedicated column count, Mueller is tied (at one) with hitting coach Ron (Papa Jack) Jackson, one behind Framingham Lou Merloni.
Wholly disengenuous.
4 comments:
Didn't you used to have a space in your name?
and yet, objectivebruce, you keep reading it, and posting the same comment over and over and over. amazing.
keep up the good work, chief.
Chief, you know I'm on board with this site more than anyone. I love it. However, this was a great column by Dan, perhaps his best in years. I really enjoyed it.
That said, keep up the great work.
Actually, I'd say a worthwhile point is being made here. While Mueller certainly deserves to be lavished with praise, Shaughnessy's portrayal of him as some sort of invisible, underrated presence is utter horseshit. Are you kidding me? What Sox fan hasn't seen umpteen quotes in the media (not only from sportswriters but other players/coaches/managers as well) praising Mueller for "playing the game the way it ought to be be played"? The fact is, the guy's received nothing but positive attention from fans & media over the years, especially in '03 when he won the batting title & had the game w/grand slams from both sides of the plate. He also received tons of notice and praise for the turning point walk off home run off Mariano in '04. In short, he's always been a popular and respected presence, and rightfully so. But as this site illustrates, Shaughnessy has never cared about accuracy or consistency. What's important in his universe is identifying a steady supply of injustices upon which to vent righteous anger and contempt. Hence the fiction that Mueller was some sort of unjustly neglected unknown. What a crock! JLS, Brooklyn
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