Taking a stand on seating

Major League Baseball recently got serious with its Web site, MLB.com. It hired a fully loaded staff, updated its design and dedicated itself to thorough, fair coverage of the game.

One problem: Over the past two seasons, a conflict has been brewing between MLB.com and the sport's veteran beat writers. Baseball seems to consistently assign its young charges the best seats in the press box, relegating many veteran scribes to the back rows. It's not much of a problem during the regular season (unless, say, we're on 3,000th hit watch or Pedro's facing Clemens). But feathers get ruffled come playoff time, when writers with established outlets, such the Chicago Tribune or The New York Times find themselves 20 rows behind Jimmy the Kid.

Because it's only my fifth year as a baseball writer, I don't count myself among those who deserve a prime seat. Put me in the rafters. But when you see guys like Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci or Ross Newhan of the Los Angeles Times camped out way in back, it makes you wonder whether baseball's powers-that-be are thinking with logic or self-importance.

Pearls of Wisdom

This week, for no particular reason, I devote my five Pearls of Wisdom to former Philadelphia A's first baseman and New York Giants outfielder Pug Griffin, whose real first name was Francis.

Pug No. 1: The American League's most improved defensive outfielder is the A's Terrence Long. When Johnny Damon left Oakland to sign a free-agent deal with the Red Sox, it looked as if the A's improved D was shot. In the past, Long -- a converted second baseman -- routinely got a poor jump on the ball and often threw off-line. This season, however, Long's return to center has been extremely smooth. He makes all the routine plays and occasionally dazzles with an out-of-nowhere rifle. Says one scout, "He's turned himself into a value."

Pug No. 2: A couple of weeks ago, when the Indians were soaring, third baseman Travis Fryman openly wondered why the media had doubted his team in the first place. "Did you really think we'd be that bad?" he asked. The answer (slightly later than expected): Yes. As we're starting to see, the Tribe's fireball beginning was a fluke. While the team's young starting pitching is loaded with promise, the bottom of the order (Gutierrez-Branyan-Bradley-Diaz) is an opponent's best friend.

Pug No. 3: The success stories of Twins center fielder Torii Hunter and Reds left fielder Adam Dunn should be screaming examples to major league teams: Lay off the kids. Both players struggled early in their minor league careers, and both chalk that up to too many coaches with too many opinions. On his route to stardom, Dunn says no fewer than 10 instructors in the Cincinnati chain attempted to alter his swing. Hunter, who holds his hands as low as any big league hitter, tells numerous tales of know-it-alls insisting he choke up. "We were drafted for a reason," he says. "So why try and change everything about a guy?"

Pug No. 4: The early frontrunner for Hard Luck Player of the Year is Florida right-hander Ryan Dempster, whose 4.22 ERA and 0-3 record aren't warranted. Against the Cardinals last Wednesday, Dempster allowed just two earned runs in six innings, but still took the loss. Last season, a year removed from his first All-Star Game, Dempster struggled with his mound timing, sometimes looking awkward and uncomfortable between pitches. As one scout says, "He never seemed to fit right with his surroundings on the field." Dempster is much improved this year. The Marlins are not.

Pug No. 5: This week marks the 63rd anniversary of the Babe's debut as a pinstriped starter. Surely you remember the Babe, that stocky, hard-living slugger who went on to clobber a stunning, uh, 15 homers that season, then 12 the next. Sadly, Babe Dahlgren's place in history has little to do with stats. On May 2, 1939, he pulled a Pipp, replacing an ill Lou Gehrig in the Yankees' starting lineup.

My Top 5 List of the Week

Five reasons Tom Arnold should not be hosting a sports show:

1. He will never live up to his starring role in The Stupids.

2. He may have to take a hiatus to host the sequel to Arnold Schwarzenegger: Hollywood Hero.

3. He reminds viewers of Roseanne.

4. He tears the spotlight away from Steve Lyons' deep offerings.

5. He's not funny.

Sports Illustrated senior writer Jeff Pearlman covers the baseball beat for the magazine. His Pearls of Wisdom appear every Friday on CNNSI.com. Jeff will answer your inquiries in future editions of Pearls. Click here to send him a question or comment.

 

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