IBWAA members love to write about baseball. So much so, we've decided to create our own newsletter about it! Subscribe to Here's the Pitch to expand your love of baseball, discover new voices, and support independent writing. Original content six days a week, straight to your inbox and straight from the hearts of baseball fans.
Pregame Pepper
Did You Know?
In these days when few pitchers complete their starts, it’s worth noting that Warren Spahn pitched 63 complete-game shutouts — a National League record . . .
Long-time home run king Hank Aaron never hit more than nine homers in September, though fellow Braves Chipper Jones, Marcell Ozuna, Adam Duvall, and Dale Murphy did . . .
Shohei Ohtani is the first player to steal home and earn a win in the same season since Darren Dreifort in 2001 . . .
Cubs third baseman Patrick Wisdom would be a “wise” choice for NL Rookie of the Year . . .
Derek Jeter once beat out Alex Rodriguez for Baseball America’s Minor League Player of the Year award.
Leading Off
Another Look at the Jonah Keri Situation
By Stephanie Springer
It has been over two years since former sportswriter Jonah Keri was arrested and charged with multiple counts of domestic assault. The news sent shockwaves throughout the baseball community: a widely beloved and respected journalist was credibly accused of assaulting his spouse. As time passed, the number of charges against him grew, and more details were revealed about multiple incidents encompassing abuse, assault, and threats of physical harm.
For some members of the baseball community, it was incomprehensible to fathom that someone could speak out against domestic violence while also committing egregious acts of assault himself. While sports media had covered athletes committing acts of domestic violence, there seemed to be trepidation and uncertainty in how to report on a fellow sportswriter charged with the same acts. Keri’s colleagues, friends, and fans found themselves asking how someone who had seemed so nice could be a monster behind closed doors.
As Sheryl Ring noted in 2019, the news of his arrest should have been a watershed moment for the baseball community. And yet, his story faded away until last week, when Keri entered a guilty plea for numerous counts of physical assault against his ex-wife and unborn child.
It isn’t entirely surprising that the baseball community moved on. There are a plethora of talented writers providing insightful analysis, and we can simply cut Keri’s commentary out of discussions. Perhaps everyone stopped following the story because it is no longer a baseball story, but a story about a criminal. However, in light of the other stories of harassment and assault that have manifested over the last two years, we must consider that this was a missed opportunity for introspection within baseball media. If Keri could be simultaneously heralded for his storytelling capabilities while also committing these heinous acts, shouldn’t the community take pause and ask itself how and why he was elevated to such prominence?
While many people were shocked by the news of Keri’s arrest, some were not surprised. Women were quietly sharing their experiences of harassment and inappropriate behavior by Keri, as noted on IBWAA podcast episode #056 from September 1, 2021. More details came to light from anonymous sources. Even though Keri is no longer writing about baseball, there remains a fear that he is still so powerful within the baseball writing community that speaking up against him can damage one’s career.
This is exactly why Jonah Keri’s story is still a baseball story. For years, he harassed and intimidated people, and the baseball community continued to elevate him and place him in positions of influence. It would be hard for anyone to speak up and share their stories of harassment at Keri’s hands when so many in the media held Keri in the highest regard, and cited his work as exemplary. When people are afraid to speak up, it has consequences for us all. We miss out on thoughtful writing and analysis, and we miss out on the camaraderie and shared enjoyment of the game we all love.
There have been small but promising steps towards making the baseball writing community a safer place for everyone. The IBWAA has a Code of Conduct for its members, and SABR and Saberseminar have Codes of Conduct for their events. But generally speaking, in the wider baseball community, there are no codes of conduct or prohibitions of harassment. There are certainly whisper networks, but it’s important to recognize that newcomers and historically marginalized people may not benefit from these associations. And even when the whispers transform into shouts, it is simply not enough if no one is listening.
Jonah Keri’s arrest should have been a wake up call to the sportswriting community and baseball social media. There are many people in the baseball community who are quick to say “listen to women”, but these same people consistently fail to give women a voice. To be clear, it is not just men who are problematic; we know that women are culpable in creating and nurturing toxic environments as well. So how do we go about creating a safe space where people from historically marginalized groups can have a voice?
Elevate people who are not men, and give them a platform. Amplify their voices on podcasts and on social media, cite and promote their work, recommend them for writing positions and baseball jobs. When you are asked to (yet again) sit on a manel (a panel composed exclusively of men), insist on increased representation for marginalized voices - invite someone who isn't white, or isn't a man, to be part of your discussion.
We can (and should) continue to critique MLB’s policies regarding domestic violence and sexual harassment. But it is imperative for the baseball community to take a long, hard look at itself and its own standards.
If you’re experiencing intimate partner violence, please call 1.800.799.SAFE (7233), text “START” to 88788, or chat at thehotline.org.
If you’d like to help victims of domestic abuse in the Montreal area, where Jonah Keri will be sentenced, please consider a donation to Women Aware/Femmes Averties.
Stephanie Springer is an organic chemist and pharmaceutical industry analyst. Her writing has appeared in Baseball Prospectus and The Hardball Times. She can be reached on twitter at @stephaniekays.
Cleaning Up
September 11, 2001 Was a Tough Day For Baseball
By Dan Schlossberg
Tomorrow is not only September 11 but the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that took down four planes, two World Trade Center towers, and a piece of the Pentagon.
The impact was immediate — both upon the country, the New York/New Jersey region closest to Ground Zero, and upon the baseball world.
America’s National Game shut down for a week, pushing its postseason schedule into November for the first time.
People of all political and religious persuasions came together in an air of solidarity that superseded the usual hostility.
Even on the diamond, players came together.
In the first game played in New York after the week-long delay, Mike Piazza hit a two-run, eighth-inning home run that enabled the Mets to beat the Atlanta Braves, 4-3.
After that game, Chipper Jones told writers in the Atlanta clubhouse that it was the only time in his career that he didn’t mind losing a game.
He said New York needed a win — anything to boost morale that had hit bottom in all corners of the country.
A month later, baseball gave America another psychological lift when President George W. Bush threw out the first ball at the World Series in Yankee Stadium.
Politics aside, that was an act of bravery we have never witnessed from another president. After practicing his throwing in the bowels of the fabled ballpark, Bush strode to the mound in a Yankees jacket and delivered a perfect strike.
Unknown to the millions who watched on television, one of the umpires on the field with him was actually a heavily-armed Secret Service agent.
Both life and baseball would never be normal again but both would continue, just as they did when Franklin D. Roosevelt wrote his famous “Green Light” letter of 1942, saying baseball should continue as a national morale booster — even though most of its best players would trade their jerseys for military fatigues over the next four years.
I attended both games — the Piazza game and the Bush game — and must confess that I was nervous as a fan. Nobody knew whether the massive security plans for both events would be sufficient or whether the terrorists who pulled off 9/11 with impunity would try again with a bigger audience watching.
That great unknown still exists, especially with tomorrow’s anniversary and the all-too-fresh attack on U.S. troops departing from Afghanistan.
Baseball is there to take our minds off such things, at least for a few hours at a time.
As Bill Veeck once said, “The game should be savored and not gulped.”
In times that remain difficult and uncertain for a variety of reasons, that statement could not be more on point.
In concocting the 2021 schedule, MLB managed to think ahead — and schedule the Mets to host the Yankees at CitiField on that somber day.
Former AP newsman Dan Schlossberg of Fair Lawn, NJ is weekend editor of Here’s The Pitch and baseball writer for forbes.com, USA TODAY Sports Weekly, Sports Collectors Digest, Ball Nine, and Latino Sports. The author of 38 baseball books, Dan can be reached at ballauthor@gmail.com.
Timeless Trivia
Three-time MVP Mike Trout has been first or second in AL MVP voting seven times since 2012 and never finished lower than fifth . . .
Mazel tov to 17-year-old Jacob Steinmetz, a 6-5, 220-pound righty from Woodmere, Long Island drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the third round (77th overall pick) of the 2021 amateur draft. The first practicing Orthodox Jew signed by a major-league team, he eats Kosher food and keeps the Sabbath, walking to games rather than riding in a motorized vehicle. His high school team was the Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway.
Jason Jennings of the 2001 Colorado Rockies is the only pitcher to hit a home run and pitch a shutout in his first game . . .
Wishing a swift recovery to Mets broadcaster Howie Rose, the best in the business, who is out for the season following difficult surgery.
Know Your Editors
HERE’S THE PITCH is published daily except Sundays and holidays. Brian Harl [bchrom831@gmail.com] handles Monday and Tuesday editions, Elizabeth Muratore [nymfan97@gmail.com] does Wednesday and Thursday, and Dan Schlossberg [ballauthor@gmail.com] edits the weekend editions on Friday and Saturday. Readers are encouraged to contribute comments, articles, and letters to the editor. HTP reserves the right to edit for brevity, clarity, and good taste.