Span and Sain and Pray for Rain

I can't wait until you write about, you know, baseball.

I was deeply offended by this article.

That is, the link to tvtropes.org with no warning right there in the first sentence.

This is complete trash. I expected better from a semi-well-known writer, and I really expected better from Baseball Prospectus.

Publishing this was a complete lapse in judgment, and I'm really disappointed.

What the HELL is the point of even researching this subject, much less thinking we want to read about it??

Hilarious!

I loved the piece, Emma. I just hope that you find this end result worth it all. There's a lot that can't be unseen...

If you don't like the subject matter, fine, don't read it. You could easily tell from the lead-in on the front page that the article was quirky and risque. And if that was too subtle for you, the first line of the article was even more clear.

This was a FUNNY, lighthearted article about a segment of baseball fandom that few knew existed. It never purported to be anything else. Many people come to BP for the analysis, but the personality of the writers is what makes this a great place. As soon as BP starts choking out writing that is edgy or controversial, it loses what makes it great. VORP was edgy and controversial. Ease up.

I have to say that when I subscribed to BP for fantasy baseball information, this isn't exactly what I had in mind.

Just tell me that there isn't any slash fic devoted to Don Mossi.

By the way, I wonder where this book by my nicknamed namesake would fit into the picture here:

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5015/364/1600/leonardnovel.jpg

Sadly, one wonders if Dustin Pedroia's "laser show" and "rocket show" catchphrases were used in the Derek (Jeter? Lowe?)/Pedroia story.

Respectfully, I'd like to add a "thumbs down" to this type of article appearing on BP. I fully understand that others saw the humor in it, but with so many articles to read and so many competing sites that carry baseball information - I can't help but place Emma Span's name at the back of the queue for a while. Again, respectfully - I don't believe you can really afford to come out of the chute as a new writer at a place like BP and split your audience without some of us ignoring your writing for a while - the competition is too stiff to believe otherwise.

Welcome Emma. I received your book as a gift a few months ago and enjoyed it thoroughly. I'm excited you will be writing for BP.
Great Article too!

I've rarely managed to upset so many people before breakfast!

No offense taken on my end; the column was intended to be funny, and I hope most people find it to be, but it's okay that it's not everyone's cup of tea. sfastatsprof, there are indeed a ton of great baseball writers out there, both at BP and elsewhere; of course you should read the ones you like.

Would there be nearly so much negativity if the article had been about women writing heterosexual fantasy porn about baseball players? If anything, I would bet that such an article would be a matter of indifference.

Since we seem to be voting, I will go thumbs up. I enjoy BP for writing that explores and questions the tropes of [life] baseball, and this qualifies. It is well written and funny to boot, so good coffee-time at the computer before the drudgery of work sets in. Thanks.

Hmmm...

Albert Pujols article, transaction analysis, a couple of fantasy articles, article on fictional gay sex among baseball players.

Just your average Friday at Baseball Prospectus.

Welcome aboard, Emma!

I enjoy reading about baseball, no matter what the angle, so I actually read this article all the way through. I thought it presented a well-written and enjoyable take on baseball fans that I NEVER would have imagined existed. It's nice to sometimes see something other than a 1500-word analysis on Sabathia's pinky toe angle on the rubber during May games when the temperature is below 70 degrees F.

Thanks, Ms. Span--

Hilarious. There isn't anything in the fine print that says every article has to revolve around numbers.

I could really get into some baseball fan fiction, if it was a story about Cubs management making one brilliant move after another.

I also wonder which line this article is crossing. Where is the line, what does it represent and who put it there?

Thanks, BP. That was a fun diversion. Too bad about the controversy.

Maybe this will spark anti-fan fic porn, where Jaret tells Melky, "Melky, bro! Let's work on our fielding and take batting practice." Balance things out a bit.

Buried in all this is the fact that the name of your new column is absolutely brilliant.

I have to admit that I like the notion that decisions whether or not to publish material that clearly won't be everyone's cup of tea lean toward publication. As has been pointed out, it's easy enough to click back to the main page, where there is plenty of analytical material for any subscriber. I wouldn't want to think that something that would amuse me, or challenge me in a different way, was written and then nixed because it might possibly offend someone, or be considered tasteless by someone.

Maybe it's because I *like* "tasteless" humor; I loved National Lampoon, too.

Let me know when you come across some Eddie Gaedel/Jon Rauch slash fic. The world needs to see those two together.

Excellent article.

Do GMs ever get involved? A Michael Young/Jon Daniels piece could help them work through their issues.

Gee whiz. This is a lot of ado about nothing so much. If you couldn't figure out to stop reading within 10 seconds...Some free advice - if this was too tasteless for you, please do not look for Zap Comix from the 60's.

Funny stuff, I certainly didn't mind. Shoot, even had a disclaimer. It is a common criticism of the United States that American's are far too easily offended by "adult" subject matter.

Glad to have you along, Emma. Variety from the standard top 10 minor leaguers and how PECOTA is a little better than everything else is nice.

"American's are far too easily offended"

Also a criticism that Americans are uneducated. Don't know why I have that urge to 's when I pluralize nouns...

If nothing else I think this demonstrates the futility of the plus/minus comments system.

This piece is brilliant--great job, Emma.

I love that BP thinks of itself as a crunchy statistical core surrounded by the gooey, nougaty culture of the game. That's what I'm paying for.

Let's face it. The only baseball-related fan fiction out there should involve Sal Fasano. After all, he is already rocking the true porn-star 'stache.

BP has been one of my favorite sites for a long time. I love the writers and the content. Ms. Span seems like a talented writer from this first article, and I should be excited to read what she has to say, but the specific topic of this article is very disappointing to me.

I realize that other readers may not share my morality, and that's fine; I have no desire to impose my beliefs on others. That's the great thing about baseball... it's a beautiful, neutral common ground in cultural discourse, something that we can all share and enjoy and discuss, regardless of our beliefs on other topics. I loved reading a site like BP that could bring all of us together.

Now, I feel like I have to choose between my beliefs and my love of baseball. Yes, some readers can make the argument that I simply don't have to click on the articles I object to, and they may have a point. I just wanted to express the sentiment that I was able to feel, for a long time, that BP was a "safe" place on the internet where I did not have to put up my guard. I'm sad that I can't feel that way any longer.

Unfortunately, I work in the non-profit sector in a developing country, so I don't have a lot of disposable income. For a long time, BP was a little splurge I made room in my yearly budget for (I don't pay for any other internet content). I'm sure I'll be ridiculed for this, but I feel like I may have to reconsider my BP renewal this year.

All this said, however, I appreciate the honest effort Emma Span has spent on writing this article. I may not agree with the topic choice, but I can read her love for baseball in her words. You have talent, and I wish you the best.

I think this article is particularly relevant to some of the current discussion about how personality narratives are created and attached to players, particularly in the case of Michael Young, the ultimate team player. We all like to use our imagination to some degree or another. Some of it gets labeled as fiction. Some of it gets labeled as reporting.

Nothing against porn, but what precisely does this have to do with baseball analysis? Unless PECOTA uses penis size as part of its projections, can we stick to baseball analysis?

Dianagram I love it! Value over replacement penis...I may have to steal that for my female friends with their boy problems.

More articles like this please. If you don't like it, don't read it. If you're still really bothered, then don't renew your subscription. Maybe next time, just put "Don't click here if you are easily offended." as the link, and we can avoid most of the moaning.

excellent.

Almost as many comments as the PECOTA release (not really, but way, way closer than most articles here). Well done, Span!

Thumbs up. Thanks for hilarious start to my day!

I don't want to contribute to the "I hate this article" stack, I just think it is important to realize why people some of the BP readers have the negative reaction that they have. I understand that I do not have to read the article. I am sure there are plenty of things out on the internets that I would be bothered reading. For me anyway, this is not a satisfying response. This is not a random website. This is a place where I have spent a lot of time. I know it is silly, but I feel that in some way I am a part of BP, and I think a lot of readers feel the same. It isn't that the material is offensive per se, but that it is published on a website that I identify with. I am all for pushing the envelope and appreciate the effort. Personally, I think it went a little too far, but I appreciate the comments left by the BP staff. I guess my main point, mostly for the community, is not to dismiss the negative comments as people just being prudes. Maybe people's disappointment is
not rational, but that doesn't mean that there isn't reason for it.

Really, BP? Really?

REALLY?

I am still in shock that this was published on this website. If this is any indicator of the direction Prospectus is heading, I'm spending that money on Joe Sheehan's blog, where they talk about actual baseball.

I honestly thought the NSFW warning was a joke. That seemed far more likely than BP actually publishing NSFW content. Oops.

And by the way, how many unpalatable articles should one be expected to identify as such and skip in search of the reason they came to the website in the first place? Surely it's more than one, but the cost of irrelevant or objectionable content isn't zero, so I don't think the "just don't read it if you don't like it" argument holds water.

Preseason Locker Room Conversation, Sarasota FL, March 2, 2011

C: "Mine's bigger."

M: "VORP's not everything, ya know.

C: "Yeah but if ya got it, flaunt it, that's what I say."

M: "Whatever rocks your boat I guess. I get turned on by a great slashline."

C: "There ya go. But don't start bragging about your PECOTA. They effed up your comps, and you know it."

M: "True enough, but being a PECOTA hero draws a lot of fans."

C: "Sure. But your PECOTA makes you look overlarge -- like one of those male ballet dancers with his pants stuffed with a towel. We'll see soon enough what you've really got."

Given this, I find it shocking that the article above refers to a Prince Albert.

It's probably worth pointing out that whether you liked this piece or not, none of you paid money to read it - it was out in front of the paywall, free to anyone who stopped by.

In this instance, what your subscription has bought you is the right to comment in this thread. Some of you who've done so have registered your dissent, and it's been duly noted, as has the appreciation of those who enjoyed the piece.

As long as we're counting votes: 2 thumbs up Emma. Really interesting stuff.

Nice to see the whole community out (on both sides).

I loved this. Absolutely hilarious. I certainly wouldn't mind seeing more articles of a similar outlandish tenor and humor. Then again, I did once toy with the notion of trolling the Boston Red Sox usenet group with Rod Beck/Rich Garces slash fic back in the day...

I've been a BP subscriber for many years, and this is the first article that I felt compelled to read out loud to my wife, knowing she'd enjoy it as much as I did (with a little bit of coaching as to who Jarrod Saltalamacchia is). Well done, Emma.

Baseball intersects with culture in myriad ways, does it not, objectors? I was thoroughly amused even though I've encountered this (pulsing, purple) vein of fandom before.

I've subcribed for 8 years. I've watched this site lose legends like Will Carroll, Joe Sheehan, Nate Silver and Gary Hackabay. It just seems to this subscriber, one lone opinion, that the BP is heading in a new direction, one I'm not sure I want to be a part of. From these comment sections to articles like this - it all seems "beneath" what BP used to be about.

I'm sure Emma is a terrific writer, and the responsiblity for the article is on the editorial staff, but I really never expected to see something like this here.

I'm a new subscriber and have been fairly happy with the content on BP so far. Then I read this article. Now I am finally, completley convinced that my subscription was money well spent. Fantastic article, taking a quirky look at the far edges of fandom and relating it back to the mainstream.

So thanks to Emma and the Editors!

It will take more than this to make me leave.

Mr. Met slash Philly Phanatic would do it though.

First off, I'm really impressed with the new blood that's been introduced to us over the last couple of weeks.

Second: What, no "The Machine"?

Third: I think there's some interesting stuff to discuss from this article. For one, I respectfully disagree with Emma about the source of discomfort (at least among het males): It is because it's two dudes, Major Leaguers, no less! That's not meant as a judgement; just not my bag. I think Emma's aware of that, because she presented it as: "Wow! There is some freaky shit out there! Amirite?"

The reason Emma actually gave, that the stories are about actual people, just doesn't hold water. Tons of porn stories are written about actual people, it's just that they're usually celebrities, particularly ones who have sex appeal. It's when the stories are about people who are not known for being sexy that it starts to feel weird.

Think about what that means: If your fantasies don't fit a societally imposed type, you're considered an outcast.

How about BP getting Joe Queenan to guest column every once in awhile? Irreverent, sarcastic and sardonic, and certainly not everyone's cup-o-tea, Joe has written about baseball and certainly has enough "street cred" to compete with the writings of Miss Span in the not-stat-based-baseball topic section of the site.

As a big fan of CK's writings (both her style and her oh-so-witty use of non-baseball references in baseball articles) I can appreciate a good non-statgeek interjection or divergence from topic. But a whole article that is off-the-wall? Yeesh. How Greenwhich Village/unshaven female armpits this article is. Like the Mapplethorpe crucifix photos, I think this article was written to shock for shock's sake. In that regard it worked. As an interesting baseball topic? It fell flat - in my humble opinion.

I don't give a rats butt if you don't believe me, but i had decided not to renew my BP subscription this year. This article reinforces that decision of mine.

Not because it offends me, I would have found it mildly interesting on another non baseball site, but it has absolutely nothing to do with baseball and its sole purpose was sensationalism. "Hey, look it me, I am emma, please read me in the future you never know what I will say. "

I just want BP to go back to the days when I wanted to read each article the moment it was posted. This doesn’t help.

Interesting how the overwhelming majority find this kind of article to be enjoyably irreverent, and a small,but vocal minority are absolutely offended, and/or disappointed in BP. Not that there is ever anything wrong about being in the abject minority (I think many of us often are, in one way or another), but sometimes it can be instructive to stop and consider why we are in the minority on a given point.

Loved the article; funny and offbeat and

I should never have read the comments. One forgets how churlish and uncharitable people can be when they are unstable enough to make public comments. But if I hadn't I'd have missed amazin_mess's suggestion of his bridge to far: Phanatic slash. Genius.

One of BP's hallmarks is its irreverence. Long may it continue. There is too much po-faced seriousness in baseball.

A few years ago, I wrote quite often for a fantasy sports stock site called ProTrade where you basically invested in players from MLB, NBA, etc. The thing I liked about that site was that I could write stock projection pieces in one post and in another, go complete comedy or satire. Suffice it to say, the comedy got stuff got great feedback. One of the pieces I did was a "morning after" between Jose Canseco, Alex Rodriguez and Madonna right after A-Rod's steroid admission. It wasn't outright explicit (though it had tons of innuendo). Nonetheless, though it had nothing to do with ProTrade, stock valuation or even reality, people loved it.

I guess what I'm also saying is that BaseballProspectus is a site for people who love baseball. So I don't mind it when people do some research or some humor away from the mainstream (assuming it's well done).

In any event, I like variety. No, I don't like every article on this site, but I'd rather there be a lot of authors and articles to choose from than just my personal cup of tea.

Unfortunately, BP will look at the number of comments and conclude that bad articles like this one will drive traffic to their site and, therefore, publish more of it.

I was sad that it was still a week till pitchers and catchers would report. This article cheered me, then, as I realize in some way they already had.

Regardless of your thoughts on the column, the plan is for me to write every other week; no one is eliminating BP's traditional baseball analysis to make room for this, so all the "this isn't why I read, I'm unsubscribing!" wailing seems melodramatic and unnecessary. Although, I'm not going to lie, pretty entertaining.

Loved it! Funny and who knew such stuff was going on out there in cyberspace?

To those outraged by BP having "sunk so low" while at the same time claiming their disgust had nothing to do with the fact the article focused on funny stuff about hot man-on-man action there can be no other response than "the lady doth protest too much!"

Why exactly do those that didn't like it have to be labeled?

Do we have to like gay porn?

As funny as gay porn may be, I just don't want it on BP. I can always find porn on the internet, I can't always find good baseball analysis. Had there been some or anything about the game in here, I might have liked it.
I don't need anyone to tell me how obsessed fans can be. I should think the mascot groupies were the best evidence of that. Celebrity stalkers help flesh out the nuttiness. Hmm nuttiness might be the wrong word with this article...

By the way, a suggestion for BP: can we get a message sent to our emails when someone responds to our posts? Egotists like me who always want the last word would appreciate that opportunity.

Well done, Emma. You're nobody until amazin_mess says you're nobody.

I didn't realize how irrational saber minded readers could be. Anyone saying they have to fear the new authors or the content from BP after reading this article is making a huge leap in logic. Do you really think the content of the site is going to radically shift towards fan fiction or pornography? This was one article. About one sub set of fans that have a bizarre way of expressing themselves. If you're too irrational to realize that, maybe you should wander over to an ESPN article and discuss how awesome Ryan Howard's RBI totals are.

Emma, this was excellent and I am looking forward to reading more of your work.

Emma - Enjoyed the article, thanks!

For everyone else on this thread, offended or not, some good news: just got an e-mail from Amazon that they've shipped BP 2011!

Wow! It's ridiculous to say that you're going to avoid BP because they published an article you didn't like. If you don't want to read these in the future, don't. If you feel like you have to banish BP from your life now, then I suspect, despite all protests to the contrary, that you really are homophobic. People don't protest like this when they don't like some sabermetric idea. Certainly something explains the drastic overreactions. Homophobia would.

Regardless, I thought it was a funny article. Nice job, Emma Span.

Let me see if I can sum up the objections.

"I've subscribed for blah blah blah and I've never my life blah blah blah this is gay porn blah blah blah I'm afraid of Emma Span blah blah blah you're a stupid dummy butt."

Apologies for the lack of typos.

I've never really posted comments here, but I thought I'd throw in my two cents. I wasn't offended or irritated by this article at all, though I was a bit surprised that the editors of BP felt comfortable with this level of adult content. This is not a criticism and I actually applaud the comfort with which BP has embraced more expressive and occasionally explicit (i.e. the uncensored nature of the podcast) outlets for content. Bravo for not being afraid to unleash your creative outlets.

With that said, I found the article to be rather lackluster. It seemed as if Ms. Span, who I'm sure is an excellent writer, basked too much in the shock value of slash fiction without really looking at the psychology of what this type of fiction means in the fan/player relationship. It was mentioned, yes, but it did not receive ample treatment and therefore seemed incomplete. That's just constructive criticism from a lowly unpublished grad student, so take it for what it's worth. I look forward to checking on what you do in the future.

I think it's a less-explored area of baseball-in-society that was interesting to read about. I would have liked it more if there was a little more background (do baseball players attract more of this than football players, or politicians? Latin players more than white players, or vice versa? Could Ms. Span have tried to interview an author about the community and how readers respond to this writing?).

Nevertheless, I'm glad BP isn't letting itself be pigeonholed, glad for the diversity and quality of the new blood, and *very* glad that so many authors & editors have shown up here to defend the decision to publish. That, more than this particular article, led me to renew my subscription just now.

(But yes, don't shrink from the heavy numbers! Go Colin and Matt! I know you won't, just couldn't post this without adding that in.)

I love how every argument online always ends in mindless insults.

If I invoke Hitler, will this conversation stop?

Well over two hundred comments and counting. I'd say that this article did what it was meant to do, what I imagine EVERY article published on this site is supposed to do, and that is create dialogue and discussion. Bravo.

I guess I'll add my 2 cents, just because everyone else seems to have.

Article is far from my cup of tea, and it's something that I'm utterly disappointed that BP decided to publish. I certainly GET the notion that things need to be shaken up occasionally, but THIS trash?

That said, no reason to get my panties in a twist and say that I'm not going to renew. I'll probably check out Emma's next piece, but I don't come here for stuff like this anyway. KG, "On the Beat" (where is it btw?), Marc, CK, and a host of new and intersting talents. THAT is what will keep renewing my subscription to be as big a no-brainer as Frank McCourt silencing his doubters by signing Albert Pujols to a 10-year $300 million deal in December 2011.

BP has jumped the shark. Aaay! (one self aggrandizing thumb up and one thumb poking its readership in the eye)

Well, nothing in here will help my fantasy team....I think.... but I was entertained and will have something to talk about at the draft. Put me down in the "thumbs up" column

It's just an article. What's to cancel a subscription over. Was it my cup of tea? Perhaps not but I did learn something new. Thanks Emma and welcome to BP.

@ RA Wagman: I perhaps am too optimistic in thinking that intelligent people could have different views and discuss it maturely. Are we no better than our hapless politicians?

Well, as long as half the free world is giving their opinion on this, I might as well chime in.

I think the article was hilarious and informative. Thank you, Emma.

So what exactly was NSFW.....i mean when i see that I want porn....and boobies!! If you thought this article was porn.... well I would say your imagination was working overtime..... Great article about a well quite obscure section of fandom. BRAVO!!!

BP staff: dating back to the comment thread that erupted on the State of the Prospectus leading into 2010, there was talk of how the content had become less "fun" (a sentiment i wholeheartedly agreed with at the time.) since then, we've seen more light-hearted work from some newer and older voices alike, though i've wondered at times whether you heard what we claimed to be missing, some fourteen months ago.

Emma's piece is literally the first bit i've read since that discussion that has fully reassured me, y'all were listening back then.

GREAT article, Emma - can't wait to see what you do next!

Can we all just agree that, regardless of whether you like this article or think it's in good/bad taste, that at least it provoked perhaps the greatest comment thread in the short history of BP comments?

First, the article... I found it mildly amusing, but mostly... meh. But I've had the good fortune to read some of Emma's work in the past, and it's been fantastic, and I'm thrilled that BP has added her. I'll be looking for her byline. (And I share the suspicion of others above who think that some substantial amount of the negative reaction to this article is driven by homophobia.)

As to the larger subject, I too want to salute BP for not shying away from... what is it called?... "adult content?" Not just here, but, as someone else noted, on the podcast as well. Maybe 'cause I'm an adult. Maybe 'cause I have found the word "fuck" to be one of the most useful words in the English language. Maybe 'cause if it isn't hate speech, I just don't understand the concern. As my wife once liked to say about these tempests in teapots, "Darfur, people!"

I find it a bit quaint that BP feels it necessary to give warnings of such "adult content." So be it, I suppose, but please continue to resist any impulse to further censor such material.

I find the Dan Johnson and Kila Ka'aihue projections just as surprising as you do.

Wait, what's that? This is an article about what?

Just figured that if there were over 200 comments from BP readers, it had to be something about PECOTA: http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=12924

My guess is that people are freaked by the homosexuality.

Long-time BPro reader and fan. I didn't like this piece, not because I'm offended by it (I'm not) or I'm homophobic (I'm not) or because I have anything against Emma (I don't).

My problem with this is that I'm not sure how it really relates to baseball AT ALL... it doesn't have to be PECOTA or number-crunching or Kevin's scouting reports or Steve's historical lessons, but in my recollection everything published on this site has in some way had a baseball-centric theme to it. On that standard I think this falls short. Change the names of players to those of your favorite movie stars, and it's the same article but without any baseball-relevant discussion.

That said, I think there was an attempt at that in this article, but it was buried in the middle, well past the point where it got lost due to the NSFW shock factor:

"MLB's homophobia is pronounced, and the last thing I want is to reinforce it in any way. No, it's because real people have been repurposed and fitted into other people's fantasies—extremely personal fantasies—in a spectacularly odd way."

So, if this article was meant as an examination of homophobia in baseball, or in pro sports in general, or how homophobia affects locker room culture or coverage of the game, then that's a thought-provoking topic worthy of this site. My dislike of this piece is not in the choice content, but in the failed execution of the attempt at a thoughtful examination and discussion of the topic.

This won't make me stop reading BPro, and it won't make me not read Emma again. We don't like things, we can always change the channel, so to speak... there's more than enough good programming here to keep me around. I just hope that the next attempt at a topic like this doesn't so badly miss the mark.

LOL....trust me Tiger, I don't care. Once a post is gray-barred, more people read it anyway. It was a reasonable post. But the rule on the comment threads is simple, disagree with the majority or disagree with BP authors and you will be minused.

I'm only commenting to see what my subscriber number is.

Listen, Span, nice column and all, but here's what I want to know: You play a fine center field, but is your OBP going to rebound this year? Or was 2009 just a BABIP-driven fluke?

(Can't believe no one else has asked this yet, btw. What were the first 275 comments about?)

Not even that entertaining. If this is the type of work we can expect from Ms. Span, this is a very disappointing hire for BP. Waste of a roster spot.

Wow... this many comments for this fluff? That would be the definition of way too much time on your hands.

I'm not offended, just not the baseball insight I am looking for. I skimmed this article, and that is becoming a much higher percentage here than I wish.

Most comments ever on BP?

Which means we'll get getting another dose. Might I suggest a tryst between Bud Selig and Pete Rose?

Count me in the list of people who were more amused than offended. Is this an article I expected to read on BP? No. But baseball is about a lot more than statistics, and so is this site - there's always (since I've been reading) been a bunch of articles about the history and culture of the sport. Dishonesty and deliberate ignorance offend me, this doesn't.

I read almost every article on this site and can say that for my taste, the entertaining and useful content of the site has been in a free-fall since the departure of Joe and Will. This article was the giant "thud" of it finally hitting the bottom. I sincerely hope that at least a fraction of the new talent being brought in can begin to distinguish themselves as must-read baseball writers. The internet if full of people writing about baseball but very few can convey a combination of intelligence, information and entertainment. My wish is that BP's leadership will search for these individuals and focus on quality, not quantity. I look forward to the season starting and see what the new writers can do with something to work with.

Were you to ask me what sort of article I would find most unlikely to grace the "pages" of BP, I think MLB slash fiction would be near the top of the list.

Which isn't to say I'm offended or bothered by it - nor am I particularly enthused by it - it was just kind of a surprise - "wait, did I see that right?"

What I am enthused to see is that BP is willing to try things that are different. It may not always be to everyone's cup of tea, but the intentional and definite direction BP seems to be taking recently in bringing in fresh voices and new perspectives is a definite plus in my book.

So long as you believe that you already know it all, you'll never know anything. I first came here many years ago from an old Rob Neyer link and the newness of the ideas is what kept me on. I'm glad to see that that approach hasn't changed, even if it does take different forms.

Looks like Prospectus is following the lines of ESPN the Magazine, Sporting News and others. The glitz and glitter attract a different audience. Maybe the new audience is more appealing than those of us who have supported Prospectus for years. Well, I guess we can look forward to the centerfolds and swim suit editions.

I can't believe this is still going on. Don't any of you people eat?

This is enough to make me cancel my subscription to BP, which I will do right after I post this comment (I'll keep buying the annual though!) A small and irrelevant act of defiance against the mainstream-ization of porn and the continuing erosion of traditional social norms.

It's probably not a bad business move for BP though, considering that their readership skews younger, and there is so much more competition out there than there used to be. The people for whom this damages the BP brand like me are likely to be in a small minority. Pop culture as a whole has become so juvenile and saturated in sex that few people even notice anymore.

This is an amazing act of openmindedness samkparker. One article you don't like and you're done. seems rational.

I thought it was an entertaining and actually informative article (I honestly had no idea).

For those who disliked it ... there were plenty of disclaimers and you could tell what it was going to be about from sentence two. Why did you keep reading? Why did you comment?

Personally, I have no interest in many of the articles on this site (I maybe even start reading half), but I simply don't read them. If it became a trend, okay, I see simply complaining that you'd like more interesting content, but really, does anything think this is more than a one time thing?