Yay!
The April 4 issues of Sports Illustrated and ESPN The Magazine finally gets down to bidness!
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| Cover price | $5.99 | $4.99 | ||
| Can I read it on-line (no smartphone apps or iPads gizmos)? | Yes, but without the images. | Only if you’re an ESPN “Insider” (subscription) | ||
| Main Features | “Radar Love,” by Tom Verducci — An examination of “the golden age of speed freaks: one nation, under the gun.”
“Bangers and Mash” — which batters do best against various pitches? “The Legion of Arms,” by Gary Smith — The Phillies’ rotation. I’m getting a tad tired about all the hype. “It was all just a bad dream,” by Jeff Greenfield — What if Steve Bartman hadn’t interfered with that foul ball? An alternate history. |
“One season, one million decisions,” by Buster Olney — Hmm, curious how both magazines use the same “one nation under” bit. This is an “inner working” piece. “Players don’t think about how the early-season schedule might factor into a decision to trade them. ” Ouch.
A Peter Keating Q&A with Commissioner Bud Selig. Tim Keown (who worked on Josh Hamilton’s bio) on how the KC Royals might be the surprise team of 2011. A profile of the Cinn. Reds’ pitcher Aroldis Chapman, prepping him for a career as a fashion model? A profile of the SF Giants’ Pablo Sandoval who went from Big Panda to quala bear, size-wise. How the TB Rays are using Brazil as their new scouting area of choice. |
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| Team previews / Scouting Reports | Each one-page profile includes a projected lineup; “Enemy Lines,” how a rival scout sizes up the ballclub; “A modest proposal,” “The number,” a statistical factoid; and the team’s projected payroll. There’s a best case/worst case scenario for each team within their division. Each league has “best bets” for various honors and dishonors (Chase Utley is considered a “star in decline.” Sure, kick a man when he’s down.) | No individual team-by-team analysis (see below). Divisional reports with projected standings and “easiest/most difficult months for each club based on their schedules. ESPN uses “ZiPS projections” (don’t ask me) as their stats of choice. | ||
| So what’s new? | Not much. | More haves vs. have-nots: If you have a smart phone, you can download an app that allows to to scan selected pages to view exclusive video content. Frankly I find such gimmicks annoying, annoying and exclusionary. If you plunk down the cover price, you should get all the benefits. I am a loyal subscriber and I don’t even get them. | ||
| Graphics: Every year the mags try to outdo each of with sophisticated graphics that basically give the same information as the backs of circa 1960 baseball cards. | Just your basic photos. No real graphical presentations to speak of. |  |
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| And? | Standard. But you’re talking to the wrong guy. I’ll always buy it. | New school vs. old school.These bells and whistles are meant to attract a younger demographic, IMHO. |
By the way, my apologies for this clunky look. My HTML skills are not the most sophisticated, nor does my blog software, host, etc. allow me to present this table with aesthetics and ease. I hope my points carry the day.
is available on Amazon.com,
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