Go-to Guide for Greatness

Not sure how to start your sports column after covering another no-hitter? Here’s a quick go-to guide to aid you in your writing. All you need are paper, a pen, a personality and two cups of coffee.
1) Always begin with facts from the game (score). Crowd size could be mentioned here or in step 3.
2) Mention a recent fact such as the number of no hitters this season or by the teams involved.
3) You have two options—plug in a quote from the pitcher about how this is a dream come true for him OR wrap up the first paragraph with an overall sense of the atmosphere at the stadium (crowd size, excitement level)
4) Background information about the pitcher should be established
5) Statistics from the no-hitter
6) Sugar-coated quotes from the manager (limit to one sentence)
7) Historical data about almost anything related to baseball works here
8) Talk a bit about the opposing team’s struggles at the plate
9) Mention any defensive plays that stood out (game-saving grabs are very effective)
10) Paint a pretty picture of the pitcher by saying how much he’s overcome in his life
11) Wrap it up with another quote from someone involved in the game or simply end your column with a generic phrase such as “Joe Blow will cherish this game for the rest of his career and life.”
Twenty-six year old Matt Garza pitched the majors’ fifth no-hitter of the year yesterday. Tampa’s terrific-tossing hurler blanked the Tigers 5-0 and became the first pitcher in franchise history to earn the honor. As a sportswriter, it must be challenging to cover no-hitters. There are usually minimal highlights to catalogue from the game, at least from the team being “no-hit”. It’s almost like doing a performance appraisal on an employee and coming away without any improvements or criticisms. (Excuse the HR reference—I am taking an HRM course this summer) That isn’t to say Garza was absolutely perfect last night while he was spinning a hitless gem.
Writers tend to fill their columns with quotes from teammates, historical facts about no-hitters and various statistics whenever a no-hitter is involved. It’s a good idea to at least mention some biographical information about the latest pitching star. Columnists and beat writers commonly tag this on to the end of a story. In Garza’s case, it’s particularly important to note his baseball attributes since many fans are not familiar with him. Even casual baseball aficionados may not recall Garza and his mid-90’s fastball winning the AL Championship Series MVP in 2008. Yes, Garza has a World Series ring. He joined the Rays in 2007 in a trade with the Twins.
One fact writers are probably going to eat up is how Garza was 0-4 lifetime against Detroit prior to Monday’s contest. Everybody loves a feel-good story about a guy who overcomes an obstacle. Here we have Garza, who allowed seven runs in a six inning outing in his previous start. Garza issued a second inning walk and then did not allow another base runner the entire game. He fanned six Tigers and tossed 120 pitches in the victory. Garza attacked the zone and made the proper adjustments with his electric stuff. Some experts might point to how the Tigers’ lineup is stacked with rookies and backups. I don’t think the absence of veteran hitters should take away from Garza’s feat. Another aspect about this particular game is the incredible pitching from Detroit’s end. Max Scherzer was rolling early and did not allow a hit until the sixth inning. Matt Joyce smacked a grand slam to end Scherzer’s shutout bid after the no-no was erased.
Garza’s no-hitter should set the tone for a four-game set between the Rays and Tigers. Or, it could motivate the Tigers to knock the snot out of the next three Tampa tossers they face. Detroit hasn’t been no-hit since Randy Johnson stunned the cats 20 years ago. Detroit writers should be sure to work in an element of pity for the organization as a whole. The Tigers were robbed of a no-hitter earlier in the season and last night suffered the fate of being Tampa’s first hitless victims. The Rays are no strangers to being no-hit, leading the league in that category in recent years. I am sure it feels fantastic to finish on the better side of the no-hitter for Tampa. Several teams can relate to the elation of a no-hitter thanks to 2010---the year of the pitcher (I am sure just about every sportswriter will reference this too).

Parting Points: Maurice Clarett is returning to school. This is newsworthy?

Throwbacker of the day- “Don’t Turn Around” by Ace Of Base