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Ken Rosenthal Interview
FOX Sports baseball guru Ken Rosenthal answered questions for MLBTR on Saturday...
MLBTR: I don't have an official count, but I believe you've broken more MLB signings and trades than any other reporter over the past several years. Is it still a thrill for you to break news?
Rosenthal: Oh, of course. It also hurts to lose. So, you're motivated both ways. I don't have much of a temper - at least I don't think I do - but I will occasionally let loose after getting beat. My wife and kids look at me look I'm nuts. And it's sort of difficult for me to argue the point!
MLBTR: Hundreds of baseball writers are trying to break news, including perhaps your stiffest competition in SI.com's Jon Heyman and the ESPN crew. Do you share information with other writers? Or is it more of a "every man for himself" situation?
Rosenthal: Everyone for themselves, now more than ever. I don't share with anyone, and I don't believe anyone else does, either. Every web site and every newspaper is in competition. And there are so many hard-working baseball reporters, you never know who might come up with something next.
MLBTR: Say you snag a scoop on a signing. What has to happen before that story hits the FOX website? What is a typical amount of time between you confirming the info and it hitting the website?
Rosenthal: The turnaround is incredibly quick, especially if I'm able to give our editors a heads-up that something is coming (which isn't always the case). I've never actually timed it, but I would guess that it takes no more than 1-2 minutes for us to post a story. I would imagine this is true for the other web sites and many of the newspapers as well.
MLBTR: If a team source or an agent gives you information that feels like propaganda to you, do you still run with it?
Rosenthal: My job is to inform my readers, not serve the interest of others. I am no one's stooge, and my sources know it.
MLBTR: A scoop on a signing or trade - do you have to confirm that with multiple sources? Or is one rock-solid source sufficient?
Rosenthal: Depends. All of us were taught to use multiple sources. However, the business has changed. There are times I will go with a story even if I have only one source. Too often, if you wait for multiple confirmations, you get beat. I do think, however, it is important to be accurate, more important than it is to be first.
MLBTR: These days it seems like every beat writer and national guy has a blog and can publish news instantly. Does that make your job more difficult? Have you considered starting up a blog similar to Jon Heyman's, where you could drop in a few quick paragraphs on a topic?
Rosenthal: Absoutely, the job gets more difficult by the day, with so many writers in competition. I do live updates like Jon's during the winter meetings, but if I have a news item in other periods, I just turn it into a story. Not much of a difference, really, in my mind.
MLBTR: You have a fairly unique and very interesting job, at least to the average hot stove junkie. I've read that you have three kids - what do they think of their dad's line of work? Do they share the same passion for the inside side of the game?
Rosenthal: My wife and children do not follow baseball. They are not at all caught up in what I do. Which, for me, is fantastic. They keep me very grounded. My kids are 17, 16 and 13. They're all busy with their own lives, and my wife is busy keeping them going. C.C. Sabathia, Mark Teixeira, Scott Boras - not on their radar.
MLBTR: Did you enjoy the Winter Meetings this year? Do you have any suggestions on how MLB could improve this event?
Rosenthal: I don't know that any reporter "enjoys" the winter meetings; they're pretty intense! As for improving 'em, I don't know. Some believe they're obsolete. Most people in baseball communicate by phone, e-mail or text message. Still, having everyone in one place creates a certain deal-making dynamic, in some cases. The attention is good for the game.
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Good stuff, Tim. Thanks!
Posted by: AtlantaMike | January 11, 2009 at 11:09 PM
Interesting stuff! Surprised not even one of his kids watches baseball.
Posted by: Victor | January 11, 2009 at 11:11 PM
this was great
Posted by: pvilly131 | January 11, 2009 at 11:12 PM
Interesting.
Posted by: lincecum4cy | January 11, 2009 at 11:13 PM
Good stuff, Tim. I like Rosenthal.
Posted by: Cinco Ocho | January 11, 2009 at 11:27 PM
Kids not interested in baseball? How unfortunate.
Posted by: fitz | January 11, 2009 at 11:34 PM
How come it takes him two minutes to get something on fox's website when it took you a day and a half to get this up?
kidding kidding - Its very interesting to hear about his job. I wonder if he has friends with all mlb teams and if he pays them anything...
Posted by: alpha | January 11, 2009 at 11:45 PM
is his favorite team the braves or indians? im not calling him biased! he must have a favorite team..right? i love his articles
Posted by: da510nica | January 11, 2009 at 11:48 PM
Tim, an interview with Rosenthal is a great step. Keep it up you are doing a great job! Pretty soon we'll see you on the Hot stove show on the new MLB network. On a sidenote however, the MLB network sorry to say, needs some work. Whats your opinion on it?
Posted by: Brandon | January 11, 2009 at 11:53 PM
Awesome that you have rached he big time status while sticking with a humble blog.
Ways to make the winter meetings better: pictures, live interviews, pictures... Love the site and content. First place I go everyday.
Posted by: dusto | January 12, 2009 at 12:33 AM
Why didnt you ask him any baseball related signings, like where he thinks such and such will sign?
Posted by: NedCollettiClueless | January 12, 2009 at 12:35 AM
Great job Tim!! I've been coming to this site since July 07 and it keeps getting better and better.
I became a baseball fan since going to A's games as a kid in the 1970's. Your site just gives fan's a real glimpse into the thoughts of some hardcore baseball junkies!!! My knowledge of the game and it's players has grown termendously. Thanks Tim!!!
Posted by: WillieMaysField | January 12, 2009 at 12:41 AM
"the MLB network sorry to say, needs some work. Whats your opinion on it?"
The MLB network is a diamond as compared to several teams and outright biased teams announcers.. Namely those of the Rays, Dewayne Staats and Joe Magraine and Magraine ought to know better being a former pitcher.
MLB, since teams are broadcast to everyone now via the network maybe should force teams to at least cut down on home team bias. Phil Rhizuto and Harry Carey were homers, as was one the orioles had in the late 80's as remember particularly bad, along with Hawk harrelson from the Chisox.
Outstanding interview BTW Tim.
Posted by: johns | January 12, 2009 at 01:42 AM
Mel proctor of the 80's orioles was a homer..
Posted by: johns | January 12, 2009 at 01:44 AM
1-2 minutes is a pretty quick time from being notified to editing to posting on major sports website. Thats much faster than I thought they would be.
Posted by: sharx | January 12, 2009 at 02:21 AM
Every team has there "Homer" announcer . .Heck..... there being paid by that respective team!!
Posted by: Mike | January 12, 2009 at 07:02 AM
Tim, this is fantastic! Way to go bro!
Posted by: RBI Magazine | January 12, 2009 at 07:10 AM
Wow. Great stuff Tim. This makes me hate him a little less. He used to bash the O's when he worked for the sun, and that is when we were not a cosistant loser.
Keep up the greatness!!
Rob B
Posted by: r35barker | January 12, 2009 at 07:20 AM
except michael kay and john sterling, they get more excited fot the opponents."it is high, it is far it is ....off the bottom of the wall". suzyn waldman isnt much better.
Posted by: pvilly131 | January 12, 2009 at 07:21 AM
True Pvilly . . Sterling is a homer . .but he gives the famous homerun call to the other team as well.
Posted by: Mike | January 12, 2009 at 08:00 AM
Congrats on the interview, Tim! Must've been pretty cool. Anybody else get the impression Rosenthal was slightly alluding to Heyman when he used the term "stooge"? I know myself and plenty others on this site see heyman as a boras mouthpiece.
Posted by: 100backeduptrucks | January 12, 2009 at 08:21 AM
Anybody else get the impression Rosenthal was slightly alluding to Heyman when he used the term "stooge"? I know myself and plenty others on this site see heyman as a boras mouthpiece.
Posted by: 100backeduptrucks | January 12, 2009 at 08:21 AM
^I agree.
Posted by: Cinco Ocho | January 12, 2009 at 09:41 AM
Jim Palmer here in Baltimore has been the "anti-homer"
btw great interview Tim, maybe an agent interview next.....
Posted by: RotoNetwork.com | January 12, 2009 at 09:44 AM
Rosenthal is as much of a stooge as anyone else. These guys are in such a rush to one-up each other that they often post complete nonsense. I know baseball trades aren't exactly national security, but they publish whatever absurd rumor crosses their computer screen and when it proves false, they just shrug their shoulders.
Posted by: baileywalk | January 12, 2009 at 11:00 AM
Wonder what his family interest is? Some of my greatest memories with my dad are from ballgames. When Giants are down and comeback, I look up to heaven and say thanks dad!
Posted by: 55saveslives | January 12, 2009 at 11:01 AM
Jeez he's got kids, and somehow they don't care about baseball?
I'm 17, and if I was in his sons' position, I'd be obsessed.
Or I guess maybe I'd get annoyed eventually. Who knows.
Posted by: scribbletone | January 12, 2009 at 11:06 AM
"Congrats on the interview, Tim! Must've been pretty cool. Anybody else get the impression Rosenthal was slightly alluding to Heyman when he used the term "stooge"? I know myself and plenty others on this site see heyman as a boras mouthpiece."
Agreed. Was just saying the other day that Heyman seems to always break a story that the Phils want Lowe, or that the Giants want Manny, or something along those lines, right when a Boras guy doesn't seem to be getting the attention they want.
Scribble, I hear you. I wish my dad did what Ken Rosenthal does. What kids don't like baseball? Especially when your dads job revolves around it. Crazy.
Posted by: nrmax88 | January 12, 2009 at 03:24 PM