Latest article on Cardboard Connection: Jesus Montero
I recently interviews Yankees prospect Jesus Montero for an article I did on the Cardboard Connection.
Nice kid. He’s only 19 and has a world of talent.
Here’s the article I did on him.
Me getting his auto and the interview were two seperate occasions. The interview came first.
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Sooz,
I've often wondered about where the professional / fan line is for those covering sports, be it television, radio or print.
In journalism school did they tell you to keep a distance and only cover the story?
I could see it as somewhat a conflict of interest if you ask for an autograph and then have to write a tough story on the player.
How does that work, in general, and for you specifically?
Keep up the good work.
There's definitely a fine line when it comes to these things. First, you never get autos or do fan-related things while on the job. Not only does it look bad, but you can get your credential revoked.
In order to maintain good sources, you need to become friendly with people. You need to use your own judgement when it comes to how far things go.
You may have nice chats and talk in the offseason, but I wouldn't invite anyone over for a BBQ.
However, you can do "business" dinner and meet in more social settings, as long as its business related.
A lot of them are judgement calls.
The reason I got Montero's auto is because I don't cover him or the Yankees and he is so young. I would never solicit an auto from Chase Utley, Ryan Howard or Derek Jeter – on or off the job.
I gotta get 'em while they're young.