BBWAA checking in:

This all stems from Orlando Arcia’s “atta boy” comment and the ensuing Big J shitstorm.

If you missed it Thursday, Alanna Rizzo, who does a show with Mad Dog on MLB Network, called Jake Mintz a “jackoff” and decided to shit on bloggers and podcasters in an uber-cringe rant:

This criticism is ridiculous, first off because Arcia’s comments were not just reported by Mintz. They were corroborated by Chelsea Janes of The Washington Post, which is certainly not some “jackoff” blog. She backed him in a Twitter thread on Thursday evening, saying this:

“Hey there, I’m the other reporter who reported what Arcia said in the clubhouse Monday night. I didn’t name him because I didn’t see who said it. But I’m sick of watching people, particularly colleagues in the media, criticize my friend @Jake_Mintzfor it. Cameras were rolling. Recorders were rolling. In fact, (Wednesday) night, I asked Arcia if he knows recorders are rolling in the clubhouse. He said, through his interpreter, that “there are. I don’t know that they have to be there, but they are.” 1) He yelled the phrase when cameras and recorders were rolling. I have audio. Had he done it at a slightly different moment, a camera sending an interview live to the truck might have caught it. Would you be eviscerating that network? Or would you say, Shouldn’t say that with cameras around? 2) Suggesting you shouldn’t report something said in the presence of MORE THAN A DOZEN reporters because it “wasn’t meant to get out?” is suggesting reporters should be protecting players from themselves. That’s not our job. It’s theirs. And 3) HE SAID ATTABOY HARPER. It wasn’t a slur. It wasn’t hateful. It was trash talk and the only reason anyone cares that it got out is because they know it would motivate Harper to beat them. Which implies the Braves do not feel they can handle a motivated Bryce Harper and are willing to suggest that is why they lost the other day. Otherwise, why not laugh it off? And frankly, shouldn’t everyone in the Atlanta clubhouse have far greater concerns after a 10-2 loss than whether Bryce Harper is mad at their shortstop? They lost by 8! I didn’t say something sooner because I thought this was overblown. And frankly, I thought it wouldn’t help. But I am genuinely disgusted by the way some media members are acting like a reporter was in the wrong for this. He wasn’t. And if the Braves let this be the story of their series, that’s on them. Win and it goes away. Period.”

Bingo. Well said.

There was a lot of bullshit going around after the Arcia comments were first made public. People were saying that Mintz is a Phillies fan. Mintz is not a Phillies fan. He is an Orioles fan. The guy went to college in St. Louis and now lives in New York. He is one half of the popular “Cespedes Family BBQ” Twitter account and he writes for FOX Sports. He’s a card-carrying BBWAA member and not some jackoff blogger, like myself and Kyle Pagan.

Plus, who even cares if you’re a blogger or a podcaster or a Big J in 2023? Only haughty baseball types care about that anymore. If your content is good, it’s good. No one gives a shit if it comes from MLB Network or Jomboy. Enough already.

UPDATE – she apologized: