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Saturday night's game at Dodger Stadium had a 7 p.m. start time, did not go into extra innings, and only lasted 2:52 according to the box score. Times blogger Steve Dilbeck's rant about the loss has a time stamp of 10:07 p.m. Plenty of time to make the paper in past years. Yet there's no mention of the game in some (perhaps most?) Sunday print editions of the Los Angeles Times Sports section delivered within Los Angeles. There is a Farmer John ad on the front page of Sports where the story possibly went in some papers that were printed later. Reader Mark Groubert has had enough. He emails the writer of the LAT's web story:
You posted your Dodger article on line at 10:52 pm. I get my Sunday hard copy delivered at 3:10 am. No mention of the game. No game in progress, no nothing. There is an ad on page two that says "Times Sports in on Twitter," with "more than 20 staff writers and columnists delivered to you in 140 characters of less." On Twitter? How about in the actual paper? That's what I am paying for. How Orwellian.7 pm game at home that was "over" before a recorded out was made and there is no box score, line score, "game in progress," "we went to press before the game started," or anything.
Laker game seems to have ended about the same time, and yet: Full box score. Full article by Mike Bresnahan and a piece by Plashke. Piece by Turner and another piece by Bresnahan. This is kind of silly. I am not pitting importance of Dodgers versus Lakers, but a Saturday night home game with Manny returning and it did not go to extra innings with no mention of the game is just another reason I have repeatedly said that the LA Times sports section is one of the worst big city sports papers in the country. Unreal. Maybe you guys should make something up and print it on Monday. Like, "we forgot" or "we were covering the Lakers" or "the printer missed it."
Say something! Its embarrassing enough as it is. By letting it pass without mention you will be sealing the opinion of many sports readers that your section is a complete disaster. (Note to self: Please cancel subscription to LA Times.)
Every time the LAT's new, freakishly early Saturday night deadline eats a story, readers get a little more confused or angry. Doesn't sound like a smart move for a paper with dropping print circulation, especially with Sunday under a million now.
Dodgers Sunday: Today they won 2-0 and Clayton Kershaw pitched a good game. Also, in order get minor leaguer John Ely back to start Tuesday's game, the Dodgers might put Charlie Haeger on the disabled list.
Native Intelligence: Bad defense is killing the Dodgers, writes Phil Wallace, and it's not just the old and out-of-position guys: "Andre Ethier's defensive skills have been rapidly declining. As good as Ethier is with his bat, he's actually one of the lowest-rated defensive right fielders in the game."