There is an inherent opportunism to writing that I occasionally find a bit uncomfortable. Often I find myself cheering for specific outcomes because they would make a long-standing idea of mine become timely. If I’m dying to write something about Alex’s Rodriguez’s opposite-field power and he puts one out to right field it won’t make or break a story, but it’s a nifty jumping off point.
More often that not this is a harmless exercise, hoping players perform a certain way rarely feels wrong. Sure, if they have a writer-friendly downturn it might cost them a little bit in arbitration or on their next contract, but most ball players are getting by alright.