When writing sports stories, one must take into consideration what other people have already written. If you can find the articles that make you want to read one, you can study them and produce your own stories of equal quality.
Recently I read a story that sparked my attention. It is an Associated Press article by JON KRAWCZYNSKI, AP Baseball Writer, on the retirement of Jason Varitek.
What made me love this article was the emotion that was conveyed through the writing. I watched Varitek’s press conference on TV and it was an extremely emotional event. Krawczynski was able to translate that emotion into his writing and deliver it in this article.
The first two lines are attention grabbers and I enjoy the parrallel between them. He first points out how as a player, Varitek held back his emotions, but how that crumbled when he stepped up to the podium to retire.
Other aspects of the article that I liked is that he had quotes from numerous people, not just Varitek, and he used language that was creative and interesting to read.
“If Dustin Pedroia is the heart of the Red Sox and David Ortiz is the soul, Varitek was the steel spine that held everything together.”
The Pitch 