Practice Summary v Anaylsis May 24, 2007

Eric Neel’s recent column on ESPN.com is an attempt to prove that the legends in baseball are more about character then numbers. He sites catfish hunter as one example. He was a pitcher almost 40 years ago and while Catfish never put up hall of fame numbers like many other players he is in the hall of fame nonetheless. Neel then demonstrates that it is an aura that players have which makes them memorable. Numbers fade memories do not. He sites for example Derek Jeter and mentions that although he has troubles defensively and is amazing behind the plate his countenance and simplicity are what he and others form our day will be remembered for.

In his column Neel is writing to baseball fans and is trying to convince them that the numbers are not what matters. The emotional appeal which he makes is significant. Many baseball fans can remember their favorite players and memorable moments. Often as fans we see the charisma of different individuals and the ease at which they perform. Neel reminds his audience about this in a way they will understand. It is catered especially to them. His use of Barry Bonds is a good example because it is current and most fans have mixed feelings. It is unlikely that although Bonds has high numbers he will be in the hall of fame. This makes the notion that although a player has high numbers and great statistics they may not be a memorable player. Such arguments are effective to the audience because they are current and something that fans can relate too. He would defiantly convince a majority of his audience that players are remembered more on style then numbers.