SSI has been selling Baker as the best Mariners writer that Seattle has had, which, by the way, has left a few amigos puzzled.  The Lueke scandal has left me somewhat annoyed, and we finished our last article with our first unfair criticism of Baker:

Word is that Baker's looking to move East Coast first chance he gets.**  If that's the way it plays out, Baker's efforts to hold the local club accountable will have turned out to be nothing more than an asterisk in the Lincoln-Armstrong era.

For which we apologize to Geoff.  The unfairness from an unexpected source, did have the fortunate effect of moving Baker to reply here at SSI:

That's news to me, as I'm in the midst of a couple of real estate negotiations here on the West Coast. Folks have been repeating this line for four years, usually after a story they don't like, and yet, guess what? Here I still am. My girlfriend owns a home here in Seattle and we have no plans to sell or move.

The presumption would have been reasonable with respect to a generic sports reporter, but my buying into this with respect to Geoff Baker was completely out of line.  As one of my best homies put it at Mariner Central:

Baker courageous expose >>> controversy >>> more hits >>> elevated status with sports journalist elites >>> a new gig somewhere better than Seattle

Again, that would be standard operating procedure for another reporter, so the assumption is understandable.  But here, you're talking about a writer who has demonstrated his professionalism on a daily basis.

So Baker issues a statement that (1) he's got nothing against the Seattle market and in fact (2) is trying to buy a house here in Seattle. 

It's theoretically possible that he or anybody is being disingenuous -- perhaps with an eye towards an editor scanning the blogs -- but his statement certainly beats you and me guessing at what's in his head.  He is entitled to the same respect on his statement, that you would want.

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The accusation has been that (1) Baker doesn't care about his Times-Mariners gig, and so (2) is willing to spit in the waterhole since (3) he has no intention of being here to drink the water later.

He has demonstrated otherwise, this time and many other times.  Where other reporters take care to write things the Mariners appreciate, Baker tells the truth and trusts his career to fate and his own integrity.  That's the fact.

The accusation that Baker doesn't care about ramifications is exactly wrong.  The reality is that he has the courage to deal with ramifications.

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By the way, supposing that Baker did want to move to Boston, what is wrong with that?  Exactly nothing.

What we're talking about is spitting in the waterhole because you don't care.  And that charge holds no water.  If Baker's a marketable commodity, then he should take advantage of that.  I'm the Times, I'm doing a whale of a lot to hang on to Geoff Baker.

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There's something else here that interests Dr. D:

Moving to East Coast?

Submitted by Geoff Baker on 9/15/10 11:51am.

That's news to me, as I'm in the midst of a couple of real estate negotiations here on the West Coast. Folks have been repeating this line for four years, usually after a story they don't like, and yet, guess what? Here I still am. My girlfriend owns a home here in Seattle and we have no plans to sell or move.

Otherwise, keep up the good work Doc.

If you read his entire first post, you'll notice a perfect calmness and confidence as he states his own position. 

This is what we're talking about.  He doesn't sneer.  He doesn't ad-hominem the writer.  He doesn't get shrill.  He simply starts exchanging information. 

People get shrill when they themselves aren't sure about what they're doing.  As Chuck Noll scoffed at a reporter's question before one of his Super Bowl victories, "Nervous is what you feel when you don't know what you're doing."

Again, I don't necessarily like the way the Josh Lueke reporting was done.  But you can't help but like a man who has conviction, who believes in what he's doing.

.

My $0.02,

Jeff