Newspaper Cuts Are Emptying Out Press Boxes

The independent baseball beat writer could be a dying profession as newspapers look to trim costs, the Wall Street Journal reports. In baseball-crazy cities like New York and Boston, not much is likely to change. "It would be suicide, quite honestly," says a Red Sox writer for the Globe. But smaller markets are having to make tough choices, and baseball's grueling 162-game season make it an easy target.

This season, the Washington Post will cover the Nationals, the Baltimore Sun will cover the Orioles, and the two papers will share stories. The Hartford Courant isn't traveling with the Red Sox, and even the New York Times is cutting back on road trips. "We're waiting for that first domino to fall, for that first major newspaper not covering its team on the road," says the Baseball Writers Association of America president.
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