Math: Not the Tribune's Strong Point

The Tribune, which recently called White Sox fans stupid, should invest in a calculator. Here's some fuzzy math from Tribune beat-Sox reporter Mark Gonzales (with corrections supplied in comments by some stupid White Sox fans):

Rowand's contract
By Mark Gonzales.

Although Aaron Rowand's five-year, $60 million contract with the San Francisco Giants seems identical to Paul Konerko's deal two winters ago, the breakdown is different. According to the San Jose Mercury News, Rowand will receive an $8 million bonus, followed by salaries of $4 million in 2008 and 2009, $8 million in 2010 and 2011 and $12 million in 2012. Rowand has a full no-trade clause in 2008 and a limited no-trade clause the following years. Konerko's contract was distributed evenly over five years with no bonus and a limited no-trade clause until he gains full no-trade rights next May.

COMMENTS:

Anyone want to check Gonzales' math?
$8M bonus
$4M 2008
$4M 2009
$8M 2010
$8M 2011
$12M 2012
-------
$44M.

Where is the other $16M?

Posted by: DBF | Dec 13, 2007 11:53:07 AM
----

Hey, Gonzales, your math does not compute. Go re-read the article over at the Mercury News like I did to see where you went wrong.

Lazy journalism at its best.

Posted by: Luke P | Dec 13, 2007 3:59:30 PM

To be fair to Gonzales, he pilfered this story from the San Jose Mercury News (which got the numbers right), so it's not clear whether he's failing at math or reading. But we're thinking it's probably math. Why?

Because even though NINE former Cubs were named in George Mitchell's steroids report today, the Tribune seems much more preoccupied with the White Sox named, although it can't seem to decide how many Sox were named. According to Gonzo the Math Whiz, it was seven:

Seven ex-Sox players named in Mitchell Report
By Mark Gonzales

Seven players who were members of the White Sox organization at one time were named in connection with performance-enhancing drugs, according to the Mitchell Report released Thursday afternoon.

But according to the front-page report at Tribune-owned Chicagosports.com, it was four:

Closer look: Chicago players named in Mitchell Report

After a quick scan of the 409-page Mitchell Report released today, it appears nine former Cubs and four former White Sox players are mentioned by name linked to performance enhancing drugs.

However, on the front page of the venerable, math-challenged Tribune itself, it's two:

Steroid report names former Cubs, Sox

Glenallen Hill was one of nine former Cubs and Jim Parque and Scott Schoeneweis were the only former White Sox named as users of performance-enhancing drugs.

Notice that seven, four, and two are all less than nine. Pay attention Tribune:

7 < 9

4 < 9

2 < 9

So why so much emphasis on the Sox in the report, only one of whom, Scott Schoeneweis, was on the team at the time that he allegedly received shipments of steroids? (During a blessedly brief visit to the South Side). Meanwhile the report describes Cubs players sticking needles in each others' buttocks.