Jim misunderstood. Thanks Gregg. My question was about chronology and not about a more detailed summary. That so-called "journalisic style", from any writer who does that, frustrates me. I worked in the newspaper business for 13 years. I never liked the non-chronological style. If a person is so impatient to know the end, he/she can skip on down further into the article. A writer can still inject the critical player performance elements of the game as the game story unfolds. I like that. I also like Neil's writing skills. I'm simply asking that every writer - including Neil - put the damn story in order. Do you watch the middle of the movie, and rewind to the beginning, then skip to the end?

Thank you all for putting time into my post.

First, JimK...thank you. Second, Jerljr great idea maybe I could do that.

I do not know how many of you know this but I did receive a credit in a book that was published earlier this year. I provided a lot of info and background on the Cubs and received a very nice acknowledgement...so maybe I should look into writing a book about Ryno.

Stephen F....to answer your question, I do not know. I try to get the 'highlights' or main points in before the fold (or before the 'read more' button). I watch the traffic on the site and over the years I have found more people read during the week....and most of the time during normal 9-5 hours. I know their time is limited because they are at work, so I try to cram as much of the important stuff in as possible so the reader can know what happened in the game. I tried a couple of seasons back making the recaps in more of a chronological order and I was finding people were not reading. So I started writing the recaps the way I would want to read them....

I am a stat geek and a history buff. So I want to know did player X swing at the first pitch or did he work the count, like Derrek Lee did the other night. Or how many pitches Rich Harden threw over the first 3 innings, compared to how many he threw in his last 3. That stat would tell me exactly how badly he struggled with his command....especially the three 4-pitch walks. I never try to make the recaps negative for the sake of being negative. And sometimes I go way overboard, but I think the detail is appreciated by the readers.

I have attempted to follow a pattern over the years. How the Cubs scored, how the other team scored etc....but it really depends on the overall feel or flow of the game. For instance of late Carlos Zambrano and his personal battles are more of the 'story' than the score or what actually happened.

I appreciate you asking and I welcome any and all feedback about the site. You have made me think about how I should structure the recaps.

Hope this answers your question....

Jerljr - Please don't give him any ideas. I'm looking forward to getting my husband back after October :)

I thought StephenF was asking why some writers will summarize the key point in the ball game, say the 7th inning, and then go back and recount the other notable innings that may have come earlier in the game. Therfore not summarizing the game in chronological order.

Stephen, is your question about chronology or about a more detail summary?

lol JimK.

Yeah, I'm waiting on Neil's release of his Biography of Ryne Sandberg any day now.

StephenF....It's likely that none of the rest of us is interested in "complete order". We like the critical player performance elements of the game--in this case to include what Micah did in various innings, what the bullpen didn't do, scoring plays, etc. We don't want to be reminded that Edmonds was 0 for 4 and in what innings, e.g. I think there is a site with inning by inning recaps. And the Cubs site box score has a lot of performance details too.

And please don't get our Pulitzer Prize nominated writer questioning his journalistic style. Neil is an exquisitely talented artist. But like most of those people, he is very sensitive and can lapse into severe depression with little provocation.

This is just a test! If u can read this it means my phone

Works

If the Cubs face the Phillies in the NLDS, I'll probably be able to score some tickets. What do I do then?

Neil, I appreciate your thoroughness. What I don't understand is why writers cannot provide a game description in complete order. Why skip around and not be sequential. Many writer do this, and it makes me give up on the article. I'd welcome a reply.

I feel your pain Gregg. I've only seen two Cubs games in florida, one this year and one in the 03 playoffs and we lost all three. I think the total number of runs we scored for both games was 4 or less. Hopefully the Rays won't make it to the Series so I won't have to worry about wether I should attend a game or not.

I am 0-4 at Shea Stadium and will gladly push the button to implode the d*** thing. The last 3 losses that I have witnessed there have all been walk offs. Beltran's single last night, Wuertz walked in the winner last year, and a September callup hit a 2 run homer a few years ago. My overall record at Cubs games the past three years is also horrible.

1-5 @ Wrigley

3-6 @ Citizens Bank Park

0-2 @ Shea

Don't worry, I won't be at any playoff games.