Monday, April 6, 2009

New York Mets Make Error In Media Guide

Over the last couple of years the New York Mets have been best known for their September collapses, but they've also had at least one breakdown in the copy editing department. On page 249 of the team's 2008 media guide--ace hurler Johan Santana's page--the Mets media relations office let a typo make it to print. Usually the Mets make their most memorable errors on the field, late in games against the Phillies (Reyes booting a ball or making a mental error, Aaron Heilman throwing the ball away, the bullpen generally choking, are a few that immediately come to the Proofreader's mind), but this error is immortalized in print for everyone to mock for as long as the Internet exists.


As you can see in the highlighted picture above, in the second line of the last bullet point in Santana's biographical info, the Mets made a spelling error with "triubute." That's not a word. Tribute is what they were looking for, but, much like the playoffs the last few years, the Mets were woefully unable to find it. You'd think the Mets wouldn't have allowed a mistake like this to get printed on the page of the team's big off-season fee agent signing--if you're going to slack on proofreading, how about Marlon Anderson's page? But Santana, amazingly, didn't let the slight bother him and was really the only pitcher on the Mets who showed up and pitched well last year.

The Proofreader's MLB prognosis for 2009: much of the same. Santana will be dominant again this year and the Mets may even build what appears to be a comfortable lead in the N.L. East. But, in the end, the Mets will submit to the far superior Philadelphia Phillies. Just watch! Let's go Phils!

4 comments:

THE GRAMMARPHILE said...

"Tribute is what they were looking for, but, much like the playoffs the last few years, the Mets were woefully unable to find it."

Hahaha...good one! :)

A Mom's Choice said...

I was a little afraid to leave you a comment. I was afraid of my own English. I am an aspiring writer. I want to write my own book. It goes to show that even the big papers can make mistakes. Found you on Blog Explosion.

Chronic Chick Talk

J. Alfred Proofreader said...

Thank you, Grammarphile. Hopefully that trend will continue!

J. Alfred Proofreader said...

Mom's Choice, don't worry--I only pursue mistakes that shouldn't have been made. Mainly mistakes made by professionals. When you get around to writing that book, just make sure someone proofreads it carefully. A book is definitely fair game for my highlighter.