Bittersweet inception of a story

Herb Score's passing saddens me on many fronts.

Mr. Score and his wife Nancy were two of the nicest people who ever walked this earth.

Mr. Score forever will be characterized as a Cleveland Indians' pitching legend and broadcasting icon.

Mr. Score's devout faith was true inspiration to all.


I did not want to see him pass, yet knew he was suffering and had been through very rough times over the last few years.


As an assignment editor, you always want to break the big story. When it revolves around this delicate subject matter, many bittersweet feelings cloud your vision and your thinking.


I'm not going to take full credit for this story. However, I must say I got the ball rolling and stayed on top of it from its inception to its tragic ending.


I had one heck of a source. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. My source has been keeping me in the loop on Mr. Score for years. However back on October 27th, my source called me with daunting information I really did not want to hear. Mr. Score was in Fairview Hospital not doing well. I received the call off the clock. I immediately called and emailed the appropriate people with the information. I had total faith in my source --110 percent sure of everything they were telling me.

The initial call made the hair on the back of my neck stand up and sent chills down my spine. This was the day before the Feast of St. Jude, Herb's favorite Saint. Herb prayed to St Jude the day he was struck in the eye with a baseball. He prayed asking St. Jude to spare his sight, and he did.

That initial information started the process. Dick Russ, who had done stories with Herb in the past, began writing .....and pulling file video. Dick contacted a few of his contacts who were able to get us a bit more video of Herb in action to augment our story. News Editor extraordinaire, Matt Hein, also began pulling video. Matt is a huge fan of Cleveland, baseball, the Indians and knew dates and times off the top of his head of video he wanted to include in a story, in preparation for that fateful day.

Every couple days, I was getting updates and would relay to the appropriate people.

I brought in my copy of Terry Cashman's song, 'The Ballad of Herb Score' which Matt used throughout our tribute piece...with permission from Mr. Terry Cashman himself.

Matt and Dick were almost done with a 'look back' piece when I got the news that Mr. Score returned home.

Dick Russ' writing, a masterpiece. Matt's editing brought tears to my eyes. Matt showed me the story which left me speechless. What a talent and great asset to Channel 3.

Finally, Tuesday morning I got the call I hoped I'd never get. Mr. Herb Score had passed away. Again, I immediately called the station and emailed the appropriate folks in the newsroom. I checked all other websites to see if the news had been broken anywhere else. When I checked, it had not. I was fairly confident we were the only ones with the info, at least with a little head start before the Cleveland Indians' put out their statements, and the funeral home sent out their releases and the Indians sent out famous audio calls of Mr. Score as play-by-play announcer...

We were able to air our Herb Score tribute story starting on our Noon News. You could tell the other stations were scrambling.

I posted a timely story on this work blog including the calling hours and funeral arrangements before other stations distributed the information.


Though this story is quite sad and close to my heart being a huge baseball fan, Cleveland Indians fan, and faith-filled person, this is what an assignment editor does.


The AE gets a story and does not let go until the very end. The AE follows through until there is nothing more to get.


Again, I'm saddened at Tuesday's news. But I am blessed and fortunate to have been able to contribute SO MUCH to and on this breaking news story....and allow my station to have the time to put together such a wonderfully moving tribute, very well deserved, to a true baseball legend and amazing human being!


There is no doubt in my mind Mr. Herb Score is perched atop the pitching mound once again, having the time of his life striking out the likes of Shoeless Joe Jackson, Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, and Mickey Mantle...