A game-changer, to coin phrase

The death of Chicago reporter and MLB historian Jerome Holtzman at age 80 capped a really hard week for the baseball-writers community. Holtzman's death followed those of New York's Red Foley, Houston's Neil Hohlfeld and our own Matt McHale.

How long was Jerome Holtzman an influential baseball writer? The story goes that toward the end of Jerome's newspaper career, a boss suggested he freshen up his writing. The boss said Jerome's style had become old-fashioned, with too many old baseball cliches.

"But," Jerome protested, "they're my cliches! I invented them!"

That's the trouble with being oft-imitated.