|
Hillsdale grad enjoys life in the big leagues
By Nicole Stanley
Collegian Reporter
Former sports editor and editor-in-chief for
the Collegian, Scott Miller now rubs elbows with baseball's
most talented players.
After graduating from Hillsdale College in
1985, Miller went on to cover sports for the Los Angeles Times
until 1994 when he began covering the Minnesota Twins for the
St. Paul Pioneer Press.
He now works as a senior columnist for CBS
SportsLine.com and spends his days watching baseball games.
It's not all hotdogs and peanuts, however;
Miller said a typical day for him starts at 2 p.m. with preparation
and interviews at the field and ends around midnight when his
column is written and turned in for editing.
Miller said his love for baseball stems from
his childhood and combined with his love for writing, being
a sports writer was the best job he could imagine.
"One thing I have learned about sports
writing is that it's a people business," he said. "You
meet different people every day, and it's been interesting to
watch those people over the years."
Some of the most fascinating people Miller
said he has ever met are top figures such as the Minnesota Twins'
Paul Molitor, who will be inducted into the National Baseball
Hall of Fame this year, and Barry Bonds of the San Francisco
Giants.
"[Bonds] is one of the greatest players
that ever played," he said. "But he can be very self-absorbed
and abrasive at times; watching what makes him tick is what's
fascinating."
Miller also pointed to Tom Lampkin, catcher
for the San Diego Padres, as one of his most fascinating interviews
for a story on the influence of sports a year after the Sept.
11 attacks. Lampkin was in the Pentagon when the plane crashed
into the building.
As far as a favorite team goes, Miller said
since he grew up in Monroe, Mich., he can't go too far from
the Detroit Tigers, but that he was more a fan of the game than
a particular team.
"You end up pulling for the good people
in the game," he said. "Like Terry Ryan from the Twins,
I pull for him because he's such a character. The same goes
for Bruce Bochey of the Padres."
General predictions for the year-Miller said he likes to play
it safe.
"The Tigers won't win the World
Series this year," he said. "But Alan Trammell will
keep smiling all the way."
|
