John Perrotto, whose musings led to the speculation that the Astros were about to sign Pedro, and that was the factor behind the press conference this morning.
I'm going to reprint his entire post here, but the comments below the story are as excellent, so please click the link and read it:
Let’s get this straight right off the top: I was wrong, way wrong about Pedro Martinez being on the verge of signing as a free agent with the Astros.
You come to this site expecting to be informed, entertainined and sometimes amused. Most of all, you want accurate information that cuts through so much of the BS that is out there these days.
Unfortunately, I did not cut through enough of it last night when I posted an item here on Unfiltered that said Martinez was Houston-bound. I caught wind of the possibility Martinez was going to sign with the Astros early in the evening and it kept getting stronger and stronger the more I checked it out. I felt so strongly that the information was correct that I went with it. As it turned out, the sources I checked it with had also been the recipient of misinformation.
The Astros held a press conference this morning at their spring training camp in Kissimmee, Fla., but it wasn’t to announce the signing of Martinez. Instead, it was the sad news that classy veteran infielder Aaron Boone’s season is over because he will need heart surgery.
I would love to be able to write this off as easily as saying you win some and lose some. That’s not the case, though. As a reporter, you’re No. 1 responsibility is to get the story right.
I didn’t do that and, to you the readers, I apologize.
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I know I do a lot of phrase-turning, and joking around, but this is precisely what I shoot for - complete accountability, and being willing to admit when I'm way off (see the post recounting my prognostications on Pudge). John Perrotto is the Patron Taint of Astros County.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
