Why I was blue

This morning, I blogged about a story in the online Bleacher Report with two editing errors in one paragraph.

Here’s that graf:

Next, there is no precedence for what the Nationals are doing here. Their argument, it was recently revealed in an ESPN interview a few days ago with [manager Davey] Johnson, is to handle Strasburg the same way they did No. 2 pitcher Jordan Zimmermann, who also had Tommy John surgery and whom recovered quite nicely.

via Washington Nationals: Stephen Strasburg Owes It to Them to Re-Sign | Bleacher Report.

What’s wrong? In the first sentence, “precedence” is not the correct word. “Precedence” is the act of preceding something in time or rank. In “Pride and Prejudice,” youngest sister Lydia claims precedence over eldest sister Jane, because Lydia is a married woman and Jane is single.

The word the writer wanted was “precedent,” an act or statement that serves as an example or justification for a later act or statement.

In the second sentence, the pronoun “whom” is misused. “Who” is correct.

It’s unfortunate that the writer made these two errors, but some adequately caffeinated editor should have caught them.

Permalink: http://news.fredericksburg.com/theredpen/2012/08/08/2978/