Washington Nationals Sign Pitcher Sam Clay

Rob Woodfork is an experienced journalist and reporter who works at WTOP in Chevy Chase, Maryland. His responsibilities include writing and delivering live sportscasts and traffic reports. Rob Woodfork also writes opinion pieces on teams such as the Washington Football Team (NFL) and Washington Nationals (MLB) for WTOP Sports.

The Nationals took a familiar route in an attempt to bolster its pitching depth in November by signing 27-year-old Sam Clay to a major league contract. Clay, a native of Knoxville, Tennessee, has yet to pitch in the majors, but has shown promise in the minor leagues. Kyle Finnegan had yet to pitch in the majors when he was signed by Washington prior to last season, but was a key member of the Nationals' bullpen in 2020. He recorded a 2.92 earned run average (ERA) through 24-and-two-third innings pitched.

Clay, meanwhile, was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the fourth round of the 2014 MLB Amateur Draft out of Georgia Institute of Technology. He has a win-loss record of 24-24 to go along with a 3.97 ERA and 432 strikeouts through 405-and-one-third innings pitched in six minor league seasons. He finished the 2019 season with a 3.25 ERA and led all minor league pitchers with a 71.3 percent groundball rate.

Some Differences between Softball and Baseball

Rob Woodfork, who supplemented his radio experience at Oakwood University with specialized coursework at Columbia School of Broadcasting, currently serves in several roles with Washington, D.C.'s WTOP radio (103.5 FM). Rob reports sports and traffic, and writes and edits digital content for the station's website. A Maryland resident, Rob Woodfork spends as much time as he can with his family, and also enjoys watching sports and playing softball.

Softball is a sport similar to baseball, but there are some significant differences. Foremost among them is the ball itself: In general, a baseball is 9 to 9.25 inches in circumference, and weighs between 5 and 5.25 ounces. The baseballs used in professional and college games are manufactured to be extremely hard, in order to improve the “springboard effect,” or coefficient of restitution (COR), which determines the speed at which the ball leaves the bat when it is hit.

Softballs, on the other hand, are not only softer than baseballs but also significantly larger: Most measure 11 or 12 inches in circumference and weigh between 6.5 and 7 ounces. Softballs are also rated by their COR, and many are colored yellow to improve visibility.

The balls used aren’t the only differences between the two games. Baseball’s bat can be as long as 42 inches, while a softball bat can’t be longer than 34 inches. A standard baseball game lasts 9 innings, while softball’s is 7 innings. Softball leagues often have “slaughter” rules that limit the length of the game even further if one team builds an insurmountable lead over the other. There are additional differences that are implemented by individual leagues, such as time limits on games, a limit on home runs, and a rule requiring that every at-bat starts with a count of one ball and one strike. 

Washington Football Team QB Alex Smith Cleared to Practice

A Washington, D.C.-based journalist, Rob Woodfork produces and delivers live, on-air sports and traffic reports for WTOP. In addition to these responsibilities, Rob Woodfork is a contributor to the award-winning WTOP sports department, where he writes articles on the Washington Nationals and Washington Football Team, among other teams in the region.

Dwayne Haskins is expected to be the starting quarterback for the Washington Football Team for the 2020 season, but the team is fortunate to have depth at the position. It acquired Kyle Allen via trade from the Carolina Panthers during the offseason, and veteran Alex Smith was cleared for football activity on August 16. Smith, who has since been practicing in 11-on-11 situations, suffered a compound fracture in his right leg in November 2018 and miraculously recovered from a life-threatening infection in the leg that required multiple surgeries.

Smith will make a guaranteed $16 million this season, whether he makes Washington's 53-man roster or not. Additionally, he will carry a salary cap hit of $21.4 million.

Selected first overall by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2005 NFL Draft, Smith is a three-time Pro Bowl quarterback who has played 166 regular season games with the 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs, and Washington. He was acquired by Washington from the Chiefs in March 2018, and subsequently signed a 4-year, $94 million contract extension with the team.

 

SAG-AFTRA GAPP Public Advocacy Initiatives

 A reporter with in-depth writing and editing experience, Rob Woodfork works for WTOP radio in Washington, D.C., where his duties include sports and traffic on-air reporting as well as digital editing. Prior to his current position, he was a producer and news anchor for Metro Networks in Pennsylvania. Broadcast journalist Rob Woodfork maintains membership with the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA).

SAG-AFTRA brings together over 160,000 actors, broadcast journalists, news writers, editors, singers, program hosts, dancers, DJs, voice-over artists, stunt performers, recording artists, and puppeteers with the aim of promoting their professional welfare. The union works closely with the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, sister unions, and other like-minded organizations to protect the rights and interests of its members.

SAG-AFTRA engages in advocacy on behalf of its members via its Government Affairs & Public Policy (GAPP) department, which formulates and manages strategies to inform and influence public policy across all levels: city, state, federal, and global. GAPP closely monitors issues such as digital copyright theft, state production initiatives, digital image rights and right of publicity, child performer protections, and age discrimination, among other pertinent issues. SAG-AFTRA achieves its advocacy role through monitoring legislative and regulatory activity, participating in national and local coalitions, creating partnerships with other organizations, and lobbying and grassroots campaigns.

How the NFL Is Working to Promote Diversity in Management

Rob Woodfork, a communications star from Oakwood University, is an experienced on-air traffic and sports reporter who has worked at WTOP since 2011. During this time with the news organization, Rob Woodfork has authored hundreds of articles and columns on important social issues in sports, including the lack of management and coaching opportunities for visible minorities in the National Football League (NFL).

Around 70 percent of the players in the NFL are African-Americans. Yet, that isn't reflected in leadership among the league's 32 teams. There are only four minority head coaches in the NFL and two minority general managers. The league is aware of its racial disparity in management positions and has made diversifying leadership a point of emphasis during the 2020 off-season, particularly given the context of race relations in the United States and protests throughout the nation.

To help correct the issue, a measure was proposed to award teams higher draft picks for hiring minority head coaches or general managers. For instance, a team that hired a minority general manager would receive a 10-slot bump in the third round of the next NFL Draft. It would receive additional incentives if that manager was still employed after two seasons.

While this proposal was tabled for discussion at a later date, the league has implemented other measures to attack the root causes of its unbalanced hiring practices. These include plans for all 32 teams to adopt diversity and inclusion programs, the creation of a minority coaching fellow position for all 32 teams, and an expansion of the Rooney Rule, which now states teams must interview external minority candidates for head coaching and coordinator roles.

How Much Money Do Sports Reporters Make?

Based in Chevy Chase, Maryland, Rob Woodfork is a longtime contributor for WTOP (103.5 FM) radio in Washington, D.C.. For nearly a decade, Rob Woodfork has edited and created on-air and online content, and written numerous opinion pieces for WTOP Sports.

Sports reporters earn a wide variety of salaries, depending mostly on the company they work for and the sports events they cover. For example, a reporter covering a small soccer league for a local radio station makes considerably less than a reporter covering NFL games for a national TV network.

As of February 2020, the average salary for sports reporters ranges from $35,000 to $46,000. Of course, the salary is much higher for experienced reporters covering major sports leagues and events.

On the other end of the spectrum, local sports reporters working for small companies make less than the average salary. Some sports reporters even have to take additional jobs to make a living.