Now that the 2013 Prospect Guide is complete, I’m starting my focus on the site content in 2013. For information on the book, see the links and notes section below.
I’m anticipating some big improvements for the site in 2013. One big change is that I’ll be moving to Bradenton in February. That will allow me to provide daily coverage of Spring Training, the Bradenton Marauders, the GCL Pirates, and when the time comes, instructs and mini camps. The main reason I’m moving is to provide better coverage for the site.
I’m also looking to expand the coverage in other areas, and will be looking for outside help. Those areas are as follows.
Major League Coverage
In 2013 we will have 1-2 positions open for major league coverage. The coverage will be strongly focused on statistics and an analytical approach. Priority will be given to those who can cover games live in Pittsburgh. If you can’t cover games live, you could still provide analysis, although it would have to be strongly supported with advanced stats. The availability to provide coverage from Spring Training is a plus.
The position(s) could be paid, depending on how big a role you could play with the site. A paid position would go to someone who could cover most home games and write 1+ articles on average per day.
Minor League Coverage
In 2013 the site will have daily coverage of the Indianapolis Indians, Bradenton Marauders, and the GCL Pirates. I’m looking for people who can provide coverage of Altoona, West Virginia, and Jamestown.
You don’t necessarily have to be in those cities to provide coverage. If you live in a city that one of those teams visits, you could provide coverage of the road games. The minor league coverage will be unpaid, and will start off on a trial basis. The positions could eventually become paid positions based on the quality of the work, the frequency of the updates, and the traffic impact on the site.
News Coverage
Baseball can be a 24/7 news cycle at times. I try to model my site after MLBTR when it comes to keeping up with the daily news, rumors, and transactions. I want the news to go up as soon as possible, which means that usually it’s just the basic details, without framing it as a formal story. I also want everything covered, ranging from big trades, all the way to the smallest minor league transactions. Because of that combo, it can be difficult for one person to keep the site updated while trying to live any kind of life outside of the site. Trust me on that one.
I’ll be looking for people who can provide updates on the site next year to help reduce my workload. I’ll be moving to Bradenton next year, which means that for part of the season I’ll be covering GCL games during the day and Marauders games at night. That will leave the site without instant coverage when I’m at the games. I’m looking for people who can fill in that coverage. Using the MLBTR writers as a guide, the updates should be brief, usually only containing the facts of the transaction, and a brief analysis of the player.
This position could also cross over with the Major League coverage position.
Database Management
One of the things I’ve always wanted to add to the site was a section with updated statistics for every player in the system. I’d like to have a sortable stats page, plus stats on every player page, which update each night. The problem is that I have no knowledge on SQL programming, and don’t have the time to teach myself (especially when I’m busy trying to learn Spanish, which is going muy lento.
If you have any ideas on how to set this up, let me know, and give me a quote for how much it would cost. If you need more information, get in touch with me and I’ll provide more details.
Apply For a Position
To apply for any position, send an e-mail to tim@piratesprospects.com with the following information:
-What position(s) you are applying for.
-Why would you be a good addition to the site? I get a lot of requests to write for the site, so what could you provide that would separate you from other writers?
-What is your availability for game coverage?
-What is your previous experience (include links to published content)?
For any writing position the following will be very important:
-Great work ethic and independent workers
-Strong grammar/spelling
-Good statistical knowledge, including an understanding of advanced statistics
-The ability to come up with original and interesting topics
-Leaving emotional biases out of the work
-Twitter and social networking experience
This site is mostly read by Pirates fans, but there are a few non-Pirates fans who read. Being a Pirates fan is NOT important here. Some of the best writers on the site in the past were fans of other MLB teams. The site is run on WordPress, so any knowledge of that is a plus.
Pirates Prospects has received over seven million hits in 2012 alone, and traffic has increased significantly every year. Current estimates have the site topping 10 million hits in 2013. This would be a great opportunity for anyone who is looking to add some writing experience or for anyone who is looking to reach a large audience.
I’ll be taking my time with this process. I probably won’t make any decisions until late-January/early-February. In the mean time I’ll be in contact with everyone who responded.
Links and Notes
**Last week I finished the 2013 Prospect Guide. I just got the e-mail tonight that it shipped, and should arrive on Wednesday. I’ll be printing shipping labels tomorrow and Wednesday in preparation for the shipment, so if you’ve ordered you should get a tracking number. The books will go out Wednesday and Thursday. I’m hoping to get them all by Wednesday, but that really depends on how soon FedEx arrives that day. I’m hoping that they’ll all arrive by Monday the 24th. Usually when I ship books out domestically by Thursday, they arrive on Monday. However, I have no control over the shipping speed at this time of year.
If you haven’t ordered your copy of the Prospect Guide, you can do so on the products page of the site. The Prospect Guide helps the site grow. It’s what will allow for the expanded coverage above. It’s also what keeps the site free. I’ve had people say that they’d be willing to pay a subscription for the site, or that they’d be willing to make a donation. Consider this that subscription or donation. You get 156 pages of detailed coverage of every player in the farm system, including the top 50 prospects. If you buy the Combo pack you also get the Annual, which will be released in February, and which provides coverage of the major league team. And most importantly, you help the site grow so that we can provide more coverage in 2013.
Order your copy today to have it go out in the first shipment.
**Pirates Pushing to Move Hanrahan.
