This is our tenth season covering the Pirates. Well, it’s my tenth season and the site’s tenth season.
John Dreker and Wilbur Miller were added about a year and a half after the site started. Other writers and our photographer David Hague were added along the way. Our coverage changed over the years, always looking for an increase, and always trying to find a way to do something different in an extremely crowded media scene.
I’m always trying to find ways to make the site better. I’m never really satisfied with where the site is at, even though there’s really no other site like this for any team in baseball. Perhaps the lack of a model or an example elsewhere is what keeps me from feeling satisfied about the site’s progress.
But the last few weeks I’ve taken a step back to just enjoy where the site is at right now, and I’ve got to say I’m pretty happy about it all.
It seems like every day I’m editing great articles from one of our writers. The quality of their work would be what you expect as the sole daily feature elsewhere, and it’s usually just one of three or four great features on our site each day.
Alan Saunders and Matt Gajtka have been killing it with their Pirates’ analysis. I know a bit in advance what they’re working on, so it’s kind of fun to see people asking a question about a topic and knowing that we have an upcoming article to answer that question. That’s kind of our job here, to answer questions about the team, and provide analysis or explanations for why certain events are happening.
For example, want to know why Tyler Glasnow isn’t throwing his changeup much this year after making big strides with the pitch last year? Or why the Pirates are being very cautious with him and easing him into the majors? Check out Alan’s article this week on Glasnow’s changes to his mechanics and spin rate this year. Or there has been Matt’s breakdown on topics like the Gerrit Cole trade, or what the Pirates might do if they’re competitive at the deadline.
Then we’ve got the prospect analysis, which really drives this site. Wonder why Lolo Sanchez is struggling, or what is leading to the great start from Calvin Mitchell in West Virginia? Tom Bragg has you covered. Want info on JT Brubaker’s strikeouts or a look at Jason Martin coming over from the Astros? Sean McCool has had that from Altoona. And then there’s our Indianapolis writer, Brian Peloza, whose Nick Kingham feature on Friday continue a trend of having an update on a player’s progress right as he’s about to arrive in the majors.
Every part of that process is key, learning what guys are doing along the way, starting with John Dreker and myself covering guys when they first arrive in pro ball, leading to Brian’s coverage when they arrive in the majors. A player arrives in the majors, and if you subscribe to the site, you know exactly what’s going on with him and his entire story to date. And then the coverage is handed off to Alan and Matt, where they continue the site’s coverage and analysis.
There are about a half dozen outlets who cover the Pirates on a regular basis on the writing side. There are several blogs adding their own form of analysis of the team. It’s difficult in today’s industry to be able to come up with something unique as far as coverage when there is so much competition. I’m proud of the fact that we’ve been able to come up with unique coverage, offering something that no other site can offer.
Small Business Week Sale
This week is National Small Business Week. And we are definitely a small business.
While our competition includes newspapers owned by millionaires, and MLB’s media sites, we’re just run by one person. Me. And I’m definitely not a millionaire, and I don’t have the vast resources that MLB has.
It’s a grind to run this site the way we do, providing content from all over the system. It wouldn’t be possible without your subscriptions. And the reason we do it is to try and make this the best site possible for you.
To celebrate National Small Business Week, we’re offering 10% off new subscriptions. Use the code SMALLBIZ to get 10% off an Annual subscription. Or use the code SMALLBIZ3 to get 10% off a Top Prospect Plan.
If you’re already a subscriber, help us out by recommending the site to your friends, family members, or on social media. Tell why you subscribe to the site, and why other Pirates fans should do the same. Word of mouth is always the best way to get new subscribers, and we appreciate any help and reviews you can give us.
The 2018 Prospect Guide
If you haven’t purchased it yet, the 2018 Prospect Guide is still a great resource to get information on every prospect in the system, including our top 50 prospect list, which is exclusive to the book. The eBook can be purchased for just $19.99, and we still have a few copies of the limited paperback version available.
Sponsorships
We’re happy to announce that we’re offering sponsorship opportunities for the site. If you own a business, or know someone who does, this would be a great opportunity to reach Pirates fans who may have an interest in your business by sponsoring a section of the site.
We’ll be offering corporate sponsorships, which will feature at the top of the site on every page. We’ll also offer sponsorships for individual columns and features, or for individual teams, with those sponsorships showing up in every article of their sponsored section.
As a small business owner, I know how difficult it can be to reach potential interested customers. Our aim is to promote local businesses that also have Pirates fans at heart, allowing us to help you reach those potential customers in an easier way.
If you have a business or know someone who does, email me at tim@piratesprospects.com for more details.
