Moving Forward
There have been very few TO updates since I started contributing to ESPN this past winter. I’ve been pondering what approach to take as there are going to be some transactions that will be written for ESPN and not here (like the Howard signing) as a result of the exclusivity clause in my contract. Rather than update things without a clear plan of what to do in those instances, I just left everything in limbo.
At this point, I’m still unsure what approach to take is best, so I thought I’d open the conversation up to the readership to see what you guys would like to see. I’m referring to blog entries that I can’t write here, not all of them.
- Don’t write entries for those certain signings at all - link to ESPN article and aggregate links to analysis of the signing in question.
- Bring in a regular person or two as backups for those particular signings.
- Bring in a variety of people to write single entries, depending on the teams in question.
I’m leaning towards a hybrid of 1 and 3, linking the ESPN article on the subject and bringing in independent writers based on the teams involved in the transaction. And if the community is in favor of this idea, would people prefer to see entries written by better-known writers that you’re already comfortable with or use those entries as opportunities to showcase writers of less prominent blogs that would benefit from exposure.
Any and all feedback is welcome, assuming it’s not simply telling me that I’m a sell-out. I’ve already gotten enough e-mails in that vein, so I personally feel that argument has been fully presented and exhausted.
Dan Szymborski
Posted: May 18, 2010 at 01:50 PM |
33 comment(s)
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1. Barnaby Jones Posted: May 18, 2010 at 03:03 PM (#3535587)But none had ZiPS... or Billy!
I vote for less prominent authors.
Also, you're a sellout.
Seriously, 1 and 3.
As for which writers, I dunno. Team specific writers tend not to give the best analyses (as a general rule / from my experience), but are more likely to bring forth some evidence/reasoning that's less obvious. (After all, 90% of the time, 90% of us will agree on the merits of a given move, with groupthink and all that.)
I do want to formulate a plan, however, for the scattered times that they come up.
My ESPN stuff is behind the pay wall, so it is not linked regularly on BTF. I'm told that I'm a doofus by a lot of people for my extreme caution in this matter (including Jim) and that after a decade, I've certainly earned the right to publicize my work on a website I partly own, but I'm still skittish about it.
The general projections aren't something that are affected by my contract at all. Now, for example, I recently projected the likelihood of various hitters making HR #763, but that's not part of the usual ZiPS package you guys get (and I can repost even that data in 45 days).
I really appreciate all the feedback guys. I'd love for you guys to read my stuff at ESPN (there are occasionally sales at various places that allow you got get a year of Insider and Mag for as little as $4) and Perpetual Post, but I understand that not everyone is going to want to!
I have no plans to simply discontinue the blog unless things changed to a degree that my paid writing *is* seriously disruptive, which it isn't yet.
Option J Dan, always Option J.
See how well it worked for Steve Phillips.
What made TO so enjoyable was the occasional continuity between related (even if tangentially) transactions. If a single person can't write them, then perhaps there might be some continuity if it was just one or two regular guests (ideally a long-established Primer regular, like Walt Davis).
Oh, I wasn't even aware you were writing for TWWL. In that case, SELLOUT!!!!! ;)
I knew that would be the Alomar entry before I even clicked on it. And I agree. Link when necessary, write new entries here when appropriate.
*** Processing inappropriate message with Publitek PR filter v2.98
Dan Szymborski: "The money isn't important, the important thing that I'm really excited about is to spread awareness of advanced stats to and entertain the readers of ESPN's multiple award winning premium site and associated properties."
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However, if you can give us updated ZiPS, post them without comment, and leave it for the rest of us to hold a discussion here if we want. You can put a link to your ESPN article, and those of us who pay can go look.
Frankly, I know it's great to sell out, but the reality is you can't adopt some goofy halfway house which probably won't work very well and lead to your core audience drifting away gradually.
'We must grasp the nettle even though it makes our hands bleed. Only through pain can tomorrow be assured.'
Heck, you don't even need me now to get the ZiPS - Fangraphs has updated ZiPS projections every morning!
Frankly, I know it's great to sell out, but the reality is you can't adopt some goofy halfway house which probably won't work very well and lead to your core audience drifting away gradually.
Well, if it came to that extreme, I definitely agree, but as of right now, we're just talking about a very occasional post. I feel it's workable and want to go that way as long as there's general agreement in the community.
Maybe you could just do fake transactions like the Mets signing Bengie Molina?
No fair! I thought that was a done deal!
Run an OOTP League and then post analysis of the transactions. We'll just pretend that they're from the Lost Flash Sideways dimension.
And I can always steal Rest of Season ZiPS projections from Fangraphs.
Only under 5 conditions:
1. Everybody agrees with whatever I write;
2. I don't have to defend the (so far perfectly accurate if not overly optimistic) Zobrist projection;
3. It pays a lot more than I think it does;
4. The Mets continue to start Francoeur, Dayton Moore remains the Royals' GM and somebody employs Sir Sidney so I can have some cheap targets for jokes;
5. Billy stays on as artistic director.
Also, congrats on the move, Dan. Let all those hippies calling you a sell-out keep banging on the bongos.
Primate comments including comments by Dan Szymborski whenever he wishes.
nice
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