Results tagged “Trade Rumors” from The Halo Is Lit(OLD)

Interview with Tim Dierkes From MLBTraderumors.com

By Jim on August 29, 2008 5:35 PM | | Comments (0)

If you spend much time reading baseball news on the internet, you've probably come across Tim Dierkes' website MLBTradeRumors.com.  His site has become the "go to" place to get up-to-the-minute updates on hot-stove news including trade rumors and free agent signings.  Baseball Hall of Fame sports-writer Peter Gammons calls it "a must read" and CBS Sportsline uses MLBTR as its trade rumor source.  I came across MLBTradeRumors a couple years ago, and I now visit it at least a couple times a day, especially during the days leading up to the July 31st and August 31st trade deadlines.

Tim was kind enough to take some time from his busy day to answer my questions:

What is your background?  I've read you've recently started working on your website full-time, what did you do before?

Out of college I spent over three years working in search engine marketing for a Chicago company called DoubleClick Performics.  I determined what advertisers should bid for keywords on various retail accounts.  It was a nice job, I enjoyed it and the people were great.
 
What gave you the inspiration to start a website about MLB trade rumors?  How long have you been running MLBTradeRumors? 
 
I have always loved the hot stove side of baseball.  This may stem from watching many lousy Cubs teams, where the most optimistic part of the year was the offseason.  I am fascinated with free agent megadeals and trades.  I started the site in November of 2005.  About five months prior to that I began my blogging career with a fantasy baseball site, RotoAuthority.  All of it was started as a hobby, I just liked to write.
 
How much time do you generally spend on your site each day?  What does your typical day consist of?
 
It varies quite a bit - could be four hours on a slow day or 18 hours during the Winter Meetings.  Typically I wake up and check my email first.  If there are any urgent rumors readers will kindly email me about them.  After that I will comb through RSS feeds of 200+ sites looking for rumors or hot stove tidbits.  I do a lot of reading each morning.  I stop along the way to write the posts.  I keep the feeds open all day so I can catch breaking rumors.
 
Now that MLBTR is your full-time job, do you enjoy it as much?
 
I enjoy it more, because I have more time to give it the attention it deserves.  I don't feel like I am falling behind, and I have time in the afternoons to do chats or radio shows.  It is obviously a great job.
 
Do you get much feedback from "mainstream" sources such as ESPN, newspapers and MLB front-office personnel?  What I mean is, how much contact do you have with these sources?
 
ESPN guys and beat writers I talk to every day.  All those guys are great and help me out a lot.  Front office personnel, just a handful of guys who I email occasionally.
 
Peter Gammons has written that your site is one of his "must reads", how did that make you feel to be acknowledged by one of the industry's top personalities?
 
It was a huge thrill!  I love reading Gammons' stuff.
 
Did you see the segment on Costas Now! with Buzz Bissinger and Deadspin.com's Will Leitch?  Do you think Bissinger's negative comments are indicative of print media's feelings towards internet sports reporting?
 
I did see it.  Buzz does not have much in common with the journalists I interact with; he seems to focus more on long-form features and books.  Plus, the blogs/commenters he railed against do not have much in common with my site.  I typically talk to beat writers or guys at ESPN who are in the trenches digging for inside info.  My interactions with the print media have been entirely positive - they are always helpful and responsive.  Many of them have reached out to me with kind words, and a few even mentioned the site in the newspaper.  These journalists are the ones digging up the rumors - without them I would have nothing!  In turn some writers benefit from MLBTR by not having to dig through hundreds of websites to get all the rumors.
 
What do you think the future holds for mainstream print media?
 
It will become less relevant, but will not go away.  The best newspapers will adapt, leaving the time-sensitive info for their websites.  A lot of them already do this - beat writers break news on their blogs, opinion pieces appear in the paper the next day.  It is not something where the internet needs to replace newspapers...they fit well together.  Some newspapers have immensely popular blogs, like Peter Abraham's.  But people aren't cancelling their subscriptions because of the blog, as far as I know.
 
How about internet sports reporting?  Do you think the internet will overtake print media as far as where people get their sports news in the future (if it hasn't already)?
 
I haven't seen the stats on where people get their sports news these days.  Younger people definitely seem to skew heavily toward online.  Most rumors appear on the beat writer's blog before they make it into the newspaper.  The journalist often can't afford to sit on a rumor for 12 hours to get it into the paper.  That has already progressed quite a bit in three years - these days every beat writer has a blog it seems.  The diehard fans want their news immediately and can't wait until tomorrow's newspaper.
 
Where do you see MLBTR's place in sports reporting in the future?  What are your plans for MLBTR? 
 
Mainly I am going to keep doing what I am doing.  MLBTR is a hot stove news aggregator, but also offers resources, opinions, analysis, and a commenting community.  It would be fun to grow my network of sources, start breaking some exclusive news here and there.  But I am not an aggressive networking type person, so it will continue to happen gradually.  A few things I am hoping to add to the site: a fully functional mobile version, better load time, and a database where you can query all of a GM's moves and see who he's matched up with on trades.  We are making progress on all of these fronts.  Also my blogging platform, TypePad, has many improvements in the works for their commenting system.
 
Any advice you can give a fledgling internet blogger?
 
Don't get into it for money.  Write every day and don't quit if your traffic is low.  Email your most interesting posts to the bigger blogs in your niche, but don't pester them or complain if they don't reply.  Offer to write guests posts for the bigger sites, that way they're getting something in return for linking to you.  Don't use gray text on a black background...haha.
 
 
Many thanks, Tim.  Your time is very much appreciated!

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Dumbest Thing I've Ever Read (and other stuff)

By Jim on July 29, 2008 2:20 PM | | Comments (0)

Some quick notes for today...

  • I read the most ridiculous article from a "respected" source this morning.  The Orange County Register has an article online written by sports writer Bill Plunkett asking the question should the Angels trade Vlad Guerrero for Manny Ramirez.  Plunkett must have fallen out of his chair and smacked his head on his keyboard, desk, and trash can before finally hitting the floor to write this dribble.  Or else the room full of monkeys banging on typewriters in his spare bedroom finally came up with something and this gem was it.  Vlad is 5 years younger, $5 million cheaper for 2009, and 5 times the team player than "Manny being Manny".  There's an accompanying poll with the article asking readers opinion, the last I checked it was  NO - 76,  YES - 11.  I bet the Register is happy to see there are 11 people in Boston reading their crap.  Here's the link to the story:  Dumbest Trade Ever


  • Recent trade rumors traveling the internet have the Angels sending Casey Kotchman to Atlanta for Mark Teixeira.  Mentions the possible addition of Juan Rivera in the deal.  I don't like this deal and hope Reagins doesn't do it.  I admit to be in favor of a trade, but not at the expense of a player such as Kotchman unless the Angels get more than a 2 month rent-a-player or if they get the right to negotiate an extension with Teixeira before pulling the trigger on this one.
  • Last night's win made it six straight victories over the defending World Series Champion Red Sox.  When the Angels swept Boston during their last home stand, some people thought the wins were "tainted" because the games were played in Anaheim and the Red Sox were without DH David Ortiz.  Well, shut up fools, the Angels won again...in Boston...with Ortiz.
  • Interesting post on an Angels fansite I read daily, Halos Heaven.  One of the posters remarked about one of the similarities between this year and the nightmare season that was 1995.  After 103 games:

1995:
Record: 64-39
Lead: 10.5 games

2008:
Record: 64-39
Lead: 10.5 games

Uh-oh, don't start printing those playoff tickets just yet.

  •  A few years ago I moved from Orange County to western Wisconsin.  I'd lived my whole life in California, except for a few stops in Memphis and Dallas, and really miss a lot of things about home.  Here in Wisconsin, its hard to get any sports news other than what Brett Favre did yesterday, what Brett Favre didn't do yesterday, where is Brett Favre, and who's this Aaron Rodgers (yeah, I watch a lot of ESPN News).  Mixed in with the Favre news we do get some baseball reports and I've got to say, that Ryan Braun guy is kinda good. 

 

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Despite Having the Best Record in Baseball, the Angels Need to Make a Trade

By Jim on July 24, 2008 4:59 PM | | Comments (0)

With less than a week before the major league trading deadline, the Los Angeles Angels sit atop the American League west by 10 games. They also have the best record in baseball at 62-39, but I'm still worried. Although the Angels have made the post season 4 of the last 5 seasons, they haven't made it to the World Series since 2002 and have lost 9 straight post season games to the Red Sox. If the play-offs were to start today, the Angels would face-off against those Red Sox, and despite last weekend's 3 game sweep in Anaheim, the Red Sox are a team who've proven they can "turn it up a notch" once the post season starts.

For the last few years, we Angels' fans have complained about GM Bill Stoneman's inability to swing a trade for a "big bat". Now that Stoneman's stepped down to become a special assistant and Tony Reagins has taken over trade talks, 2008 looked like it might be the year for a deadline deal. Shortly after taking control of the Angels' front office, Reagins shocked us all by working out a deal and signing Torii Hunter at a Del Taco off the 91 freeway. Finally! We've got ourselves a "ninja" in the GM seat. However, with only a week to go before the trading deadline all of the rumors flying around the internet have the Angels standing pat. And I can understand their thinking. Best record in baseball, thinning farm system, pitching wins play-offs, etc., but I'm still worried. What should the Angels do? Here's what I think:

  1.  Brandon_Wood_throws_to_first_off_balanced.jpgTrade Brandon Wood. Wood's a great prospect, but where's he going to play? Figgins is at 3B. Move Figgins to 2B? What about Kendrick? Move Figgins to the already over-crowded outfield? Not unless the Angels are able to unload Mathews Jr.'s contract (and he waives his no-trade clause). Send Wood to Cleveland for Casey Blake and Rafael Perez. I'd much rather see Blake on the bench and filling in for Kotchman the last two month of the regular season and into the post season than Robb Quinlan. Or how about dealing Wood to Baltimore in a George Sherrill trade. K-Rod has stated he's filing for free agency after this season and after the year he's having in 2008, possibly breaking the all-time saves record, he'll command a hefty raise. One the Angels might feel they can't afford. With Sherrill, they'll have a replacement until Arredondo can step into the closers role in 2010. Or…
  2. Go out and get Greg Maddux if he'd be willing to waive his no-trade clause. The Angels' starting pitching has been fantastic, but are showing signs of tiring. Jered Weaver left his last start with tightness in his back and John Garland was scratched from his last start due to neck stiffness. Would Maddux waive his NTC for a chance to play in the post-season? He's stated he'd consider a trade to a west coast team, and everyone thinks of the Dodgers. Last time I checked Anaheim was west coast. I think all it'd take to get Maddux would be a low level, grade C/C+ prospect. Or...
  3. Do nothing. Breeze into the play-offs and take their chances. After all, they did just sweep the defending champs, minus Angel-killer David Ortiz (42 for 139, 12 HR against Angel pitching). Did I mention I'm still worried?

There was a recent trade rumor involving Atlanta's Mark Teixeira. The rumor was Robb Quinlan and Brandon Wood for Teixeira. Yeah, right. If the Braves are that desperate (which they're not) to make a deal, the Angels should jump all over it. I don't think a "blockbuster" is in the Angels' future, but hopefully they do something to improve their roster. Once October comes, it's a whole new ballgame...and I'm still worried.

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