I feel that Shohei Ohtani’s upcoming free agency deserves special treatment here at MLBTR. Ohtani does unprecedented things all the time, and he’s on track for free agency in about seven months. We’ll certainly be covering the topic from many angles here at MLBTR, but I’m also planning to have extra Ohtani articles concerning topics not normally covered at MLBTR, and we’re seeking a new paid part-time writer for the job. These additional articles will be housed at Ohtani’s player page, so that those looking for enhanced coverage of the man outside of hot stove news can get it.
For example, the Ohtani player page may include articles about his endorsements, regular updates from his game performances, and coverage of his MVP and/or Cy Young chances.
Just to repeat, for extra clarity: the additional Ohtani articles will be on a separate page and not on MLB Trade Rumors itself. It should be a great place for those who want more and easily avoided for those who do not.
As a late addition to this post – I would love for this role to serve as a springboard into supplementing MLBTR’s NPB coverage across the board, beyond just Ohtani.
MLBTR’s writing team will continue to cover all aspects of Ohtani’s free agency on MLBTR, but we’re looking to add a paid writer to cover additional topics. These are the qualifications:
- You must be fluent in both English and Japanese. The articles will be written in English, but in addition to monitoring U.S.-based Ohtani non-hot stove news, you will be tasked with monitoring coverage of Ohtani in the Japanese media and translating it into English-language posts.
- Availability to live blog all of Ohtani’s remaining starts as a pitcher this season.
- Though you may be a fan of Ohtani, you will need to write objectively about him.
- A high school degree is required, and further education is preferred. Please include your highest completed level of education in your application.
- Writing experience is necessary, and online writing experience is preferred.
- Attention to detail and ability to follow the MLBTR style and tone.
- Strong knowledge of Ohtani’s history, including prior to his coming to the United States.
- Ability to craft intelligent, well-written posts analyzing and contextualizing Ohtani news quickly and concisely.
- Ability to use Twitter, Tweetdeck, Facebook, and WordPress. Experience with these is strongly preferred.
- Ability to incorporate feedback to improve performance.
- If you’re interested, email shoheiohtanirumors@gmail.com and explain how you stand out and qualify in a couple of short paragraphs. Please attach your resume to the email.
- Please also include a writing sample that you feel would fit on the site, keeping in mind that this role involves covering all aspects of Ohtani other than his free agency or a potential trade. Feel free to write an article about this Forbes report from last October concerning Ohtani’s endorsements, and/or about his performance in the Angels’ April 5th game. Bonus points if you want to try writing a sample post in English where the source material is in Japanese.
This is how players become hated. Just my opinion on this. He’s one of the most if not the most likable players in the league. I don’t think we need a daily update on him because he’s chewing sour apple gum vs grape, which is what this sounds like it will be.
Yeah let’s shutdown innovation because I might not like it. Absurd. How about you just don’t read it? And when the person who is given this opportunity is a successful sports journalist 10 years from now I hope they remember not to thank you for anything.
Geez
I’m no expert, but I don’t think StudWinfield is enamored of your take.
Just a guess.
Shohei Ohtani is MLBs Tom Brady. MLB needs every media outlet it can to cover him.
Many would agree this season has already produced some of the most entertaining baseball since probably the 80s.
You need to capitalize on that with a larger than life performer. No better player than a dominant two-way star who’s transforming the game.
Shohei needs to be celebrated. If you don’t like it, don’t watch.
I’m sick of Tom Brady.
I watched him play football, he’s an all-time great. But I never clicked on anything else… retirement, unretirement, divorce, etc.
Shohei is fun to watch, and a unique talent. I don’t celebrate anything. I follow baseball as a fan. That’s it.
He’s better than Tom Brady. Let’s be honest, Ohtani is the best baseball player that ever lived. He deserves the most attention.
Good grief.
Bronx, as a baseball fan, you know who Shohei is. The casual sports fan may or may not know. The problem with MLB is that it’s done a terrible job of marketing it’s players and it’s product. Now is the time and Shohei is the player.
nuke…
I agree that MLB markets its game badly.
The Angels have a first ballot HOF player on their roster.
Who knows about him?
But better than Tom Brady? That’s abjectly ridiculous.
I’m heartily sick of all the off-the-field Brady crap. But he’s up there with Michael Jordan, Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth, and historically successful athletes. Shohei is fun to watch and a fantastic talent. But let’s see what he’s able to accomplish first, and then anoint him later.
Bronx, I’m not sure where you’re getting I said he’s better than Tom Brady. My Brady reference was simply to say Shohei is the face of the MLB the way Brady has been for the NFL. The comparison stops there.
Just the way Tiger brought out a totally different kind of golf fan in the late 90s/early 00s, it’s a good time to have Shohei bring in some younger fans and energy.
I *will* say that I coach baseball and believe the game is a lot healthier than media outlets would like you to think (almighty ESPN worships the NFL and NBA because of the diversity factor), but that’s another topic.
roob said he was better than Tom Brady… not you.
Didn’t mean to imply that you said it… I was just reacting to the Tom Brady thing in general. I don’t think the comparison is valid (yet) or fair to either guy. I would liken Shohei to a young Tiger, in that both burst on to the scene fairly quickly, and yes, did attract new and different fans.
Wish there were a way to reply to more than one guy at a time.
I’ve had my fill of ESPN… A once great, funny sports network.
He’s not better than Tom Brady.
He’s not the best player whose ever lived.
He’s not the best player on his own team.
Bronx, I think you and I would be sharing a cold one. From eye rolling the current state of ESPN to agreeing that Shohei is more Tiger than Brady.
My take is that Shohei is a once in a generation persona. He’s ripe to market to the average sports fan. And like Tiger and Jordan, he can become a worldwide name.
Innovation? That’s a weird way to spell absurdity.
Why is it absurdity? I realize it could be but why would you assume such a thing?
Because hiring someone to specifically only care about 1 player is absurd
I don’t think it’s innovative or absurd. It’s putting extra focus on the best and most famous baseball player in the world in the lead-up to his free agency. It feels natural to me.
DTD – I don’t understand the criticism here.
This is a business decision Tim made based on the enormous demand to discuss one of the greatest players, if not the greatest player, of all time.
Why not make MLBTR the best place for Ohtani news and discussion? I think it’s a great idea.
As for the ridiculous “stalker” claims, people need to understand the definition of the word. Nobody representing MLBTR will be following Ohtani around in person or taking pictures and video of him. They will be writing about what they see and hear from other sources (TV, radio, websites, etc).
It’s very simple, if anybody doesn’t want to read all the additional coverage …. don’t read it.
Very true, but keep in mind that these additional posts will not be on the MLBTR site. Just wanted to clarify.
It’s not natural to single out one athlete and hire someone to specifically focus on them, no matter how good they are. It’s very fanboyish and weird.
Ohtani is literally drooled over by every media outlet, why do we need more of it? And why single out one athlete? It’s just weird and creepy.
I was a Jordan fan boy growing up. My son was a Kobe fan boy. Neither of us could get enough of either at the time, including what tshirts they were wearing or what flavor of Gatorade they were holding. Obviously, a Shoei channel is not for you, but it may be for many people.
@DTD, the beauty of how they’re going to implement this is you don’t have to see the articles as they’re on a separate page.
Actually, it’s been done before.
With the one player Ohtani gets compared to… Babe Ruth! Mark Roth was assigned by the Daily News to follow the Babe, and only Babe Ruth… What the Bambino ate, dran, smoke, what music he listened to, everything.
So there is precedent.
You’re just jealous because it’s not a Braves player. Would you be pouting if this was excueted for the great Hank Aaron closing in on 714?
BTW,One of the most amazing Henry Aaron stat…. Even if he had 0 HR’S,He would still have 3000 hits. Let that sink in.
bronx – That’s a whole different thang though. Nobody here will be doing any of that, they will presumably just be canvassing every possible source that has information about Ohtani … big difference.
And BTW – Plenty of great players have had someone like Mark Roth with them at all times … for Wade Boggs, the person’s name was Margo Adams.
It’s a matter of opinion as to either.
Honestly, I feel it’s both.
The hype is tiresome. But people are free to ignore it. The fact that so many are on here, either attacking or defending such a move, speaks to the interest in the subject matter, though. Doesn’t it?
Again, they did this with Babe Ruth.
And yesterday, a bat he used in 1921 sold at auction for $1.85 million!
Some guys get hyped. And they manage to justify it. I wonder if any of Ohtani’s memorabilia will fetch millions.
You know, no one is forcing you to read it.
Being quirky. I’d find a page dedicated to following a bench player like that much more interesting. We can get Ohtani anywhere anytime. Tell me what Frank “The Tank” Schwindel’s favorite color Gatorade is lol. I was a MASSIVE Ryne Sandberg fan growing up. Met him once and just stared. Later as I wore #55 for Hershiser. But being in and around the game kind of kills that. I know why many players don’t interact. I get it. But you see behind the curtain and it changes you. On some level everyone is a fan.
Perhaps, but it could also speak to the “ownership” people feel about the site. They express opinions about everything.
I’d doubt it. To pristine and too plentiful. Just like modern baseball cards.
Lol. No, the comparison is valid. Mark Roth was a Daily News reporter who was assigned to cover Ruth. What he ate, where he went, his life in and out of the ballpark. As we all know, Ruth was a party animal. Roth probably took a lot of ‘news’ to his grave.
It starts as one player because this level of fame for a Japanese player has never been seen. I’m sure if it is successful, it could turn it into someone reporting on Japanese players in the mlb or even notable players abroad.
I would assume the level of depth into Japanese baseball and its players would entirely depend on compensation. Because if you want a writer to monitor English and Japanese media streams, potentially translate, then create semi-original work, then you have to pay them more than other writers.
Tim, can we please get specific coverage for willians astudillo?
I think what also makes this situation unique is that he’s Japanese and receives heavy coverage in Japan. Your existing staff might have been able to handle this collectively, but you need a full-time, bilingual, Japanese speaker on it.
Ohtani is not natural. He’s a freak of nature. Seems to fit.
Greatest player of all-time? It’s literally absurd that you said that. We are all dumber for have read it.
We’re getting a little too close to the point of “MLB” coverage turning into Shohei did this, that, and the other and by the way, other players did X (but who really cares) in my opinion.
I mean, we’re already at the point of a headline where Ohtani is doing something that plenty of other guys already do, like put up 10 Ks or call their own games on the mound. Is that getting coverage? No, of course not. But it is for Ohtani. Hell, my phone is already pre-filling in Ohtani’s name after Oht. How many other guys are getting that?
From what I recall, in Japan they pretty much dedicate time every day to talk about Ohtani. Based on most of the comments I’ve skimmed through, I get that we in the US may not have a palette for this kind of coverage but there is a large audience for it. I’m a huge fan of Ohtani and of this site, and support this type of coverage. Hes a very special player and person, so i would say have an open mind and let’s see what comes of it and let it go from there.
So… Safe to say you and 2012Orioles won’t be collaborating on projects in the near future, n’est pas?
Hahaha
Ohtani’s mom, defending her son.
You know how about this you refrain from being a jerk. Tell me what it’s like having to insult people to make yourself feel better? I know I could ignore and 99% of the time I do but today I’m fed up with guys like you. Thanks to you we all are dumber.
Fed up, eh?
Mutemutemute
Sorry, it’s not innovation…. don’t get me wrong, showtime is doing things we have never see before… but you don’t need a sports writer to bring that to light… innovation was the internet and the world at your fingertips. There are people in 3rd world countries that know what he does every single night. I’m just curious as to why they need someone dedicated to write about him.. I mean angels best writers already do it because it’s not like they are writing about WS aspirations…
It’s not the least bit innovative, if only from MLBtr’s position, to employ a bilingual (one being eastern asian) journalist to produce content in 2 languages? I was using the term in the broadest sense.
I definitely can’t write in Japanese, but I definitely wouldn’t mind being Ohtani’s sports agent instead. Lmk
Let’s just not get to greedy with the greatest player of our generation,
@fre5hwind- *too… Lolololololol! And you could have em’ Ohtani is a “West Coast Guy” doubt he could even handle Pittsburgh, seriously. Is Reynolds re- signing with you guys or what? Lmk
I mean to be honest no idea, but I wish.
I think you guys are missing the point. This is a targeted move to get Billy Eppler to join MLBTR. I think he’s the only guy that meets all of that criteria. Lol.
I believe Bobby Valentine is fluent in Japanese.
The good thing is, the additional Ohtani content will not be on MLBTR, so only those who want it will see it. I’m not sure who that harms.
It doesn’t harm anyone Tim. Just ignore the doubters. I’m a writer who wishes he was fluent in Japanese because I feel this is going to be of great interest and will generate a lot of hits. So many eyeballs around the world. The more I think about this, the more it excites me.
@remeberthecoop It’s okay to not think something is a good idea. I’m not trying to bash the website or Tim, because this website is built in great ideas from him and his staff. But that doesn’t mean everything that pops up i have to agree with
I’m not saying you’re not entitled to your opinion. And yes, you’re absolutely correct – no one 6has to agree with everything g the site does. But I happen to think this will take off. But even if it doesn’t, the fact that it’s knot on the site means nobody has to bother with it if they don’t like it.
Meanwhile, if only I could type….geez.
No hard feelings. I’m sure us bozos in the comments can be infuriating. I don’t want to seem critical. Just voicing my opinion.
I will never understand why people get so upset about something like this when they don’t have to read the articles. Apparently (at the time I’m posting this) 34 people are being forced to read every article. Lol.
You don’t want to read it, simple, don’t click it. Those of us interested, can.
I don’t understand the gripe here.
Who’s upset? I just think it’s how likable players become disliked. And I don’t have to read the article to see it. The headline will be there (I know the Ohtani tab is different than the mlb tab in this instance). You don’t understand because you can’t grasp peole having a different view point.
I grasp it plenty well. I don’t like hot dogs, but I don’t go into my local store and tell them I don’t think they need to sell hot dogs. I just walk past them in the store, the same way you can scroll past articles. If you never read the article, how then can it make Ohtani unlikeable for you?
Who can’t grasp a different viewpoint again?
Nothing about a viewpoint with my statement. People are not going to like a player shoved in their face every day. That’s a borderline fact. And like I said the first time: It’s you who can’t grasp a different viewpoint
What makes you think it’ll be shoved in your face every day?
Where are you thinking the headline will be?
I’m trying to imagine disliking Shohei Ohtani because a page I don’t go to added some extra articles about him. I’m cynical by nature, but damn, it just seems kind of incongruent with being a baseball fan to actually get to “I dislike this ridiculously awesome and unique player because the media covered him extra.”
It’s not a fact. It’s not a borderline fact. I’m “people”, and I think the extra coverage would be cool. No one has come remotely close in modern times to being able to do what Shohei can do. Everything you’re arguing, it’s your viewpoint, and I grasp that. I just think it’s silly for anyone to hate a such a gifted and special player because he would get more media coverage, which you wouldn’t even have to read. It’s not taking away from other coverage. They’re literally looking for a writer just for this. It’s not like they’re eliminating Oakland A’s coverage this season for Shohei. Lol.
Clearly we’re going in circles though because you’re going to present opinion as fact -excuse me, borderline fact- and tell me I don’t get it. ::shrug:: Well if you want me to “grasp a different viewpoint”, that’s not helpful.
It’s a form of speech. Don’t put words in my mouth. That’s fine you think it would be cool. I never even said I don’t think it would be cool. My initial point was this is how players become hated. That’s what I said. Now I’m sitting here arguing with the head of the website and yourself over I don’t even know what at this point.
I initially thought it would be in my regular feed, which I was mistaken as if you follow a player now (I follow John wall) those articles show up in the john wall AND the NBA feed, so I assumed that you were referring to how you could follow Ohtani. Sorry I’m an idiot. Can you at least acknowledge that my initial point was that this is how players become hated, and I said nothing about me personally hating the idea? I’m indifferent to it. The general idea of having a feed for his “endorsements” as in the article led me to believe this could lead to his off the field stuff like his style and dating life, which I don’t care one bit about and quite frankly turns me off. Even his game updates (which goes to the other comment you replied to me with), I would rather look at his box score, which I do for almost every game (so please question my fandom some more). You own a successful website. This has to be the most respected spot for news for baseball nerds like us. You can’t even listen to what people are saying about your ideas? I’ve said in earlier comments that you know what you’re doing. This site is the best! I don’t get why you’re so attacking on here.
But Tim..that’s exactly the path we take in America. Media builds a star…then we watch them burn. Some can not like coverage because of this pattern. That’s legit. It’s how we are. Watch what we do to Caitlin Clark. She’s a Media darling now. But wait. Oddly Bryce Harper has gone in reverse. It seems we like narratives.
Me? I just want something unique. My FB feed is literally jammed with baseball clickbait
Some people will be fed up. Some will hang on every word. The fact that the mere proposal of this has evoked over 200 comments means there is interest… for better or worse.
People often present their opinions as facts. Or borderline facts. Neither of which makes any sense.
@bronx i like how you and the other guy rely on one word that wasn’t even meant to be the main part of my point, and go out and create this narrative of me. The likes on the top comment and many high profile athletes having haters are why I said “borderline fact”. I’m not running around claiming my opinion as fact.
They won’t need this writer, Ohtani’s going to sign a record breaking extension with the Halos. Done. No free agency.
Sorry, no.
Yeah Bronxmac, you the expert. Whatev. No way in heck he becomes a Yankee. Let’s just get that straight.
Let’s get you straight. Straight outta here.
Ohtani’s Angels career is almost OVAH!
Let me just say that I love Shohei Ohtani as much as everyone else does. However, this is entirely too much and trying way too hard.
If you don’t want to, for example, read about Ohtani’s pitching performance yesterday, I think it’s fair to say that you actually don’t love Shohei Ohtani as much as everyone else does, and might land toward the bottom of that list.
Tim, it might be a good idea to take some feedback when you receive it. Look at the likes on the top commemts on this post.
The premise of that person’s comment was based on a misunderstanding of the project. So I take that feedback as, “Don’t do something you were never planning to do.”
What about their comment misunderstood? They said “this is entirely too much and trying too hard.” It can be assumed the ‘this’ was referring to the crux of the article.
Premise of first comment: “daily update on him because he’s chewing sour apple gum vs grape, which is what this sounds like it will be”
Gave examples of what the additional content would be. No reason to think it’d be worthless fluff.
I absolutely love dirty Martinis and salmon but certainly wouldn’t want both every day but that doesn’t mean I don’t love them as much as others.
I’m not sure how something can be “entirely too much” when I don’t know how much it will be yet.
Please let him play in Boston next year
He’ll probably play three games in Boston as part of the Dodgers or Yankees. Not what you had in mind, is it?
Dodgers don’t play in Boston next year, gonna have to wait an additional year
No way he signs with the Yankees or Res Sox. NO WAY. Like zero.
Chaim is never paying for a player like him
Interesting idea. A comparative commentary on the differences in Japanese League & MLB “baseball cultures” would be intriguing – the details that make each league unique.
Yes, who will play John The Baptist to presage the presentation in this “Gratest Story Ever Told”( The spelling is correct because this outlandish idea is sure to grate on everybody’s last neural ending)
To be fair he sucked in 2020 while Gleyber has never had a bad year
Please don’t let this become an Angel’s bashing site. I’ve been a diehard Angel fan since 1967. Win or lose, they are my team. Some of the hate and negativity of some posters hear is unhealthy. No organization is perfect.
Arte Moreno is a terrible owner and deserves all the flak he gets, if not more
Again, these additional posts will NOT be on this site. So no worries there.
So you condone the tone of Rendon?
I don’t condone any physical confrontations.
Rendon and the fan have talked and they;re good.
This rules, I look forward to reading more! Ohtani is a historically unique talent, I expect his joutney through free agency will be similarly fascinating.
I just found a reason to dislike Ohtani
You mean other than every time Greg Amsinger is on MLB Network, he manages to fan boy on and on about Ohtani regardless of the topic of discussion?
Your mistake there is turning to MLB Network when Greg Amsinger is on the screen. I’d rather get a root canal than watch that guy for an hour.
And I’d rather get a fiberglass enema than listen to Brian the fat little troll Kinney.
Nah that’s way too painful, but I’ll go with the concrete enema instead of of the fiberglass, then listen to most of those people on the MLB network. They are definitely far from experts.
Pictures or it doesn’t happen.
I don’t really care where Ohtani ends up. Truthfully just hope it’s not with the Yankees. I don’t want a player that will cost over $500 million. I’m definitely game for giving Gleyber a 9 or 10 year extension, for a “Derek Jeter type of contract” and trading Oswald Peraza in a package for Bryan Reynolds though.
Not what I dislike about Greg. He isn’t objective when it comes to the Cardinals. As a Cubs fan, that really grinds my gears.
The best part about him is there is something for everyone to hate.
I’d love to know the answer to this one….
When he first came here, the buzz was that he wanted to play on WC only, not in a big market, and was a simple guy who didn’t care much about money.
Why is it now different?
he is the same guy. he changed his car from hyundai sonata to a porsche which is sponsered.
@fivetwos- you are right on all accounts, with that said Ohtani would be wise to stay on the west coast, with the Dodgers, Padres or stay with the Halo’s. He ain’t coming out east.
The big surprise is when he signs the the mega deal to play on the west coast of Florida…
This feels very “ESPN-ish” with how they cover Mahomes and how they covered Tebow. I hope this is done well because otherwise I think people will be sick of hearing about him and ultimately not care for the player or coverage. Too much of a good thing is a bad thing.
I’m about sick of hearing about it already and the season has just started. He is a very good player but he isn’t God.
Q: can God create a boulder that he can’t move?
Someone giving Ohtani grief; God stands up…..Hold my beer….
Dang. My father spoke Japanese. Came in handy during World War 2. It would be nice if speaking both languages comes in handy for something other than a war.
Btw, if you’re looking for a Volpe-focused writer, will they need to speak Joisey?
@whyhayzee Volpe was born in the Upper East Side so Jerry Seinfeld would be the best fit. I’m from Lower East Side so they would need Luis Guzman to write about me and my wiffle ball accolades.
I swatted many a home run in the backyard at Shadyside Drive. Not so many when we moved out into the street. Until we switched over to tennis balls. Then it was back to the long ball until Old Lady Thompson came out and confiscated them. When she was moving she called me over and gave me a box full of tennis balls. Then a family with a super cute girl moved in. Ah, good times.
While I wasn’t old enough to play but I do remember the older kids playing street broomhandle stickball while parked cars were used as first and third base. Those car owners on that street were not happy campers. Someone’s aluminum trashcan was dragged out and used as homeplate.
I’m a former stickball great myself. We used manhole covers for HP. And SPAULDEENS!
DAMN, those were good times.
I love this website so much and this may be the worst idea I have ever seen you come up with Tim. I literally can not stand it when the coverage is biased towards certain teams and players and now you are wanting to do it on purpose? Nah, no good.
I just want to reiterate that additional Ohtani stuff is not going on MLBTR.
In terms of writing a lot about him, I think it’s justified. Even just the hot stove side of Ohtani, which will be on MLBTR, how could we not do a lot of it?
This is a once in a lifetime player. Who better to get this type of coverage. Again sour grapes he’s NOT on your team. Like Tim said you will not read it here.Its not being forced on you like woke tv ads
Cool idea aa long as it’s unique, and not just jamming Ohtani material. I get the interest, and desire to even tap into Ohtani for site business purposes too. But it has to be done well, or it’s potentially a shark jump moment. I was already assuming we’d be getting Ohtani overload. Issue is that deeper level fans (fans enough to view this page as regulars) are probably already seeking info.
Mlbtraderumors needs to be careful not to let certain situations rebrand them. Having been around here a long time I’ve seen the desire to push for more views to justify ad sales (understandable) also allow the comment section to become a sewer very often, with nearly zero moderation. When it’s fairly easy to see that people often COME here FOR the comment section. I very honestly am careful of my engagement in a way that I would rather not be, and find limiting. My concern is Ohtani pushing this further.
Side bar it…unique feature it. Call it a Special Edition. I’d love to read and discuss Ohtani with other baseball fans. I just don’t wish to scroll past or engage with every single individual who already uses this site as a bully whip to get keyboard warrior. I just feel the longterm needs to be considered as well as this short term situation.
Personally..I would LOVE to see a fire set in the comment sections that drove people out who refuse to engage in anywhere near civil fashion. That’s what has occurred with Facebook. And as a fan of this site since close to the beginning…I just don’t wish to let it slip further. I’ve stayed away for long stretches already because of the bad vibe allowed.
A mite too wordy, brotha.
Ya think? I guess people can scroll. Just thoughts. Not nearly as wordy as the stream of arguing replies I’m usually wading through to try to engage in actual decent baseball discussion, though. But yeah wordy. I try to keep it short…doesn’t help the lines are 20 characters wide.
Some scroll. I scroll my eyes.
Just a tad…
I think the thing I like best about this idea is the fact it will be an entirely separate page. Those who want to see all things Ohtani can and those of us that don’t want every 3rd post in MLBTR turn into the Ohtani show can breathe a sigh of relief.
Riffraff- I somehow overlooked the separate page concept…scanning too much. That helps with the issues I saw coming.
I might say that half the people commenting on this thread overlooked the separate page concept.
Tim, correct. That says something about the way people engage, though. And how quickly a business can have a brand redirected.
Tim. This brand takeover is very real for any business. And I think the point I was trying to make initially about Ohtani. Will it attract people? Probably. But I still don’t see it as anywhere near the harm of the comment sections. While I get that more eyes is money to a business. I’m not sure in the long run it works out. And I’ll say that finding willing moderators is probably a very difficult…fun growing a business.
You should consider putting this entire site behind a pay wall. It’ll force people onto a buy in, and actually maybe help improve the product appeal. A simple fee will likely cut the people who like to make the comment section a troll mission down greatly.
I try lots of things at MLBTR that don’t work out. It’s OK. I don’t really see all the rebranding stuff happening, we’ve been doing our thing for 17 years. I think people understand what we do.
Comment section is a whole separate topic for another day. Not looking to do a paywall though.
Tim, I get it. I actually operate a well known sports project in it’s field. And it’s crazy how something goes from being nothing to then almost like a public trust. It’s wild to see where people take things. Free..no one turns that down. Everyone loves samples. It also helped to understand what business I was truly in. I’d venture many people are just treating MLBTR like a bar…with free booze. They show up just to argue. Which, whatever…but if they’re making my business a no-go then at that point they len my business. I’ve seen absolute trash in the comment sections. And probably few that visit paid sponsors. Sorry…I just wish this well because it’s been cool all these years. Buy I’m in and out because of the vibe. I spent a long time in and around the game. I’m vibe sensitive. Wish you well!
I like Ohtani. Hate the hype.
I think lots of fans feel that way.
Don’t understand the hand-wringing over an open and moderation-free comment section. Sports commentary has never been for the faint of heart or the thin-skinned, and there’s always the mute button if you can’t handle it; not much different than “bench-jockying”. Welcome to the real world where everyone is not as nice as you wish them to be.
Who nose. Nothing I said is about my feelings. It was more directed to branding. You bet your butt I’d control what others were capable of doing to my brand to whatever extenti could. This site actually had fairly tight moderation a long time ago. It’s for sure a balance. But a site owner probably doesn’t want to be on the hook for what can come from their product. That’s real world. It’s why a team like Oakland would clamp down on the bs in the stands. Some things are not bench jockeying. And without knowing legal parameters can leave a company negligent. It’s why FB struggles with terms of service agreements. FB might be a prime example of a brand carried off. MLBTR is NOT moderation free…and from what I understand it’s hard to find moderators at all. And it’s a skill.
I’ve been around this comment section since probably 2009 or so.
I guess Tim would have thought this through, but is there really that much interest to drive a Shohei section with his own writing staff?
I understand he’s a great player but people don’t talk about him in general conversation like a Jordan or Brady. The average person has never heard of Shoehei and I’d wager the vast majority of casual baseball fans have little interest given he plays out on the west coast.
Hard disagree. I know people who know nothing about baseball that know who he is.
Don’t let Ben Verlander see this!
Soto is a FA in two years, why not start now with a Sot0-specific writer who reports on his every “good morning peepoh” and tracks his every walk between now and 2025?
Because Soto ain’t Ohtani
And vice-versa.
I’m not sure this is a good idea. I suppose as long as we don’t see a daily “MLB Insider has the (Dodgers/Mets/Mariners/Padres)as favorites for Ohtani this offseason” type speculative article like we see everywhere…
Everyone knows he’s a generational talent and he’s good for the game. But to hire someone for the specific reason to fanboy over a single player is borderline stalkerish and absurd.
Just no.
This article was posted 5 days later than it should have been.
Here’s my guess for his final destination. It will be a west coast team with Seattle being the dark horse candidate because of his admiration of Ichiro. That’s all I got. I think it’s ridiculous to devote a writer on here entirely to Ohtani. For comparison Judge was a enormously popular free agent and he didn’t get that.
Mercenary. San Francisco or Seattle. I honestly don’t think this goes the way of last off-season. Very few teams are going there. I COULD see the Cubs or Red Sox sneaking in. But id be utterly SHOCKED if the Giants aren’t loading a Brinks truck today.
Judge isn’t close to Ohtani in terms of popularity. In fact the person most comparable isn’t even a player. As silly as it seems Ohtani may well be the Marilyn Monroe of Japan. He’s on another level of popularity on a scale that transcends MLB
Marilyn Monroe was overrated too.
She was in “The Seven Year Ichiro”, right?
OHHHH!
I don’t know why most of the posters in this thread even read this website. They hate trade rumor content and then come to the comment section to voice their negative opinion on more content.
Trade rumors is literally in the title. I guess reading comprehension isn’t everyone’s strong suit.
Nah, most of us just come in to chew the fat. That’s our strong suet.
DCartow…irony is you’re dead on. That’s exactly what this site is. It appears to be a media outlet. But really it’s like a bar. It’s why I try not to take anything too serious. And why I’ll agree..like when I got long. The site pretty much IS the comment section and people looking for a place to converse…mostly good…sometimes just people talking garbage.
There sure are a lot of people crying about something that doesn’t affect them at all lol.
I totally agree, it’s all just more, and more Ohtani click bait. If you don’t want it don’t read it. I don’t need it or want it, and I’m an Angels fan.
Kind of like how you’re commenting about other’s opinions that don’t affect you at all?
Or kind of like how you constantly need to bring up how hiring a player-specific beat writer is ‘stalkerish and absurd’ when in reality, if you really read through the article, it’s going to be on it’s own very separate, off-page, sidebar-placed section outside of the normal everyday MLBTR, DTD/ATL1313?
I said it one time, not constantly. You kill your argument when you lie. I’m also well aware that it is its own separate section. That still doesn’t change how weird it is.
If you get to what is actually being proposed here, I just honestly can’t see what’s weird about it.
You think a recap of his start or article about his place in the MVP race is weird?
No because that happens for all players and no one is being hired to eat, sleep, and and breathe one individual.
Tom, people will complain about anything. If I didn’t find such complaints hilarious, I’d complain about them
On twitter, fans were complaining the free stuff one team gave away wasn’t as good as the free stuff another team gave away.
They react because they take ownership of this product. Many businesses would KILL for that loyalty. Right..wrong. Go tell Green Bay Packer fans business decisions don’t effect them. It doesn’t matter if it’s true. It matters what they think.
That’s one heck of a qualification list.
You may a better shot at finding another Ohtani than someone who meets all of those.
Yeah. I think a lot of people meet those qualifications except for the part about also speaking Japanese, haha. That would be a big asset to us, understanding Japanese media about their players without doing the Google Translate thing, but it might not be plausible. We’ll see.
I didn’t see anything unusual there. Just needs to be a good writer with late night availability who can read Japanese.
A team in need can find themselves a better DH and a better pitcher while signing them both for a lot less money. Ohtani certainly brings his own revenue stream, but he’ll also bring a headache in the form of distraction and an unrelenting media circus.
True. Especially the DH part.
Who ?
As someone who is fluent in six languages including Japanese, a baseball historian, and Harvard graduate I’m more than qualified, however I’m going to decline and focus more on giving back while dedicating myself to the lord.
You went to Harvard? No wonder your posts are so inerudite.
I went to the Kennedy School at Harvard…yet I can’t spell because my hands are cold usually, so I’m fat fingering and hitting post lol
I went to the Ralph Kramden School of Har-Har-Hardie-Har-Harvard.
To the moon, Alice! Bang, zoom!
Does no one see the advantage here of expanding into the Japanese market on this site?
In asking for a bilingual baseball enthusiast, once the Ohtani thing is settled, a MLBTR reporter is plugged in to the goings on in Japan.
Quite often posters here ask about “who’s next”, “how is so and so doing over there” etc…
Also there can be up ‘n coming posts about Nippon players who are a year or two from free agency and a plethora of other ideas…..
So Tim, kudos for the idea and it’s success going forward….
I grew up in a place that looks like your pfp, had lots of close Japanese friends who spoke and wrote it in their own house/work while also being fluent in English. As someone who has bridged the two cultures, I can’t begin to tell you just how different they are… and I mean that with ultimate respect. I didn’t understand much as a kid, came around to learn a lot as a teen, can now understand conjugation and conversation for the most part, grew up just outside their cultural structure… and I still feel like I know nothing. Fascinating stuff, really! Tim & Co. are hunting a unicorn, and I wish them well in their endeavor! There’s somebody out there…
This is an Ohtani specific thing. Not about Nippon players. Not about Japanese leagues.
I think what cpd was expounding upon was that there is untapped potential in the general idea… and I agree.
@gwynning….yup that was my take….
Took 4yrs of japanese @Villanova and totally agree with your point.
Lived in Honolulu for a bit and worked as a “gaijin” tour guide….
Topped out at @8th grade speaking level and at my apex had @1k kanji roaming around in my head…..
My teachers always told me I had a feminine writing style? Was too respectful to ask if that was a compliment or not?
Anyway hope that Tim finds the right person…
Well, this hiring post is an Ohtani-specific thing. But to the point others have made on here, yes, bringing in a good writer who speaks Japanese is something I’d love to do for MLBTR as a whole as it relates to other Japanese players. For example, Yoshinobu Yamamoto is a big story and I want to have really strong coverage of him.
That guy gets a nickname. Yo-Ya!
Cpdpoet: Was waiting to read someone who posted along your lines while scrolling down the debate. If web traffic from Japan can be drawn to this site with Ohtani’s iconic status and hot off WBC/pending FA, timing is right to take a creative business approach. Global reach is desired by MLB itself, why not a rumors site.
CwsAcension: Scaled growth is a complicated concept for any business. And ones I’m sure that are better healed than MLBTR. You get who you pay for, usually.
Typing and I miss Disqus on this site. For whatever reason this gives me typing fits.
In case of small/medium business, it’s start of organic growth. Built business in dozens of countries from scratch for >25yrs. Very gratifying with patience and appreciating what makes different cultures tick. Get motivated youth to take ownership and things can take off with guidance/more hiring for growth, etc
Latin America/Mexico would be easier by comparison.
cwsAscension-
Very interesting! I started a mentoring program for athletes about 7 years ago. It’s gone to every continent but Antarctica. The data has been interesting. There’s been locations that somehow took strongly. It shows in the demographics. It’s, of course, heavy where this sport is heavy. But it’s amazing what one person will do where they live with it. It’s a non-profit. But it’s built like any other business would be. The response is different among different cultures. What’s interesting is the ownership stake people feel. I struggled as a young baseball player. So I set out to build a personal-relationship model program to help young athletes.
This is fine, but what kind of stuff is happening to write about outside of things MLBTR would normally cover? Just recaps on his starts? Couple of human interest stories?
Pretty much what I said in this post. He might have like 25 starts left this season and I’d like to treat each one as a mini-event with a live chat going. I think that’d be fun, and yes, I understand that is not for everyone.
Stuff involving endorsements and award possibilities makes sense to me.
If he does an interview with Japanese media, it’d be great to have someone who can translate that in a timely fashion and do a post with quotes.
Beyond that, kind of open-minded to see how Ohtani might be in the news outside of those examples. But those who have been following MLBTR for a long time know that I haven’t done clickbait or sensational-type stories.
Would love to see Ohtani start live chats!
Great thought.
I’m a baseball fan.
I love the idea of having a writer dedicated to a top 5 player who is certain to draw a crazy amount of questions, rumors, and interest.
Maybe this can morph into a specialty for superstars trade/ FA. Identify 1-3 highest interest pending FA each year.
Can’t wait to see how this plays out.
Bravo.
Way too many people upset that there will be a dedicated Ohtani beat while casually ignoring that the posts will only be found on Ohtani’s player page. If you don’t like it, don’t go to Ohtani’s page. It’s that simple.
I’d have no problem if MLBTR wanted to find someone who focused a bit more on the NPB, especially with MLB players heading that way and NPB players coming over to the states to play.
In fact, I think it’d be very welcomed.
I don’t think a fully-dedicated space for Ohtani is going to have the same effect.
If I can find a person for this Ohtani role, which I think can offer fairly regular work for 6-8 months, then naturally that person would also supplement our NPB coverage. That is one reason I am hoping to find someone who speaks Japanese.
Tim, I am hoping you find someone who can smoothly translate Japanese into English. Some concepts and phrases are difficult to translate literally. It would interest me greatly to read his interviews with the Japanese media. I don’t care what gum he chews but I do want some clues as to where he would like to play next year. From other interviews, we know he wants a chance at regular post season play but a there are at least a half dozen teams that offer that. Maybe translations of foreign interviews with correct nuance and context could shed light on where he would like to go as a free sgent. I would sure hate for the Dodgers to possibly get him in a trade only to find out that he doesn’t really like LA as a city to live in. There hasn’t been a player like him in my lifetime. He warrants and deserves special attention.
MLBTR job requirements are tougher than working at my investment bank lol
But, best of luck to find someone who has the skills & wants part time work!
It’s really just the speaking Japanese part that makes this hard to find. There are usually a lot of qualified people who would love to write about baseball part-time.
Oh yeah. That was what I’m getting at. We look for some investment bankers to be fluent in Mandarin & English. Very small pool & that pays extremely well. Hope you find a white whale though.
I don’t speak Mandarin.
But I eat Mandarin. Szechuan too.
Delicious.
Good luck reporting exclusively about this future Padres great
I predict a $700 million dollar San Diego Padres contract. Which will pay Shohei until he is eligible for Social Security.
Great opportunity for a young journalist to Orient himself on the NPB stage.
It’s no occident that these opportunities arise.
Heh heh heh heh…
HEH HEH HEHEHE HEH!
People just don’t make since. This effort is going to be on a separate page that you never have to look at and yet posters have nothing but complaints. I wonder if this is going to turn Ohtani into a pariah, at least on MLBTR? It’s going to be like the backlash that happened with Bryce Harper.
That would be sad.
People, myself included are inundated with information..on overload. I try hard to get everything and still missed the initial part about being a separate page. I believe the simple oversight in the comments us more a product of overload and scanning…than anything else. There’s a LOT to read itself on the site. Then a bombastic (and often needle in the haystack) comment section that often rolls into scroll after scroll of nothing but trolling. And with my Samsung the presentation is often kind of cluttered
Tiger Woods always had his own link on the ESPN golf page. Even there were/are always Tiger haters. I was/am a big Tiger fan so I always enjoyed the extra news.
This is the same principle here with the possibly most unique baseball player in history.
The haters can keep hating. And the rest of us who would enjoy the extra news can access it.
Be happy kids, ESPN closed off comments over 5yrs ago because of toxic stuff…was never actually on it….And am GenX.
We have a good forum for baseball people….and sure we have trolls, some who create new emails???
We all make stupid posts…I just re-read mine before posting…..sometimes it helps…
I closed off ESPN at least five years ago.
I’d predict of comments were needing go be closed, MLBTR would die. People come here FOR the opportunity to converse. It’s wonderful most of the time. It’s just gotten much harder to have decent conversation.
I just mute the guys who piss me off.
Sort of a talk to the hand move.
Bronxmac77. I leave for a long time and come back. Scroll to find decent conversation. I’m perfectly fine being open minded and learning and changing my mind. The weird social media-type trolling and insulting that goes on is just a bad vibe for me. I don’t enjoy it. I enjoy connersation. I can get news easier than coming here.
Btw, I remember Dock Ellis. Now that dude was must see TV.
Dock Ellis was a character for sure. If you haven’t seen his documentary it’s a must. The book by Donald Hall is also amazing.
I’ll check it out.
I loved those Pirates teams back in the day. Wilver, Roberto, Manny Sanguillen, Matty Alou. Steve Blass, Dock, Bob Moose… that team was loaded!
I’m a Yankees fan for life, but I love good baseball. Especially hitting!
Dock had a heck of a comeback with the Yankees. Good times..right about when I was born. But I’d like a dollar for everytime I checked out Sparky Lyles book.
I’m kind of a culture watcher and well traveled. It helps to know where people are from to know how to take them. Definitely check out the Dock Ellis bio.
I would say comments are key for $ here. If you just wanted news you would follow a couple dozen people on Twitter and get it faster. Can talk about it there as well but people don’t like change. People will go to the same article multiple times to reply to notifications.
I don’t go to any sites that cost $ or don’t have comments.
As someone who can never get enough Ohtani news this is…. perfect. I don’t understand the hate. It’s a separate page for people to enjoy and can be ignored by anyone who isn’t interested. I never click on Pro Hockey Rumors because I don’t like hockey. It’s that simple.
Totally agree. I like Ohtani as a player, and he seems like a prince. Hate the über hype. But that’s not Shohei’s doing. Fantastic athlete.
Y’all know you can just start your own news platform, right? I mean…so many of you acting like you somehow have any stake in what comes out on MLBTR. They built it, they get to cover what they want.
The game is becoming more and more international. The WBC proves that. More and more international players are streaming through the door and making a difference in MLB. Even after a Shohei signing, a writer who focuses on Japanese baseball coverage would be fantastic. Top Japanese prospects? Favorite mlb players in Japan? Ex MLB players playing well in the NPB? NPB playoff coverage? The content options could be great!
Competition is a wonderful thing and I’m actually surprised a competitor hasn’t arisen.
I think there’s a ton of room at MLBTR for more and better NPB stuff. For example we did what we could on Kodai Senga but he was a significant free agent and our readers would have been better-served to learn more about him prior to his free agency. Yamamoto seems like an incredible potential free agent in his own right and I’d love to have a lot of good stuff on him.
Who’s the only player in MLB history to lead the league in ERA and home runs?
I’m an ex-NYCer.
I don’t blame Shohei for rocking SoCal one bit. I lived there. It’s beautiful. Expensive. But if you’re in Shohei’s/Machado’s/any Padres’ tax bracket… Not even a tough decision. Shohei should buy a nice crib in Laguna, LaJolla or Sunset Beach and let the auction begin.
Kind of depends on how Japan does taxes. In the US if one state doesn’t collect another will take their %.
I’d have to think Shohei would hire the best tax attorney available. If he were a Padre, for example… Heck… Everybody makes bank on that club.
I’m sure he’s packing suits, yes. But in the US avoiding state tax in one state will trigger another state to claim the other share instead of splitting it up. My wife is a CPA. This is how these low-zero business taxes in some states haunt them. They just give another state their share. But I’m neither a CPA, nor an advisor to a future 500M athlete. I’m more just baseball lol
Same here boss. All I know is, apparently Machado has a nice house on Coronado, across the bay from Petco Park. As a former resident, I can’t imagine life being any better than that. He can literally take a boat to work if he so chose. It’s a beautiful venue. I’d have to think if the Padres woo Shohei, they’d have a great shot.
The way it seems baseball players will be the only ones left living on California. Our housing market here is driven by California exodus and it’s not all that obvious of a place like Texas is. It’s wild. Boomers can retire on a working salary there and move and live wealthy. But they overpay for real estate and drive the property taxes up. Causes issues with the locals.
Ohtani 4President !!! Can’t wait until he’s Dodger ! The Ohtani 24/7 channel coming to u stay tuned …
Shouldn’t this particular writer be a Dodgers fan since that is who he is signing with
As a fan of Shohei, the Angels and west coast baseball, I will click on the player page and follow Shohei’s comings and goings. If the new writer was following an east coast player like Judge, I would pass. Either way, I support the idea.
I live in Japan – and love living here despite not speaking the language well. That aside, while I like Otani, I don’t consider him to be a top tier player. I don’t know why we adore two way players that happen to be pitchers. There are PLENTY of other position players who score runs. Besides, Otani’s pitching is not excellent. He hits batters perhaps more often than other pitchers. He throws a lot of balls. His control is uneven. So, like I said, I like him but he’s not a baseball god.
I agree. Ohtani is an amazing athlete. But to me, comparing him to Babe Ruth is ridiculous, and a tad premature. Ruth played the OF, even with the Red Sox. Hell, when Ruth’s 29 inning scoreless streak was snapped in the 1918 World Series, Ed Barrow relieved Ruth from the mound… and sent him to LEFT FIELD! That’s never been done before or since!
I love watching Ohtani play. As I’ve said, it’s the hype I can’t stand.
But he is In fact better than babe ruth
Not in my opinion. Not even close.
We’ll have to agree to disagree.
He is, in your opinion, better than Babe Ruth.
If any of youse guys ever go to Honolulu, you may find that speaking Japanese is a big plus for employment. The Japanese tourist industry is enormous. If the Angels are smart, they’d televise EVERY game in Hawaiian markets! Perhaps they do!
They had a radio station in Hawaii that b broadcast Angel games in the 70’s
When i lived there in the nineties, the Braves were huge thanks to TNT.
Have you thought of calling Ben Lindbergh?
For those of you too young… Ichiro got overhyped too. Japanese ‘reporters’ tried to get photos of him in the shower in Seattle. Just a tad over the top.
But the dude will be a first ballot hall of famer. Forget Babe Ruth. In my opinion, Shohei… and ANYONE…has a long way to go just to equal Ichiro. Both are classy ambassadors for baseball on BOTH sides of the Pacific. Not a bad thing to say about either guy!
Since there are not too many MLB players that can Pitch and hit at an Elite level that Shotani does, this seem like a fine idea, as we are all witnessing history. In addition, someone gets a job!
Damn, I’m not completely fluent in Japanese, but sounds like a great opportunity
So weird that so many baseball fans who subscribe to a site to read about baseball don’t want to read about one of the best baseball players of the generation.
Here to submit my resumé.
Fluent user of Google Translate (Semi-fluent in hundreds of languages)
Unemployed, available at least 2 hours a day to work on stuff.
Very good writer, my English teachers always gave me good grades on my essays, and said I was good at writing.
Good with numbers.
Beyond the abstruse idea of creating a Stan blog for one specific player, like a girlie magazine, I always love the long list of qualifying requirements for uncompensated poverty jobs like this one.
“Looking for civil engineer. Must be fluent in four languages plus dactylology. Medical degree and six years experience in neurological surgery obligatory. Four years of tort law practice with accompanying degree. Must provide warehouse and bring own excavator, Liebherr R 922 Litronic or higher. One bowl of hot soup, one chocolate bar and a can of soda pop supplied daily.”
Uncompensated poverty job is an awesome oxymoron.
So how did you get from paid writer to uncompensated?
SB Nation shuttered its Angels Blog at just the WRONG time!
SB Nation didn’t have a choice, as California made the kind of uncompensated poverty jobs, which Vox Media offered, illegal. Subsequently the company preferred to close all the blogs in that state rather than paying their writers a fair salary.
Literally don’t know what an “uncompensated job” is
That’s unfortunate. Maybe you should educate yourself regarding that subject instead of spamming underneath my comments like a sulky child.
You may want to “educate yourself” on how the free market works, comrade.
If the wage is “unfair,” then nobody will take the job. This leads inevitably to the wage being raised until the job is taken.
Nobody has a gun to your head.
Maybe you should have just the tiniest amount of respect for who you’re responding to.
The level of immaturity, shown by that commenter, warrants no other reply.
As far as “who you’re responding to” is concerned, it’s just another guy on the Internet. His credentials as a blogger on this site won’t even get him a bag of ramen noodles in real the real world.
Be free to crown your own online royalty, though.
What exactly did he say that was so immature? You’re the one who called him a sulky child, yeah? Cool flex using dude’s own platform to try and dunk on him for literally no reason, though.
“Level of immaturity?”…any chance you have a mirror nearby?
“Uncompensated job?”…he’s not only one to not know what that is.
Outside of you… Professor Trotsky, whom you learned it from… and the rest of the useful idiots at Pravda University… the rest of the free world calls those “internships”, or “doing a favor”…and would label “uncompensated job” an oxymoron.
That’s not what this job listing is, and you know it. But you saw an opportunity to spout your Workers Party drivel all over the lower fourth of these comments and you took it…. shame be d*mned.
I’m going to take a wild guess that you’re early 20s because of your confident nonsense… and you live in California because you replied to an Ohtani-related matter. But you could live anywhere on the coasts or in Chicago.
Salaries that aren’t “fair” to you, only seem that way probably because of your local cost of living.
In areas away from the coasts and not Chicago, those salaries are more than reasonable, if not above average.
The reason for your local cost of living being the outlier is over-regulation and high taxes and fees.
The more expensive it is to run a business, build a home, sell a home or own a rental property… the higher the owner’s sale price or rental charge has to be, and then the higher your salary has to be to afford to pay for these things.
So, then… you, obviously, go and demand that higher salary… not realizing that if you and ALL your neighbors do that, it forces businesses that employ you to raise their prices in order to also afford the higher salaries… and the circle repeats.
The solution is to address the taxes, fees, and over-regulation with your local and state government, or vote them out.
Judging by your comments, that is probably counter-intuitive to you. But only because Professor Trotsky got to you first, but that doesn’t make him right… not even remotely.
…and it certainly doesn’t make a business, like MLBTR, the bad guy for offering a job at a salary that doesn’t afford your specific cost of living, for which you and your neighbors keep inexplicably voting.
Soapbox over
dey took er jerbs
So you can literally invest in another writer yet still refuse to put out an updated or even new app. Been told for years now it would happen, yet you have no problem wasting $ on stupid things people didn’t ask for. Let’s not even get started on the fact you have paid content now and evidently none of that goes toward innovating the app. Refuse to use website on my phone as the ads always redirect me to junk. Every other major baseball and sports outlets constantly work on the app. Shows your true colors Tim. It’s never been about us clients who line your pockets just about making those same pockets fatter.
I like the website. Too many apps already. Don’t need another. Don’t even notice the ads. Paid content is fine as well. Not like it’s espn or athletic where anything worth reading isn’t available for free. It’s just bonus for those who choose. Excellent work.
So you make side comments and ignore every actual point I make? Cool. Keep being Tim’s cheerleader.
While Ohtani will probably get a record setting contract i feel like day to day coverage is a bit of overkill. How interesting is it going to be on the days he goes 0-4 or if he has a bad gane on the mound. This is a rumor site and there can’t really be any substantiated rumors til next winter so all this would be is a free P.R. service which sort of takes away from why this is one of the better baseball sites.
On an Angels related note, they recently banned team beat writer Sam Blum from appearing on the team owned radio station because of negative coverage of theam. Apparently Arte only wants positive propaganda instead of objective criticism
Over 200 comments for this? Excellent idea for new page. Their is definitely a market.
Not when the majority are here to shout it down.
That’s odd logic.
Wow, this got way too much hate. Imagine MLBtr.com asking for someone to head up a new site called OHTANItr.com and people complaining that it will flood MLBtr.com with too much Ohtani content.
ITS FOR A DIFFERENT SITE PEOPLE. Whatever Tim and his team decide to do on another site should not draw draw criticism for this site.
Did you all complain when they expanded and opened prohockeyrumors or profootballrumors? Although I believe to be profootballtr they should be talking about more than nfl and prohockey they should be talking about more than just NHL but those leagues news is easier to access so I understand the reasoning. mlbtr can start a probaseballtr site and not sacrifice what happens here, but expand it to happenings in KBO and NPJ and not worry about offending those who just want mlb news.
The Ohtani sweepstakes it sure looks like everyone is gearing up for it. Who will jump bid ? 600 million for 10 years ? 30 million each for the pitcher, and hitter. That sounds fair, and he should get that as he’s the best on both. I hope the Mets get him, because after all money talks, and &.&. walks.
On a good note though was Detroit’s smack down of the Astros, and the way the Harris trade of Soto has been great for Detroit, and so bad for the Phil;s that they had two loses because of Soto already. The young players for Detroit are stepping up, but it sure looks like Baez, and E rod are here for the long term.
Wow. This thing really escalated into a craigslist rants and raves thing, didn’t it? Maybe MLBTR should be seeking a couple of moderators while they’re at it.
They have several heavy handed, power hungry moderators already. If one says anything not entirely in line with Dr. Fauci, for example, it gets deleted immediately.
Because this is the appropriate place for medical or political discourse…
GTFOH with that ship.
Really??
Just to repeat, for extra clarity: the additional Ohtani articles will be on a separate page and not on MLB Trade Rumors itself. It should be a great place for those who want more and easily avoided for those who do not.
I beg to differ. The player page is most certainly on the MLBTR site. The URL makes this very clear.
mlbtraderumors.com/players/shohei-ohtani
And of course it would. More impressions and potential cross read.
No it’s not!!!
Yup. It is. Same website. Not on the splash page but a defo the same site.
My question is what happens if God forbid he gets hurt, gets in trouble with the law, slumps badly etc.
Don’t get me wrong, I am a huge fan of his, he’s incredible. I wish him continued health, success and happiness and a super super long career.
He should be with the Marlins.
Ace.
Why not?
Only 4 teams in the last 20 years have won more World Series than the Marlins. Not including my Dodgers, sadly.
I don’t know the man and how he will make his final decision. Just because it’s not likely doesn’t mean it’s impossible.
I’m a Dodger fan and a big Kim Ng fan.
I just like watching him play. And hope he gets his post seasons and a ring or 2.
Right and he’s GONE from Anaheim after this season.
Tired of him and he should not be covered any more than any other good but not great player- which is what Ohtani is. He should not be covered any more than players like Nick Markakis, Nick Gordon, Stephen Drew, etc.
One thing for sure. Those who are most annoyed by this will be the same people who will be visiting the page regularly. : -)
April Fool’s was last week.
Some of the posters in here are to dang starstruck over Ohtani.
Wouldn’t doubt at the mere mention of this separate post page, they have feverishly retreated to their private places and are turning Japanese I think they’re turning Japanese I really think so!!
The impression I get from these comments is that more free content is upsetting and that some people can never be satisfied.
Get off my lawn clouds!
“You had the first tabloid in New York, the New York Daily News, created in 1919, hiring a guy, Marshall Hunt, who was a 24/7, full-time Babe Ruth writer. This was unprecedented.”
(Quote from author Jane Leavy)
I misspoke when I said Mark Roth covered the Babe 24/7. It was a guy named Marshall Hunt. I believe Roth was the Yanks” traveling Secretary during the 1920s.
Are you saying that none of your over supply of Red Sox, Yankees or Mets focused writers can’t handle the job?
By far the strangest thread I have read on MLBTR Strange because of how many people seem to be upset about it. Does not make sense.
On thing is has in common with with many others is…..it’s quite apparent many only skimmed the article before being outraged.
Who would have guessed this many comments?
Especially the concern considering that there are scarce details of the final end product, and half the negative
comments do not address that its (so far) NOT planned to be on the mlbtr main page or take away from the current experience.
I wonder how many are already aware the site refers links to other sports? Or to apps? Or to list features.
One one hand, its great because it shows that mlbtr fans are passionate about this site and want it to continue the course.
I get the sense that some see it as a slippery slope that could change the site to either more TMZ/DailyMail or a more casuals site.