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I am looking to assemble a squad of capable writers who can step in on the occasional MLBTR post when I’m not available.  I tried the "team representative" approach, and I’ve decided that’s not the best way to do it.  Instead I want to put together a crack team of 5-10 people who can blog about any rumor intelligently.  Here’s what I’m looking for:

• Lack of bias.  I get some flack for being a Cubs fan but I honestly don’t think it affects objectivity here at MLBTR.  I can happily compliment a good Cardinals move and rip on a bad Cubs one.  You need to be able to check your bias at the door.
• Strong writing skills.  Obviously I need excellent writers.  That means grammar, spelling, punctuation, vocabulary, brevity, style, and possibly sportswriting experience of some kind.  One optional way to demonstrate this would be to write some kind of mock MLBTR post and include it in your email.  A voice similar to my own would be good.
• Attention to detail.  If Buster Olney speculates on a trade he’d like to see and you report it as actual trade discussions, that’s bad.  If two teams are "making progress" and you say the trade is done, that’s a problem.  Not everyone on MLBTR clicks through to read the source material, so you have to be very careful about your choice of words.
• Baseball knowledge.  You need to be able to write about all 30 teams without the fanbases calling you out for mistakes or ignorance.  Can you name each team’s rotation off the top of your head?  Can you name five prospects from each club?  Which ones have a bad history with Scott Boras?  If there are teams you know nothing about or don’t care to cover then you don’t fit the bill.  Also, an understanding of modern stats is important – we can do better than talking about a guy’s batting average and RBI total.   
• Know your way around the web.  Do you know some places to look for rumors?  Where will you get contract info?  What’s the best site for stats?  Are you subscribed to ESPN, BP, and sites like that?  Do you know how to quickly dig through the MLBTR archives and find older rumors you need to reference?
• On the computer often; usually available.  I need people who are constantly connected to the Internet, checking baseball stuff throughout the day just because they love to.  People who reply to most emails within a few minutes.  I might ask you to write a post without advance notice, and timing will be of the essence. 

I know I am asking for a lot, and it’s not a paid position.  But the actual work might only be a post or two a week.  If we expand to larger things – say, you covering eight hours on a Saturday – that would be paid.  Here are the benefits of joining the MLBTR team:

• Huge audience.  This month we’ve had about 20,000 absolute unique visitors per day.  It’s pretty cool to have that kind of readership.
• Resume builder.  If you are trying to break into sportswriting without spending four years covering youth field hockey, this might help.  You can use me (Tim Dierkes) as a reference, for what it’s worth.
• Learn about blogging.  You get to use the TypePad blogging platform for free, and see exactly what goes into an MLBTR post. 

If this appeals to you, write me an email at mlbtraderumors@gmail.com.  Unfortunately I won’t be able to reply to all.  Tell me why you’re perfect for the gig and what you bring to the table.

Thanks.

Take a look at Jim Callis’ Ask BA piece for Baseball America today.  This was an interesting mailbag for hot stove fans.  Callis touches on:

• Why Billy Beane deserves, but has escaped blame for Oakland’s previously weak farm system
• The new draft order, with adjustments made for free agent signings (Mets and Twins now pick twice in the first round)
• A Kosuke Fukudome scouting report
• Why Edinson Volquez is a tease

Ever wonder how certain MLBTR readers are able to leave a comment two seconds after I publish a new post?  In most cases, it’s not because they sit on the site constantly refreshing it.  Instead, they use a feed reader.

For example, the free Google Reader "constantly checks your favorite news sites and blogs for new content." So first you download the Reader, then you hit Add Subscription and paste in this URL:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/MlbTradeRumors

It’s really quite easy, and it’s the best way to stay on top of new content at your favorite sites and blogs (including MLBTR!)  If you’re new to feeds, take three minutes and give it a shot.  This is also a good option for those who hate the white on black color scheme (though I may look into the idea of a button that switches it to black on white if you want).

Yesterday was a big day for me.  It was the first day fully devoted to my new job, which is basically this website.  It still hasn’t fully sunk in – I quit a perfectly good, pretty cool salaried position to run my baseball blog full-time.  I have a very understanding wife.

I can definitely say that I had no idea MLBTR would become my career when I started it in November of 2005.  Thank you for reading and making it possible – it’s a dream job for me.  Hopefully it will never feel like "work."

There should now be enough time available to make improvements to the site while still keeping up with all the writing.  Not sure exactly what I’ll do yet but I know the usability and appearance of the site could be a lot better.  If you’ve got ideas about ways to improve MLBTR, leave ’em in the comments!  I’ll be doing more surveys as well. 

We’re in the Final Four in Busted Coverage’s sports blog tourney!  Please head over and place a vote if you’ve got a second.  Thanks for all the votes so far.

Thanks for getting MLBTR into the Elite Eight at Busted Coverage’s sports blog bracket tournament!  Let’s keep the ball rolling and see if we can make the Final Four.  Click here to vote (scroll down to the third box, no logging in or anything required).

How about another MLBTR mailbag?  Email a question to mlbtraderumors@gmail.com.  Easy on the Brian Roberts questions, yeah?

You’ve done an awesome job so far voting up MLBTR in this bracket-style tourney at Busted Coverage.  We’re in the Sweet 16 now. 

MLBTR is facing off in the sixth box down – please head on over and put in your vote!

This is a great read.  J.C. Bradbury makes his case for baseball to legalize the use of HGH, since it has "little to no effect on athletic performance."  He says the players have been duped.  Should we be more sympathetic with guys who tried to cheat but chose the wrong performance-enhancer?

Thanks to MLBTR readers, we’ve advanced to the second round of Busted Coverage’s sports blog tourney.  Awesome.  We managed to get past Joe Sports Fan.  Take a moment to check out JSF site – I enjoy it, it’s a daily read of mine.  And any kind of Back to the Future reference is a positive.

Anyway, we need your votes again for Round 2.  Scroll down to the second voting box and help us out!  It only takes a second, you just click a few buttons.  Thanks.