Trying to talk to Jay Bruce

[westofyou]

http://baseballmusings.com/?p=48447

TRYING TO TALK TO JAY BRUCE


Diamond Hoggers tries to interview Jay Bruce, but the Reds slam the door in his face.

I think back to the times I honestly sat and watched this organization when I was sick; I think back to the times that I made the two hour drive from Columbus to watch them just because I love them when we were 17 games out in September when I could have been watching the NFL instead.

I think about the times I talked my girl out of a romantic dinner only to take her to a Reds game and convince her it was a better date, knowing I’d have to probably hear about it later on. Or how about this past winter when we went to Redsfest for our anniversary gift to eachother. Or about the times I went to the games after working downtown alone instead of going home and going to the gym like I should have.

None of these things make me above any other Reds fan; but I’m shocked at how easily one can be treated.

It’s never a good idea to anger someone who buys pixels by the terabyte.

[NJReds]

Social media is a challenge. There are a lot of fans with blogs that would love to interview players. The organizations have to draw a line somewhere.

[Roy Tucker]

Don't have a problem with the Reds turning down the interview request. There are a lot of web sites and blogs out there.

Having said that, Butcher could have handled it better. But also, the Diamond Hogs guy didn't need to get his nose so out of joint.

But such is the way of communicating over the skinny pipe of email. Lots of room for confusion and misundestandings.

[dougdirt]

I honestly don't know that they are 'big enough' to justify granting them access. On the front page there are 10 posts or so ranging from today to March 15th. Not a single comment left on any of the stories. Perhaps I am wrong, but where are the readers at?

With that said, it seems that baseball does have a much better stiff arm against internet types than other sports do. I do think there is a need for a line to be drawn at some point and I think that I am blessed to be given media access to the minor league teams, I do think there needs to be a control set for giving 'internet types' access.

I think in the coming years we are going to see an interesting transition in sports on how they begin to give access to 'us'. Clearly there are some websites out there with the same readership as newspapers. I am thinking of a place like Red Reporter (www.redreporter.com), who I believe, if they wanted to assign a 'beat' guy, probably could gain access due to their size and relationship with SB Nation and Yahoo Sports. However I think that the smaller guys are going to continue to be shut out like this because they just don't know who you are or what you are going to say.

[RBA]

Looks like Redszone has a better case than most of these bloggers.

[Brutus]

I honestly don't know that they are 'big enough' to justify granting them access. On the front page there are 10 posts or so ranging from today to March 15th. Not a single comment left on any of the stories. Perhaps I am wrong, but where are the readers at?

With that said, it seems that baseball does have a much better stiff arm against internet types than other sports do. I do think there is a need for a line to be drawn at some point and I think that I am blessed to be given media access to the minor league teams, I do think there needs to be a control set for giving 'internet types' access.

I think in the coming years we are going to see an interesting transition in sports on how they begin to give access to 'us'. Clearly there are some websites out there with the same readership as newspapers. I am thinking of a place like Red Reporter (www.redreporter.com), who I believe, if they wanted to assign a 'beat' guy, probably could gain access due to their size and relationship with SB Nation and Yahoo Sports. However I think that the smaller guys are going to continue to be shut out like this because they just don't know who you are or what you are going to say.

Agreed with this completely.

As someone that has been faced with similar challenges as that blog, while I can see where he's coming from, I do not at all blame the Reds for the policy. They have to draw the line somewhere. I don't like the shunning of internet sites, and don't think it should be such a hard-and-fast rule, but it's hard to decipher sites with this type of the new media.

He comes across as a bit bitter in his post. He's not the media and the Reds don't owe anything to him. So he's one of the Reds' "biggest fans?" That should be evidence right there the Reds shouldn't cater to his site. He needs to act like media if he wants to be treated like media.

But I do say shame on the Reds for not being more hospitable with the request. Seemed like a pretty crappy explanation.

[membengal]

I've written for a general sports blog for about seven years now. We preceded Deadspin. We have had some success over the years, and a decent sized readership that ebbs and flows over time. We have received communication from ESPN and SI columnists from time to time, so I know we got read on occasion amongst some media.

And even when we were most active, and posting 10-15 times a day (which we are not now as life has fully intervened and it was always something we were doing for fun), it never crossed my mind to seek media credentials or try to interview players as if this was our fulltime gig. There's a line somewhere in there, and I am not sure I can define it, but I know it when I see it. Reds could have handled that better, but certainly I don't think that kind of blog needs access to Reds players. There is very little upside and a ton of downside from the organization's standpoint. If Bruce says something off-color or slightly controversial, that can get picked up and fired across the nets. Say something boring and no one notices. What's in it for the Reds to allow that kind of access to a smallish blog? Or for Bruce?

I agree that there are new media types who need and might should get better access, but the above mentioned blog does not seem like one of them.

My two cents.

[Johnny Footstool]

The guy got awfully whiny, awfully quick. Very unprofessional.

[SirFelixCat]

Looks like Redszone has a better case than most of these bloggers.

Yup and because of the size of Redszone (I think) I was able to get media access to Chatanooga back in...2004? and interview EdE and a couple of other prospects. I think it's in the archives here.

That was definitely an awesome experience and I couldn't have gotten it w/o being a member here.

[lollipopcurve]

The guy got awfully whiny, awfully quick. Very unprofessional.

Ya think? Told me all I need to know about Diamond Hoggers.

The accusation that the Reds' response to his request constituted "snark" is laughable. It was a formulaic reply that explained why the request was being turned down. Nothing wrong with it at all. Yet, Diamond Hoggers thinks it's got a capital case on its hands. Really absurd.

[TheNext44]

I had no problem setting up this interview with Bronson Arroyo through Butcher, and this was on a day when the Yankees were in town, which made it much more difficult.

I will say the Butcher has a rep of being the toughest team PR guy in the majors, and wasn't thrilled about it, but I did have help in that I started it through one of the beat writers, and Bronson lobbied for it himself (fore obvious reasons).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5C6HQLI6sI

[westofyou]

A little bird has let me know that the guy is a member of RZ, thus he is one of us and that in turn means he gets some slack fromm me.

Now I don't expect anybody with a wordpress login to get access, but I also expect PR guys to use kid gloves, throw some bones and maybe sign their name on correspondance when working under the title of team PR liason.

[yab1112]

Maybe Butcher could've been a tad friendlier but I don't think he did anything wrong. He probably gets lots of these requests every day and like lollipop said, it's a formulaic response.

It's ironic that the nature of the bloggers bitter response seems to validate the Reds policy.

[TheNext44]

My two cents is that MLB teams need to be more respectable to the new media. Ignoring this particular case, the internet will be the main source of news and sports in a very short time.

MLB really doesn't get this and needs to be moving much more quickly to accepting this. Which is funny, because they clearly get it on their end, with MLB.tv and the cell phone apps, so they understand that a large chunk of fans are using this new technology to watch and read about games.

Right now the line is that you much be associated with a print/network/cable venture, or with MLB itself in order to get access. Considering that there will be no print ventures in the very near future, MLB must adjust this to include internet only ventures.

Sure, maybe Baseball Hoggers doesn't cut it because of size, or content, but MLB needs to start letting internet only media get more access, since that is where most fans will be getting their info eventually.

[Roy Tucker]

It could have been handled better by both sides.

But maybe it will effect some changes from the Reds' PR staff. PR guys are supposed to be good at PR no matter what the source.