August 04, 2009 —

For those who’d like to learn more about his baseball credentials, Pavkovich was my Player Pick for June.

And parents, I hope you’ll accept my personal endorsement of this young man as a coach and sportsman—he’s as good as they get…Your friend in baseball.

Important Note! All participants are required to complete the camp registration form, including a medical release that must be signed by a legal parent/guardian. You can pick up a registration form at the Bees office or request one via the email address in the flyer.

Then Matt Palmer pitched himself into a starting slot for the Angels. Sean O’Sullivan arrived from Double-A Arkansas to fill out the starting rotation in Salt Lake, until he pitched his way to Los Angeles as well. The next pitcher called up to bolster our Triple-A rotation was Trevor Bell.

When the transaction-go-round starts spinning as fast as it has this season, it seems awfully quick to the trigger to select a ballplayer who’s only been at Triple-A for just one-and-a-half months. On the other hand, Bell has been as steady as they come, even when he hasn’t gotten the run support he deserves. So

Trevor Bell was selected by the Angels in the first round, 37th overall, a supplemental pick to compensate for the loss of free agent Troy Percival. His development from Rookie through Advanced-A was steady, albeit unspectacular, with ERA stats of 3.50, 4.14, 4.22, respectively. Bell made the Double-A roster out of spring training this year, and it seems as though something clicked. In 11 starts for Arkansas, he relinquished only 54 hits and just one homer in 68.2 IP for a 2.55 ERA.

Pitcher injuries among the Angels resulted in a mid-June spot start for O’Sullivan against San Francisco and subsequent promotion for Bell, who got his first Triple-A start against division-leading Colorado. And what a start it was; a two-hit, complete game shut-out. Since then, the 21-year-old has pitched like he’s been with us all season: 2.81 ERA, 52 H, 36 SO, 14 BB, 64.0 IP. Best of all has been his ability to go deep into the game, averaging 7.1 innings per start, with two 9-inning complete games. Bell doesn’t have a blazing fastball, and relies heavily on ground-ball outs. Mentally, he is one tough competitor. One of my favorite moments from this season was a five-pitch duel between Bell and major-league veteran Sal Fasano.

Much has been made of Bell’s off-season acting career, as well as his relation to the original Bozo the Clown. And while these are interesting media bytes, they aren’t nearly as intriguing as a couple of other extracurricular activities engaged in by the youngster from North Hollywood, CA.

At the start of the 2008 season, Bell joined Barry Zito’s “Strikeouts for Troops” campaign, in which he pledged to donate funds to the charity for every strikeout he made. Later that summer Bell was sent down to Single-A Cedar Rapids shortly after horrendous flooding had devastated the Kernels home city, along with several other Midwest cities along the Iowa and Cedar Rivers. During his short stay, Bell took a tour of the area and wrote a personal check for $2,500 towards rebuilding efforts.

What is noteworthy about these contributions is how uncommonly rare it is for low-level minor leaguers to be thinking of something other than their on-field performance. For yours truly, it’s yet another reason to cheer on our latest young gun…Your friend in baseball.

It was a wonderful afternoon, well spent. Although I can’t recall exactly how we got to there, we found ourselves chatting about the joy of watching young minor leaguers develop into polished pros. The old coach chuckled in warm agreement when I declared there is nothing sweeter than witnessing the epiphany, the “aha!” moment, when all the hours of grinding away at drills and practice suddenly bear fruit.

What’s interesting about these moments is they can be simultaneously subtle and obvious. Subtle in that they rarely show up with the highlighted authority of a grand slam or double play. Obvious, though, if you’ve been following a particular athlete or spent some time coaching them. I liken it to how parents can recognize their children, even when they are too far away for facial recognition. The brain is a marvelous observer, picking up a multitude of visual clues, all of which add up to, “Oh, there’s Sue, over there on the berm,” or “No, I don’t think that’s Pete, he runs differently.”

The best part is the feeling you’ve stumbled upon a suddenly revealed treasure, a gift from heaven. And for athletes in organized baseball, this gift is more literal than figurative. Each moment is a step forward on the inside—physically and mentally— which is hopefully mirrored on the outside by a progression up the minor league ladder. Triple-A coaches are quick to note these moments are smaller and less frequent at this level. Subtle. At the same time though, they harbor the potential of a momentous reward—a spot on the major league roster. Obvious.

Regular readers know of my fondness for sharing these celebratory events: Angel Castillo, Matt Brown, Nick Adenhart, Brandon Wood, Kendry Morales. My latest involves one of our newest Bees, 24-year-old Trevor Bell, RHP.

Bell showed up in Salt Lake mid-June, amidst a flurry of pitcher promotions and demotions. His first start was certainly memorable, a two-hit, complete game shut-out. His latest start was, for yours truly, unforgettable. The game was against their division rivals,  the Colorado Sky Sox, who were leading Salt Lake by 4.5 games just prior to the all-star break. In short, a full-game gain or loss was at stake for both teams.

Amidst this crucial division rivalry, a more personal contest was developing between the Triple-A rookie Bell and 11-year MLB veteran Sal Fasano. It was a bit of a surreal sight, the contrast in their physical appearances mirroring their baseball experiences.

Sal Fasano is a bear of a backstop at 6′2″, 250 lbs, with dark, shaggy hair cascading from his head and Fu Manchu mustache flowing down his face. He’s logged over 400 games in the big leagues.

Trevor Bell, 6′2″, 180 lbs, is our California Golden Boy, with wisps of blonde hair sticking out from under his ballcap. This was only his 6th start in a Bees uniform since being promoted from Double-A Arkansas on June 16th.

In the 5th inning, on a 1-1 count, Fasano hit a very long ball to left field, foul. Bell turned and looked at the video board for the replay. He walked back to the mound, eyes down.

Fasano looked at Bell like a wolf eyes a baby lamb. His face said it all, “Kid, you’re meat.”

Bell looked impassively towards the plate as Fasano dug into the batter’s box. The next pitch was a high fastball—fouled back. Followed by another, fouled again. Fasano stepped back out of the box and banged his fist on the handle of the bat in frustration.

“Come on kid. You’ve got him now,” I whispered to no one in particular.

Next pitch, fastball, swing and a miss. Fasano didn’t even look up as he turned and headed down the dugout steps. Bell stood on the mound without a hint of emotion. Cool Baby Bell.

For Fasano’s next two at-bats, including the final at-bat and out of the game, the kid didn’t give an inch to the veteran.

I’m certainly not making any long-term career predictions from one “aha!” moment. I will, however, be happily looking forward to the next one from our promising young pitcher…Your friend in baseball.

Suddenly, she burst into tears, “I’m thinking I’m never going to make it. I’m wondering if I should just quit?”

I was caught off guard, and had to think over what she’d just said. I’d retired just the season prior. One of the hardest decisions of my adult life, . . .still. I had come to the point in my career when I needed to enter big money competitions in order to progress, as a legit athlete and marketable figure. I was a long, long shot. It would take luck as well as hard work if I was going to make any sort of mark beyond regional acclaim. The problem was, I simply didn’t have the funds. I managed to hold back the tears while I called my equipment sponsor. I thanked him for supporting me and told him to give away my slot. I hung up the phone, and sobbed.

I struggled to come up with something positive to say,”Hey. I’m sorry you’re having such a tough time. Um, geez, . . I can’t really tell you what to do.”

I mean, what could I tell her? We knew the odds. And I should point out, her talent exceeded my own by light years. I had no illusions about that reality. I was never good enough to be in her position. Perhaps even, it was still too fresh for me to be philosophical about my own loss. I’m sad to say I don’t remember being much help.

As time went on and I spent more time away from the field than on it, I came to find the words I’d been at a loss to provide in that crossroads moment. A message tempered by experience—mine, hers and dozens of young athletes over the years—and for me, a rather simple one.

Don’t ever quit because you’re afraid of failing. As much as it hurts to be told you’re not good enough, it’s nothing compared to the pain of wondering whether you might have been…Your friend in baseball.

While most of team is heading off to rest and recreate, a couple of Bees have gone to Portland, OR, to participate in the Triple-A All-Star Game, which pits the Pacific Coast League All-Stars versus the International League All-Stars in a one-game, winner takes all championship. In preparation of tonight’s game, which will be broadcast at 8 p.m. MDT on ESPN2 and MiLB.TV (MiLB.TV viewing requires $6.95 month subscription or $29.95 for a year), let’s take a closer look at our All-Stars, shall we?

Brandon Wood

Although he was selected to participate, Wood won’t be playing in this year’s All-Star game. Wood was called up to the Angels on July 10th, along with Bobby Wilson, and was immediately inserted into the starting lineup at 3B. Facing the Yankees, Wood showed his chops by drawing a walk during his first at-bat, on five pitches from starter Andy Pettitte. Later, he helped chase Pettitte in the 5th inning with a two-run homer. If you’ve been listening to the radio, you would have noticed Wood played 1B for a few games on the road.  On Sunday, still against the Yankees, he started at 1B—no hits, but he did sacrifice in a run in the 4th.

Of course, Wood has hardly lacked press coverage from the day he was drafted. Rather than retread the many fine articles already written on Wood’s career, I’d recommend the curious reader simply Google a few keywords and read to your hearts content.

One last thought arises that does seems worth mentioning. Yours truly is of course, well aware of the many seasons of grumbling over how the Angels have held him back at Triple-A. Until last summer, I honestly didn’t think he was quite ready. Now I do. He’s coming to the plate and thinking about “hitting the ball” instead of “hitting the long ball.” He’s using his natural quickness and keen eye to adjust his swing, instead of reacting to whatever shows up. The more he sticks to the plan, . . .the better he’ll be able to close up those holes in his swing, . . .which will force pitchers to start making adjustments to get him out, . . .and will present him with more “fat” pitches down the road. And goodness gracious, he knows very well what to do with those.

I believe in the long run, Wood will become a premiere ballplayer because the Angels kept the long-term goal in mind while developing his athletic skills. It’s hard to remember, particularly in athletes having so much natural talent, the most important and slowest-to-develop performance factor sits between the ears. It’s a simple fact of human biology that the motor skills develop far earlier than the cognitive skills. In short, it takes time and experience to learn how to hit the ball for average and power, under all sorts of conditions. Wood is 24 years old. And I wish for him a long and successful career.

Terry Evans

“When Evans hits in the lead-off position, good things happen, ” said broadcaster Steve Klauke during the last game prior to the All-Star break.

And indeed our 6′4″ lead-off/slugger has been enjoying one heck of a comeback season after missing most of last year due to a shoulder injury. In the aforementioned game, Evans went 2-3, with an RBI-scoring double and a walk, and stole his 19th and 20th bases. Klauke noted that with 17 home runs thus far in the season, Evans could quite possibly join the 20-20 Club (20 home runs and 20 steals within the same season). That would be a Salt Lake franchise first. Evans is already a member of the Minor League 30-30 Club, one of only 13 players to do so. Even more impressive is the fact he achieved this record in 2006, the same year he was traded from the Cardinals to the Angels organization.

In addition to being selected to play outfield for the All-Star Game, Evans was one of the three PCL representatives in the Home Run Derby, held on Monday.  He advanced to the second round, and eventually finished fourth among the eight contestants. Look for him in center field, batting 5th during tonight’s game. Last but certainly not least, Evans was this lady’s pick for May.

Jeremy Hill

Our 2009 PCL All-Star closer was acquired by the Angels via free agency this winter from Acereros de Monclova in the Mexican Leagues. Originally drafted as a catcher by Kansas City in 1996, he converted to pitching in 2000. He had some early success, including a short stay with the Royals during 2002. Otherwise, as noted in a Salt Lake Tribune article, his career has taken him to the far corners of baseball world, including Taiwan, Independent Leagues and Mexico before landing a spring training invite with the Angels.

Hill earned a Double-A roster spot, and made just two appearances before getting the promotion to Salt Lake on April 16. While the promotion was largely in response to an epidemic of pitcher injuries at the parent club, Hill promptly started building his case for it to stick. He was lights out through May, with a stingy 1.46 ERA, and earned the closer spot with 13 saves by mid-June. He struggled in the latter half of June, racking up an 11.56 ERA over four particularly rough outings that included a blown save.  Ouch, and then some. Still, he fought back, earning four more saves through that rough stretch, and as we know, an spot on the PCL All-Star Team. Not bad for a man who was wondering last winter whether his 14-year baseball career might be over at last.

Hill is not a power thrower, although his fastball can touch the low 90s. His most effective pitching weapon is his ability to fool hitters and get them to swing at the wrong pitches. He’s got a short delivery, hiding the ball well behind his body until he swings around to face the plate. As a closer, his job is to get three outs as quickly as possible, and that includes keeping runners off the bases. His SO:BB for Marvelous May was 10:4 (2.5:1). Comparing the first half of June to the second half, his SO:BB ratio was 11:4 (not quite 3:1) and 4:4 (1:1) respectively. No one knows the ups-and-downs of a long season better than this well-traveled veteran, and he came fighting back during the first half of July, producing a 4.16 ERA over four appearances and bringing his season ERA down to 4.13.

Hill will be pitching out of the bullpen tonight, although it’s hard to say when manager Randy Ready will bring him in. All-Star teammate Jess Todd from Memphis is leading the PCL in saves with 21. My guess? Hill will come in for short relief in the 8th, to set up Todd.

If you tune into watch the game on TV or internet, you’re in for a special treat. Rich Burk, Portland Beavers broadcaster, will be handling the play-by-play, along with color commentator, Eric Young, Sr. Burk knows our Bees players very well, having covered games between the Beavers and Bees since 2001, and seen the two teams square off for two series already this season.

Hey, I just realized that Evans and Hill won’t have to leave after the game, cause the Bees will be visiting Portland for a four-game series immediately following. Sweet!…Your friend in baseball.

Later, I recalled my own experiences with military personnel. Way back during my college days I had a dorm-mate, our “middle-aged freshman,” who was among the last to have served in Vietnam. He was a Green Beret. He was smart, funny and a fine athlete. I recall he and several dorm guys entering an intramural rugby tournament, although their most notable accomplishment of the day was sending three team members to the student health center.

A conscientious objector at one point in his life, he tried to reconcile his change of heart by becoming a special ops medic. One quiet evening over a few beers, the two of us found ourselves immersed in a conversation about what close combat was like, . . .after your service revolver rounds had been spent. Or how it felt to have survived multiple, harrowing battlefield encounters with your best buddy, only to watch him killed by a careless (and remorseless) driver during a weekend leave in Bangkok. These were topics he’d chosen to write about for his English composition class; he seemed to realize the therapeutic value of finally processing these long-buried memories. I suspect it was also easier for him to talk about them with a woman (who did her best to not flinch), rather than the teenage guys in the dorm.

I also remember how the “GI Bill” during the 1980s and 90s offered an attractive form of financial aid for low-income students. Without the Navy, another dorm-mate of mine could not have afforded his undergraduate and medical school education. Back then, he and many other young men and women were able to fulfill their duties for the most part without enduring enemy fire or extended, overseas deployments. As we know, all of this changed on September 11, 2001.

These personal moments spent with people I like and care about got me wondering, . . .how do military families deal with a loved one getting summoned to active duty in places such as Afghanistan or Iraq? Who pays the utilities, insurance or rent while the household provider is away? What happens when a family member comes home in not-quite-one piece and unable to work? How do families cope with the ongoing trials of an “invisible injury,” such as post-concussion syndrome (PCS) or post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD)?

And so I have a favor to ask of you, dear readers, on this Day of Our Independence. Would you visit the USA Cares website today? They can use your help, whether it be in the form of goods, time or cash. Or please consider purchasing a special edition “Ordinance Bat” from iFungo; 50% of the profits go to USA Cares.

Bonus offer: Bring your iFungo Ordinance Bat receipt and show it to me at the ballpark, and I’ll throw in two Box Seat tickets ($27 value) for the July 24th Pioneer Day game/fireworks show. I’m easy enough to find—section 7, row 2, seat 8, right next to the Bees dugout.

And lastly, as you are settling onto the grass for BBQ and fireworks, or if like me you are heading to the ballpark, please take a moment to pray for the safe return of our military men and women, as well as for the health and happiness of their families. . .Your friend in baseball.

Thinking aloud then. . .Jeremy Hill, of late, is having some trouble holding leads. I love Francisco Rodriguez. Too bad he wasn’t around for half the month. Matt Brown and Bobby Wilson have been struggling at the plate. Reggie Willits spent two weeks nursing a sore hamstring. Freddy Sandoval and Chris Pettit are out with injuries until late July at the earliest. Oh have I mentioned, the weather’s been lousy too? Sigh!

It’s true, Brandon Wood has been his consistently awesome self. And I’ve noticed significant improvement in plate discipline, particularly his 23:47 BB:SO (a ratio of 1:2). In all honesty, though, it’s not like yours truly is going to add anything revelatory to the well-deserved praise for this kid’s ongoing development. And yes, I had noticed Brad Coon is steadily upping his offensive production after a slow start. Not to mention, just like last year, he’s an excellent guardian of our 420-foot-deep center field. Trevor Bell? Tempting. His awesome debut is slowly turning, start-by-start, into a Triple-A stay of real merit.

And then I was reminded of having overlooked the bright ray of sunshine in our uncharacteristically cold and dreary June. . .

So, this month’s pick is Adam Pavkovich. Pavkovich was selected in 2003 from the University of Alabama by the Angels in the 11th round, 330th overall pick. He came straight to Provo for his professional debut, where the Crimson Tide alumnus figured out wood bats rather quickly, well enough to earn a mid-season promotion to Single-A Cedar Rapids.* He continued to move up the farm system without a hitch; a full season with Advanced-A Rancho in 2004, and just the briefest of time with Double-A Arkansas before arriving at Triple-A for good in 2005.

*Apparently he suited up for one game as a Salt Lake Stinger that year, although I don’t remember it personally.

Yours truly readily admits having wanted an excuse to showcase Pavkovich for a couple seasons now. He stands out for me not only as a good ballplayer, but one who makes an extra effort to bond with his fans, particularly the young ones.

A BeesGal memory. . .One afternoon in 2007, after a long wait for players to come out onto the field, one young fan literally wilted in his spot. He put his head down, cradled in his arms atop of the concrete wall, and closed his eyes. And there he rested, oblivious to the now-arrived ballplayers talking with and signing for fans along the wall.

Pavkovich stopped and bent down, lowering his head to peer upward into the downturned face.

“Hey,” he said gently. Getting no response, he asked again, “Hey there. Are you OK?”

The small head popped straight up, a startled look upon the youngster’s face. Pavkovich laughed warmly, and spent a few extra minutes chatting before moving on.

Another from 2007. . .Pavkovich appeared a full 30 minutes prior to gametime. He walked along the wall, scanning the rows as if he was expecting to meet someone. Halfway between the dugout and bullpen he stopped. He called up to a boy who looked eight or nine years old, standing with his father about 10 rows up in the stands. The boy and father looked around, and then behind them. They looked back at Pavkovich, who was now holding up what looked to be a brand-new bat, its gleaming walnut finish unblemished by pine tar or ball marks.

“Hi! Do you want this?” he called out, energetically gesturing for them to come over.

The boy remained frozen until finally his father half-pushed them both down the stairs and to the wall. The precious gift signed and delivered, Pavkovich returned to the clubhouse to get ready for that evening’s work.

In 2008, Pavkovich had a break-through year on the diamond. He flashed some power—25 doubles, 4 triples, 22 HR, 80 RBI and  225 TB—while maintaining a nice .280 AVE. That sort of production earned Pavkovich his first invite to the Dominican Leagues this winter and big-league training camp this spring.

Fast forward to Opening Day 2009, and Pavkovich begins his fourth season with the Bees. There have been, of course, a few changes over the seasons. Harper and Nagy are gone. Mitchell and Bennett are in their second seasons as manager and pitching coach.

On April 15th, Pavkovich played his 425th game in a Salt Lake uniform, passing former Buzz outfielder Chris Latham to become the franchise leader in games played. As noted by longtime Salt Lake broadcaster and “voice of the Bees” Steve Klauke, this is a bittersweet achievement, one that underscores a long tenure in the bush leagues. Pavkovich also has taken over the lead in career two-base hits (98), and tied in sacrifice flies (20) with Buzz/Twins infielder Todd Walker. His 19 sacrifice bunts leaves him just three short of Buzz infielder Mike Moriarty (22) and two short of Stinger/Bees infielder Casey Smith (21). Thanks to last year’s bomber run, he also holds sixth place in career homeruns (45).

On the other hand, some things haven’t changed at all. #25 still arrives early to meet his fans at the wall, every day, win or lose, play or sit. He talks, he smiles, he jokes, he inspires.

He’s still the young man who makes the Knothole Club something special. According to local lore, the 23-year-old infielder voluntarily assumed the role of Knothole Club “camp director” soon after his arrival in 2005. This spring, Camp Director Pavkovich once-again led kids and parents on a guided tour of a day in the life of a professional ballplayer.

During the tour he was asked how many bats players receive from Anaheim.

He replied, “Two dozen, which for a good hitter will last all season.”

There was a pregnant pause, and his next sentence was accompanied by that warm smile, “If you’re a not-so-good hitter, you’ll need more.”

He is a man of many gloves, having played all nine defensive positions including catcher (2006) and pitcher (2009). He’s our bottom-of-the-ninth, clutch hitter—whether ripping a walk-off grand slam or laying down a suicide-squeeze bunt for the only, and winning, run of the game.

What more can I say? Save perhaps, it’s been a delight having this young man in a Salt Lake uniform for all these seasons. I believe Pavkovich is eligible for free agency after the end of this year, his seventh since being drafted by the Angels. In that case, I certainly wish him all the best, with just the tiniest selfish hope of getting to meet again for Knothole Club, 2010…Your friend in baseball.

June 28, 2009 — In my previous post I offered a high-altitude survey of the who, what and where of minor league player blogs.  In this post, I’ll start drilling down into the individual stats, namely, number of posts per author, word count per post and number of comments per post. The analysis here will begin to tease out what sort impact each of our ballplayer-bloggers is making in the MiLB.com blogosphere.

Results

A few notes about these numbers. When looking at the total posts, remember not everyone started blogging at the same time. Nonetheless, most started blogging during spring training, around February/March. Word count is an approximate average calculated for a randomly sampled handful of posts, roughly five or six, when possible. Comments/Post was calculated via a similar method—grab a handful of posts, count the total number of comments, divide by number of sampled posts. Hopefully this makes sense.

Not sure if the charts do much to clarify the stats. They sure look pretty though, don’t you think?

Analysis

Analyzing these numbers is hardly an exact science due the high number of variables contributing to the final results. Suffice to say these results alone probably won’t reveal any useful, magical formulas for success. They will, however, provide an important starting-off point for when we start assessing the content of each blog. Thus I want to at least discuss some of the general principles/assumptions/wild speculations before moving on.

At first blush, the American League (127 posts) seems to be leaving the National League (79 posts) in some serious dust. After removing blogs by Chris Hayes, who’s posted a staggering 41 entries since mid-February, the adjusted totals are a bit of a mixed bag. Post frequency and comments/posts are roughly equal. The big difference, not shown in the charts, is total word output. Even without Hayes’ contributions, American League bloggers produced roughly 4,421 total words, about double the National League’s 2,149. On final analysis this researcher concludes American League minor leaguers are a more cyber-sociable group than those hailing from the National League.

Total Posts

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Total posts is an indicator of post frequency. And why is this important? Although there’s no clearcut consensus or magic formula for blogging success, most blog readers seem prefer the following combination: high post frequency + medium word counts + a photo/video gew-gaw or two.  Of the three, post frequency seems to make or break the spell for most readers. While we’re on the topic, about those, “Sorry, I know it’s been a while”  excuses, use them sparingly. After awhile, it won’t matter why, readers will stop clicking over.

Post Length

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While easy to quantify, this stat is a bit tricky to qualify. On the one hand, longer posts mean more news. On the other, a long, winding story that takes too long to get to the point will quickly lose your reader. 300-400 words is a perfectly acceptable length. The less-is-more writing technique takes some practice to pull off, nonetheless, it’s a worthwhile skill to cultivate, particularly since your audience is used to having information delivered via 2:35 minute YouTube videos and/or 140-word Tweets. One website declared the average page visit lasting only 96 seconds. Woof.

This post, in fact, teeters dangerously close to marathon-like. Nonetheless, there are times when popular appeal must be sacrificed in the name of scientific truth-seeking.

For longer posts, think about including in a photo, widget or video clip to help break up blocks of boring print. (Now do you see why I included the charts? Ssssh! That’ll be our little secret.) One handy trick if you find yourself with a novella of 1,000-plus words is to chop it in half, or even three,  and offer them as a matched set. Best of all, by stringing them out like this, you’ve given yourself a deadline extension of at least another week before having to come up with something new, witty and charming.

SIDEBAR: The Amazin’ Hayes

Speaking of post length, now would be a good time to make special mention Chris Hayes. The side-arming relief pitcher with the yoga-instructor wife has produced roughly 51,660 words as of early June, when I sampled his blogs. In real-world terms, he’s well on his way to putting the finishing touches on a mass-market mystery or romance paperback.

To put this into context with his professional peers, below is a bar graph representing Hayes’ total word count compared to the other 22 ballplayer-bloggers. It is really, really tiny because Hayes’ total word count exceeds that of his peers by orders of magnitude, in other words, multiples of 10!

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OK, goggle-eyed amazement aside and back to the original concern stated in Part 1, does this sort of quantity mean a better blogging experience? And if not, what is the magic formula to a well-written, well-visited, well-spoken of blog? Stay tuned, and these mysteries will be revealed. . .

Comments

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You’ll notice no data was collected on star-ratings. Although quite easy to tally up, these little popularity polls offer no contextual information as to why a certain post is popular, or not. Also, the quick-and-easy, one-click process means you can never be quite sure if the rater even bothered to read the blog before boosting up (or dragging down) someone’s work with a quick click. Kind of like choosing players for the All-Star Team; pick your favorite and start voting away, up to 25 clicks/day. (BTW, if you’re wondering, no, I don’t participate in All-Star Team voting, minor league or otherwise.)

A better litmus test of who is actually reading is provided by comments. Feedback via reader comments are a very important indicator of whether your blog is actually “doing anything” besides just taking up space on the server hard drive. For example, a loyal commenter following usually indicates the blogger is providing useful/entertaining information for his targeted audience. Comments can also give a reading on how friendly/interactive a blogger is with his readers. A couple of our ballplayer-bloggers have taken interactivity a step further, asking for comments and feedback, which is a great way to generate repeat visits. One caveat, blogs showing only a few comments doesn’t necessarily mean they’re not popular. For every comment posted, there’s likely to be a whole mess of lurkers. Also, it’s important to note blogs with the most comments are not necessarily the ones with the most frequent entries or longest posts.

Coming up in the next section, we move on to the blog-by-blog, qualitative analysis. Unlike baseball, this portion of the competition will be a judged event, which means I’m open to bribes, . . .er, oops! I mean suggestions. In this most critical section of the whole shebang, I’ll do my durndest to point out what seems to work, as well as what doesn’t. . .Your friend in baseball.