At the end of the award voting, I decided that since the Baseball Bloggers Alliance had come along so quickly, it might be nice to get an idea of who was actually in the group. To that end, I’m working through the roster and asking ten questions of each member. The first five are standard, while the last five are a little more personalized. Hopefully this will help us get a feel for our fellow members. So, here’s entry twenty-nine in a recurring series.
Nick
Website: Pitchers Hit Eighth
BBA #34
Personal info: 31, married – first one should have arrived by the time this is posted (Editor’s note: Nick welcomed his son into the world this Monday.)
Question 1: How and why did you get into blogging?
As a displaced Cardinals fan – displaced in the worst of alternative locales, Chicago – I started Pitchers Hit Eighth in the spring of 2008 primarily as a means of forcing myself to keep up with the Redbirds. I purchased the domain, installed a blogging platform, purchased my MLB.tv subscription, and I was off and running. Certainly didn’t expect it to balloon into the daily obsession for me that it is now.
Question 2: Do you have any blogging projects planned for the off-season?
Josh and I have been haphazardly completing our 2009 Cardinal Player Grades. We did an internal round table with Hall of Fame balloting. We continue to take part in co-hosting duties for the UCB Radio Hour podcast and taking part in the UCB writing projects as well.
Question 3: What’s been your most enjoyable experience as a blogger (particularly well-received post, a high-profile link, a connection you wouldn’t have had otherwise, etc.)?
It’s definitely the interaction with other Cardinal fans and writers. Not only with the assorted beat writers, etc readily available on Twitter – but also the blogging community. I have been able to parlay several relationships with the UCB and others into interviews with Cardinal players and executives that I would never have dreamed of when I started my humble little blog.
Maybe one of the coolest things for me personally, to date, was the day I was reading Bernie Miklasz’ “5 Minutes” blog at STLToday.com and noticed a link to Pitchers Hit Eighth in his “Sites I Visit, Sites I Need” blogroll. It was particularly gratifying for me, because I didn’t even have to beg Bernie for the link! (Thanks Bernie 
)
Question 4: How did you find out about the BBA and what attracted you to the group?
I was contacted directly by its esteemed founder. I knew it would take off and grow into a solid organization based upon the dedication and work put into the UCB by the group’s originator.
Question 5: What do you want to see out of the BBA in the coming year?
I really enjoy the United Cardinal Bloggers group for the writing projects assigned throughout the year. Not only is it interesting to see many folks write about the same thing and come up with different results, but it’s a great motivation to write without having to come up with the idea on your own. Think about what we could do with blogs spanning all of MLB!
Question 6: It appears that Tony La Russa won’t be hitting the pitcher eighth much this season. Any thought to new blog names?
Nah, we’ll keep fighting the good fight. You never know when one prolonged offensive slump might bring TLR back to his senses.
Question 7: You are a big Twitter fan. What is the attraction for you?
Instant. Access. Instant Access. Those are three separate reasons. Things happen immediately on Twitter, both breaking news and reactions to that news. Plus, who could’ve imagined the level of interaction with the folks who are intimately involved with the topics we as bloggers discuss on a daily basis? If I have a question or theory that I think I could write a good couple thousand words about, I’ve the ability to write a quick little note to a Matthew Leach or a Derrick Goold or a Joe Strauss, et al to ask them specifically if I’m on track with something I think about the team. If they tell me I’m wrong, no need to waste time writing the post. In many cases, their input only helps my research to go deeper and learn more.
Question 8: You are part of the Cardinal diaspora (to borrow another blog’s name), living around Chicago. Do you get to many Cardinal games during the season?
As many as I can. I still have family in the area, so I make it back to the St Louis area quite often – it’s just a matter of timing it around homestands and making sure there aren’t other family commitments while I’m in town. I usually make it to a couple of Cards-Cubs games at Wrigley and found my way to a game in Milwaukee last season as well. I make do. Once we get that Bloggers’ Night lined up at Busch III you can bet I’ll be on the first flight.
Question 9: How do you handle living in enemy territory?
I keep a copy of the NL Central standings with me at all times. It’s a good conversation stopper in most cases.
Question 10: You’ve taken on a couple of additional bloggers at your site. How is it different being a team blog rather than a one-man show?
Mostly, less stressful for me. I take a lot of pride in what goes on at Pitchers Hit Eighth, but was getting dangerously close to the point of burn out trying to keep up with a goal of posting daily (mostly failing…still) and keeping myself on point with providing our loyal readers (all three of them) with stuff they actually care to read about. Josh and Andrew have been great for my sanity personally as well as the quality of the site. I’m slowly learning to let loose of the reins a bit, and certainly their viewpoints are just as valuable as mine. I think the three of us cover a pretty wide range of things regarding the Cardinals, whether it be unabashed fan worship, too-much-math statistical analysis, or just plain fun and “seen by my eyes” coverage of game action, etc. We’re having a blast.
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