This week, I added an additional 20 websites and blogs to my linkroll (right). Each one provides an excellent source of up to date information regarding current issues in Major League Baseball. Using the Webby Awards and IMSA judging criteria, I was able to compile a concise list of well written blogs and online news sources that pertain to my current and future posts. These links can all be found in my linkroll, but I will also critique each one in this post. My first link, 150 Top Baseball Blogs, is ultimately very useful, however, it can pose several problems because of how broad of a website it is. The purpose of this site is to compile the top 150 best blogs that are current and up to date regarding all aspects of baseball. The benefit is that the blogs posted on this website are all kept up with current news. Sometimes you can find blogs online that have posts from several months ago, and have not been updated. Like I said though, the website is very broad and it can be difficult to find specific information. Overall it proves to be a good source for finding scattered opinions around the internet. My next website is the Baseball Almanac. Clearly this is very relevant to my topic because I am constantly bringing up historical facts in my posts. The Baseball Almanac is undoubtedly the most accurate way to go when referring to historical baseball numbers. Some of the flaws with this website have to do with the design. The way that this page is organized makes it difficult to quickly access anything you are looking for. The home page is full of numbers and information making it slightly confusing from the beginning. A much superior website in my opinion is "Baseball-Reference". The idea of this page is the same as the baseball almanac. It is a website designed to help find any information about baseball. The difference between the two pages is the design. I feel that the design of this page is far less intimidating. It also offers a friendly search box in the upper left corner, which could make researching a lesser pain. Baseball.Com, is a very simple website that does exactly what you would expect it to. I enjoy this page because of the simplicity and easy usability.The next group of websites that I added to my linkroll, are the basics that most people will immediately search, when looking for new info. One of the most popular, and my favorite website, is ESPN. I have directed my link straight to the baseball page, but ESPN is my favorite site for locating information on every sport. They are always accurate, and the page is designed nearly flawlessly. The most obvious of all choices when it comes to baseball, is MLB.Com. The most beneficial aspect of this website is the season pass. If you are willing to pay a set fee, you are able to watch live streaming video of the game of your choice online. Personally, I have used this feature many times, because at my apartment I have not subscribed to the major league package on television. It offers a cheaper option for following a team that you cannot watch on television. Fox Sports is well composed and offers a very user friendly site. The best part of this website is how clean and simple it is. The colors of the interface are plain and are not distracting like some of the other sites. I think well of how the page is broken up into several different segments, making it easy to decide where you are dragging the mouse. Another popular website around the country, is Sports Illustrated. Just like the magazine, Sports Illustrated offers current news, as well as superbly written articles by their senior writers. This site offers the thoughts of some of the most talented sports writers in the country, paving the way for an excellent and intellectual analysis. Yahoo Sports, is not one my favorites but seems rather popular. One of the things that this website does well is update live baseball games quickly. They offer a nice play by play for game situations, which is constantly being updated. However, Yahoo Sports is more popular for the fantasy world.
Online newspapers are often viewed for facts and opinions on current issues in baseball. The Los Angeles Times offers a very intuitive sports section that I check on a daily basis. Everyday you can find the opinions of several LA Times writers on the issues going on around the league, but mainly with the hometown Dodgers and Angels. This is the best place to go for in depth information on the Dodgers. Just like Los Angeles, the New York Times offers a very extensive sports section on their teams. The New York writers are possibly the most opinionated which makes for an excellent read when analyzing the New York Sports, especially baseball. The Palm Beach Post is my favorite online paper to keep up with. I'm a dedicated Florida Marlin fan, and I find that some of the best articles on the Marlins are written on the post. USA Today is a great online source for finding the most current information. Since it is not dedicated to any one city, the site does not dedicate nearly as much to a certain team. MLBAmerica is the most useful website for online papers. On the left hand side there are direct links to most online newspapers sports sections. This is great so you do not have to go through the home page of each newspaper, something that could eat up a great deal of time. Another relevant site is The Pro Baseball Newspaper Archive. This is a great page that will I will use in order to enhance my posts. With this website I can access historical newspaper articles and apply them to my blog. This is a very efficient site, and easily used with the search option at the top of the page.
The last additions to my linkroll are all based on my previous posts. First, The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is beneficial for easy access on my linkroll. My first post on the Mitchell Report, is greatly going to affect the future of players being inducted into the hall of fame. I thought that it would be interesting to see who is already in and then compare some of these players statistics, with players who may get shafted due to the steroid scandal. Sportsology is a very cool blog that offers extremely creative and objective views. You can always retrieve a great article on some type of flaw in major league baseball. The 'Ropolitans, is a very extensive online blog about the New York Mets. My last blog post was on the Mets recent failure, so I thought this was great blog to see different fans reactions throughout the post season. The last link I posted is to a blog called MLBlogs. This blog is very unique in that along with fans blogging, it offers blogs from current and former major league players. It is especially interesting to follow the blogs of players who are on current playoff teams. Anyone can offer and opinion, but the players are the ones that really know what is taking place.
1 comment:
First, I have to say it is very interesting to read about the real side of baseball and what goes on that the public never hears about. One of my favorite sources you provided was "Pro Baseball Newspaper Archive". With its abundant amount of articles ranging it topics, it makes it a very useful source to all of your readers. Your quote about the site is extremely accurate, "This is a very efficient site, and easily used with the search option at the top of the page". This quote truly exemplifies what this site is offering and the efficient options it has for its visitors. Without a doubt, this was one of my favorite websites of the many that you provided. I also appreciate your summaries of some of your broader links you provide. This is shown in your discretion of ESPN, "I have directed my link straight to the baseball page, but ESPN is my favorite site for locating information on every sport. They are always accurate, and the page is designed nearly flawlessly". Your description of ESPN was spot on and a statement that I totally agree with. There are very few things I found that I thought could use changing.
It is very refreshing to read someones opinion about sources that I also continually visit. One thing I think you may want to consider is adding a few links that are more blog oriented to show your readers a different side of baseball writing. I do find the links you provided very helpful and informative but it may also be helpful to hear what average fans are saying in blogs, or what players are saying in their own personal blogs. This is a very minute detail and seems as though it would only enhance your already strong blog. I have to say that it was extremely intriguing to read your other posts including your most resent one because they also do a great job of discussing what is going on and how you think it is affecting the sport of baseball.
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