DISQUS

Mashable - The Social Media Guide: Twitter and Major League Baseball: A Missed Opportunity

  • Ben · 4 months ago
    Even though MLB players are absent on Twitter, companies are still managing to market to the MLB / Twitter fan base such as Reebok's "Hidden Ball" game at the All-Star game in St. Louis (http://racetalkblog.com/2009/07/13/reeboks-soci...). Maybe this will show players that there is a fan base waiting to connect with them online.
  • swag · 4 months ago
    But it's a dead sport. I gave up on MLB after the '94 strike. No amount of Twitter use will fix that.
  • Josh Catone · 4 months ago
    A dead sport that drew 78 million fans to ballparks last year -- their second best ever (just below the 79 million in 2007). Seriously... it's not *too* dead. ;)
  • Bill Sodeman · 4 months ago
    MLB is hanging in there. Can't say the same about NASCAR!
  • R. · 4 months ago
    One of my favorite Twitterers is Kevin Youkilis' beard: @beardoftruth
  • mr.bmc · 4 months ago
    Players aren't allowed to have cellphones in the dugout during a game.
  • Josh Catone · 4 months ago
    During rain delays they can go back into the clubhouse, though.
  • Kevin · 4 months ago
    Actually there's only 25 players on an active roster...until september when that number goes up to 40
  • Josh Catone · 4 months ago
    That was my mistake, not Gail's. Thanks for pointing it out, though. :)
  • John Wagner · 4 months ago
    They missed one in this article, the only MLB manager to be "tweeting is Joe Maddon of the Rays. Joe is at www.twitter.com/raysjoemaddon
  • Bill Sodeman · 4 months ago
    He's managing the American League in the All-Star Game tonight, so Joe's twitter feed is actually relevant today. :)
  • Josh Catone · 4 months ago
    Very true. Though Gail was focusing specifically on active players who tweet. There are some former players (such as announcer Joe Morgan) and front office people (such as Red Sox owner John Henry) who are also on Twitter.
  • FanFeedr · 4 months ago
    This is really a missed opportunity, especially for unsold tickets or simple fan engagement. I am slightly sheepish at trotting out the well-worn Shaquille O'Neal meme, but part of the reason that he has so many followers is that he engages the fans on terms that work for both parties.
    And, simply put, Tweeting is work, and many players may not want the incremental workload.
    That having been said, the NBA is really a leading light here, and the other leagues have room for improvement.
  • CRYSTAL MORGAN · 4 months ago
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  • Tiffany · 4 months ago
    Great article. In general, MLB players haven't seemed to embrace Twitter as much as NBA players have.

    BTW, Twackle is a great site to follow the MLB teams and players who are on Twitter: http://www.twackle.com/MLB