FanGraphs on ESPN
Some of you may have seen that ESPN gave myself and a few other FanGraphs authors the chance to pen a few pieces for their site during the off-season as part of their Hot Stove U education series. Now that the season is gearing up, we’ve agreed to contribute a piece each weekday to their new statistical blog during the season, starting today. Our first piece looked at Casey Kotchman’s groundballing ways.
If you’re an ESPN Insider subscriber, your account just got a little better (at least, I think so. Hopefully you agree.) If you’re not, you can either join their premium service, or alternately, we’re posting all of the blog posts we write for ESPN (including all of the previous Hot Stove U pieces, plus anything else we write for ESPN going forward) on a blog at FanGraphs. You can buy access to that blog by purchasing the FanGraphs Second Opinion, a 584 page PDF/online hybrid fantasy preview/baseball book that the staff worked exceedingly hard on. The cost for both the book and access to everything we write for ESPN through March 1st, 2011? $7.95.
Seriously. We’re charging $8 for a nearly 600 page baseball book and a year’s worth of articles by our staff. If this isn’t the best deal in the history of whatever, I don’t know what is.
If this sounds like shilling, well, it is. But like the 2010 Mariner Annual (available in book stores tomorrow!), I’m shilling for a product that provides you some crazy good value for the price. We’re not getting rich on any of this, and are providing it at a cost low enough that hopefully anyone who wants to read the extra content will be able to. We’re not going to start charging for USSM, but if you want to support the site, this is one way to do it, and get a great return on your money as well.
I was in my local Safeway today and on the newsstands were 25 or so copies of the Mariners Annual.
Another sign that I get in to things way too late! I should have discovered this place in 2003, then I could have had access to these great writings for free for 7 years! Now I’m going to have to go broke if I want access to the extra stuff. (I jest)
“…like the 2010 Mariner Annual (available in book stores tomorrow!)”
Actually, I saw it at the Southcenter Costco today, among the magazines.
Nice. I got a ESPN magazine 1-year sub on black friday on amazon, for 5 bucks. This just made the included insider access that much better.
The annual was at Costco in the Portland area this weekend as well. I was too lazy to order it, but when it appeared in front of me, it found its way into the cart pretty quickly. It sure is lot of content; I’m really enjoying it.
More on the topic: it may finally be time to pony up for insider or a super cheap ESPN magazine subscription…I didn’t even do it when Rob Neyer went to Insider years ago. Pretty good compliment to you guys I think.
I got my copy of the Annual here in Portland at Fred Meyer on Friday. It’s a great read and highly recommended!
Also a long time ESPN Insider member, and I look forward to the articles there as well.
You’ve convinced me! I just bought it. Only one complaint though — why no Eric Seidman? That guy’s awkward writing always cracks me up.
Not just the chains, either– it was on the rack in my little neighborhood store, as of last week, as well!
I have never been able to get the password to work over at fangraphs. Has anyone else found that difficult? Just spent a frustrating 30 minutes trying to change it and it still does not work. I recall this was the same frustration back when fangraphs started. Am I just an idiot?
Many people probably already know this, but the least expensive way to ESPN Insider is to subscribe to ESPN Magazine (buying one includes the other). At Amazon, it’s $15 for 1 yr; might be less elsewhere.
Dave, I’m glad to hear that you and the Fangraphs folks keep getting more recognition and distribution for the great work you all are producing there.
You can get a year of ESPN Magazine right now for $4 here:
http://www.discountmags.com/product/4627/
use the coupon code 6578 to get the $4 price.
Just remember that it takes two months before you get your first issue, so you won’t be able to get insider right away…
BTW, ESPN is really not a very good magazine. Too bad you can’t just pay $4 and get the insider (which is more worthwhile) without wasting trees from the print mag…