Heels On The Field: A Baseball Blog

The 2014 MiLB Twitter Twenty

Welcome to year four of the list.

This year I expanded the focus to include how far players social-media reach is. Players that have a big presence on Instagram and/or blog (and, as you’ll see, “vlog”) played a part in the decision process. This is still about the Twitter game. But the more players connect, the bigger their following and impact. And the deeper their connection to their followers, which is what I pay the most attention to (humor is a close second).

Honorable Mentions are expanded and players that don’t tweet often, but bring it when they do, are given a nod. Don’t think of HM’s as less valuable players (wink); they’re all guys whose content I read constantly throughout the year and deserved inclusion. Sometimes their inclusion could be one or two tweets that made me laugh or was just something readers really responded to.

The difficult part was excluding players from the ‘Twenty’ that are still with a professional team or were as early as Spring Training, but weren’t on any roster this season (they were included on HM’s); also difficult was dropping players down that, as entertaining or interesting as they are, aren’t sharing a lot very often. The point of this list is to give a bigger spotlight to minor leaguers that engage and entertain and do that pretty regularly. With Twitter they’re building their own following long before they reach the big leagues.

These are the champs.

1. Cody Decker @Decker6 – He continues his reign at #1 for the second year, doing all the things that endear him to fans and followers. Yet again, he took on a critic questioning his talent, though this time instead of a journalist, it was a Padres fan. He didn’t back down, despite the possibility of rattling a Padres faithful. His daily jokes are as smart as they are creative. “ ‘For every action there is an unequal and opposite overreaction.’ Newtons Third Law of Ex Girlfriends.” Earlier this season he anchored the sports desk for KTSM in El Paso, Texas. In full three piece suit and wearing one of his signature bowties (find it on YouTube). He's also made popular videos that you can find on YouTube. It's hard to believe he's not on Instagram, because we can only imagine how fun he'd make that. Regardless, he's hard to beat if you want to be entertained, and none was able to dethrone him… (Padres)
2. Wes Wilson @wtwilson5- …But this guy came close. He’s one of the most fun, interesting minor league players on Twitter. He’s freely talked politics with candor and level-headedness. And he’s embraced a multi-media way of expression, reaching beyond Twitter to create his own vlog, which is a regular feature for the Tampa Yankees (#WesCam). ‘Wes’s Womb’ (yep) is a mixture of interviews with teammates, highlights of minor league baseball life, and his own unique humor. The task of choosing which tweets to highlight was tough. Here’s a few from his Starbucks trips: “I gotta be lookin’ a fool bumpin’ Iggy Azalea, but I’m gettin’ my bump on my second coffee.” “I think this dude just walked in with a desktop computer.” “This woman just ordered something with 11 words.” By the way, his bio even says he'll one day be a presidential candidate, though it's unclear if he's serious. Tweet him about that. Odds are, he'll have a great answer. (Yankees)
3. Michael Schlact @Michael_Schlact - There's no one like Michael. He's used the Twitter platform to share spiritual inspiration & personal beliefs. When he went on a mission, he took to Twitter and Instagram to record the experience. He’s used the Twitter machine to produce an image, that’s no image at all, but a guy connecting to fans in a heartfelt, positive way. He’s consistently expressed his dedication to baseball, even when he wasn’t sure where his career was going. A recent tweet showed just about everything you need to know: 'How can Jillian [wife] and I pray for you today?' (Wichita Wingnuts)
4. Maxx Tissenbaum @8_Maxx – Brand new to this list, he skipped the lower levels and jumped into the top five. His blog ‘Red, White, and the 3-0 Green Light’ is the main reason for his push toward the top. The thorough, entertaining, creative effort impresses more with every entry. He’s also made Instagram a part of his connection with fans, something minor leaguers have gotten into even more since last year’s list. He tweeted about his need to write, saying, “Gotta get some coffee so I’m awake enough to write on the bus.” Spoken like a true baseball writer. (Although we’re usually looking for help at about quarter to 11 on the PM side). (Rays)
5 Jeremy Barfield @BarfieldRage – A repeat top five player he’s been a huge Twitter presence for a long time, and let's mention this stat: 40+K followers. He’s built a huge following by being consistently active, and interactive, on Twitter. His casual down to earth tone makes him super likeable. I liked this feminist (look that word up) take on pageants: ‘’Guys who tweet live pageants deserve girls that live tweet ‘The Bachelor.’” He might’ve meant something different than both things tend to insult intelligent minds, but it’s a great example of his sharp-minded wit. And you gotta love this battle cry: Good luck to all the young pups with the draft but if you think you’re gonna come take my job, you got another thing coming meat!’ (Athletics)
6.Justin Toole @Tooleyj24 - When Toole published his book '9 in 9' in 2013, he utilized Twitter to promote the project, reaching many fans and media outlets. That kind of connection is what social media is so good for, especially for guys in the minors. He built a buzz pre-release, tracked reader reviews with retweets, and used giveaways to attract more readers. One of the most impressive ways a minor leaguer's ever connected on Twitter. (Indians)
7. Marcus Stroman @MStrooo7 - A Twitter devotee, he's always sharing some part of his life and career. Whether it's congratulating a teammate, his soon-to-be-wed sister, or tweeting out life wisdom ("Know yourself. Know your worth."), he's consistently connecting. (Blue Jays)
8. Justin Jackson @JaxChillinONE - One of the best things about Jackson is the way he reaches out to followers. He's always starting conversation and loves the interaction, be it asking readers to tweet their thoughts on XBox One or favorite music, he wants to engage. Loved that he paid tribute to Maya Angelou upon her passing. He also shows constant appreciation for the game he plays for a living: "One of those mornings I've been reflecting about how blessed I am to play this game", he tweeted from his Instagram, another one of his social media favorites. (Blue Jays)
9. Jiwan James @Jiwan23 - He's a daily guy. He's got a lot of interests and freely expresses himself in the warm, entertaining way he always has: "Pretty girls that smoke" he tweeted with a disappointed emoticon. And who on the East coast can't relate to this? "Wait to be seated at IHOP or make the first of many trips to WaWa?" He also could've hashtagged that #MiLBLife. (Phillies)
10. Bryan Harper @BryanHarper45 – He’s a huge sports fan and tweets his enthusiasm regularly for his favorite teams. He’s also a big family guy (check his background image) and his Mother’s Day tweets were especially great. He remembered Mom of course, but his sister too. “Happy Mother’s Day to my sister! Thank you for blessing me with a nephew and now a niece!” There’s also been a lot of talk about that mustache and he has a lot of fun with that. (Nationals)
11. Ian Kendall @Ian_RK91 - Not on Twitter all the time, but you'll get your laughs when he is: "Just spent $20 on candles." "Why did they cancel 'Pimp My Ride'? I thought it was quality television." "Up and at em...meaning laying in bed for another hour." And there was something kind of cool about this thought: "I don't want to grow up but I've grown." (Rays)
12. Corey Black @CblackCHC - The funnest part of Black's Twitter feed is the micro-tweets about any random thing. He's also as honest as he wants to be: "That's exactly why I don't tweet cause y'all have no lives." ; "I still don't get why I'm a "reliever". Hahaha I get it I'm short. Jeez one inch would go a long way for me." (Cubs)
13. Ryan Verdugo @teachmetodugi11 - Verdugo shared his feelings about his recent trade to the Red Sox by thanking Royals fans he'd played for, and with trademark humor. He posted a photo of himself still in a Royals uniform with the caption "Awkward." This observation was interesting“I don’t know what has more blowouts right now the MLB or the boardwalk of Jersey." (over/under?) His best tweet might've been about World Cup soccer. He tweeted a photo from the greatest movie of all time, 'Superbad', with one of the movie's most memorable quotes "Calm down Greg. It's soccer." (Red Sox)
14. Taijuan Walker @tai_walker - If Walker didn't have the tweet of the year, than he came close: "I was sweating so much meeting @alfonso_ribeiro today." But seriously (that actually was serious), his positive, fun flow is always present on Twitter. Those 19+K folowers aren't too shabby, either. (Mariners)
15. Lance Durham @LanceBullDurham -...Durham might've had the best Instagram photo of any minor leaguer this year, which he proudly tweeted. He and his girlfriend announced via IG that she was pregnant by staging a photo of the couple sitting at a table, with a jar of Prego spaghetti sauce in front of them, and mocked terror on their faces. Since then, he's tweeted excitedly about pending fatherhood. An aweseome example of allowing fans to make a personal connection through social media. (Tigers)
16. Anthony Giansanti @GianSanity - He paid awesome tributer to retiring Yankee captain Derek Jeter: "As a passionate ball player since I could walk, moments like that will forever make my eyes water. Thank you Captain, you're a hero #RE2PECT", "If you're a baseball fan you appreciate what Derek Jeter has done and how he's done it. #UltimatePro". When he made an incredible outfield catch, he asked followers to retweet the clip so ESPN would notice. They should've. He went face first into the wall and tweeted humorously about the wicked wound he got from the nail he hit. (Cubs)
17. Ian Kadish @TheBearJew_36 - A super friendly, fun guy, he shares a lot about his family and baseball life with good-natured candor. "Sleeping on a yoga mat tonight...on the floor of a bus... #Allpartofit #IndyBallLife". When he was traded to the Indiana NAME, he tweeted the adventure of driving on the Fouth of July to play for them. "Welp guys I'm on the road again...traded this time to Gary, Indiana! Home of Michael Jackson!" That upbeat tone is a marked characterstic and shows up often on his Twitter. (Gary Southshore RailCats)
18. Kevin Vance @SorryBoutIt10 – There's a lot of "Crushing", feeling "Emotions" and getting "Fired Up" tweets, and he's all about high energy and self-expression. Impossible not to like him. In case you haven't head how he feels about a minor league staple: "Taco Bell is better than Chipotle." Chipotle is his Lex Luthor. (White Sox)
19. Trevor May @TrevMay54 - Recent road trip tweets with his girlfriend were fun to read (though if you go to her timeline @kateishere is even funnier to read) Then there's one of the tweets that make May an interesting guy to follow: "Self-analysis is the key to self-awareness." #Existentialism (Twins)
20. Jeremy Dowdy @Dowdy413 - Made it to the twenty by keeping a consistent fun vibe going all year. "Autocorrect just corrected "bad" to "bae"... Who's been using my phone?" "It's hard to beat music from the 90's." and he rang in birthday number 25 with a 15 inning game and tweeted about the experience. (White Sox)

Here’s the players that missed making the top twenty, but couldn’t be excluded. These guys deserve your follow.

Honorable Mentions:

Courtney Hawkins @CHawkins10 (White Sox)
Beau Wright @LeftButWright35 – The toughest part of this list was not including him in the twenty. He’s not on any roster this season. But he brings it daily, throughout the day. He’s a ball of energy and fun, so follow him to see where he winds up.
Michael McCarthy @mmcarthy35 (Red Sox)
Ryan Sherriff @KingSherriff (Cardinals)
Tommy Joseph @_TommyJoseph_ (Phillies)
Craig Missigman @craigmiss54 (Mets)
Chris Rivera @ChrisRivera217 (Cardinals)
Dustin Driver @dustindriver27 (Athletics)
Ty Buttrey @TyButtrey (Red Sox)
Josh Fellhauer – ‘Fellosophies.’ Look 'em up. (Reds)
Bradley Goldberg @B_Gumbo30 (White Sox)
Jamie Callahan @JCallahan15 (Red Sox)
Derrick Chung @therealthing6 (Blue Jays)
Darryl George @DarrylRoyGeorge - He's tweeted video of his on-the-field pre-game dance-offs. #MustSee (Rays)
Donnie Hart @DonnieHart06 (Orioles)
Jacob Faria @JDFaria48 (Rays)
Conrad Gregor @conradgregor55 (Astros)
Michael Crouse @_crouse_ (Blue Jays)
Julian Ridings @JRIDINGS_4 (Rays)
Pat Light @Pat_Light (Red Sox)
Travis Shaw @travis_shaw21 (Red Sox)
Tim Giel @TimmyGiel (Yankees)
Brett Geritse (Yankees)
Ali Castillo @alicastillo19 (Yankees)
Lenny Linsky @alohalinsky (Rays)
Jordan Cote @JordanCote603
Will Anderson @Willthethrill37 (Cardinals)
Jayson Hernandez- His devotion to public service shined when he helped organize 'Grandslam For Sandy', to benefit Hurricane Sandy victims and their families. (Red Sox)
Jonathon Berti @jonny_hustle (Blue Jays)
Cody Livesay @Livec1 (Braves)
Jared Wilson @DubsDeuces (Twins)
Rookie Davis @rookdavis24 (Yankees)
David Buchanan @davidb413 (Phillies)
Chase Vallot @Chase_Vallot (Royals)
Cale Coshow @c_coshow (Yankees)
Victor Black @Vic_Black_2 - "Sunday funday...That means no run day! I look forward to you all week #neverletsmedown." (Mets)
Antonio Nuñez @nunezlife03 (Astros)
Taylor Cole @Taylor_JCole (Blue Jays)
Matt Snyder @Matt33Snyder (Yankees)
Jared Mortensen @jaredmortensen1 (Rays)
Ali Solis @aSoLis44 (Rays)
Matthew Boyd @mattboyd31 (Blue Jays)
Will Gabay @GaBaY_WG_24 (Rays)
Jack Mayfield @jackmayfield8 (Astros)
Ryan Gunther @Gunther_7 (Braves)
Jake Hager @JakeHager1 (Rays)
Ryan Dent @RDdeucess (Red Sox)
Blair Walters @bwalters34 (Braves)
Stone Speer – @StoneSpeer He’s regularly all over Twitter. And he gets wild with it. Pretty sure he tweeted thanks to every single person that wished him Happy Birthday. On MLB Draft Day he rooted for friends on the board and congratulated friends selected. He's also funny AND cocky ("Handsome and wealthy" he tweeted). (Rays)
Dash Winningham @WinninghamDash (Mets)
Brad Meyers @bradmeyers29 (Nationals)
Zac Reininger @Reininger18 (Tigers)
Chris Costantino @Chriscos21 (Braves)
Chipper Smith @Chipper_Smith3 (Marlins)
Wynston Sawyer @WynSawyer (Orioles)
Will Anderson @Willthethrill37 (Cardinals)
Taylor Guerrieri @TaylorG1201 (Rays)
Vince Belnome @VBelnome1 (Rays)
Johnny Magliozzi @Money_Mags (Mets)
jp crawford @jp_crawford (Phillies)
Brian Holmes @BHolmes130 (Astros)
Rob Whalen @RobWhalen38- "Highlight of my day? Threw a perfect game with 20Ks in #MLBTheShow14 #NoBigDeal #LoveOffDays". (Mets)
Caleb Smith @CalebASmith12 (Yankees)
Dario Pizzano @DarioPizzano25 (Mariners
Chris Kirsch @chriskirsch9 (Rays)
Jason Martin @_JM55 (Astros)
Shane Watson @Shane40Sw (Phillies)
Alec Asher @TheBigCat28 (Rangers)
Jarrett Casey @JCasey13 (White Sox)
Dayton Dawe @DaytonDawe22 (Yankees)
Guido Knudson @GKnudson15 (Tigers)
Scott DeCecco @Dececco33 - His bio says he's the backup singer for Kings of Leon. If this is true, he maybe should've been in the Twitter Twenty. (Mariners)
Justin Fitzgerald @jfitzgerald31 (Diamondbacks)
Deck McGuire @deckmcguire (Blue Jays)
Cody Buckel @Cheatcode07 (Rangers)
Tony Thomas @GoldGlover2B (Twins)
Scott Carcaise ‏@SCarcaise (Marlins)
Taylor Motter @taylormotter7 (Rays)
Ryan Carpenter @R_Carpenter22 (Rockies)
John Mincone @JMincone (Mets) – Tweets about his love for his girlfriend & is a big Instagram guy, often posting photos of his close-knit family.
Rob Wooten @RobWooten35 (Brewers)
Reese McGuire ‏@Reese_McGuire21 (Pirates)
Greg Nappo @Nappo41 (Marlins)
Mike Meyers @Meyers_MJ (Red Sox)
Kevin Keyes @KevinJKeyes (Nationals)
Cameron Monger @CameronMonger (Frontier Grays)
Tucker Jensen @Tucker_Jensen (Gateway Grizzlies)
Stew Brase @sbrase12 (Southern Illinois Miners)
Brandon Douglas @BrandonDouglas5 (Tigers)
Erik Turgeon @ErikTurgeon (Pirates)
K.J. Woods @KJWoods22 - "Social media can ruin your life." (Marlins)

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Five Tips For Minor League Reporters In The Digital Age

1. Don't Be A Fan - If you began a fan, you can't continue as one. Don't mistake what that means. In your heart, you can be a fan, and if you aren't something's wrong! Loving the sport you cover, and the stories that unfold, isn't a requirement, but I can't imagine not feeling that way and doing this with my life. And you can be a rabid, foaming fan in your living room or attending a game as a spectator. What I mean by don't be a fan comes down to ethics. You're a professional now, or, if you don't get paid, you've got a responsibility if you've been granted access. Minor league teams tend to be more open to non-accredited blogs, even ones that lean toward fandom. Don't take advantage of that. Conduct yourself as every reporter does in the press box. You don't cheer and you don't seek autographs when you enter the locker room. Even if you have a day job, this is a profession. Respect it.

2. Build Connections- You are your own advocate as a reporter. We chase our contacts, establish trust, and find ways of getting exclusive information. In the minor leagues, this works the same, but if you're an independent blogger, the development of those relationships is even more important. Twitter and Facebook can open those channels even more, but also just increase visibility and familiarity. If a player sees you at the park, covering the game, then you retweet something he's said or tweet/post his numbers from that night, attach his handle. They want to know who they're dealing with. And if they happen to like dealing with you, then they're going to be more open in interviews. If they follow you, you can privately contact them via DM to ask to set up an interview. This helps especially during the off-season. You're creating exclusivity by doing that. And in the digital age, that's gotten tougher to have. A bit of advice: going back to that 'don't be a fan' thing, don't over-socialize with them on Twitter or say something overly-gushy. I avoid birthday wishes, for example. If I know them, maybe I'll send a DM. If not, it doesn't occur to me to do that. If you're tweeting directly to them, keep it fairly cool. No law against fun or friendliness, so don't over-think this one. Just be mindful.

3. Keep Lists - If you're covering the minor leagues, you become aware of how many players are on Twitter. And new players are joining the social media giant everyday. Plus, after the MLB Draft college players quickly change their bio to identify themselves with the team that drafted them. So their presence is always changing and growing. I began a MiLB list a couple of years ago and it grew to 700 accounts, so I added a second which grew to 300. I have a third, which includes around 500 accounts, each one includes players (mostly), teams official accounts, independent team blogs, PR, and beat writers. This is far easier for me to keep track of interesting information, breaking news, and familiarizing with players. This also helps with my annual 'MiLB Twitter Twenty', so if you do any sort of end-of-season awards or best-of list, consider organizing lists centered on that subject.

4. Pay Attention To High School/College Players- Preps are your preparation. Being aware of high school, and college, players on the radar can only enhance your work. When the Draft comes around, if you have a good grasp of a player's progression before he goes professional, that allows you to talk shop with authority. Bonus if you can get to showcases, something I've not managed to do in my career. With so much information available, reading as many reports as you can is a huge asset. Also, connecting with players in high school and college on Twitter can create professional trust, as they begin their careers. I've had almost entirely great experiences with that. The 2013 Draft was a lesson for me, though. Two players that drafted in the first ten rounds had been friendly and open when I covered them throughout their high school/college days. I interviewed them and they were great to me. I consistently mentioned them on 'Follow Friday.' After being drafted, the script changed. One began calling me 'Ms. Quiroli' the week before the draft...he'd never called me that before. He became distinctly cold. He unfollowed me pretty fast. The other was great in giving me a post-draft interview, but quickly unfollowed me thereafter. The guy who called me 'Ms. Quiroli' basked in the national media spotlight and clearly had his course of action set: I was no longer useful. While this wasn't a fun realization, it's only a small part of my experience. Most of the time that early connecting is meaningful; most players don't lose that appreciation and humility from their early days, and generally respect everyone in the media. Try not take too much personally. There's plenty of stories to tell and your focus on high school/college players is important to your ability to tell that story later, if and when they go pro. Also, make sure to follow some college and high school accounts and reporters. If you're focusing on a specific region, know who the college and high school sports writers are. Read their information, and seek your own.

5. Develop Your Niche- In a market increasingly saturated with blogs and opinions, you need to find what you do and know best. If you're just trying to gain experience, covering any minor league team in your area is a great way to develop your skills, professionalism, and collect clips you can present to editors. Having a blog dedicated to one team (Mike Ashmore's 'Thunder Thoughts' is an excellent example), whether you work for a newspaper or publication, or you have an independent blog, fans of the team's parent club are going to read your thoughts. If you have access, even better. Access is key. While the saturation is mostly a good thing for the minor leagues, players are increasingly easier to 'get to' via social media. Having access has always been important to reporters and is far more important today, when they're are a lot of fans creating pathways to players. Reach out to the PR person of a team and see what their thoughts are, and what they expect of you. If they say they're willing to grant you access for a few games, take it. Send a thank you note (e-mail, obviously, not by a man on a horse known as the mail). When you're first in the locker room, follow the lead of the vets. When I first began covering the Thunder, I appreciated the helping hand. Around the third season, a young writer came in hotshotting. I was asked to keep an eye on him and another writer, and offer any guidance I could. But this guy gave me evil eye every time I offered help or asked him how he was faring. He wanted to be a vet before he'd put the time in. Don't do this. Be humble and respect the process, as well as anyone offering to help you, because not everyone will. Understand that valuing the other writers and employees around you creates a positive atmosphere, and in turn, a positive relationship with the team. If the PR person asked me about that writer, I wouldn't have had anything positive to say and that doesn't help someone who, in that case, wasn't working for a newspaper the team relied on, but a website. Bad move on his part. So respect EVERYONE. And respect the team's responsibility to the parent club. Minor league affiliates want to generate more publicity for their team, especially positive attention, but you're also showcasing your worth. Be professional and respectful. Ask questions. Figure some things out on your own. Focusing on one team or league allows you to be an authority on one subject and you want a unique voice in a crowd of thousands of writers, reporters, and bloggers.

Whatever your focus, have one. And do the work to the best of your ability. That's all you have control over. Hopefully these tips help you.

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'Hey, Heels': Eastern League, New York Penn League Memories

I won't forget the first moment I walked into a minor league clubhouse.

The big club's top prospect was there, and he was the ring leader. He made sure to make me as uncomfortable and unwelcome as possible. As did his teammates, relentlessly whistling, commenting, and laughing. I asked every question I wrote on my little notebook, working quickly, efficiently, then practically ran out. (I remember the door knob in my hand, and that it felt like I was in a dream, where the handle wouldn't turn and I would be trapped)

Then someone said I had to go back in, because the coach I was looking for was in there. I had to turn, walk back in, and do the dance all over again. I felt a little stronger, as if an invisible hand was pushing me forward.

Looking back now, I can see I was made of the stuff you needed to walk into those situations. But that took some time. Today, I don't think twice about any of it. I don't get sidetracked or scared, I laugh it off, or, if the big line is crossed, I deal with it in whatever way I need to.

That first day was an early beginning to what would become my niche, and, at that park, home of the Trenton Thunder, I would learn my craft, gain confidence, and grow (with many growing pains) personally and professionally in every way imaginable.

When I returned two years later to actually cover the Thunder, for the newspaper The Trentonian, for a few end-of-season games, that would begin the real development of my own career, style, voice, and true experience.

You learn that Double-A baseball is often closer to the majors than Triple-A. A lot of the top prospects at the Double-A level often pitch or hit their way onto the major league roster, when rosters expand, or a major league player goes on the DL. If they're successful at that level, often times, they're capable of playing in the big leagues. Sometimes, all they need is a quick jump to Triple-A, just to see a little more advanced competition. Other than that, it's a quite advanced level. And a lot of fun to cover. You're also aware that less is tolerated: less professionalism, less errors, less hustle. At that point, if you haven't proven a lot and can't do the right things without being told, you're going to have some trouble.

In short-season Class-A Penn League, most higher expectations are off the table. You see every error you never thought of and many you expect. That's not to say that the standard isn't still high. They're expected to show up and learn everyday, but that's just not always the case. Managers and coaches exhibit enormous patience with those guys, most of whom are just coming from college, only weeks earlier. There are always those guys that are even just out of high school. How can you expect them to be top professionals? Sometimes, that takes awhile. The players that moved the fastest through the system, from short to Low/High-A, were clearly on their game early on in NYPL. They stood out early and often. But most struggle with even the most fundamental things. I can remember one manager yelling to the infielders at BP, 'Take it on one hop!" It's that early in the going for them.

That got me thinking about stories:

*One player's father followed the team bus from town to town to keep him out of trouble.

*There were two times someone wouldn't look at me when I was interviewing them. One was a top Yankees prospect. On an unusually reporter-free night, it was just me and one other guy doing post-game interviews. The reporter asked him three questions, then it was my turn. Keep in mind, this was my second year covering that player. As I finished my question, he kept his head down, then turned to the guy reporter and directed his answers, to all of my questions to him. Worse than that was the Penn League manager that refused to look at me in his office during post-game interviews, same situation. Any question the guys asked, he looked at them. Any question I asked, he looked at them. This went on for the entire two years I covered the league. Some people decide you don't deserve their respect even after you've earned it. There's nothing you can do about it and they don't matter. They proved everything about themselves, not me.

*Player-manager issues aren't often reported, and, at that level really shouldn't be. There was a prospect that insisted he was being screwed over by the big club. When I brought that to his manager, I figured he'd give a sympathetic, neutral type comment. Instead he said, 'No one's come looking at him.' Meaning any team interested in trading for him. Oh...well, yes. You have a point.

*Staying on that course, it's rare that a coach will call out one of his players to a reporter, again, at that level. But when I entered the dugout during BP, a coach asked if I was there to talk to a certain player, and I happened to be that day. "Well, can you tell him to stop being such a baby out there when he's playing?" I didn't. But since I had permission, I guess it would've been fun to give that one a try.

My Eastern League coverage began just a few months after I'd created the 'High Heels On The Field' blog, which began as an all baseball sort of project. There wasn't a main focus, though I realized pretty quickly where I was headed and what I loved. By 2010, I had shortened the name to 'Heels On The Field' (due to a cleaner design, though the name remains the same), started a Twitter account in the same name, and announced the 'official' focus of the blog would now be all MiLB. This year, I made 'A Minor League Blog' part of the actual title.

Creating the blog and making it all minor league coverage has been an interesting, sometimes tricky experience. Some people didn't exactly take the blog seriously because of the name. Others found it 'sexy' or 'provocative', which was not my intention. 'Tongue in cheek' 'fun', sure. 'Clever', 'Bold', and just plain old 'rhymey' works too. Plus, I do love heels. I'm a sprite. Now I hear 'Heels' yelled out at games or colleagues just greet me with 'Hey, Heels.' That's my name now, I guess.

But what I intended, and still intend, as I move from the Eastern & Penn Leagues, into Carolina & International Leagues, is that the blog be a unique, trusted, fun, and always interesting place for minor league coverage. The blog isn't about one league, but all of the minor leagues. However, game coverage often focuses on one specific league, and that's just a geographical issue. I do like continuing to cover players at a new level of one team I covered a lot in Penn League, the Hudson Valley Renegades. With the Durham Bulls, my Tampa Bay Rays minor league coverage continues. Similar to how I went from covering the Thunder, to the Staten Island Yankees. I like having that connectedness. And I hope readers who are Rays fans feel a sense of trust in my opinions even more because of that consistency.

As previously noted, there will be new additions this year, including the first ever staff writer/co-editor, Matt Kardos, use of video, and more post-game, real-time highlights from myself and other writers.

The Eastern League and New York Penn League were my classroom. No matter what, I remained, and will continue to be, a student of this craft and of this game.

Thank you for the last five years, readers.

My feet hurt.

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Pitcher Jon Hunton Prepares For Double-Shift With The Somerset Patriots

Jon Hunton has been a solid closer for the Somerset Patriots, but his impact goes far deeper.

This season, he's been promoted from an assistant position under manager Brett Jodie, to Director of Player Personnel. He'll also continue to be the Atlantic League team's closer.

The North Plainfield, New Jersey native was named the league's Reliever of the Year in 2013, earning 37 saves, a franchise record. He ended the season 3-6 with 34 strikeouts in 57 innings.

Every player knows the day will come when he has to decide what to do with all that energy and time, once their playing days are over. Hunton is well aware of his own career sunset on the horizon. He gets it. But he already has a jump on that day. He's put his efforts into career growth, learning the other side of the game.

With 2014, he expands that experience.

In his own words, here's Hunton:

In The Beginning... : After playing 2 years (07-08) in Indy Ball between my minor league stints with the Chicago Cubs and Oakland A's I realized how a lot of affiliated players know nothing about Independent Baseball. During those 2 seasons I played for 5 Indy Teams in 3 of the top Indy League so I got a real good sense of the leagues, cities, level of play, how things worked, and I made some quality connections. So in doing so I realized that I wanted to help friends, ex teammates or opponents with continuing their careers in indy ball and tried helping them get hooked up with good organizations or I gave them my opinions on places or people from my experiences. It started with the Fort Worth Cats then with Grand Prairie AirHogs then with Laredo Lemurs and then with the Long Island Ducks before I was actually given a title/role as Assistant Director of Player Personnel with the Somerset Patriots last season. It started out helping players into I realized I can help find, contact and sign players for the teams I was playing for to strengthen them and to make the team better so I did and I had a lot of success by doing so before I finally was given a title for it. So with those beginning years of experience working with the managers and GM's of the teams I played for on the side, I definitely got to learn the front office side of things and still was able to play myself. So with the success and experience I was gaining i realized that it was something I really enjoyed doing and wanted to pursue it. I notified Brett Jodie (manager) and Patrick McVerry (GM) of Somerset before last season about a possible opportunity and they were both all for it.

On Learning The Ropes: This is technically my 5th season doing this, but only 2nd with a title to show for. I guess you can say that my first 3 seasons doing it was my "experimental days". And during those 3 seasons helping my teams: Fort Worth Cats (2008), Grand Prairie AirHogs (2011), Laredo Lemurs (2012) and Long Island Ducks (2012)...their were 4 Division Titles and 2 Championships. So with the success definitely brought confidence. And with last year finally getting a title to show for, i knew that now i got my foot in the door and just had to prove myself, which I believe i did or else the team wouldn't have had the success it had and I wouldn't have received the promotion to Director of Player Personnel a year later.

Working with Players: From the the owner down to the fans, the setup and atmosphere that is created from top to bottom gives the players the best chance to have success on the field and to be as comfortable as possible off the field. All i do is open the players eyes to the experience and opportunities that the Somerset Patriots can provide to them and their careers. The player of course has to do their part on the field, too.

Forward Thinking: As the seasons pass, I definitely understand my playing days are getting closer and closer to an end, but that's something I don't really think about. I want to keep playing as long as i physically can, but when that day comes when i have to "hang em up", i know that i will have the experience and success under my belt to continue working in the front office along with possibly becoming a pitching coach. After that, who knows maybe I will want to become a manager or GM, but those are things that in time will tell. I'm just very happy for my opportunities now and the direction things are going for me and my careers.

Straight Talk: I think the experience of doing it on the side for three years, learning the business, creating connections over the years with players/coaches/front office execs, and being straightforward has helped my success. i am a player myself, so I know I wouldn't want to be misled or lied to so when I talk to players that i know or don't know to sign and play for Somerset, I treat and talk to them the way I would want to be talked to and treated. being straight forward about roles or salary (whether the player likes it or not) is much more respected than being misleading or uninformative. so I speak "straight-up" and am very detailed and thorough when speaking to players. the players were very talented that I helped bring in so I definitely have to thank them for trusting me to sign with Somerset and their efforts on the field. We at Somerset believe that to have success you need to have chemistry amongst the team and so we look for great clubhouse guys and great players second. so far its been a great ride and I'm excited to see what the future has to bring!

You can follow him on Twitter @Big_Jon_Hunton

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