The Disparity between Yankees Blogs and the Media

(**Editor's note - this is the first post from the newest TFB contributor, Jamie From BomberBanter.com. Drop some comments, or shoot him an email at jamie.thefowlballs@gmail.com)

Since the Yankees offensive struggles began a few weeks ago, a cruise through the Yankees blog scene has most people calling for Derek Jeter to move out of the lead off spot in the line up as his pension to ground out to short stop feels like its at a career high. Then, you wander over to SI.com's MLB homepage and BOOM! Joe Posnanski is comparing Jeter to Pete Rose. Now it should be noted that Posnanski doesn't think Jeter will get his hit total up in Rose territory (and I tend to agree), but the fact that he wrote the article in the first place is what caught my attention. Ian O'Conner, on the other hand, thinks Jeter can catch Rose.

As the nonsense that is ESPN and our local paper's coverage of the Yankees weighed on me all off season long, SI.com became a daily destination for me, but as this season has rolled on, I find myself visiting less and less. The simple fact is, Yankees Blog coverage is just better than Media coverage. I know that I'm tooting my own horn on some level (try to keep the comments on that PG, folks), but its true. Flip through the Yankees blogs and you'll find
amazing statistical analysis at River Ave Blues, incite on other parks and cities from Yankeeist or just silliness from An A-Blog for A-Rod.

What's going on at ESPN, you ask? More Joe West comments on length of games. Yep, they're still beating that horse. And speaking of desecrating graves, The NY Post has got yet another McNamee/Clemens article - I think I counted 5 entire sentences. Just awesome. Now that's good reporting on a topic nobody cares about anymore.

I could go on, but it'd be an exercise in futility. The Yankees Blogs are doing better because they're not beholden to a business model that dictates they create as many pages/posts as possible in an effort to serve as many banner advertisements as possible. Yankees Blogs don't post a bunch of crap and their not motivated by financial gain; we blog the Yankees because we love 'em. Even when the Bombers play like ass, they're still there for us, just about every day, from late February to (hopefully) early November and beyond. Covering baseball is a writer's dream - they play every day and there are a million stories to write that are interesting and relevant. Yankees Blogs give you an analysis, statistical information and facts, passion for their team and a laugh. The media is just filler.