Normally, I’m making plans to go to the Winter Meetings this time of year. Instead, the Winter Meetings are coming to Indianapolis. I live about ten minutes away from this year’s location so instead of flying, I’ll just drive downtown like any normal day. It figures to be a very interesting session this year and we’ll have great coverage of it as usual.
I am also here in Indianapolis. Will, how the hell did we get the winter meetings? I was dumbfounded when I first heard they were coming here. I was surprised that Indy pulled off getting a Super Bowl, but at least we do have an NFL team. When you think about baseball, Indianapolis is tied for last place on American cities that come to mind.
Always a minor league city. Indy's great for conventions bc of space and the layout of downtown. Indians did a great job selling the city. Downside is that the JW is a year behind - would have been the perfect home, overlooking Victory.
Not questioning the facilities, or the town's ability to handle it. I live here. Just wondering why a cold weather non MLB city would get the meetings.
I think after seeing how CEOs of car companies and banks have been portrayed in the media in the past year, high profile uber-rich people have a strong incentive to hold their conferences (for the time being) in less than exotic places.
If you see Jon Heyman, bash him over the head for all of us for his immature Twittering about NL Cy Young voting. Maybe we can get Colbert to put Heyman on his "On Notice" or "Dead to Me" lists.
OK Will - so for a regular stiff like me - what is there that I can see or do? Or am I pretty much limited to hanging around the Westin, Marriott and Hyatt and seeing who's around? Where will MLB Network, ESPN, etc do their reports from?
Wondering the same thing--are there things to do, people to meet, etc. for fans if they show up? How about any opportunities to meet people for those who are looking for jobs in the industry?
Honestly? Nothing. You'll see very little in the way of GMs, almost nothing of players (last yr in Vegas was an anamoly. I don't remember seeing a single player in Orlando a couple years back), and you can't get into the tradeshow. Unless you're really excited to see a beat writer up close but who'll be annoyed because he's working, there's absolutely nothing for you to do. Unless you're a working writer, there is NO REASON WHATSOEVER to come to the Winter Meetings. Even if you are, it's questionable.
Thanks Will - so no new excitement for my lunch hour those days. Will have to wait for the NFL combine to trade those "guess who I saw" stories.
From reading the Indians beat writers, it seems Ocker and Hoynes don't need a special reason to be annoyed - their "mailbags" make them seem like bags of another kind on a regular basis.
There'll be other BP staff in attendance of course, although we won't get the advantage Will gets, drinking his own coffee first thing at dawn o'clock. ;)
Will, of course, plus Kevin Goldstein, John Perrotto, Joe Sheehan, and myself. Looking forward to seeing you there--we missed one another in DC at SABR, no?
While a lot are not traveling to Indy this year (it is, after all, Indianapolis in December), social networking is making who is going a lot more fun. As Will mentioned, I'll be there, and am speaking at the Baseball Career Conference (although, somehow, they have Will and I on separate panels).
And I'll say again, unless you have a darned good reason to go, there's nothing for you to see. No autographs, very few sightings of even GMs and managers, and the reporters will be working.
Well, there is the Job Fair, which is beneficial if you are looking to get your foot in the door. There is, however, competition (400-500 vying for job openings).
As the primer article mentions, you have to be approved to get into the Trade Show, and have creds for MLB media's room where there is regular access to GMs, presidents, and managers.
For those thinking of going that are of an alternative media ilk, and have never gone, you have to be credentialed on three different fronts for the major activities:
MLB media room (MLB credentialed)
Trade Show - (MiLB credentialed)
Job Fair - (PEBO credentialed)
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Lucky bastard. Look forward to your updates and insight. Please if you see Ned Colletti, tell him that another CF is not needed. That is all.