Interview with Tim Dierkes
MLBTradeRumors.com
"If it's whispered, we hear it"
We were honored and privileged to get a chance to speak with Mr. Tim Dierkes, head of MLBTradeRumors.com. Dierkes' site is one of the most visited baseball pages on the web, giving heads-up info on Major League trades and the ever-flowing rumor mill. Please enjoy our interview with Tim, and make sure to leave plenty of feedback.
The 'Burgh Blues: So Tim, can you give us a little background on yourself?
Dierkes: I am 26 years old and married, living in the northern suburbs of Chicago. I went to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, majoring in business administration. I'm a lifelong Cubs fan, having grown up in Illinois.
TBB: What is the history of MLBTradeRumors.com? When and how did the
site begin?
Dierkes: The site began in November of 2005. It started as a hobby, an outlet to write about an aspect of baseball I have always loved. I set out trying to chronicle the major rumors and write at least one post per day. I kept at it and grew virally over the years. I started working on MLBTR as my full-time job in January of 2008.
TBB: Who works along side you on the site? What do they do?
Dierkes: I have a team of four weekend writers: Coley Ward, Sarah Green, Nat Boyle, and Steve Adams. They do most of the posting on weekends. Also, Joe Pawlikowski and Cork Gaines help me out in filling in at random times. I have a couple of friends, Brian Ward and Dan O'Donnell, who have helped with some of the technical aspects of the site.
TBB: Where do you get the bulk of your rumor info? Do you ever post rumors sent by fans?
Dierkes: The rumors come from local newspapers on national websites like ESPN and FOX Sports. Fans often alert me to these rumors via email, but I don't use rumors where a fan is the source. Journalists often pass things along if I miss them.
TBB: Why is it important to post these MLB rumors if most are indeed, rumors?
Dierkes: I am not sure that it's important, but I do know that many people like to read about what teams might do, where players might sign and be traded. It is useful to filter out the junk rumors and put all the legitimate stuff in one place, with links to all the stories. By putting it all together, you get a good picture of the hot stove overall and a community of like-minded fans to discuss it.
TBB: How are you able to continually post new and worthwhile information when (at times) the rumor mill is complete chaos?
Dierkes: It's not chaos for me anymore. By now I am familiar with the likely rumor sources, and I write up the rumors as soon as they come in. Plus, the readers are a great resource - diehard fans of each team alert me to any link as soon as possible if I miss it.
TBB: Speaking of that chaos, how do you handle the busy rumor-filled offseasons? Those must give you major migraines.
Dierkes: There are two insane periods - July 31st (Trading Deadline) and the December Winter Meetings. For those times, I just clear my schedule, get up early, and go to bed late. Just write, write, write everything good I come across. Otherwise, I have a routine going where it's not too crazy.
TBB: Since this is a Pirates blog, what insight could you give on the team's upcoming offseason?
Dierkes: They will probably try to shop Jack Wilson, Freddy Sanchez, Adam LaRoche, and John Grabow. General manager Neal Huntington will continue to build depth, especially in young arms. They probably won't do anything major in free agency - a few role players and a back-end veteran starter.
Everyone should check out Tim's Offseason Outlook on the Buccos
TBB: So besides being from Illinois, why root for the Cubbies?
Dierkes: I am a Cubs fan because of something instilled in me as a kid by my mom. She loved 'em, and I grew up watching them on WGN with Harry [Caray]. I watched some bad Cubs teams... I remember that 0-14 season start vividly. Things have been better lately, but I enjoyed watching Ryno, Mark Grace, and even guys like Jim Bullinger, Jeremi Gonzalez, and Brian McRae.
TBB: At least you didn't have to sit and watch Ronny Paulino... Thank you Tim, and congratulations on your site's success.
Dierkes: Thanks!
Well, there you have it. Make sure to keep track of all your baseball gossip at MLBTR.
I read an article about this guy in the Tribune not too long ago. Mad props for the success; though, it seems to me trade rumors are only happening for a 3-6 week stretch during the season. What does he do the rest of the time?
--Jeff
ttp://redstatebluestate.mlblogs.com/
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MLBTR is Tim's full-time job. If you followed his site, you'd know there is much more going on in the stretch you talk about. Just check out an World Series, October off-day like today... look how many posts he has! I really truly recommend the site to everyone, especially to bloggers.
http://theburghblues.mlblogs.com/
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