Athletics Nation 2019 Spring Game Thread Auditions

Athletics Nation thrives on the efforts of the community. When a spot opens up on the roster, we don’t go out and sign a high-profile free agent writer, because we are a small-budget team. Instead, we promote from within, just like the A’s do.

The front page crew includes a Game Thread staff, and we’re starting to put together this year’s version. To help fill it up, we’re holding our annual Spring Training Game Thread Auditions, via the FanPosts section.

If you’re interested in writing for AN, then this is the best way to get your foot in the door. In this case we’re specifically looking for folks to run Game Threads/Recaps during the season, but many of our current front page columnists originally came to us through past versions of these spring auditions, including Tim Eckert-Fong, Joshua Iversen, Dani Baker-Gillman, and Torrey Hart — so as you can see there is not only the opportunity to cover some games but also to find an expanded role down the road.

Note: It’s also OK to sign up for this because you just feel like covering a spring game for fun. Wanting to write for AN all season is not a requirement!

I’m posting the Cactus League schedule below, and anyone who is interested can claim a game in the comments section. To start out, we’ll keep it to one game per person, but that rule may be bent later depending on demand. Obviously you do not need to be at the game to cover it, and for some of the non-televised contests you might not have much more than a box score and Gameday play-by-play to work with.

When you choose your game, your job will be to do the following:

• Post the Preview/Game Thread around 30 minutes before game time. (Click here to start your FanPost. We’ll move it from FanPosts to front page and add a photo for you.)
• Post a recap of the game, structured however you wish, within an hour or so after the game. (Again, we’ll promote and add a photo.)
• Bulleted lists should have 3 items but those are the only 2 things you have to do.

There is no specific template for how a spring Game Recap might look, and it’s up to your own judgment and creativity. For some examples, check out the ones done by myself, Joshua, and baseballgirl over the first week of action, but also don’t be afraid to think outside the box and do your own thing.

At the end of the spring, we will determine who (if anyone) to add to the staff based largely on community feedback, but the final decision will be made by the front page crew. You can help by Rec’ing the recaps that you like best, as that will be a primary factor.

Schedule of games to choose from. Games start at noon until 3/10, at which point they switch to 1 p.m. (unless otherwise noted). Games that are televised are in italics with their channels (MLB Network, NBC Sports Net, or online at MLB.tv). Games that have been claimed are denoted by the screen names of the individuals who claimed them:

Update: The schedule is full (except for Sat 3/2), but if you were hoping to sign up then still leave a comment and we’ll figure out a way to fit you in!

Thu. 2/21 vs. Mariners — Rained out
Fri. 2/22 @ Mariners (MLBN) — Alex Hall (link)
Sat. 2/23 vs. White Sox — Joshua Iversen (link)
Sun. 2/24 vs. Royals — baseballgirl (link)
Mon. 2/25 @ D’Backs — Alex Hall (link)
Tue. 2/26 vs. Angels (MLB.tv) — Alex Hall (link)
Wed. 2/27 vs. Dodgers — baseballgirl (link)
Thu. 2/28 @ Cubs — Alex Hall (link)
Fri. 3/1 vs. Rockies — Scott Travis (link)
Sat. 3/2 vs. Indians — Alex Hall (link)
Sun. 3/3 @ Angels (MLB.tv?) — JJ209 (link)
Mon. 3/4 OFF-DAY
Tue. 3/5 vs. Rangers — MJ Pieraldi (link)
Wed. 3/6 @ Mariners (MLB.tv?) (5:40 p.m.) — CodyFSchmidt (link)
Thu. 3/7 @ Giants (NBCS-BA) (6:05 p.m.) — Kevin Urquhart (link)
Fri. 3/8 vs. Padres — Pro4pro32polishA’sfan (link)
Sat. 3/9 vs. Brewers — effectivelymild (link)
Sun. 3/10 vs. Giants (NBCS-CA) — sums95 (link)
Sun. 3/10 @ White Sox — Brobinson (link)
Mon. 3/11 @ Rockies — TReich effectivelymild (link)
Tue. 3/12 @ Padres (6:40 p.m.) — Lew Ghost (rained out)
Wed. 3/13 vs. Cubs — CatfishBunter (link)
—Gone to Japan for a while—
—Japan exhibitions: Recap 1 | Recap 2—
Sun. 3/24 vs. Giants (NBCS-CA) — JToster (link)
Mon. 3/25 @ Giants (NBCS-BA) (6:45 p.m.) — sporter6 (link)
Tue. 3/26 @ Giants (NBCS-BA) (6:45 p.m.) — TheNemesisProject CatfishBunter (link)

Your motivation at this level should be the pure enjoyment of following your team and the fun of having a voice about issues you care about. That said, some of our more regular and experienced contributors do receive small stipends, and the entrepreneurial among us have parlayed this kind of opening into paying gigs in the media industry. If you’ve ever wanted to write about the A’s, this is your chance; the platform already exists and the audience is already here, so you won’t get a more gift-wrapped opportunity than this.

Sign up for the game you’d like to cover in the comments! Even if you don’t want to audition for a permanent spot but always wanted to run a Game Thread one time just for the heck of it, that’s fine too. The whole point of all of this is to have fun, so let’s have some fun with it. Happy Threading!