Prospect Insider Update

by jasonchurchill on Sep 1, 2008 2:00 PM PDT Comment 52 comments

Hey everyone,

Just thought I'd head over and explain what's going on with Prospect Insider.

If you haven't noticed, it's currently nowhere to be found. After a tough summer personally and some soul searching, I have simply decided that the site is either going away permanently, or I need to make some upgrades in features and functionality in order to validate the effort put into the project.

The time involved in keeping things afloat has grown to levels that I simply cannot justify any longer and the Wordpress template restricts and confines to a point where things take longer than it should to accomplish.

I haven't fully decided whether a re-design is going to happen, but if it does that will take place in the next few weeks and things will be up and running as usual.

That decision will come in the next 24 hours, if not sooner.

If anyone has any inquiries, comments, insults or proposals, I can be reached via email at churchill@prospectinsider.com.

Thanks,

Jason A. Churchill

Prospect Insider

9 recs | Comment 52 comments

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Comments

Well, whatever you decide to do, best of luck.

I do hope you’ll continue working on the PI Handbook, though. I purchased my first ever copy this year, and it’s fantastic.

by BrianL on Sep 1, 2008 2:09 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Sorry to hear that Jason...

If you do decide to give it up, I hope you at least decide to perhaps start a blogger.com blog that you can update as infrequently as you like. Your opinion is still welcome.

Oh you can always create FanPosts here :).

...and now I'm here

by Librocrat on Sep 1, 2008 2:13 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Good luck Jason, you're always welcome to post here if you don't decide to continue with your site

by Graham on Sep 1, 2008 2:16 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Yes, posting here is cool by all of us

by Gomez on Sep 1, 2008 2:19 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Michael Pineda

How about that?

CG/SHO, one hit, a single, no walks and 14 whiffs. Finished the year with a 1.95.

I had to mention that.

Thanks for the kind words, guys.

by jasonchurchill on Sep 1, 2008 2:28 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

The top looks a bit dim, but the org's lower ranks are packed with talented pitching

Michael Pineda’s been one of the season’s more impressive developments.

by Gomez on Sep 1, 2008 2:44 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

That's quite the impressive line

I wouldn’t have known much about Pineda, along with the plethora of young talent this organization has, without regularly reading your blog. Your site has been one of the best places to get info on the low minors, so, thanks man. Good luck in the future and hopefully things improve for you as you go. Prospect Insider will be missed.

by Kevman22 on Sep 1, 2008 3:22 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Best of luck to you. I've always enjoyed your site.

by ThundaPC on Sep 1, 2008 2:45 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Jason, your website is awesome.

As a Mariners fan living thousands of miles away, your website is always one I check daily to keep up to date with the Mariner updates. Your website is always very interesting and you really should keep it up, because it is something to be proud of and a useful resource for all Mariner fans around the world.

I was at Shea for the Felix-Slam!
Personal M's record: 5-4.

by EnglishMariner on Sep 1, 2008 2:52 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I hope things work out for yeah Jason.

Your site was always my first stop for minor league info(sorry Gomez).You’ve always been one of the coolest and smartest dudes on the blogosphere. Best of luck to yeah man.

"All I’ve ever done is be Juan Pierre when I wear this jersey. They’re sticking it to me this year for whatever reason. "

.277/.324/.316

~Juan Pierre

by Goose on Sep 1, 2008 8:04 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

He was one of my first stops too

by Gomez on Sep 1, 2008 8:57 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Perhaps now we could have some sort of invincible Jason/Gomez powerhouse?

Of course, we’ll need to reconcile the difference in opinions concerning Ichiro!

by BrianL on Sep 1, 2008 9:02 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ha

It would probably be more like ‘Replace Gomez with Churchill’

by Gomez on Sep 1, 2008 11:35 PM PDT up reply actions 2 recs

Does this mean no more interviews on KJR?

I enjoy those.

"I hope he arouses the fire that's dormant in the innermost recesses of my soul. I plan to face him with the zeal of a challenger."
-Ichiro on Dice-K

by seatownsports on Sep 1, 2008 9:22 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Love PI

I already wrote you an email, but I hope you can keep the site going. It was certainly one of my favorites. Of course, your life takes priority and you gotta do what you gotta do. Best of luck,

Bleeding Blue and Teal

by JonBBT on Sep 1, 2008 10:31 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Best of luck

In whatever you decide.

Hi.

by Humongo on Sep 1, 2008 11:24 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I'm glad to hear it's not

guys like Edtrak busting your chops and ruining the buzz.

Fans are typically idiots.

by The Typical Idiot Fan on Sep 1, 2008 11:36 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

ProspectInsider rocks

I’ve been following your work since the DiamondGenius era at InsideThePark.com. It’s been phenomenal.

Thank you for your time and effort. You’ve made being a Mariners fan during the last few awful years a lot more bearable.

Can’t thank you enough. Best of luck to you.

by dnc on Sep 1, 2008 11:37 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I remember Inside The Park

That really went down the drain rather quickly, all of the sudden there was zero content being produced.

by CKel on Sep 2, 2008 8:34 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yep

That’s when Joe Kaiser sold the publishing rights and Jason left the Scout.com network.

When those two were running the show, it was a solid website.

by dnc on Sep 2, 2008 8:37 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

And the message board got slowly dwindled into a shit hole after they both left.

Dave Clark(Bedir than Average) and myself tried to keep things afloat, but after a while it became a lost cause.

We had some good times though. It was a quality Mariner hangout for a while.

"All I’ve ever done is be Juan Pierre when I wear this jersey. They’re sticking it to me this year for whatever reason. "

.277/.324/.316

~Juan Pierre

by Goose on Sep 2, 2008 8:44 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Do they have a publisher yet?

I haven’t been to the site in years it seems. Last I remember, they were going to hook up one of the old Everett interns with the job, but then nothing happened.

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/milb-mariners/

by JY on Sep 2, 2008 9:15 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah there is one there know

But other than a premium message board, I don’t think there’s anything in it for members.The Publisher has been putting out free articles, but nothing over the top and I’ve only seen “scout.com” as the author thus far.

by edddgar on Sep 8, 2008 10:36 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I see.

So they’re probably the blanket articles written more for division than team by someone whose expertise lies elsewhere.

I feel terrible about all the people who had the subscription on the records when the whole thing fell apart because they were essentially paying a subscription for nothing, unless they really found some thing of interest in the rest of the network (and some of those franchises were kind of sketchy).

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/milb-mariners/

by JY on Sep 8, 2008 11:52 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

No kidding

Seahawks.net is better than ever, but aside from that, there’s not much going on at the scout network. A lot of people got screwed, the Mariners board was just one of many that went completely down the tube.

by edddgar on Sep 13, 2008 3:15 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Good luck, Jason.

Without getting too personal and incurring the wrath of Graham and the Lookout Landing Live Journal JPEG, let me just say that I’ve been there, and things will get better with time.

As for the site, I would definitely miss it. I can’t say that I check it religiously during the regular season, but it’s a daily destination for me during the offseason. The winter-ball and trade-rumor information is awesome. I would hate to see it go. It’s a big reason why we have the best blogosphere in baseball.

by Teej on Sep 2, 2008 12:37 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

The best blogosphere in baseball

So the M’s are doing something right!

by Taylor H on Sep 2, 2008 12:09 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Good luck with everything going forward.

However, as someone who has read your stuff since way back on the fanhome boards, your site would definitely be missed.

by CstSnow on Sep 2, 2008 2:33 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Jason, Evaluate with heart AND mind

Obviously I don’t know anything about the personal issues you reference, and can’t even imagine the challenges of delivering an information source the way you do. I do recommend that you try not to make permanent desisions during times of turmoil. In addition to your own personal challenges, this season is darkened by the M’s struggles and difficulties throughout the organization. If at all possible, try to clear your head and make your decision listening equally to your heart and mind. If PI is a “was,” then it was a tremendoues, valuable, and enjoyable website and will be fondly remembered. If it is resurrected in some fashion (now or in the future), then I’m sure we will all continue to enjoy it. If not, then life will go on and you’ll still have a few million friends (approximately) here. Best of luck, Jason, and take care.

by kva15 on Sep 2, 2008 8:42 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Best of luck either way Jason.

I really enjoyed PI, and hope you at least post here occasionally.

I'm back to liking midgets too much.

by Thingray on Sep 2, 2008 10:23 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I wondered what the hell had shown up in my RSS feed.

I live in georegia but i dont see rusia no where not even sound but they says theres tanks should i be worrie-Yahoo Answers

by Phildopip on Sep 2, 2008 11:49 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I'll miss Prospect Insider if it goes away

Of the trifecta of M’s blogs, (LL, USSM, and PI), I’ve always loved Prospect Insider. I’m a huge fan of up-and-coming minor leaguers, and Jason has covered his topic to the fullest. Nice work over the years.

Is it possible to offer him an admin spot at USSM or here?

by Taylor H on Sep 2, 2008 12:08 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

That would be pretty cool.

Jason could continue his coverage of the minor league system without having to worry about site maintenance and moderating comments.

by BrianL on Sep 2, 2008 12:26 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

He would replace me, most likely

by Gomez on Sep 2, 2008 12:36 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

See now I'm conflicted.

by BrianL on Sep 2, 2008 12:41 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

FWIW I'm not opposed to him coming in, especially if that's the consensus

But let’s see what he elects to do with PI first. He’s still on the fence.

by Gomez on Sep 2, 2008 12:55 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm sure the LL severance package is quite sufficient

it’ll be at least six additional weeks of your current LL salary, plus continuation of benefits.

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Sep 2, 2008 1:04 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

In other words we'll give him a courtesy rec every other week.

by BrianL on Sep 2, 2008 1:15 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

it's the blog equivalent of tipping one out.

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Sep 2, 2008 1:24 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't see why

Jason was never a guy that covered the everyday minutiae of the minors. He never got into daily recaps or analysis. He was more of a big picture guy.

I don’t see any reason why the two of you couldn’t coexist at the same blog. Your strengths are completely different.

I think you’d complement one another, honestly.

by dnc on Sep 2, 2008 1:45 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree. A JAC/Gomez tandem would be fantastic.

I fully support the addition of Churchill to the overlord group if he chooses to do so. Plus he could serve as a backup to Graham in keeping the retards at bay.

"All I’ve ever done is be Juan Pierre when I wear this jersey. They’re sticking it to me this year for whatever reason. "

.277/.324/.316

~Juan Pierre

by Goose on Sep 2, 2008 4:46 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Jason would be fantastic retard deterrent.

by BrianL on Sep 2, 2008 4:58 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well, there goes my LL membership...

If you don't have anything nice to say, you're likely reading Bakers comments section.

by kevin_ess on Sep 9, 2008 3:03 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I can't replace anyone...

I’ve been a total jerk to a lot of people in the past, on and offline, though you may have noticed how that’s been toned down of late.

Churchill isn’t the same person.

But one thing I have learned about the M’s blogosphere, other than that it truly is second to none – trust me, I’ve been on that search and returned very unimpressed due to a lack of true insight and unique knowledge – is that just about everyone has something of value to offer.

It’s quite amazing, really.

Whether it’s the fantastic analysis of Jeff Sullivan or Dave Cameron, the pithy and ever-growing entertainment that is Derek Zumsteg, the detailed daily coverage from Yencich or Gomez, or the positively strange-but-blow-away style of Detectovision, this community is easily the greatest in sports.

Prospect Insider was just a small part of it all, and I’m grateful for that. Lately I began feeling like I was part of this big, huge, title-winning team.

I’m just not sure what’s in my future, in any capacity. Life pretty much sucks right now and I’m not sure how I’m going to handle it.

We’ll see.

by jasonchurchill on Sep 2, 2008 3:53 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Don't be so hard on yourself.

I don’t know you, I don’t know what you’re going through right now (nor do I want to – that’s not my business), but I do know that it’s possible to emerge from the other side of these dark periods an improved person. Do what you gotta do, make sure you take care of yourself, and remember there’ll always be a place for you in that blogosphere you love, if and when you’re ready. And if your future doesn’t hold a place in that ‘sphere, good luck in whatever you decide to do. Just make sure you get right with yourself – that’s the best thing you can do right now.

Good luck.

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Sep 2, 2008 4:03 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Best of thoughts to you, Jason

Although I rarely posted on Prospect Insider, I still found myself visiting the site at least a few times each day. Your replies to the inquiries that were put forth by your regular commenters were full of useful tidbits, while your posts themselves were both fun and educational. You were consistently my top source for information on happenings in the minor leagues (sorry, Gomez), I thoroughly enjoyed the book you released last Spring, and I had a fantastic time at the PI gathering you held last year in Seattle.

Regarding what you said about the Mariners blogosphere, you’re absolutely right. I doubt any professional sports team’s online fan-base can rival what we have going on right now. Even DOV, which I find myself consistently disagreeing with, blow the socks off the better websites of most other teams. And to mention them, LL, and USSM is to not even blogs like Geoff Baker, Mariners Morsels, Nice Guys Finish Third, and Mariners Central. Turn Mariners Morsels into a blog about, say, the Reds, and it would be the blog about the Reds.

Anyway, I always found PI to be in the same category as the other “main” Seattle Mariners blogs. As has been mentioned by other posters, if you decide not to bring PI back, then you ought to at least hang around here. And if you do have PI return, then you have to know that it will have no trouble immediately getting its previous level of readership back, if not more so.

by katal on Sep 2, 2008 9:01 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs