Astros blog fine with 'poll,' not interested in selling out for a press pass

Astros County blog will pass on alleged advice to get MLB to like them better. Report today says bloggers who want to prove themselves should attend to

• ""tracking and reporting increases in their daily site traffic and

• interacting with baseball front offices

• on Facebook and Twitter."...

(Astros County Blog continues): This is interesting. There are a few things that we at Astros County won't do. Among them:

• 1. Push for more followers on Twitter

• 2. Talk about our site traffic (except for the time we were pretty excited about reaching 100,000 visitors).

So, while we are always trying to deliver original and newsworthy content,

• we're not interested in pimping ourselves to

• achieve a press pass.

In the same regard, it would be great to make enough money (or even any money, at all) to quit our jobs and pursue Astros County full time. But The Constable is in Nashville, so he's kind of screwed - unless the Astros move the Triple-A franchise to Nashville. If that happens, Houston Chronicle, you'll be getting an email. The rest of us like what we do in real life, and just like to talk about the Astros. No, we tend to follow the Will Leitch Philosophy of blogging.

• We do this for fun, and there's a difference

• between being willing to sell,

• and being willing

• to sell out. "

P.S. Michael Cramer is mentioned in the Biz of Baseball Maury Brown article about the 'poll.' Cramer has joined a new sports marketing department at University of Texas

• which funded the 'study.'

• He is also a former president of the Texas Rangers MLB team.

From Biz of Baseball's 8/24 article, "Study finds Independent Bloggers "Least Trusted," Likely denied Press Credentials in Baseball":

• "(Cramer)""The findings in this study speak to the many cracks in the sports and media relationship that are being revealed with the rise of web-based communication networks," said Mike Cramer, executive director of the Texas Program in Sports and Media at The University of Texas at Austin, which funded the study. "The Texas Program in Sports and Media

is thrilled to be presenting this defining research for the industry. We're looking forward engaging a full spectrum of substantive issues that define the breadth and complexity of the relationship sports and media has with American culture.""...

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