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August 9, 2012

BP Announcements

The Call-Up 2012 UPDATED

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Introducing the latest in the great line of Baseball Prospectus publications...The Call-Up 2012 e-book!

Like our bestselling annual, this mid-season debut provides the latest scoops and analysis to help fans follow their favorite teams and win their fantasy leagues. The e-book highlights the most notable teams and players of the season's first half, offering over 50 new player comments by 10 of your favorite BP authors, a preface by e-book editor Ben Lindbergh, and some of the best of BP's recent online articles, as well as rest-of-season PECOTA projections for all players profiled.

In addition, for the first time ever, prospect junkies will be able to read Kevin Goldstein's updated list of top 50 prospects (with all-new commentary for each player) exclusively in a stand-alone product.

Order your copy of The Call-Up 2012 today at Amazon.com for just $3.99. Available now!

Joe Hamrahi is an author of Baseball Prospectus.
Click here to see Joe's other articles. You can contact Joe by clicking here

Related Content: Kevin Goldstein, The Call-up, Scouting Prospects, Ben Lindbergh, Top 50 Prospects, Top Prospects, E-book

48 comments have been left for this article.

BP Comment Quick Links

code of conduct

rjblakel

Looks very tasty, BUT any way to read this for those without an e-reader (eg Kindle)?

Jul 14, 2012 07:06 AM

rating: 1

Joe Hamrahi

BP staff

I'll find out for you. Waiting for info from the publisher.

Jul 14, 2012 10:39 AM

Joe Hamrahi

BP staff

So I was unaware of this, but there is a free Kindle PC reader you can download here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000426311&tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=7442400567&ref=pd_sl_6g97entshf_b.

Download the reader and you can read all Kindle publications that you purchase.

Jul 14, 2012 11:55 AM

Drakos

There are also applications for smartphones, tablets, and Macs or a web browser based reader for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=kcp_ipad_mkt_lnd?docId=1000493771

Jul 16, 2012 07:48 AM

rating: 0

Joe Hamrahi

BP staff

Thank you! Those are helpful to know about too.

Jul 16, 2012 08:14 AM

John Douglass

Will Kevin's midseason Top 50 be published anywhere else? (read that as: if I don't get it as a paid subscriber to the online Prospectus as I have in the past, I'll not pay for it in e-form and consider this nickel/dime-ing.)

Jul 14, 2012 08:08 AM

rating: 6

Joe Hamrahi

BP staff

This will be exactly like the annual. The e-book will have the list and full commentary. After the publication is released, we will release Kevin's list only on the site.

Jul 14, 2012 10:40 AM

John Douglass

For clarity: will Kevin's midseason list be released to subscribers of the site at the same time as the ebook, or will current subscribers who do not pay for the ebook wait to have that content? (read: ibid)

Jul 14, 2012 12:16 PM

rating: 0

Joe Hamrahi

BP staff

Yes, the list will be released as soon as we can publish it after the ebook is available.

Jul 14, 2012 14:22 PM

Dennis

Seems to me like this should be included in the $35 I pay every year for your site.

Anything to get that extra 4 bucks out of me I guess...

Jul 14, 2012 13:08 PM

rating: 1

Joe Hamrahi

BP staff

Actually, that's really not the case. FWIW, this is an extension of our annual agreement, and it contains new content similar to what's in the annual but updated through the first half of the season. Kevin's top 50 update will be included with commentary, but we will also publish KG's top 50 list (without commentary) on the site as well.

Jul 14, 2012 14:35 PM

lfkjr1

I'm leaning against buying it (though I may change my mind), but I don't blame them for trying to make a living.

Jul 14, 2012 16:53 PM

rating: 0

Dennis

I have no problem with them trying to make a living. Check out my number, I've been here awhile, and I'm fine with paying for the best baseball content on the web. I'm fine with them trying to make a living. It's just a little weird to me that the baseball website that I pay for baseball content is now charging extra for baseball content.

Jul 14, 2012 17:16 PM

rating: 4

Joe Hamrahi

BP staff

How are we charging extra for content? I just explained again below that we are offering much more in a separate package. This is content over and above what we normally offer.

If you don't want to purchase the extra e-book, you won't lose out on anything. You'll still get the same content we've always published and continue to publish.

Actually, in reality, since we've NEVER (ever) raised premium subscription prices, you really get more content for your money than ever.

Jul 14, 2012 17:29 PM

Dennis

Who cares if it's over and above what you normally did? The fact of the matter is that you are charging extra for baseball content when I already pay for baseball content. Dan Evans is over and above anything you've done before. Why not start a new subscription tier? You could have your Fantasy subscription, your Premium subscription, and a new Super-Great-We-Hired-A-Former-MLB-GM subscription.

That is essentially what you are doing with this silly ebook. If you are putting out more great content than ever before and need to charge more for it, I'd much rather pay an extra $5 per year and have all this great new stuff on the website.

Jul 14, 2012 17:44 PM

rating: 3

Joe Hamrahi

BP staff

Ok, then consider this $4 e-book the extra tier. You might be willing to pay for everything in one place, but other people would rather not.

If we didn't advertise it on the site, nobody would know the difference and everything would continue as normal. I guess I'm just trying to understand where all this concern is coming from. Buy if you want, don't if you don't. You're still getting the same content you've always paid for. That's the bottom line.

Jul 14, 2012 18:02 PM

John Douglass

If KG's midseason top 50 list appears without comments, and is strictly a list, as you said above, then the bottom line is that we're not getting the same content we've always paid for. It devalues our subscription dollars. It's not an according-to-Hoyle price increase, but it has the same effect.

Jul 14, 2012 18:38 PM

rating: 5

Richard Bergstrom

To reiterate what others have said in the past, not everyone is opposed for an increase in subscription price for additional content, or an increased cost in the Annual if it includes more material in it like essays and more players.

But yeah, I do wonder why I see KG's articles posted at ESPN a few days or a week before they come here, or see another tier of content for an additional $4. Also, I assume while KG is working on his list for a midseason book or a ESPN article, it could in time take away from the content here (though he does a great job keeping up so far).

Nonetheless, I'd prefer to pay $40 and get everything fresh every day. Or at least, have the option for a "super-premium" membership where I pay extra money to get any midseason releases, maybe an annual discount or a pizza feed discount, etc.

Jul 30, 2012 14:50 PM

rating: 0

Ben Lindbergh

BP staff

Richard, I don't remember an instance of something Kevin wrote for ESPN showing up at BP a week later. The articles he writes for both places almost always go up on the same day, since we're free to publish as soon as they do.

Jul 30, 2012 22:32 PM

Richard Bergstrom

It can be a bit hard/confusing to track since the article titles vary between ESPN and BP. There're also some Top 12 Fantasy Prospects articles that appear to be ESPN-exclusives and don't seem to carry over to BP. I'll try to dig around and find an example of a posting. Most of the ones I looked at within the last two months were same day though there was at least one with a two day difference.

Jul 30, 2012 23:16 PM

rating: 0

Ben Lindbergh

BP staff

Anyway, there's no mandated delay. If we occasionally put something up a little later at BP than it went up at ESPN, it's a choice we made to try to maximize views.

Jul 30, 2012 23:20 PM

SC

If your cable company suddenly offers 100 new channels that you didn't have before, do you insist that they should also be free? When the Prospectus empire expanded into hockey and basketball, were you insistent that they be free?

Aug 09, 2012 11:55 AM

rating: 3

John Douglass

Do you eat an apple and make a smartass remark that it doesn't taste like most oranges? Because this is more like Dish Network dropping AMC, meaning their customers no longer get Mad Men or Breaking Bad--stuff they were used to getting in their subscription in the past--not like Dish Network offering a great new premium channel that costs more.

Aug 09, 2012 16:56 PM

rating: 0

Matt

I'm confused. How do you see this being different than the annual, which you have to pay separately for?

Jul 16, 2012 13:17 PM

rating: 6

Aaron Moreno

Something about checking out numbers?

Jul 16, 2012 20:53 PM

rating: 1

John Douglass

So this, from last year...

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=14534

...which came with commentary for free, is now something we have to pay a 10% premium over our subscription price to receive?

And the explanation is that it's an extension of the annual? That you've taken stuff we used to get because we subscribed for all your electronic content, and make some different kind of electronic content, and you've reduced what's received in our subscriptions, because it has something to do with the book you put out in the winter, which is an ENTIRELY different product than what is published on the website?

Jul 14, 2012 16:46 PM

rating: 2

Joe Hamrahi

BP staff

No,the book has much more commentary than that list you referenced. In fact, the prospect commentary in the book is over 4,300 words.

And the additional (non-prospect) player comments we're publishing in the book NEVER showed up on the website...ever.

So if you just want the top 50 list, you'll still get the top 50 list with the ability to comment and ask KG questions as always. This is for people who want more. That's all it is.

Jul 14, 2012 17:12 PM

Joe Hamrahi

BP staff

I should clarify... if you just want the top 50 list, you'll still get the top 50 list ON THE SITE with the ability to comment and ask KG questions as always.

Jul 14, 2012 17:15 PM

amazin_mess

But he makes a valid point. We are getting incrementally less than we did in 2011. I second the thought that you should just charge $40 a year and include the ebook. That way we only pay once and BP still makes more money.

Aug 09, 2012 14:10 PM

rating: -1

madhatty20

Your post here says top 50. The cover on the Amazon listing says updated top 101. Just curious - which is it?

Jul 14, 2012 23:24 PM

rating: 0

Ben Lindbergh

BP staff

It's 50. The cover image is incorrect.

Jul 14, 2012 23:30 PM

ChinMusic

Joe, FWIW, keep cranking out new stuff and charge me whatever it takes to make a nice profit. I want BP to be successful and financially stable. The content and sortable stats you guys offer are very reasonable compared to say, Baseball America.

Jul 15, 2012 08:57 AM

rating: 17

PeterBNYC

Finally, someone gets it right. I second this opinion.

Jul 31, 2012 11:02 AM

rating: 1

kurl

Are there any plans to bundle the premium subscription with the book(s) in future years? Football Outsiders does this, and I think it works quite well.

Jul 15, 2012 08:57 AM

rating: 3

kcshankd

Cheaper than any other addiction I have. Keep it coming.

Jul 15, 2012 18:33 PM

rating: 13

Sharky

Can I just get a PDF?

Jul 16, 2012 01:16 AM

rating: 1

enelson

I'm the editor at Wiley, and for this question, or any other complaints or even technical questions, go ahead and email me at enelsonatwileydotcom.

Jul 30, 2012 12:31 PM

rating: 0

MikeMcD

A tempest in a teapot. KG's top 50 list w/out commentary will do just fine. With his excellant daily prospect updates, the Monday Ten-Packs and the Prospect Tracker with its daily statistical updates I've got all the prospect information I can handle.
With each defection from your staff of major-league caliber writers I keep waiting for a falloff in quality which never happens. In its way your internal list of top 50 writing prospects must be every bit as impressive as KG's. And perhaps this move will enable you to attract them to BP and to pay them a bit more to stick around. Turn a few bucks if you can BP!

Jul 16, 2012 10:15 AM

rating: 12

CalledStrike3

From the AYKM? dept:

Complaints are coming from people about a new add-on - Income diversification strategy development by BP Mgmt, that costs less than half a Beer at an MLB Ballyard.

Jul 17, 2012 08:54 AM

rating: 11

TimLandry

For me it is NOT the cost issue - it is simply I do not read off computers - I have ZERO (actually less than that) in buying a Kindle reader. I am am old guy and I prefer to print something I want to read and read it off paper - and yes I know I am contributing to pollution but I suspect it is more than balanced by the fact I have never had (and never will have - ZERO interest) a driver's licence. I want it in .pdf format or some other format that I can print - and feel free to charge me for it if neccessary

Jul 30, 2012 12:44 PM

rating: 1

FastballVelociraptor

Try replying to the person above who says they're an editor re: printable PDF

Aug 04, 2012 11:36 AM

rating: 0

SC

epubs/mobi files can also be printed. Use a piece of software called "Calibre" which is free.

Aug 09, 2012 11:56 AM

rating: 0

buckoneil

Joe:

Any idea when you anticipate publishing the top 50 on the site? It might actually increase purchases. I'd like to wait and see where some of the players I'm interested in fall on the list, or to see if Kevin has some interesting disparities between his list and BA or Law list. In either case, I'd be more I'd be more inclined to buy it.

Put me in the camp of: I don't mind paying for this at all, and think it's perfectly reasonable to charge for it, but I'd rather not deal with the e-reader aspect.

Jul 31, 2012 09:54 AM

rating: 1

Ben Lindbergh

BP staff

Probably putting it up tomorrow.

Jul 31, 2012 10:33 AM

SC

Forty seconds? But I want it nowwwwww....

/Homer

Aug 09, 2012 11:56 AM

rating: 0

sglang2

I'd buy instantly if it was a PDF, not for an e-book/Kindle download.

Jul 31, 2012 17:39 PM

rating: 0

Schaffpa71

Agreed. I'm not doing e-book or kindle nonsense. Also, I'd like to be able to order it through THIS website, not amazon.com.

Aug 09, 2012 11:46 AM

rating: 0

Matt Kory

BP staff

I don't have an e-reader either, but Amazon has a free e-reader program you can download. I have a Mac so that's the version I downloaded (and it works well), but if you have a PC they have one too. I just searched for "amazon kindle download" and it takes you right to it.

Hope that helps!

The Mac version is here:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/kindle/mac/download/

Aug 09, 2012 11:58 AM

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<< Previous Article

Future Shock: Consider... (08/08)

<< Previous Column
BP Announcements: Sabe... (07/23)

Next Column >>
BP Announcements: Site... (08/10)

Next Article >>
What You Need to Know:... (08/09)

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