The following are just a few simple rules and guidelines to remember as you begin writing for Metsmerized Online. Please feel free to ask any questions about anything you are unsure of.
Our goal is to make your experience with us a rewarding one while providing our readers with quality content and a positive experience.
Non-Original Content
At no time will any content (whole or partial) that was not uniquely written by you be posted unless it contains a proper citation. If you post any excerpt from another article – and that includes quotes – you must name the original author with a link to the article it originated from.
All of us take pride in what we write and we would expect other sites to properly credit us for our work, and 99.9% of the time they do. Let’s make sure we always do the same for them.
Breaking News & Rumors
We do not post anything that doesn’t originate from a credible news source or MLB Trade Rumors. Except for some rare instances, MMO does not break news; we only report it and discuss it.
Despite their network affiliations, Bleacher Report, Rant Sports and MetsBlog are not credible news sources.
Also, our goal is not to be first, it’s to be accurate. Uncorroborated reports and unsourced rumors should never be posted.
Be careful not to report speculation as news, and try to stay away from reports that are unsupported by the facts.
If you do happen to report news, keep it simple and straightforward. News shouldn’t be mingled with bias or opinion, that’s a completely different kind of post.
Capitalize Titles
Capitalize the first letter in each word of your title. This helps our articles stand out on Google and Bing searches. Also never use more than 10 words in your title otherwise it gets cut off by syndicators. The best titles are short and to the point.
Offensive Content
This one is simple… Don’t use any vulgar language or profanity and always keep it clean. Never include any inappropriate images or content.
Editing Your Content
We have five editors on MMO whose job it is to proofread everything and check for grammar and spelling. But in all honesty, the best editor of anything you write is you.
Every post is like a painting, and before an artist signs his name to it, he or she makes sure they are proud of their work. The same should hold true when you write. Once you hit publish you’ve just owned your work and have put your name to it.
We will do everything we can to make you look good, but the bottom line is that you are what your writing says you are. Be your best.
B-R Player Linker
We use the Baseball-Reference player linker to automatically link the players names in our posts. You can follow the instructions here to learn how to add the B-R Linker to your toolbar.
** Make sure you check the option to BOLD and press update linker before you save.
Once you set it up, it takes seconds to run it. Remember that when you run the Player Linker you must be in the text tab not the visual window.
Photos
All of our photos and images are authorized by our photo services provider USA Today Sports Images. Our media library is updated with new photos every day,
At no time is it okay to upload any photos from the internet without express permission from one of our editors. Photos must be credited to the original photographer.
If you have a special request for a photo not already in our media library, just email me and I will be happy to log onto USA Today and download one for you. They have an extensive library of historic photos as well as game day photos.
All photos and images that are not from our media library need to be credited in the caption section of the photo when you upload it. If you are uploading a photo, make sure you tag it with the player name AND the photographer and source .
Never use skyscraper or tower shaped photos. They break the theme and front page. Just use rectangular shaped photos or landscape size.
GOOD
NOT GOOD!
Examples of credits:
(Photo: John Doe, USA Today) or Credit: Yahoo Sports
Scheduling Your Articles
Senior writers, beat reporters and editors have publishing privileges.
Our peak traffic times are 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM on weekdays and 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM on weekends. We reserve those time slots for original feature articles and op/eds.
We try to space articles 60 minutes apart so that each article gets some time in the top spot. Of course if your article is time-sensitive, we can bend the rule.
Advanced Metrics and Statistics
As the game evolves and even the New York Mets themselves are turning toward advanced metrics to evaluate player performance, it’s very important that we incorporate some of the more important new statistics in our articles.
Always use a triple slash instead of just posting a player’s batting average. In other words BA/OBP/SLG.
OPS is on-base percentage plus slugging percentage and gives a nice snapshot of production not reflective of playing time. OPS+ takes ballpark factors and league averages into consideration.
Defensively, never use fielding percentage, and instead go with Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR). One of the premier defensive metrics, UZR takes into account range, arm strength, errors and double plays to measure a player’s overall defensive value.
You can still use ERA and WHIP for pitchers, but also consider using ERA+ and FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching). Instead of just using strikeout or walk totals, include strikeouts per nine innings or K/9 or walks per nine innings BB/9.
One of the most widely used advanced metric is WAR or Wins Above Replacement which is an all-encompassing stat that attempts to measure a position player’s or pitcher’s total value. For position players, this means hitting, base-running and fielding are taken into account.
Somewhat similar to WAR but more focused on hitting is Weighted Runs Created+ (wRC+). This measures all aspects of production at the plate and adjusts them for ballpark and league environments.
Always Bold Links
Make sure that every time you link to another article or source, that you BOLD the link. If you don’t bold it it becomes illegible, so very important.
Be Respectful
Always make your points respectfully. Think about what you are going to write when you talk about the players, coaches and executives, many of whom read MMO daily.
Temper your criticism with fairness. Be passionate, but also be objective.
Quality Is Job One
There was a time when anyone who loved the Mets could write for MMO. As our traffic and readership grew, so too did our standards. Since the start of 2010, I now turn away more than 75% of those who want to write for us.
It’s all part of a renewed commitment to taking Mets Merized Online to greater heights, and it seems to be working.
We always encourage originality, creativity and out-of-the box thinking. We want to offer our readers insights they may not find anywhere else.
Thanks For All You Do
You all play a vital role and add to our rich diversity of thought and opinion on MMO. We are fortunate to have such a high-powered team of fine writers like you who care about the Mets and love to write passionately about them.
Please treat MMO like it’s your site… Like it’s your home. Feel free to share any new ideas and suggestions with us. I truly value all your opinions.
Thank you so much for all you do!
Joe D.
