Hello, again and welcome all newcomers. As of late I'm writing is moving at a snail's pace. More of my time is actually being spent on research and promotion. Trying to add my link on other writing sites and sports sites. Weaving through numerous websites that charge a membership fee to create an account gets to be old. I'm just looking for partner with publications and other writers who wouldn't mind exchanging links. This seems fair for both sides. I'm still concentrating on wrapping up my baseball novel.(I've posted the first chapter at the bottom of the page). Maybe I'm jumping ahead of myself in thinking about my marketing plans for the book too soon. I'm concerned about formulating the right message which strikes a chord with publishers. Reaching out to my direct audience is crucial too. I need to make these readers more aware of my work. Realizing that I needed to raise the stakes in my story I went back and added a new scene that impacts the rest of the events leading to the conclusion.

Marketing literature takes time to learn. Everybody who wishes to publish a book, anthology, memoir, etc. needs to have effective marketing. Working close with a reputable publisher is one route to go. As an author though you've got to do the necessary work and strategizing to find your place in the market. What you're selling needs to be compelling and thought provoking enough to maintain life for an extended period of time. Determining your target market is step 1. This is who your readers will be. It's important to ask yourself, "What will influence readers to buy my book? How can I appeal to their interests? "Where will this age group most likely look for or find my writing? These questions help a writer identify the possible ways to market their book, catering to their audience. It's tough work to YOU the author must know this and work to collaborate a plan. This is no one day task either. The more you find out about your readers the better your marketing strategy will when ready to be published. Spreading the news about your book on online forums, having a personal website with writing samples or a portfolio, writng a press release, or posting a listing for your book on writing or book websites is a big plus too. Marketing and promotion efforts will tie in together at times. That the extent of the information I have to share today. Check by for future resources. Good day to all those who strive!

P.S. Check out the first chapter of my novel, "Rookie Sensation" below.


Chapter 1

Spring Training


It was late March in the spring of 1999. Spring training was nearly over as major league teams wrapped up their final weeks of play. There was positive energy dispersed throughout the Seattle Mariners organization. Approaching the new season in the majors, the team had a crop of young prospects that were being managed by the General Manager and coach. There were a lot of bright, young talent entering the big leagues. Jason Harrison, an All-American in high school and collegiate player of the year at Michigan State University was drafted by the Seattle Mariners. He hoped to make an impact in his rookie year, contributing to his new team in any way possible. When the press and the Seattle fans got word of this new unexpected top tier player they began to have lofty expectations for the ball club and season. The Mariners had finished first in their division in the past 3 years, but fell short of winning a World Series championship. They lost to the Yankees in the ALCS a year ago, being knocked out of the playoffs for the fourth time since their expansion year. They looked to make a serious run this season and improve their team history.
Several newcomers from the minor leagues were playing great baseball. One of their top outfielders was hitting .376 and had driven in 38 runs. A couple of pitchers were thriving leading the team with strikeouts and low walks to runs ratio. The young guys were getting a feel for playing with some of veterans and older players on the team. The team roster was up to 55 players. This of course had to be cut down for the start of the season to meet major league rules. Unfortunately decisions had to be made for who would stay active and those who be shipped to the minors. There simply wouldn’t be enough room for all players to remain on the roster. Some rookies would be called up later in the season if they played exceptionally well in the minors. The moderately warm weather on the spring training site in Perora, Arizona was comforting. Players practiced techniques for bunting and stealing bases, experimenting with risky moves now and then. All and all this was a time for learning and adapting. Getting a first look at top caliber pitchers benefited the rookies and other players who would meet them later in season encounters.
The outlook for the 1999 campaign was refreshing. There was so much optimism within the organization. The team’s potential was immeasurable. Coming off a well rounded season claiming a 79-57 record the Mariners was moving in the right direction. The offense was not of question, but the pitching needed some restructure. The team had quality starters, but lacked effective, dependable middle relief. Despite reaching the post season, too many games were lost to poor relief pitching late in games. The team owner, George Calhoun ignored this problem at first, then recognized the need to go out and retrieve pitchers with a proven track record. Calhoun was a stubborn, cheap owner that milled over possible trade or free agent signings. He relied on the fans’ loyalty to boost the performance of the team. Building morale within the ball club was important in helping receive high production and cooperation from everyone. Keeping the players, coaches, and managers on the same page would result in another successful season.
As usual there were numerous trades and off season free agent acquisitions, spreading talent as well as top veteran players around the league. There was an upbeat atmosphere in baseball as everyone was in a positive mood. Even the Tampa Bay Devil Rays will feeling confident with their new, revamped starting pitching rotation. Finishing the ’98 season with a record well under .500 they looked to add depth to their starting lineup, work on their current weaknesses as a club, and hoped for some veteran leadership to shine forth. They were still predicted to finish last in the east. Other teams made some good deals over the winter as well that would generate better results than the previous year. The Mariners had made some off season deals to attain a crafty left handed starter from Texas that had won a career best 17 games last year. They signed a free agent utility infielder who swung a steady bat coming off the bench and was a good fielder. Key players were returning, maintaining their star presence. They all were looking forward to a great season.
With low annual ticket sales a problem last year some team owners thought about methods of promotions and marketing to fill more seats. The Seattle Mariners attendance remained steady, slightly increasing toward the close of the season. Owner, George Calhoun wanted to put the Mariners over the top, but didn’t know exactly how. He was bound at least on boosting ticket sales. Despite this factor, ticket prices stayed the same for the most part. Occasionally there would special family packages offered during the season for a lower price. The average person on the other hand, didn’t want to pay $30- $100 for decent seats near the field. Seats in the outfield were always cheap and were no big deal. Calhoun wanted to create a family and fan experience that was affordable for everyone. Working out a budget including player and coach salaries, promotions, advertising, ballpark employee wages, maintenance costs, and so on would provide an idea of what options were available. Enabling the most effective strategies would take further research and more time on the part of his marketing staff.
A new stadium for the team was built and nearly completed. The Kingdom in Seattle was going to be replaced with their larger and more sleek ballpark now known as Safeco Field. This cost the owner millions of dollars, cutting into the payroll. Nonetheless, it was to solve their problem of low attendance at home and a create a more fan friendly atmosphere. Out with the old and in with the new, dimensionally advanced baseball structure. The team owner believed this would give the Mariners a marketable appeal and be a new beginning. This wouldn’t erase their struggles or blunders in the club’s history, but Safeco Field could develop into a lucky confine for streaks to be formed. So much construction work and planning had gone into the new stadium. Fans were gracious to be welcomed into a different, captivating atmosphere to see their team play throughout the season.
The old stadium crumpled before the owner’s eyes. Tiles from the roof in the upper deck and along the sides of walls had fallen in the past couple of years, drawing a concern for safety. The risk was too great to allow future harm to those seated in sections of the outfield and upper deck box. Besides that, interest in the team had dropped substantially. Only making it to the playoffs and coming up empty didn’t satisfy Mariner fans’ cravings. The Kingdom had existed for over 20 years showcasing the likes of superstar Ken Griffey Jr. That era was over, now it was time to restructure the club to turn it into a powerhouse in the American League. Diligence, Patience, and the right planning could propel this team to the top. The GM and owner worked side by side in efforts of making drastic improvement, carrying a long term positive impact.
The investments into the redeveloped Mariner team seemed well worth. Retrieving proven success pitchers in the league to go along with a brand new ballpark embedded faith in the team. The club planned on writing the ship in the 1999 campaign. All the skeptics may have their say, but the Mariners were on a mission to soar to the next level. Since their expansion in the 70’s they had never been considered much of a contender in the American League. Competition became fierce since then. The team never was able to push themselves over the top. Taking a gander at the new, promising active players and rookies on the roster showed hints of good things to come. The specialized area of concern was the bullpen. The club waited to see how they reacted in intense situations in games. Their effectiveness was going to determine how many close games Seattle would win. For now, the coaching staff and general management were going to keep a close eye on the new, rising talent in the organization.
All the rookies placed on the team rosters got a chance to showcase their skills to the coaches, trying to impress the decision makers while drawing enough attention to stay on the team. They yearned for the opportunity to play in the Majors instead of being stuck in the minor league for an extended period of time. Either way they would continue to learn and grow as a baseball player, helping to further craft their skills. Hearing the crack of the bat when getting a hit or the snap of a well broken in glove made them feel good. There were several young, extraordinary talents on the field, but one stood out among the rest. It was a strong armed shortstop by the name of Jason Harrison. He dazzled scouts, coaches, and spectators with his flashy style on the field and his consistent contact at the plate. Everyone had their eye on him.
Starting pitching rotations were being set as opening day was rearing around the corner. Counting on the top pitcher to take the #1 spot in the rotation could change if that pitcher didn’t stay healthy or got injured early in the season. Managers always hoped for the best, but never could be sure what would happen with a pitcher’s mechanics. Seattle had 4 of the 5 starting pitchers returning as they maintained good strength in their pitching arm and didn’t appear to have any problem throwing. This was a good sign for the start of the season. A few new relievers had been added to bring up extra support during late inning decisions. Overall the team looked solid on paper, but needed to prove themselves to be viewed as a serious contender. They would have their share of chances to see if they could function well as a unit.
Throughout spring training players, managers, and coaches got to know one another, got comfortable working together, and learned the different personalities on the ball club. The team was instructed in late morning stretching and sprint drills on the field to get loose, preventing cramps and injuries. Players had fun while adjusting to the new environment, reviewing and further exploring fundamentals. Infielders and catchers practiced catching pop ups, groundballs while outfielders took turns catching fly balls. This was an essential part of the game that needed to be practiced on a repetitive basis. So many times teams would lose games due to errors. New comer, Jason Harrison worked on throwing and fielding, honing his already superb ability. He worked closely with the other infielders and coaches on base sequences along with fielding tactics. Much was covered up to the final day of spring training. It was a valuable, learning experience for everyone involved.
Jason Harrison practiced, trained, and worked out routinely in the weight room. He wanted to make a good impression on the coaches and his teammates as well as perform to the best of his ability. Little did he know, despite being his rookie year he would receive more attention than he could have ever imagined. Many of his new teammates were aware of his previous accomplishments and exceptional gift to play baseball. They all greeted him with a warm welcome. Harrison at 22 years of age was a natural at shortstop, his given position. However, coach and manager Stan Mathews thought the kid could play well at third base or in the outfield. This kid was a dream come true for an already lethal offense. In college Jason hit 44 homeruns and drove in 126 runs while obtaining a .315 batting average in his 3 year stay.
The club’s GM had high hopes for his revitalized team in the 1999 season. Due to past meltdowns in the playoffs and regular season he knew some changes were in order to balance youthful talent with experience. Making wise, valuable trades would enable the Mariners to be a more competitive force in the American League West. Everyone in the club’s organization were positive about the transactions and felt good about the decisions made. Finishing over .500 three years in a row was not cutting it. The fans were expecting more, waiting for their team’s rise to ultimate stardom and glory. Those who were die heat fans had been committed, buying tickets to come see the home games which brought in most of the revenue. Seattle had made good progress over the stretch of 5 years, but lacked a certain element that would make them a great ball club.
The new players placed on the roster gave the team the right fit with more exciting, outstanding talent. Adding the extra pitching to the staff and bullpen provided a strength of depth. Trading two relief pitchers that averaged high runs per innings and frequently lacked good control was a smart move. Their follies and presence in tight games had weigh in as a huge negative factor in recent years. Having the returning starting catcher was a plus. He could hit well in crucial situations and could trap and stop pitches in the dirt with the best of them. Given the right amount of exposure and games played this unit could be a destructive threat in the league. In effect attendance numbers should blossom. Bringing more interest and appeal to the ballpark took expert strategizing. The present overall performance in the regular could make people forget about the failures in the past. This as with anything would take time.
Poor pitching was to blame for the downfall in previous seasons. Too many terrible outings in middle relief caused the Ms to lose key games. The starting rotation did a decent job, but couldn’t get over the hump when it came to allowing homeruns. The starters had allowed 72 homeruns in the 1998 season. This was a staggering total which became a major flaw in mid to late innings of games. The category far exceeded the average of all other teams in the American League. The offense had been steady, though with a few more power hitters available the middle of the order would receive more support. The restructure of the club was done in attempts to become a competitive threat in the AL West, being able to go toe to toe with the best in baseball. Goals were set for the season, loftier than ever, wanting to make the team overachievers.
The team owner had already put some of his plans into action, but was reviewing other potential talent in the league which he may pursue before the trade deadline in July. There was no way to avoid being flawless, but insuring that his players served the right roles for his club was what such an investment was all about. Having a team salary cap that was limited to $24 million didn’t give the luxury of hand picking the best talent in baseball. This held true for most teams. Since the average every day starting player averaged a salary of $2.5 million teams only had, but so much revenue to work with in signing new star players. The process was set up for teams to have a fair or equal salary cap so no one would have too much of advantage with the exception of the Yankees. They reigned supreme in the buyers market. Putting together a good team could be done with the typical salary cap. The problem was players wanted more and more money each year.
The Cactus League standings showed that no team had been playing brilliant, with most having sub par records. None of the regular team star players got to play entire games, usually giving way for younger guys who’d replace them in the 5th or 6th inning. All the fun took place on the field and dugouts as players who knew one another joked around and tried to show off. The best record was owned by the Minnesota Twins. They had also scored the most runs. Several of the old time players still alive from the 50’s and 60’s were on hand to watch some of the spring training games. They were interviewed about the upcoming season and traces of their baseball career. Although the Tampa Bay Devil Rays looked like a much improved ball club everybody still thought they would stink up the league again. They had yet to go out and retrieve a big name player or two that could make them a more balanced group in the American League. Every other team had a shot in the regular season if they’d live up to their potential.
Seattle had to cut several of their prospects from the roster. Jason Harrison looked the be the real gem as far as rookies were concerned. He made an impact in Triple A, accomplishing new career highs in batting average and hits. The 22 year old finished the ’98 minor league season with 18 homeruns, 183 hits, and a .316 batting average. This kid was proving his self-worth from the organization’s management stand point. They only wondered how well he would fare in the majors for a full season. They understood he was green and needed the experience under his belt to be a superstar level player. This was evident for everyone who saw him make the rookie mistakes and errors in spring training. That was fine, it helped him learn and grow as a professional baseball player. After all the decisions were made about the roster, Jason and a young right-hander with a explosive fastball and nasty forkball were the only two rookies kept on the team. Based on their early performances they could return to the minors.
Fighting for collective positions on the team came down to the wire. The coaching staff and management reviewed and rated each individual player’s performances, selecting the ones they all felt were ready for the squad. It was necessary to gather up their best group of talent available to be mixed with the experience and savvy of the veterans who returned for another season. There was envy clearly visible from others who didn’t make the team or were placed back in the farm system until prior notice. The team kept only two catchers, but had to be weary of injury so they placed two other catchers in the Triple A just in case. The team wanted one of their star outfielders, Ray Jordan to keep a low profile on his off season arrest record. He was charged for assault and battery after pummeling a black man for abusing his girlfriend. It was ugly scene that occurred in the slums of Detroit he’d rather forget. It was old news that most people knew about already, though the media could try to drag it out in the open again if they wanted. Jordan was advised not to say a word about such events that took place in the past. He was ashamed that he was caught with possession of marijuana, but had put that incident behind him. Focusing on the new season was all that mattered.
Impressive attributes and talent was spread throughout the ball club. Having several position players returning like first basemen, Pete Tankersley, starting pitcher, Frank Davis, and catcher, Dave Meeks bode well for the Mariners. They needed to even out the team with veteran experience. The Mexican infielders were in their early 20’s, coming into the country illegally 5 years ago and had yet to obtain their U.S. citizenship or a green card. Their English was improving, but still unclear at some moments. Relievers, Lui Chan and Meo Hasagawa were Koreans who didn’t speak much of anything, being reserved for mainly private one-on-one conservations. The utility infielder, Tony Boscotelli was devout versatile player with a flair for the game that suffered from Tarets Syndrome. The Italian, former bouncer was known to swear at the drop of a hat. Adding a few other American players with Jason Harrison placed together a unique team. Their deficiencies didn’t seem to outweigh their overall strengths. The 58 year old coach was a disciplined man who strongly believed in total team effort to succeed as a major league team.
Coach Stan Mathews had took the blame in recent years for his team’s downfall in the postseason. Building the team into a contender since their evolution in the 70’s was no easy job. The front office gave him heat for his decisions during the regular season and demanded higher performance and better results. On the verge of being fired, Mathews used his baseball knowledge and choice of strategy to sway the owner and GM’s consideration. His extensive accomplishments in a long, admirable coaching career also measured his value to the team. He stayed in Seattle, moving into his eight year as coach. His physical attributes were deceiving as he fit for his age, showed slight wrinkles on his face with a healthy heart and toned arms, however was legally blind in his left eye. Most people didn’t know he had a glass eye due to an accident in the Vietnam War. It looked normal to people. His encouragement and understanding of his players made him a receptive person.
Major League baseball owners and the commissioner wanted to keep the big name star players happy by avoiding clashes with the players union concerning salary and stipulations in contracts. They didn’t want to have another baseball strike like back in 1995. A repeat of this magnitude reeks havoc on baseball. No one could bare to see this happen again. New contract deals were made, obligations would be fulfilled which included extra incentives such as bonuses that players truly didn’t deserve. Such pampering of certain prominent figures in the sport was outrageous. Satisfying the players were the jobs of the top execs who often did their share of butt kissing trying to make things right. They had been used to this kind of treatment by those staff members working under them. After all the necessary document and paper work was done for all teams baseball was set for another long 162 game season. Predictions were being cast through polls and sports magazines already for the teams who’d rank in first place in their divisions and the team that would win the World Series. Expecting a team with low market appeal to go all the way was a long shot and received a lot of raised eye brows.


Copyright, Peter Harvey 2005