Like any sport these days, Major League Baseball uses Twitter to connect to their fans and to spread news about their teams and players.
Reporters and Journalists that cover baseball also use Twitter to inform fans of trades, suspensions, stats, awards, and anything else that the fans would like to know about their favorite team and players.
Although Twitter can be very useful and helpful to build relationships with fans and gain loyalty, it can also cause problems and not be accurate.
This past season, there was a trade that made it on Twitter before it was a done deal. The trade was between the New York Mets and the Milwaukee Brewers. The Tweet said that Wilmer Flores and Zack Wheeler from the Mets would be traded to the Brewers for Carlos Gomez.
The Tweet was sent out during a game and reached the fans at the stadium before it reached the dug out.
All the fans in the stadium thought Flores would be traded so this would be his last game as a Met. Unaware of what was happening, Flores continued to play the game. He was made aware of the situation by fans when he was walking from the dugout. Flores thought it was a done deal too and felt the emotion of leaving the only team he has been on since he was 16. The mets coaching staff was not told the trade went through because it really didn't so they left Flores in the game and he got emotional while playing.
After the game, it was made clear that the trade would not transpire. Fans reacted on Twitter and responded to Flores and his emotions. That entire issue brought to light the problem of social media being too fast and not as accurate for our own good.
Fans are using social media as a way to have their teams and favorite players with them at all times.
Andrew Wyrich of NorthJersey.com states that “Mets fans generated 760,000 posts to Twitter, Facebook and Instagram- more than the supporters of any other Major League Baseball franshise- between July 14 and August 13. 2o15.”
Wyrich later goes on to say that New York teams have an advantage because New York is the “country’s largest metropolitan areas and media market.”
This stat was also during the time the trade situation with Wilmer Flores occurred, rendering more Tweets and Comments than usual.
In the same article, Matt Cerrone, founder of MetsBlog.com, says that “Mets fans fixate on things like the impact of a player’s injury, trade rumors and the team’s financial state. Social media have given them an outlet for all of this.”
Fans are showing their loyalty and love for their team through social media. They are also seeking out more information about their teams players by following them and watching their every move.
While the team and the players succeed and do well, more fans flock to social media to follow those that are excelling and making their cities proud. Fans have more to say and comment on when their favorite or least favorite teams and player are in the spotlight for specific reason being them good or even bad.
A new app called, MLB Fans rolled out by Major League Baseball allows users to “share their own content, connect with other fans and follow baseball all year long” according to Brielle Jaekel of Mobile Marketer.
Nick Loui, cheif marketing officer at Vixlet says this about the app: “Mobile was a major focus given the rise of smartphones, the need to deliver a best in class fan experience, where fans in baseball stadiums and viewing parties around the world can participate.”
This app was also made so that baseball fans would stay engaged during the off season when baseball games aren't played and players and teams aren't together.