Q&A With Alyson Footer, MLB.com's Executive Editor of National Content

Women who write about baseball tend to find each other, either in the press box, the clubhouse, or on social media. We look for advice, tips, and camaraderie. So it was that I came to know Alyson Footer.

Alyson has worked in and around baseball for nearly her entire career. She’s seen a lot of changes in the game and how it’s covered. She agreed to answer some questions for the newsletter. (Some answers edited for brevity).

Q. What is your current position with MLB.com?

A. A few years ago I joined the management team [of MLB.com] as executive editor of national content. I oversee a staff of reporters and producers who are based in several cities in the U.S. and Toronto. They cover games in their respective cities and also produce and edit the content that goes up on MLB.com and our 30 club sites.

I also work closely with Mark Feinsand, the reporter who handles all of our hot stove/trade deadline/free agent content.

The third major component of my job is to work closely with our Youth, Community and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion departments on coordinating coverage of the activities that we host throughout the calendar year. These include youth and college tournaments, Play Ball events, and commemorative days in honor of Lou Gehrig, Jackie Robinson, and Roberto Clemente. I make sure we amplify and celebrate these events on MLB.com.

Q. How does your current position differ from your prior jobs with MLB.com and the Houston Astros?

A. I've held a few positions over the years, mostly in reporting roles. I started with the Astros way back in 1997, when I was part of their media relations staff. I jumped to MLB.com in 2001 and covered the Astros beat for eight years. I went back to the Astros for three years to oversee their social media operation, and then returned to MLB.com in more of a reporting and multimedia role.

(Photo courtesy of Society of Baseball Research, Houston Chapter)

Q. What was involved in getting MLB.com ready for Opening Day and the season?

A. Whew. A lot. We run a ton of Opening Day content, previewing the season from national and team standpoints. Each club reporter has a series of items to file in the weeks leading up to Opening Day that covers anything a fan might want to know ahead of the start of the season. We rank the rotations and lineups and we give our boldest predictions about how the season might turn out. We run our always-popular Power Rankings, guaranteed to irk at least six fanbases each week! [Here’s a link to Alyson unveiling a first look at MLB.com’s Power Rankings for 2023].

It's a busy time—Spring Training wraps up, beat reporters scurry back to their hometowns and bam! Just like that, Opening Day. It's a crazy time, but it's the best time, too. 

Q. What 3 things are you most looking forward to this season?

The pitcher timer, of course. I covered one week of Spring Training and ended my excursion to Florida with a Tigers-Nationals game that lasted two hours and 13 minutes. Watching how the pitch timer translates to regular season games is something that I think everyone is looking forward to seeing.

I don’t have any inside knowledge, but I think the trade deadline is going to be super-interesting in terms of Shohei Ohtani if the Angels don't contend. Even if nothing happens, the weeks leading up to the deadline will be fascinating, if the Angels put out even a hint they'd be willing to deal him. As we like to say, get your popcorn ready.

I think we're all watching the Mets a little bit, no? I'm interested to see how the rotation performs over the course of the season. That rotation has star power, no doubt. But some of the pitchers also have a lot of mileage on those arms. [Alyson provided this answer before we learned about that Justin Verlander suffered a strain of his teres minor muscle and landed on the 10-day injured list.] I'll be curious to see how they handle some of the veteran pitchers, to ensure they're at full strength in October (assuming the team makes it to the postseason). 

Q. How has the landscape for women writing about or working for MLB changed during your career?

A. It's changed a lot over the time I've been in baseball, in that there are simply more women working in the game now than there were when I first started. There are more opportunities for women, too, which was not always the case couple of decades ago. While we're still in the early stages of women being hired for jobs that are traditionally male roles (broadcasting, coaching, etc.), there was a time not long ago that even the thought of hiring a woman to be a PR director was viewed as outlandish. Now it's commonplace and no one gives it a second thought. Our industry has come a long way. We have more work to do—the work will never end—but I like where the game is headed in that respect. 

Q. What advice do you have for young folks looking to write about or work for MLB? 

A. I'll start with the basics. Be sure to try to gain some work experience while you're in college, whether it's writing for the school newspaper (if you want to go into journalism), or interning somewhere that interests you. Everyone comes from a different place in life, so do what you can, even if it's just networking or reaching out to someone in the industry who might be able to give you some direction. I can't speak for other entities, but at MLB.com, we ask our full-time reporters to answer young people when they reach out for guidance. It takes 10 minutes and can make a huge difference in someone's career path. 

My other piece of advice is to become fluent in Spanish if that is not your first language. I can't stress enough how quickly that will shoot you to the top of the digital resume stack. Bilingual reporters are SO resourceful and valuable. They're the envy of our media industry.  And if you are bilingual, don't bury that at the bottom of your resume. Move it to the top!