Astros hire their MLB.com beat writer

HOUSTON, TX -The Houston Astros announced today that the club has hired Alyson Footer as Senior Director, Digital Media. The announcement was made by Astros Senior Vice President of Communications Jay Lucas.

Footer served two roles during her previous four years with the Astros from 1997-2000, first as Coordinator of Publications and then as Assistant Director of Media Relations. She moved to MLB.com when the company began in 2001 and was the beat reporter for Astros.com for eight years, until being named to her new post with the Astros. She also was part of the MLB.com coverage teams for seven All-Star Games and seven World Series.

"We are delighted to have someone of Alyson's caliber join our communications team," Lucas said. "The emergence of digital and social media over the last few years has emphasized the importance of this unique medium that reaches our fans and partners in a relevant way. More and more fans are getting their news and information from media and non-traditional media outlets, and we believe Alyson's unique writing abilities and down-to-earth style will present an insightful and relevant perspective from the Astros clubhouse and front office."

Footer received her bachelor's degree in English Literature and her master's degree in Journalism, both from the University of Cincinnati, where she spent two years as a graduate assistant for the Sports Information Department. Footer will begin her duties with the Astros front office on Monday, June 1.

"I am thrilled to join the Astros and to take on this new challenge," Footer said. "Digital media and social networking is a big part of how teams communicate with the fans, and I'm proud to be a part of a groundbreaking initiative. I'm also grateful for the relationship I built with Astros fans through my years covering the team for MLB.com, and I look forward to continuing that line of communication as I begin this new endeavor."

 

Brian McTaggert will be the new Astros MLB.com beat writer. He was a backup writer for the 'Stros for the Houston Chronicle.

 

This should settle any "is mlb.com journalism?" debates we have henceforth.

 

Must mean Jose gets full time Stros duty for the Chronicle. Congratulations to Brian. He and Jose made a good team covering them.

 

What, Alyson's back-and-forth employment or McTaggart jumping from the Chron to an MLB.com job immediately?

 

Alyson's a great person; one of my all-time favorites. Congrats to her ...

 

I don't know that one case settles it one way or another.

There are cases of political reporters eventually moving into government jobs -- does that necessarily mean they weren't doing honest reporting in their old job?

I don't know about Alyson -- except my daughter's name is spelled the same way -- but this move doesn't prove anything about MLB to me. Other things might; not this.

 

So this is where Jay Lucas landed.

 

Agree with SF_Express.

This has nothing to do with MLB.com being or not being journalism. This is no different than a newspaper journalist going somewhere else.

 

Plus, let's not forget she worked for the Astros BEFORE she worked for mlb.com.