For anyone out there who questions the value of Twitter, I offer you TwinsTicker.
If you every find yourself desparately hoping for a comeback victory or praying the defense can hold long enough to preserve a win, then you need to follow @TwinsTicker.
TwinsTicker provides the odds of winning with updates after each score or key out. The math involved is complex to say the least. Better to see it in action:
The ticker tweets are available for other teams too:
What I like most about TwinsTicker is what it represents… the ongoing search for new applications that will make social media relevant to new audiences. Once upon a time, conventional wisdom said the Internet was little more than a toy for freaks and geeks. Then everyday people discovered everyday ways to use it. Now we’re seeing the same progression with new media like Twitter.
Hopefully TwinsTicker exposes more people to the possiblities of Twitter, but it does come with a downside. As exhilarating as it is to watch your team ride a 99% chance of winning through the late innings, it’s equally devastating when the tide turns.
At times like this, baseball + Twitter = bitter.
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Twitter makes good sense for sports broadcasting. For years, men have rushed into crowded bars and yelled, “What’s the score?” Certainly, there’s enjoyment in watching the sporting event take place, but it seems that the running tally can be just as good in a pinch.
My friend, @jeffgabhart, has a number of baseball accounts on Twitter. I’m not sure if it’s as strategic, mathematical, and automatic as this setup, but it’s interesting, none-the-less.