Verified players on Twitter.
My blog about Twins closer Joe Nathan using Twitter to respond to a column written about him prompted questions from a few of you as to how many Major League players Tweet.
There are plenty of bogus accounts out there using the names of ballplayers, so MLB.com’s Mark Newman has compiled a list of verified accounts. Currently, Roy Oswalt is the only Astros player with a Twitter account. He hasn’t done much with it, but he’s planning to being more active in the near future.
The “Lance Berkman” account is bogus.
Click here for the full list of legit accounts.
Follow Alyson Footer on Twitter
Questions? Send to afooter@astros.com
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So far Oswalt’s only tweeted to advertise his ranch web page. It will be interesting to see how players might utilize social media in the future to speak to fans in their own voices, not just through the press. I can imagine both good and bad results! The younger players (especially those who are still in the minor leagues) may find that there’s a blur between their personal online presence (facebook friends) and their more public persona (visible to fans), which needs to be distinguished. The Astros, as a team, are kind of old – probably just past the age of typical young people who can’t imagine living without their social media toys. But I’d bet that most of the minor leaguers who grew up in the US are on Facebook.