Register's new owner gives OK to hire a Dodgers writer

The Register a few years back decided to save some dollars by grabbing content on selected local sports beats from the Singleton papers. It runs the Daily News' Vincent Bonsignore and AP on the Dodgers. The Daily News et al in turn can use the Register's Angels coverage by Bill Plunkett and others — sometimes lots of others. Maybe it applied on other beats as well, I don't know. Now the newly acquired Register has put out the word that it wants to staff the Dodger Stadium press box again, and right away. The editors want someone adept at tweets, blog posts and longer story telling, with good sources to break stories, and who preferably speaks Spanish. Baseball experience itself not necessarily required.

Here's the note from Sports Editor Todd Harmonson.

The Orange County Register is looking for an experienced, talented baseball reporter with a passion for breaking news and an ability to tell the story beyond the obvious angle. After years of sharing baseball content, we received authorization from our new owners to hire a Dodgers writer. We want someone who does the in-depth reporting needed to get inside an issue, explain the personnel move and tell the gripping tales that are not found in a box score or a wire recap. The ideal candidate will have at least five years of experience on a major sports beat (not necessarily baseball), a strong history of enterprise reporting and the ability to develop sources in the clubhouse, the front office and in the agent ranks. Fluency in Spanish is a definite plus, though not required. Yes, we want someone adept at 140-character gems and intriguing blog posts, but our focus is on reporting and telling superb stories. And, of course, we understand that we are searching at the end of baseball's regular season, so we plan to be flexible on a start date for the right candidate.

Please send your resume and 10 writing samples (including a mix of enterprise, features, gamers and analysis) by Aug. 31 to tharmonson@ocregister.com, and put "Baseball reporter" in the subject field. Please no phone calls.

FYI: We are expecting to have more positions approved soon, including one or two on the copy desk.

Todd Harmonson
Sports Editor
The Orange County Register

Aaron Kushner took over the Register in June and has been saying some of the right things so far.

Dodger Stadium seats: LA Observed