Up here in Rochester New York, we don’t have a major league baseball team, but we do have a very nice AAA team, the Rochester Redwings. (And none other than Bob Dylan put on a show at the RedWings’ stadium this past week–hey, we get big names here too…I’m even seeing Seinfeld perform in person later this month. So there.)

Funny thing, though, about being a fan of a minor league team is that as soon as a player gets really good and you start to pay attention to him–he’s gone–scooped up by the major league establishment (in Rochester’s case, its’ the Baltimore Orioles).

That’s a bit frustrating and odd–the feeling of getting “nervous” when someone you like is getting too good…

But I wonder if the same phenomenon will happen with some of the really good bloggers. Mainstream media is looking for new “properties”, and brand names, and of course, most, though not all bloggers, wouldn’t mind moving up and getting the prestige, not to mention the regular pay, of writing or blogging for a more mainstream journal or even blog associated with a mainstream publication.

Anyway, a couple months ago, Maureen Dowd wrote a very funny piece about how mainstream journalists want to blog, and (many at least) bloggers want to be “discovered” by the MSM. (Sorry–but it’s one of those GD “Times Select” articles)

Will the blogospher just become a practice area and a place to get noticed by the MSM scouts?
And then what happens when top notch bloggers are called up to the “majors?” When they get cherry picked, will they retain the values and style of the blogosphere in their new assigment, or will working for a mainstream media create a more muted, less lively, and less daring writing?

Most of the really prominent bloggers will be those covering politics, technology or the media, and not as much business, but if I was a major business publication and noticed a great blogger, I’d sure like to look into getting him onboard….wouldn’t you?