From e04a82ec16c1c2ea3535e8180f674f9b173da766 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Matthew Spah <spahmatthew@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 12 Jan 2026 02:10:34 -0800
Subject: [PATCH] docs: add contributing section to README

- Add guidelines for forking, cloning, and branching
- Document how to run mock and external tests
- Add PR guidelines (tests must pass, use template, branch naming)
- Add instructions for reporting issues
- Note about external test failures due to API changes
- Bump version to 0.6.2
---
 README.md      | 52 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 pyproject.toml |  2 +-
 2 files changed, 53 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 0e5a1b6..15fae40 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -117,6 +117,58 @@ python3
 * `Mlb.get_game_box_score(self, game_id: int, **params)` - Return a Boxscore for a game
 
 
+## Contributing
+
+Contributions are welcome! Whether it's bug fixes, new features, or documentation improvements, we appreciate your help.
+
+### Getting Started
+
+1. Fork the repository
+2. Clone your fork: `git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/python-mlb-statsapi.git`
+3. Install dependencies: `poetry install`
+4. Create a branch: `git checkout -b feat/your-feature`
+
+### Development
+
+```bash
+# Run tests
+poetry run pytest
+
+# Run mock tests only (no external API calls)
+poetry run pytest tests/mock_tests/
+
+# Run external tests (requires internet)
+poetry run pytest tests/external_tests/
+```
+
+### Pull Request Guidelines
+
+- **All tests must pass** before submitting a PR
+- Use the [PR template](.github/pull_request_template.md) when creating your pull request
+- Follow the branch naming convention:
+  - `feat/` - New features
+  - `fix/` - Bug fixes
+  - `docs/` - Documentation updates
+  - `refactor/` - Code improvements
+
+### Reporting Issues
+
+Found a bug or have a feature request? Please [open an issue](https://github.com/zero-sum-seattle/python-mlb-statsapi/issues/new) with:
+
+- A clear description of the problem or feature
+- Steps to reproduce (for bugs)
+- Expected vs actual behavior
+- Python version and package version
+
+### Note on External Tests
+
+Some tests make real API calls to the MLB Stats API. These may occasionally fail due to:
+- API changes (new fields, removed endpoints)
+- Season/data availability
+
+If you notice external test failures, please check if the MLB API has changed and update the models accordingly.
+
+
 ## Examples
 
 Let's show some examples of getting stat objects from the API. What is baseball with out stats right?
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index a7dc7da..eca7b6e 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [tool.poetry]
 name = "python-mlb-statsapi"
-version = "0.6.1"
+version = "0.6.2"
 description = "mlbstatsapi python wrapper"
 authors = [
     "Matthew Spah <spahmatthew@gmail.com>",