As the baseball season ends, it is a time for reflection. A look back at what has happened over the past seven months (eight if you include Spring Training) to see how your team did. Were the expectations too high, too low, or did they finish where you thought they would? Did your team make the postseason, or finish at the bottom of the standings? It’s an unavoidable process as you look back to the just completed season—ever so briefly—before turning your attention to what may lay in store for the following year.
At “Top Of The Third”, it’s also a chance to reflect on what we
accomplished. I had wanted to start a baseball blog for quite some time, to
combine the two things that I know more about than anything else: baseball and
writing. As a journalist graduate from Niagara College sixteen years ago, and
not working in the field I studied, I figured this blog was the best way to get
back into writing, something I have always loved to do.
The first post was the weekend before the All-Star Break and originally I
had planned to publish three or four posts per week. But, then something
incredible happened. The Toronto Blue Jays, my favourite team since I was a
kid, got good. They turned another mediocre season into their best in more than
two decades. As I started to write more about them, more of you started to read
my posts. In order to keep you coming back repeatedly, I wrote more. Whether it
was about the Blue Jays, past moments in history, division races in September
or post season memories, I just kept writing and the hits to my blog kept
coming.
In just under four months of blogging, Top Of The Third has been viewed
over 3200 times (an average of 27 per day), something I would never have
dreamed four months ago. It has been overwhelming how many people have read
with interest occasionally, repeatedly or just had a glance to see what it was
all about.
And I wanted to thank each and every one of you who read the posts, liked
the Facebook page (over 90 likes now), recommended the blog to others or just
had a quick look to see what the subject was. It was because of all of you that
I continued to write with as much enthusiasm as I did. It was all of you who
gave me inspiration to write every day, even though there were some days I had
to wrack my brain to come up with another sentence, another paragraph or
another story.
But as the baseball season has come to an end, it is time to back off the
blog—but just a little bit. Having a full-time job and being a father to a four
year old and a two year old makes me busy enough. Adding a daily blog to the
list has been a challenge—albeit a fun one—and a little bit exhausting.
As we look ahead to the 2016 baseball season, “Top Of The Third” will
undergo a format change that I will be working on throughout the winter. I want
to shift away from the journalistic aspect of telling you what you already
know, and move more toward giving my opinion on a given topic and getting your
thoughts on it as well.
During the winter, I will introduce this with one or two—maybe
three—published posts per week on free agent signings, manager firings and
hirings, retirements, etc…, (I might even dabble in some other sports leagues like
the CFL, NFL and NCAA football)—but my focus will be on 2016. And I can tell
you several things I am working on for next season.
Next year will be the 40th season of the Toronto Blue Jays. I
will be working on a top 40 list where I will rank the top 40 Blue Jay players
of all time. Your input on this will be welcomed. It will also mark the 35th
Anniversary of the first and only post season appearance of the Montreal Expos.
A ten-part series is in the works to remember that as well.
So while the posts will slow down for the next several months, I invite
you to keep reading whenever something gets published. Please like the Facebook
page, follow on Twitter or sign up with your email to get posts sent directly
to your inbox.
Thanks again for being a part of my rookie season as a baseball blogger
and I look forward to providing more reading entertainment in 2016.
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