The ace and the archives

chadfinn:

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A dozen or so days ago, I got a note from my friend Tim Britton, the outstanding baseball writer for the Providence Journal. He mentioned he was putting together a year-end roundup of the best Red Sox writing from 2015 and asked if I had anything I’d like to contribute.

I was flattered, and mentioned a longer piece I wrote in which I talked at length with Pedro Martinez about his performance in Game 5 of the 1999 ALDS against the Indians. I was satisfied by that piece mostly because Pedro was his usual candid and charismatic self. It was fulfilling because of him rather than anything I had to do with it, but hey, I got the byline. Might as well take the credit.

Beyond that, I couldn’t think of anything else – I can barely remember what I wrote yesterday, you know? – so I told Tim that I’d check my archives and see if there was anything else I was proud of. When I went to check the archives, I remembered something else: 

I don’t have an archive!  

You see, when Boston.com went through a redesign a year or so ago, we moved away from a blog model and began writing everything as a separate article. I was cool with it – I felt like I had the best sports writing job in Boston. I still do. But in retrospect, I don’t think I recognized at the time that some things would be lost that I’d miss. Further, some readers have missed me, even though I’m in the same spot I’ve ever been. That’s extraordinarily frustrating, especially for someone who doesn’t traffic in hot takes and depends on mutual trust with the readers.

A few hundred thousand of you came to the direct link for the blog each year, just checking to see if I’d written anything. Some of them have struggled to find my stuff since then – I still hear from a few per week, asking if I’ve written anything lately when I had a column posted that morning, and the morning before too. While there is a landing page on Boston.com as well as a Facebook page where I try to post everything, it’s not quite the same.

I’d noticed a few writers far more prominent than me – such as Dan Wetzel, the outstanding Yahoo! Sports columnist – using outlets like Tumblr to enhance their visibility for their real jobs. 

So I figure: Why not? I’m not going to use this to write anything new beyond my Boston.com and Globe work; that would seem rather counterproductive. But I will use it as a way to point you to my stuff there every day – seriously, I write 5-6 times a week! I’m still here, or there! – while letting this build up as my unofficial archive. 

It’s also an excuse to post some completely random baseball cards, a staple of the old format and something that I could no longer make work under our new content management system. 

I need to find a way to revive the chats, too. Maybe this will be how it happens.

 In the meantime, find me here – bookmark it, please, or however that works these days – and I’ll remind you how to find me there. 

Below, I’ve seeded this sucker with a few posts from last year. Thanks, as always, for reading. 

One of the better writers in the biz now has his work archived here on Tumblr. Follow. Trust. (also, when/if reblogging him, always add the tag, “when is your Friday chat coming back?”. Gracias, semi-retired management.)

From M*A*S*H (S05 E24, 1977)
.
.
Colonel Potter: Where's your home, son?
G.I.: If I remember right, I'm from Chicago.
Colonel Potter: Boy, do I know that town. I was a bachelor stationed at Camp Grant for two years. Used to hit Chicago like a tornado.
G.I: I'm from the Near North Side.
Colonel Potter: Then you'll get a kick out of this. The Dewdrop Inn. It's a tavern at the southeast corner of Broadway and Lawrence.
G.I.: There's a bank there.
Colonel Potter: A bank? When did they put that up?
G.I.: Around 1900, sir.
Colonel Potter: Well, I used to drink a lot in those days. Used to hop off the "L" at Diversey and catch the White Sox at Comiskey Park.
G.I.: Colonel, I think that's the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
Colonel Potter: Baseball's a wonderful game no matter who's playing.
G.I.: Hmm, sure is.
siphotos:
“ Tommy Hanson pitches for the Atlanta Braves on April 5, 2012 against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Hanson was in a coma at an Atlanta hospital and died Monday night after succumbing to catastrophic organ failure. He was 29. Once...

siphotos:

Tommy Hanson pitches for the Atlanta Braves on April 5, 2012 against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Hanson was in a coma at an Atlanta hospital and died Monday night after succumbing to catastrophic organ failure. He was 29. Once considered a top pitching prospect, Hanson made his major league debut with the Braves in 2009, going 11–4 with a 2.89 ERA in 21 starts. (John Iacono for SI)

Awful and tragic.

siphotos:
“After winning their first World Series title since 1985, the Kansas City Royals are featured on this week’s cover of Sports Illustrated. (Erick W. Rasco for SI)
GALLERY: 2015 Sports Illustrated Covers
”

siphotos:

After winning their first World Series title since 1985, the Kansas City Royals are featured on this week’s cover of Sports Illustrated. (Erick W. Rasco for SI)

GALLERY: 2015 Sports Illustrated Covers

Baseball is such a well-mannered sport.

Triple H is sending the Royals a custom WWE belt.
Courtesy @sbnation
Brought to you @BovadaLV

Brought to you @BovadaLV

atedaryl:
“ Our boys being super adorbs!
”

atedaryl:

Our boys being super adorbs!

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royals:

CHAMPIONS!

Honest coaching response is a refreshing change-of-pace

Nice post by @craigcalcaterra

October 28, 1985 - Kansas City Times

November 2, 2015 - Kansas City Star

mightyflynn:
“ Flags fly forever.
”

mightyflynn:

Flags fly forever.

via Lids

winstonwolfe:
“ R.I.P. Yogi
Godspeed, you magnificent man.
”

winstonwolfe:

R.I.P. Yogi
Godspeed, you magnificent man.

(via Frank Gallo)