A Retrospective Moment to Say Thanks

By JCB on Tuesday, November 24, 2009

As with last year, I'm afraid that I will no longer be able to write consistently for Agony & Ivy on account of other commitments, which will continue at least into the bulk of the 2010 season. Accordingly, changes for the site are afoot. Details will follow as they materialize.

I wanted to take a moment to say thanks, though, to several people.

To KJM for not only helping conceive and develop the site, but also for some terrific photos and insights; to PMC, a professional sportswriter who agreed to contribute his thoughts; and to JMI, who briefly contributed some fine writing. KJM, by the way, maintained Minor League Summer last season, tracking his travels to 29 minor league games in 2009. Cheers for a season well done!

Thanks also to everyone who followed, commented, linked, or e-mailed me along the way to share their appreciation. I did my best to avoid parroting everything else that was out there, and it meant an awful lot to me when you took the time to let me know that you noticed, and cared.

From the body of work hosted here so far, there are a few things I enjoyed writing most:

The end-of-season essays from 2001 and 2003 - 2006, especially Between Chapters from 2003. I have a feeling I'll be thankful I wrote what it was like in that moment for the rest of my life looking back at such a signal season.

The September 2005 essays written during a 10-day, nine-game road trip with my father the fall after he retired and I moved away from Chicago.

Working through some thoughts on the underlying problem of baseball's steroid policy in light of some of the things I was thinking about in law school.

Plus a few others, especially those pieces where I was able to pull in quotes and thoughts from baseball's literary tradition, older or recent; or just some of America's finest literature.

I'm also proud of having a post quoted in the Chicago Tribune in July 2006.

Whatever changes are occurring in journalism, it's still nice when a newspaper notices.

Of course, to be a Cubs fan is to know how to look forward without getting caught up on the past for too long. So here's hoping for the best in 2010. It will be that much sweeter when we win next year.