Catching up
Hi everybody,
So, you might know, I’ve been pretty absent the last few weeks while out promoting my new book The Life and Afterlife of Harry Houdini. But I’ve actually been thinking about a couple of other things I’d like to tell you about.
The Baseball 100: So, here’s the plan on the Baseball 100 — right after the first of the year, I’m going to count down the 100 greatest baseball players in 100 days over at The Athletic. As you might remember, we have done the first 35 players or so already here — those essays will be edited and updated (and I believe there might be one or two changes based on recent events!). So the first month will be a bit of a repeat for many of you with a couple of added twists. But then we should have all 100 up more or less by Opening Day, plus a special Negro Leagues countdown in February. It’s going to be a lot of work, yes, but I’m really excited about it.
A weekly newsletter: So, here’s the feedback I’m getting from you — and please tell me if I’m wrong in the comments: These little emails I’m sending out every time I write a new story for The Athletic are not especially useful for you. They’re clogging up your email, and they’re not especially informative.
And they’re probably not necessary. For one thing, you can just check out my Athletic page for the latest updates at any time. And for another, there is a personal Athletic RSS feed available so that you can get direct updates every time I write.
So, instead of sending those out, here’s what I intend to do here at JoeBlogs — and again, please tell me if you disagree:
Stop the link emails. Instead, every week, I’m thinking Tuesdays, I will put together a newsletter which is all new and original stuff. I’ve got all sorts of ideas for the newsletter, and I think it should get better as we go. It will also include a rundown of the stories I wrote at the Athletic and maybe a link or two of stuff I’m reading.
I will continue to put my non-sports, family, oddball, PosCast and literary stuff here (like the piece about Elizabeth and Football I put up on Sunday). More of that should come out now that I’m (mostly) through the first phase of my Houdini tour.
I will try, particularly during Hall of Fame season, to put up weekly Q&A threads so we can talk about whatever you want to talk about.
That’s it. Now, if you don’t like this plan and would prefer something else, absolutely, put it in the comments. In fact, if you DO like this plan, please put that in the comments. I’m hoping to start immediately with the first newsletter coming out next Tuesday.
I actually really like the emails. I don’t always have time to independently go to the Athletic every day. WI see a new email from you, though, I know you have something new and I make sure to find the time to read it. If the weekly newsletter will include links to the past week’s columns, both sports related on the Athletic and otherwise family oriented, that should work. But, for me at least, you telling me you have something new, rather than trusting me to find it myself, is far more convenient.
Joe - I'd prefer you keep the emails. The link you provide to your Athletic page has no real order to it and includes many articles not even written by you. First up is the Marvin Miller article (recent, although not your latest), followed by a column on Pujols from May of 2018, then the column on Matheny (again, relatively recent), then today's Browns diary (your most recent), and then an ALCS roundtable from October (which you contributed to), then a column on the Bengals. Um, what's that doing there? It's kind of a mess.
Also, I enjoy getting the emails so I can tag then to read when I have the time, but also so that I know as soon as you post something. A weekly newsletter will push all that back by up to a week. If you are counting votes, I strongly vote to keep your emails. Thanks.