Perhaps I’ve told this story before: This has to be more than 30 years ago … I was probably 25 years old, and was somehow the sports columnist for The Augusta Chronicle in Augusta, Ga.
I meant to write this last week, but the holiday got in the way. If the goal of "I Pounded Poz" is simply to get more right than he does, and if he is truly terrible -- or even just mediocre -- then winning should be easy. Simply pick the opposite of what Poz picks, in every game. If Poz gets more wrong than right, then the Opposite Poz would get more right than wrong. And it sounds like Poz being more wrong than right was fairly certain to happen at least once, possibly multiple times, during the season.
That was writing incredibly well. And of course it was.
I love your sports writing and I love the Poscast. (My wife likes the Poscast, too, just because she enjoys your relationship and banter). But when you just write about being human? When you just write about people?
That makes you just a great great writer. A great great American writer.
And that's why your books do so well. It is not that they are sports books. It's that they are about people and the human experience.
Thank you for enriching my life for so many years.
This is 1000% true. The Soul of Baseball is a great baseball book, but it is an unbelievably amazing human book. And Joe's non-sports columns always end up being my favorite, which is not to say I don't love the sports content.
I’ll add my comment as another person who made it through those dark early days of the pandemic with the articles and comments from the Baseball 100. My eternal thanks for that. The daily entry and the lively comments were such a welcome distraction from...everything.
Two years ago I had heart bypass surgery. I remember listening and laughing to the Poscast as you two buoyed my spirits and helped me get through those dark days before and after the surgery. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, passion and humor about sports. Thank you for sharing stories about your personal life that bring chuckles and, occasionally, tears. You are a talented writer and a kind and caring man.
You get it. Gratitude is exactly the way to react to praise / frame/ compliments! It shows the value of all parties involved. Thanks for the writing, the understanding, the connecting, the caring.
I think a lot of us have the same problems accepting compliments, especially from people we are meeting for the first time. Like you I try to accept with a good grace. Everytime it happens the first thing that comes to mind is the scene from Saving Private Ryan at the WW II graveyard. There with his wife, offspring and grandchildren Private Ryan turns to his wife with tears in his eyes and asks "Tell me I've lead a good life. Tell me I'm a good man" That's what most of us strive to be, a good person. When we get some positive acknowledgement there is the moment when we truly wonder if we deserve it. And the answer when praise is freely offered is "Yes". Bless you Joe, and your family and thank you for all the gifts, big and small, you deliver on a regular basis. Happy Thanksgiving.
Joe, that had me tearing up. You're right about that - I've learned to just take the compliments when people give them and just say thank you. That's all they want/need to hear.
I am blessed beyond belief that you remember my comment to you. God Bless You
I meant to write this last week, but the holiday got in the way. If the goal of "I Pounded Poz" is simply to get more right than he does, and if he is truly terrible -- or even just mediocre -- then winning should be easy. Simply pick the opposite of what Poz picks, in every game. If Poz gets more wrong than right, then the Opposite Poz would get more right than wrong. And it sounds like Poz being more wrong than right was fairly certain to happen at least once, possibly multiple times, during the season.
Joe,
That was writing incredibly well. And of course it was.
I love your sports writing and I love the Poscast. (My wife likes the Poscast, too, just because she enjoys your relationship and banter). But when you just write about being human? When you just write about people?
That makes you just a great great writer. A great great American writer.
And that's why your books do so well. It is not that they are sports books. It's that they are about people and the human experience.
Thank you for enriching my life for so many years.
This is 1000% true. The Soul of Baseball is a great baseball book, but it is an unbelievably amazing human book. And Joe's non-sports columns always end up being my favorite, which is not to say I don't love the sports content.
Joe, the Poscast MADE ME love baseball. Which is something uncanny here, where I live - in Poland. Thank you Joe!
I’ll add my comment as another person who made it through those dark early days of the pandemic with the articles and comments from the Baseball 100. My eternal thanks for that. The daily entry and the lively comments were such a welcome distraction from...everything.
Joe, your blog make my lunch break better every afternoon. It’s the little things in life.
Two years ago I had heart bypass surgery. I remember listening and laughing to the Poscast as you two buoyed my spirits and helped me get through those dark days before and after the surgery. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, passion and humor about sports. Thank you for sharing stories about your personal life that bring chuckles and, occasionally, tears. You are a talented writer and a kind and caring man.
Thanks, Joe, for brightening my days!
You get it. Gratitude is exactly the way to react to praise / frame/ compliments! It shows the value of all parties involved. Thanks for the writing, the understanding, the connecting, the caring.
Joe - can a current monthly subscribers take advantage of the current annual deal?
Happy Thanksgiving, Joe, to you and your family. Thank you for what you give to us all. Signed, a fellow writer.
Happy Thanksgiving, Joe, to you and your family. Thank you for what you give to us all. Signed, a fellow writer.
Have a safe, blessed and stomach filled Thanksgiving, Joe!
Happy thanksgiving to the Posnanski family and to our community of readers. Also, I’ve got to get one of those shirts.
I think a lot of us have the same problems accepting compliments, especially from people we are meeting for the first time. Like you I try to accept with a good grace. Everytime it happens the first thing that comes to mind is the scene from Saving Private Ryan at the WW II graveyard. There with his wife, offspring and grandchildren Private Ryan turns to his wife with tears in his eyes and asks "Tell me I've lead a good life. Tell me I'm a good man" That's what most of us strive to be, a good person. When we get some positive acknowledgement there is the moment when we truly wonder if we deserve it. And the answer when praise is freely offered is "Yes". Bless you Joe, and your family and thank you for all the gifts, big and small, you deliver on a regular basis. Happy Thanksgiving.
I’m bummed that I couldn’t make it when you came to houston a couple weeks ago. I had my “Fruit Pie is Delicious” shirt ready and everything
Joe, that had me tearing up. You're right about that - I've learned to just take the compliments when people give them and just say thank you. That's all they want/need to hear.