It took several things to bring me back to this blog after an unscheduled hiatus of nearly two years: a new scanner, the prospect of a spring without baseball, and of course, being confined in my own home for two weeks and counting.
Let me back up a bit. I'm perfectly healthy, as are my wife and son. Maryland has been doing its part to flatten the curve of COVID-19, and Janet and I are both fortunate enough to have jobs that can accommodate for full telework in the case of a friendly neighborhood pandemic.
Like most of you, I'm trying to come to grips with a really anxious, frightening, unprecedented situation. Our daily lives as we know them have been upended. We don't know when we will be able to hug our friends, visit our parents and siblings, feel the simple sense of community that comes from a meal at a restaurant or a night at the theatre...or the ballpark.
So as we're all looking for an outlet for our worries and frustrations, it only makes sense that I've found mine in a familiar yet long overlooked place. At its best, this blog serves as a place for me to share anecdotes and memories of my loved ones, to live out the highs and lows of my decades-long fandom, and to get really wonky about my hobby. Whether you've somehow found me for the first time today, or you've been reading since the beginning (back when Dave Trembley was still the manager and the Adam Jones trade was still a month away), you've allowed me into your life in a small way. We may not have games to watch today, or tomorrow; there's not even a guarantee that there will be an MLB season at all 2020. But in this space, we can still celebrate baseball.
It's no accident that I've chosen Trey Mancini as the first featured card on this blog since things went pear-shaped for the O's back in 2018. The Orioles have of course fully committed to a prolonged rebuilding plan, and the slugging outfielder/first baseman from Florida has been one of the rare bright lights for the team in recent times. But coming off a strong 2019 season (.291/.364/.535, 35 HR, 97 RBI), Trey appeared in only five Grapefruit League games this year before undergoing surgery to remove a malignant tumor from his colon. That's a scary thing for anyone to deal with, particularly a 28-year-old athlete at the top of his profession. There's still not a lot of news about diagnosis or long-term prognosis, so as with most things in our current climate, we wait and worry and hope and offer support.
16 comments:
Welcome back! As a fellow O's fan, I'm looking forward to once again following your posts. Glad to see you have returned!
Wow, this was a shocker.
Welcome back Kevin!
Was shocked but hopeful that you would return when i clicked the link that i still click on every once in a while hoping you would post. Wish it were better circumstances but whatever they are, good to see you. Hope your family is well.
BTW, you gotta do better than leaving us with unflattering Pat Dobson for two years. At least leave us with a nice Mark Belanger in mid-air or Brooksie snagging a liner.
Good to see you back. I have come back to the blogosphere as well and also now have a great deal of time on my hands to actually do it. Glad you and the family are healthy, safe, and sane.
Thanks, guys! I'm glad to see a few familiar names.
OMG I have periodically checked to see if you were back Kevin and now to my shock you are.
I am glad you ,Janet and your son are all doing so well.
Now I have something also to look forward to each day.
We have had a hand full of Orioles grace that Atlantic League during your absence which I could have got for you.
Players like Lombardozzi, Paredes and this year Vance Worley and Jason Garcia if we get a chance to play to name a few.
Anyway welcome back and so glad everyone is safe
What an excellent surprise on a miserable rainy day with winds up to 50 mph! I happened to check my O's Card of the Day bookmark and there you were. I've missed the blog for the past few years and it's great to hear that you and your family are doing well. Perhaps you remember stopping by my house in Columbia, MD more than a few years back, sharing stories about baseball and the O's, and swapping "a few" cards. I've retired from teaching and coaching and, along with my wife, have moved to the Bethany Beach, DE area. We're doing well but, like many of you, miss baseball. I'm looking forward to following your blog on a regular basis. Welcome back and thanks for providing entertainment.
Mike S
Looking forward to new posts!
You're back! You're freakin back!
I started following this blog in early 2008, which was a month or two after I graduated college. It's one of the few things that's consistently been part of my journey through adulthood. I was worried that Pat Dobson's sad face was going to be the final post for this epic blog, but I was even more worried that you stopped posting because of turbulence in your personal life. I'm so happy to know that neither is the case.
Re-bookmarking and looking forward to some new memories!
Glad to see a few more regulars (Alan, Mike - yes, I remember!, Pete, and Zach)!
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