As 2012 comes to a close, I wanted to take a moment and thank everybody who's been reading this blog, as well as my work at Big Leagues Monthly, for all of your support. This has been quite a year for me, as a writer, in more ways than one.
Towards the end of 2011, as part of a personal development exercise, I made a conscious decision to work harder and more cohesively towards improving my baseball writing not only on this blog, but beyond. I'm more than pleased at how this commitment led to new opportunities and personal growth in 2012.
I made a sincere effort to improve content on this blog, and in doing so opened the doors to opportunities for writing outside of this blog. Specifically, my collaboration with Jim Pratt and Big Leagues Monthly emerged as just the channel I was looking for, just the right type of person with the kind of vision I was hoping to participate in. Jim helped me immensely with my goal, helping me develop my skills beyond blogging and further into the realms I had only hoped I would encounter as a writer.
I look forward to continuing my collaboration with Jim and his staff, as Big Leagues Monthly becomes Big League Magazine, and we collectively take another step forward with this excellent concept into the new year. As always, I invite all of my readers to continue your support of BLM through 2013 and beyond.
Here's a summarized recap, with links to URLs as well as alternate links to copies on my Google Drive repository, of the pieces I've written for BLM this year. Thanks again, Happy New Year to everyone, and be on the lookout for the BLM Season Preview, coming soon!!
The December issue of Big Leagues Magazine is still "live" at the time of this writing, please check it out now...I have two pieces featured, one on Brandon McCarthy (pg.28) and one of my personal favorites so far, a revisit of Nate Silver's Closer Efficiency Index (pg. 52).
"How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Post-Post-Steroid Era" (Big Leagues Monthly Magazine, August 2012)
My debut at BLM, where I investigate the "Post-Post-Steroid Era," no-hitters, and pitcher injuries; features a Q&A with Will Carroll.
"The Curious Case of Pedro Alvarez..." (Big Leagues Monthly Daily Edition, August 22, 2012)-Alternate Link
Fun times with Pedro Alvarez and his bizarre day/night splits.
"Have the Royals Really Been 'Yosted'?" (Big Leagues Monthly Daily Edition, August 28, 2012)-Alternate Link
Run differential and Ned Yost's success (or failure) with the Royals.
"Playoff Risk Mitigation: Are The Nationals Concerned About Jordan Zimmermann?" (Big Leagues Monthly Daily Edition, September 4, 2012)-Alternate Link
After the Strasburg shutdown, Jordan Zimmermann suddenly went "meh"...was this a big red flag for the Nationals?
"2012 Draft Pick Steven 'Paco' Rodriguez Makes His MLB Debut" (Big Leagues Monthly Magazine, September 2012)
Draft Picks typically don't make their MLB debut the same year they are selected, here's a little bit about "Paco" as he becomes the only draftee of his class to have a cup of coffee in 2012.
"Aroldis Chapman: The Cuban Missile Crisis" (Big Leagues Monthly Daily Edition, September 14, 2012)-Alternate Link
Here, I break my silence on Aroldis Chapman...
"The Pittsburgh Pirates and the Taste of a Winning Season" (Big Leagues Monthly Daily Edition, September 18, 2012)-Alternate Link
The Pirates were this close to breaking one of the most humbling streaks in professional sports...what did this mean to them, and to their fans?
"Previewing the NL Wild Card Race" (Big Leagues Monthly Daily Edition, September 24, 2012)-Alternate Link
"Previewing This Weekend's NL Wild Card Race" (Big Leagues Monthly Daily Edition, September 28, 2012)-Alternate Link
"One NL Wild Card Spot Left, Final Series Preview" (Big Leagues Monthly Daily Edition, October 1, 2012)-Alternate Link
"Max Scherzer's Breakout Season Is Here: Who Saw This Coming?" (Big Leagues Monthly Magazine, October 2012)
What I didn't know: Max Scherzer was one of the best pitchers in Baseball heading into October; here's the story behind his breakout season.
"Nationals Hope Home Field is an Advantage in Game 3 vs. Cardinals" (Big Leagues Monthly Daily Edition, October 9, 2012)-Alternate Link
"Giants Sweep the Reds On the Road to Advance to NLCS" (Big Leagues Monthly Daily Edition, October 12, 2012)-Alternate Link
"NLCS Heads to St. Louis Tied 1-1" (Big Leagues Monthly Daily Edition, October 16, 2012)-Alternate Link
"The Demise of Defense" (Big Leagues Monthly Daily Edition, October 23, 2012)-Alternate Link
A whimsical review of what went wrong for the Cardinals.
"Baseball Predictions: The Good, The Bad, and the Bob Nightengale" (Big Leagues Monthly Daily Edition, October 30, 2012)-Alternate Link
Bob Nightengale's voice changes in light of his World Series prediction, in a most unusual way...
"Of WAR and wRC: Has Michael Young Lost His Groove?" (Big Leagues Monthly Magazine, November 2012)
What happened (or didn't happen) to Michael Young in 2012.
"An End to American League Superiority?" (Big Leagues Monthly Daily Edition, November 7, 2012-Alternate Link
After the 2012 World Series, a lot of folks thought "Well, so much for American League superiority..." as it stands, this may not be the case.
"Is Ending the September Expansion of Rosters Really Such a Good Idea?" (Big Leagues Monthly Daily Edition, November 14, 2012)-Alternate Link
A little known suggested rule change could have serious ramifications...
"Debunking the Melkman Myth: What We Don't Know About PEDs and Free Agent Value" (Big Leagues Monthly Daily Edition, November 27, 2012)-Alternate Link
A lot of folks thought a PED suspension would hinder a certain player's free agent value...harumph harumph!
"The 2012 Winter Meetings: No Parking On The Dance Floor" (Big Leagues Monthly Daily Edition, December 5, 2012)-Alternate Link
Recapping the first 2 days of the 2012 Winter Meetings
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