After a promising preseason preview to the 2007 season, last year’s blog took a turn for the worst as I gradually became overwhelmed with a combination of schoolwork and working 40 hours a week in an office. Not that there’s ever really an ideal time to give up on writing, but as those of you responsible for the 1,200+ hits I received in the month and a half leading up to the season know, the blog unfortunately went completely inactive just days before Opening Day and probably cost me a fair amount of semi-loyal readers. I know it won’t be easy to rekindle the momentum and activity I established prior to retiring the blog last season, but with significantly more time to dedicate to writing this upcoming season without the limits of a 40-hour-a-week office job, I’m more than determined to outperform last year’s preseason preview and carry the blog over into the regular season.Similarly to last season, while I have a general outline of what I’d like to accomplish, very much of the upcoming written production of this blog is to be determined. I feel as if I had a decent amount of success with the team-by-team and divisional previews accompanied by daily news briefs and other reoccurring articles last year, and I plan on following a comparable model for the preseason. I don’t have a definitive plan for the months leading up to the regular season, but I’m hoping I can resemble and improve upon last year. As far as the regular season is concerned, since I’m chartering in new territory, I intend on playing it safe and establishing a weekly rhythm, utilizing the same general articles on the same schedule. Again, while I have an outline, the blog will be subject to constant tinkering (in an effort to continually improve its effectiveness and innovativeness) and hostage to my enigmatic thought pattern.
The effort to continually improve the blog’s effectiveness and innovativeness will employ various new types of articles and, most importantly, a co-writer. I still plan on writing on a near-daily basis, but even at that rate, I felt overwhelmed at times (especially trying to complete all 30 team previews). This season, I want to maintain a vast portion of the various articles I utilized last season and expand upon it and to do so will require assistance. I will be joined by Dave Cunningham, who like myself, is a fantasy baseball-obsessed college student, and shares a similar ambition of blogging and eventually starting a fantasy baseball website. The brainstorming for ideas for this season has already commenced and with nearly two full extra months to blog this season leading up to Opening Day, I’m optimistic on improving upon last season’s success and the hopeful rapid expansion into a website in the near future.
I don’t particularly care for posts like these, in that they really don’t offer anything in terms of fantasy baseball information or value, but I hope it has intrigued those who have read it to return throughout the offseason. I think I’ve done enough to try to atone for giving up on the blog last season and provide enough reasons why the blog will be improved this season and why it’s worth revisiting (especially if you consider last year’s material remotely intriguing), so without further adieu, I’ll let Dave provide his own intro to the upcoming season.
Thanks,
James
Thank you James. As you already have been informed, my name is Dave Cunningham and I am here to help the talented Mr. O’Donnell make this blog as detailed, informative, interactive, and comprehensive as possible. I have a borderline unhealthy obsession with the game of baseball-both in its real life and fantasy form- and honestly I am just thrilled to be writing about it on what will hopefully be an almost daily basis. Much like James, I am a college student and while that will always unfortunately for me have to be priority number one, contributing to this blog and building on James’ excellent foundation from last season is a close second.
I am thrilled to be here and hope to do my best in helping James not only build upon this blog but also hopefully expand it into a website in due time. The collaboration and exchanging of ideas has already very much begun and I am thrilled with what we have come up with so far.
One thing you will find out very quickly (if you have not already) is that my style is very different from that of James. With that said, however, we are both very dedicated to this game, this concept, and you. Our goal here is to help you, our loyal reader, build your very own fantasy baseball superpower in 2008 and beyond. This promises to be an MVP type year for both us and you (and also Chase Utley…I’m calling it now…but it’s December so don’t write that in permanent marker just yet)
Yours truly,
Dave
Posted by James 