Everybody retires eventually

47 Replies

On June 6th 2007, just over five years ago, I wrote a short blog entry titled “A-rod’s 9th inning performance“. That was my first contribution to the now-defunct Baseball-Reference.com blog.

More than 2,000 posts later (between the B-R blog, the temporary home of High Heat Stats over at Blogspot, and its permanent home right here) I have decided to hang it up and retire from baseball writing. Even as I write that–it’s not a full retirement. See below for more information.

Over the last 5 years, I’ve gotten to do some really fun things. Aside from working with the great folks who run Sports Reference (Sean and Neil mainly) and the numerous fantastic writers I’ve rubbed shoulders with for each blog, I’ve had the opportunity to write pieces for the New York Times, USA Today’s baseball preview issue, and appear on a local ESPN radio affiliate. I got to visit MLB Network’s headquarters and studios.

Perhaps the thing that has brought me the most joy is the gradual development of a loyal audience. My fellow writers each deserve as much credit for that as I do. If you go back and look at that A-rod post, it received zero user comments. Most of the posts from the first couple of years received fewer than 5 comments, and more often than not, it was Raphy or me commenting on each other’s posts. Flash forward, and now most posts on this blog get quite a few responses, with just about all of them containing some useful information or opinion. That’s an amazing and wonderful thing. And while I love sharing this space with so many like-minded people, it’s actually our differences that make this place so great. (After all, we can agree on how much Joe Carter sucks for only so long…)

Going forward:

This blog will remain open and all the other authors will continue to publish on whatever schedule they choose. I will keep footing the bill to keep the blog open even though we don’t get nearly enough in the way of donations to cover costs or pay our writers.
You can still reach me at my email addressed (posted in the right sidebar) for any issues–admin, contributions, etc.
I will be keeping a Twitter presence (@HighHeatStats) although at a lower volume than before. You can still expect to see daily tweets there.
I will finish off the Mount Rushmore post series, so those are still coming and will be published here.
I will continue to write the occasional odd post, but I don’t expect that to be even as often as 1 post per week.
I will also continue to do some outside work with other publications, as well as book reviews. I remain available to do guest spots in print and live media.

So this isn’t really goodbye. I’m just taking myself out of the lineup and moving to the end of the bench. I’ll be like Pete Rose as a player-manager, overseeing things and on rare occasions inserting myself into the action…only I have a much better haircut, and I don’t plan to bet on any of the action here.

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Matthew Glidden

11 years ago

Thanks for all the research and good luck, Andy!

Dr. Doom

11 years ago

Congrats on all you’ve accomplished, Andy. You’ve been a great member of the online baseball community, and I’m glad to have read most of what you’ve ever written (except the baseball card stuff… it’s just not my thing). Thanks for being a great presence!

Evan

11 years ago

The blog post (by another writer) that immediately followed that initial post of yours contained the line “On Tuesday June 5, the Toronto Blue Jays pulled off a stunning 12-11 victory over the Devil Rays. (Well, to the extent that any victory over Tampa can be called stunning).” It’s amazing how times have changed.

Thanks for your contributions to the discourse the past 5 years and your efforts to maintain this blog going forward.

Elton

11 years ago

You will be missed, Andy.

nightfly

11 years ago

Be well, and good luck to you in all you will do, Andy! Thanks for everything.

John Nacca

11 years ago

Although I do not know you Andy, this site is something I look forward to reading every day. Numerous times I will click onto it to see if any of the great people here have posted something…ANYTHING…to whet my baseball appetite. Because of your beginning years ago, that for me is possible. I thank you very much for making this site, as well as the old postings on bref, a staple of my day. Good luck in your future…….

kds

11 years ago

Thanks for all you’ve done, Andy. This is a great site, largely because of the community of writers and readers that has formed. You deserve the Tiger’s share of the credit for getting all of us together here.

Any odd posts you wish to write will certainly be welcome. The odder the better. I’d bet that the odds on your even posts would be even better.

So, do call, write, post, tweat, or whatever the next level of technology brings. Best of luck, have fun and be careful out there.

Editor

John Autin

11 years ago

Say it ain’t so!

Andy, it was one of your B-R posts that first hooked me on this newfangled thingy, and then you coaxed me out of my shell to do my own writing. But besides the gratitude I feel for that, I’ll miss your quick mind and wit here on HHS.

I hope we’ll still see you on the coaching lines … or at least breaking in the raw recruits in spring.

Author

Andy

11 years ago

Reply to John Autin

Thanks. Your talented contributions are, of course, a big part of why I can retire!

Adam Darowski

11 years ago

Reply to Andy

So Andy’s a Hall of Fame scout, too? He got us Autin!

I’ll miss Andy’s quick wit here as well. Although, I’m growing tired of it on Twitter.

😉

Stacey

11 years ago

Best of luck to you!

Lukehart80

11 years ago

You’ve done a wonderful job of building this blog into one of the most enjoyable reads on the internet. I am sure between your occasional contributions and the work of the other writers you’ve brought into the fold, HHS will continue to be a top rate digital destination for baseball fans. Thank you for all you’ve done and good luck in whatever endeavors you pursue.

Editor

birtelcom

11 years ago

Going directly on the Mt. Rushmore of B-Ref/High Heat and of baseball discussion on the Net. The five-year waiting period is waived by acclamation.

DaveR

11 years ago

Reply to birtelcom

Agreed! Thank you for your entertaining topics, AND entertaining comments!

MikeD

11 years ago

Retirement? I know how you Andy’s operate when it comes to retirement. Andy Pettitte taught me a thing or two about that.

Good luck in whatever you have planned next!

david g.

11 years ago

I’he been reading your posts since you started five years ago. I rarely ever commented but I enjoyed almost every post through the years. Thanks

Scott

11 years ago

This is sad. I started reading Andy’s articles on B-R and was hooked. I understand that Andy has his own things in mind but I just wanted to say that I’ll miss what he did when it came to writing blogs about my favorite sport…baseball.

Luis Gomez

11 years ago

I’ve been enjoying your posts for the last couple of years, and even tough I can’t comment on each one, I can honestly say that reading this blog every day fills some of my need for baseball (along with playing and watching).

Good luck in whatever you are going to do, you know we all are going to be here.

Mike L

11 years ago

When I first saw the title I thought that given the celestial confluence of Juan Pierre and Jim Thome homering for the same team in the same game, with Thome breaking the record for walk offs and tieing Sammy Sosa with 607 it was going to be a call by Andy to have both men retire. This is sad. I really enjoy this site for the depth and variety of the postings and the intellegence and civility of the commenters. Andy has done a service to all of us.

bstar

11 years ago

I’m saddened by this even though I never got to know you at all, Andy. Thanks so much for this site and its predecessor, and best of luck to you personally in all your affairs!!

Author

Andy

11 years ago

In response to the numerous well-wishes for future endeavors, I don’t have any plans. Whatever baseball itch I get, I’ll scratch it here through posts & comments. I’ll be spending the freed-up time doing unrelated things.

Doug

11 years ago

Reply to Andy

So, your book project is no more? Or, just on hold?

Author

Andy

11 years ago

Reply to Doug

I would say its no more. I put it on hold a while back and while I still have aspirations to write it (and include some wicked custom artwork whose concept I developed) I don’t see that happening, for the same issue as above (can’t make enough to justify the time spent.)

Hartvig

11 years ago

I wish that it were a more perfect world and that somehow the wonderful work that you do here (and that was done back on B-R.com) would have translated into a profitable business. I am overjoyed that the site will be up and running and that you’ll still be contributing on an occasional basis.

Author

Andy

11 years ago

Reply to Hartvig

It actually could be made profitable pretty easily–the issue is that the time required wouldn’t be worth the relatively small amount of profit. I have an idea for a baseball stats podcast that would be awesome and undoubtedly generate a huge following, but I can’t justify the time expenditure (unless I could raise some serious sponsors for it…email me if you’re a serious sponsor!)

Hartvig

11 years ago

Reply to Andy

Well, I did contribute a few bucks to HHS (I don’t remember if it was $10 or $25 or what) and I was planning on doing that again…

… but I suspect that’s at least a couple of zeros short of serious…

e pluribus munu

11 years ago

I’m no fan of A-Rod, Andy, but seeing that his great 2007 9th inning stats first brought you onto this blog, and noting that with this unhappy announcement A-Rod’s current 9th inning slash is .118/.250/.294, I’d be more than willing to root for him one inning per game if that would keep you contributing here on a regular basis. Failing that, I’ll look forward to your Eleven-Rushmore farewell tour and the promised occasional post afterwards. I’m sure we’re all grateful to you for continuing to underwrite and manage this community – you’ve drawn in a great team of authors and… Read more »

Tubbs

11 years ago

Good luck, Andy. I will look forward to your pinch hit appearances. I loved your “Is ____ a Hall of Famer?” series & have enjoyed the more recent Mt. Rushmore series.

11 years ago

Sounds more like you’ll just be moving on to something else. Am glad you’re finishing off the “Rushmore” work though. I’m still deciding on my 4 Red Sox (well the last 2 anyway). Thanks…

brp

11 years ago

Your semi-retirement is a bummer to us readers and casual commenters… but here’s hoping whatever time commitment spurred this is at least as fulfilling for you. Thanks for all the work you’ve put in on BR and HHS… I feel that those sites alone have made me immeasurably more baseball-competent.

Gabriel

11 years ago

I’ve enjoyed your writing and look forward to seeing more of it, albeit less frequently. Thank you and enjoy your time.

11 years ago

I’m not sure how much I can add to the chorus of praise but I’ll try. I first came across the b-ref blog last year, and I was immediately absorbed. I’m so glad you decided to take the time and effort to keep it going here; reading highheatstats is an absolute staple of my day. Speaking as a Brit with only a hitherto casual interest in baseball outside of the Giants, this website has made me about 100 times more knowledgeable about the game and its history. Thanks Andy.

Darien

11 years ago

Sad to see you go, Andy, and thanks for all the work you’ve done lo these many years! Also thanks for putting up with goofballs like me. 😮

James Smyth

11 years ago

Sorry to see you go, I’ve loved your work over the years. Thanks and good luck!

CursedClevelander

11 years ago

Count me among the many readers who hopes that your retirement is more in the vein of Andy Pettitte than Sandy Koufax.

Lawrence Azrin

11 years ago

Andy, NOOOO!!! Don’t go!!! OK, that won’t work, so let me join the chorus of posters upthread thanking you for creating Highheatstats, and helping nurture a small but very dedicated, lively and inquisitive group of baseball fanatics here. Like most others, I know you only through cyberspace, but somehow felt I knew you personally. I anxiously awaited your latest postings here, and anticipated the discussions going in all sorts of directions. Indeeed, some of the most fascinating extended discussions involved crazy tangents that were 180 degrees removed from the original post – proof that once you get a real group… Read more »

Editor

John Autin

11 years ago

Reply to Lawrence Azrin

Lawrence — The B-R blog archives are still accessible. No clue how long that will last.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/blog/

Evan

11 years ago

Reply to John Autin

Ini his post announcing the end of the blog Sean wrote “None of the existing content is going to go away. We’ll keep it up here for as long as the site is open (which we intend to be a very long time).”

http://www.baseball-reference.com/blog/archives/16123

Author

Andy

11 years ago

Reply to Evan

And Sean always means what he says and does what he means. It will be up forever unless someone buys B-R and takes it down, or Sean takes down the site altogether.

Lawrence Azrin

11 years ago

Reply to John Autin

John, Evan (#41 below) –

Thanks guys.

Fireworks

11 years ago

Andy are you going to live with a nice family on a farm?

vincent

11 years ago

I’m one of the followers who never posts, and sometimes your topics make me scratch my head but they have never failed to entertain. Best of luck to you.

AndrewHarris

11 years ago

Thanks for all your hard work the last few years. I’m just a lurker, but I’ve followed for years (since the BR blog) and appreciate your efforts.

Max

11 years ago

Via con Dios, Andy. Your fonts will be sorely missed.

Evan

11 years ago

Andy,

Would you be willing to commit to writing a post entitled “The Phillies are Done” on whichever date you deem fit each season? I think it would mean a lot to your longtime readers. 😉

Andy

11 years ago

Reply to Evan

The Phillies certainly seem done now–their record in 1-run games is so poor (for no obvious reason other than bad luck) that they’d have to play pretty far over their heads the rest of the way to make up for it.

Evan

11 years ago

Reply to Andy

I’d have to go with luck. By my quick count they are 7-3 in 2-run games, thus keeping their pythagorean record from being too far off their actual record. If the injured players come back and return to form I could see them making a run and being the team that everyone worries about getting in because no one wants to play them – especially if Lee gets on one of his dominant runs.