Signing off from TTFB

When I started writing this blog in the summer of 2011, I did it because I had things I wanted to say, and no outlet for saying them. I sent a couple of things I wrote to other blogs, but in the end I wanted my words to go someplace that I got to direct.

Quarterly Report #10

Ten quarters is two and a half years. Throw in the quarter where I blew off writing one of these, and I’m almost three years into writing this blog. My output last quarter was just under a post a day, and some of the posts I added weren’t more than a picture and a few

On the radio

Today was a new experience for me. I spent the week brushing up on the rest of the National League’s Central division–since I could already talk about the Cubs in my sleep–and I went on the radio this morning to discuss the division with Steve Bortstein of Fox Sports radio in New Mexico. Thanks to

Some writings from this month

Yesterday was the first time that I’ve had a piece published on ChicagoSideSports this year, but I’ve also been active on ThroughTheFenceBaseball and on FiveWideSports. I haven’t promoted them the  way that I would like to here, but I’m grateful to have a chance to share some of my thoughts with those in the online

Quarterly report #8

It’s now been over two years since I’ve been writing this blog. It’s been a time capsule of my life, and the more I do it, the more comfortable it becomes. As I sometimes do in this space, now’s a time to look back, and try to see what lies ahead, too. I passed 1,000

A new outlet

I’m happy that FiveWideSports will be carrying some of my thoughts and writings, beginning with this piece that appeared on their site today. I’m still writing for ThroughTheFenceBaseball, and I have a piece appearing there today, as well. The writing is all Cubs and baseball-related, and a week from now their season will be done.

Another lost season

I wish that I had more productive creative muses than the Chicago Cubs. It’s such a draining and aggravating experience following this team. But baseball is my game and Chicago is my home and I  would rather eat my keyboard than become a White Sox fan. So here I am. I ruminated again about how

Link to a post on ThroughTheFenceBaseball

Yesterday brought a strange bit of baseball convergence, as the Atlanta Braves retired Chipper Jones’ number 10, while the Cincinnati Reds released Mark Prior. Ten years ago, in the first round of the National League playoffs, Prior got the better of Jones in game three, retiring him three times.But in the end, Chipper Jones is

Link to a post on ThroughTheFenceBaseball

The Cubs had a bad April, and Edwin Jackson’s performance stands out because he hasn’t yet won a game. Theo Epstein’s first big free agent signing has yet to pay off, and I pointed this out in a piece now up at ThroughTheFenceBaseball.com. I’m hoping for more positive things to write about as the year

Link to a post on ThroughTheFenceBaseball

I don’t have any intention of writing about all, or even very many, of the Cubs’ games this season. But if Opening Day doesn’t get the writing juices flowing, I’m not sure what else will. I’m a baseball fan, and always will be. I write about the game for exactly that reason. It intrigues me,

Link to a piece on ThroughTheFenceBaseball

As I’m waiting for Spring to begin on Opening day, I wrote a piece about the World Baseball Classic and how I’m not interested in it at all. I should be all over it because of my interest in baseball, but I just can’t do it. Here’s a link to the piece itself. Right now

Link to a post on ThroughTheFenceBaseball

Today was my first post on ThroughTheFenceBaseball under my new pen name of R. Lincoln Harris. I explained why that was being done here, but essentially when you have a common name like mine, you need to improvise in order to stand out. We’ll see if “Singles” catches on or not. I like it, myself.

Submitted for the Cubs’ consideration

Dear Chicago Cubs, I welcome the news that you will be turning away from random celebrities, in favor of giving the seventh-inning stretch more of a Chicago feel. To honor your decision, I want to kick off a campaign to secure myself an invite for one of the celebrity-vacated spots, for the 2013 season or whenever

Link to a post on ThroughTheFenceBaseball

I’ve slowed down the writing pace in this, my first offseason as a writer for ThroughTheFenceBaseball. But baseball and the Cubs are subjects that are never very far  from my mind, and a rumination that came to me as I was out walking my dog turned into this post. I’m hopeful that is is one

Link to a Stan Musial tribute on ThroughTheFenceBaseball

The passing of Stan Musial was sad news for all Cardinals fans, I’m sure. And even though I turned my back on the Cardinals in favor of the Cubs many years ago, I still have many friends who are Cardinals fans. And let’s face it, if you can’t give your rivals some props on an

Link to a post on ThroughTheFenceBaseball

I’m enjoying my baseball offseason, but sometimes I just have to speak up. The piece is here, and if I’m wrong I’ll gladly take all of it back.

Link to a ThroughTheFenceBaseball piece

Earlier in the week, I wrote the first piece I’ve done in a while for ThroughTheFenceBaseball.com. I started writing for them earlier this year, and I enjoyed having an outlet for my baseball-related thoughts. I plan to continue with this in the spring, once the season kicks into gear again, but for now I need

The creative juices are flowing

Is “The Oct2ber” going to catch on? Probably not. But it’s out there, anyway. As I’m shifting into postseason baseball mode, where the Cubs are out of the picture once again, I gave the new wild card format a little bit of thought last night. Here’s what I came up with. Enjoy.  

Link to a piece on ThroughTheFenceBaseball

The 2012 Cubs have officially collapsed, and are knocking on the door of 100 losses for the season out in Phoenix this afternoon. I wrote about one element of this season, and it appeared this morning on ThroughTheFenceBaseball. Here’s the piece. You shouldn’t have to hope something you waited six months for would end quickly,

Quarterly Report #5

It’s been an exciting three months in this space. I’ve written some things that I’m very proud of, and I’ve carried out a format change, as I suggested I would the last time I wrote one of these reports. I like the format of displaying images from the most recent posts on the right, and

Link to a Cubs-Cardinals piece on ThroughTheFenceBaseball

I’ve already written a few things in this space about the Cubs-Cardinals game I attended at Wrigley Field last Friday. But the game on Saturday seemed to be a mirror image, in some ways, of Friday’s game. And the two games together reminded me of why the rivalry between these two teams is so special.

Frustration bubbles over

Photo from BleedCubbieBlue When I think about the end of this baseball season, I’m not happy. The playoffs are not coming to the North side of Chicago, for the fourth year in a row. But I wasn’t expecting them to, so that’s not a big disappointment. What really gets me is the goal that the

In the Midnight hour

Thanks to a night game at Wrigley Field, and a very long rain delay, today I had the rare opportunity to have a baseball experience late at night. So late that it was technically the next day. Here’s the story of this experience, which appeared today on ThroughTheFenceBaseball.com. I hope it gives even the slightest sense

Cross-post to Through the Fence Baseball

The Cubs are struggling, having lost their last four in a row. Here’s a piece I wrote about them that appeared on ThroughthefenceBaseball.com today. Even though I don’t use the MLB.com theme anymore, I’m still a baseball guy at heart. And the realization that the season is slowly disappearing is a hard one to take.

Here we go again

Not that I’ve ever been asked to do so, but I would use today’s Cubs game as the perfect example of what being a Cubs fan feels like. They gave up the tying run late in the game, and then gave up the winning run in extra innings. I tapped into my frustrations for a