You first find this site from googling words related to some question you have about high-school baseball or college baseball recruiting. You find a discussion thread, then multiple threads, and realize that you are not the only person who has this question. You see that there are lots of discussions, in fact, new ones started every day. You start reading more, first the ones that look relevant to you, then others with interesting-looking titles, then all at once you are reading all of them. You discover that the people posting on them have backstories and personalities, that some have been on for a really long time, that some are famous or semi-famous (whoa, that's mind-blowing), and some are completely obscure, just random parents of baseball-playing kids somewhere out there. You find the search function, and see who has said what. You post your question, and get your first Private Message. Suddenly you are personally connected to other people who are also living baseball stories.
People come and go, sometimes related to the changing role of baseball in their lives, sometimes because of something someone says that causes a ruckus. Baseball achievements are celebrated, MLB controversies are debated, oldtimers come back and give updates about grandchildren, and always, advice is given about every possible topic. It's an incredibly diverse and generous and quarrelsome yet (mostly) civil community of people, all linked through baseball.
Thank you, Julie, for making it possible for us to talk to each other.