Missing some Posters!

Hiya, Coach, it's nice to be missed. I've been reading more than posting lately. And (as it happens) I just spoke to Glove the other night --- so we're alive and well.

My son was in Europe again this summer playing ball for the Great Britain National team and having more fun than should be allowed a 20 year old. I've just gotten back from driving him up to GSU, so my mind will be back on college ball now.

I promised MN-Mom I'd jump back in with both feet, but some major personal upheavels this summer have taken my attention. But life is settling back into a routine, so I'll be around.

Sitting here listening to the pregame for our game with the Giants, enjoying the Cards season. Are you loving our Eckstein? And what do you reckon about Rodriguez? (Me, I'm sincerely hoping Albert can talk some sense into him and teach him how to play Cardinal baseball.) Loved it when Walker wrote "L-Wal" onhis equipment!

Orlando,

When you get a chance, will you please update me either on the forums or by PM or e-mail, on Aeden's upcoming year? I had fun following his successes with the Great Britain team this summer, and just wondered what his thoughts are about the new school and new team as he heads off this Fall.

Julie

Coach -

Thanks for posting this, because it got me thinking about how much nicer and more helpful the board has been in recent months. It's been great to hear from the many experts on this site and even ask a question or two without feeling like I might get chastised (berated) for having an opinion. While I miss some of the long-time posters, too, there are a whole new crop that are providing excellent insights and perspective.

MN-Mom - you are doing a TERRIFIC job as our new site maven!! Whatever has been going on behind the seasons seems to be working well. Hopefully more of our long-time members will come back as the word spreads and the summer winds to an end.

It is worth repeating. I also think MN-MOM is doing a great job with our favorite website.

Thanks MN!

Thank you for your kind comments. As some have guessed, there have been quite a few "behind the scenes" communications in the past 2+ months. I hope that this won't sound too tough, but one Old Timer said he liked my "iron fist, velvet glove" approach. My intention is simply to help keep this a positive, supportive community where members and visitors can read and share information, and everyone can feel comfortable asking a question or telling a story.

I also wanted to say a public THANK YOU to the many moderators who help keep things under control every day. Bob did a wonderful job for 7 years of building a really special site, and in my first few days and weeks after taking over from him on June 1, I felt like I needed to be checking the site every few minutes (Bob warned me about that feeling). But I realized that I couldn't possibly keep a lookout all day every day (I do have a full-time real job!). And I was soon very relieved to understand the amount of time and effort that a handful of moderators spent checking on the site, PMing new members to give them friendly advice if they were getting started in a negative direction, answering questions, deleting or editing offensive posts, and alerting me if there was a problem brewing.

Thanks again to Bob for letting us carry on the site, and thanks so much to all who are helping to make it work.

Julie
jas@pclink.com

URKillingMEBlue, GREAT POST! You are so right about the quality of some of the recent posters. I do miss a few Old Timers and I'm hoping that with the onset of fall and winter, they might get right back at helping some of us here discuss this great game.

MN-MOM = FOR PRESIDENT!!!

CoachB,

Since I don't post much anymore, I should probably feel guilty about all the info I take from this site (I read nearly every day) and not contributing when I feel like I could. I think I am perceived as having a quiet, laid-back personality, so maybe it has carried over to my posting habits. I'll try and do better.

Am looking forward to the day we finally get to meet. From your posts, you remind me of my college coach, whose passion and knowledge of the game was such a huge inspiration for me when I got into coaching. Maybe it will finally come about this fall/winter at one of the clinics.

On the topic of MIA posters, Coach "kned" was always one of my favorite posters in my early days of active posting (before we lost our post total to the site change). He was much like the other knowledgeable veterens that we read so much from on here today. I thought he was gone for good, but he did make an appearance on here a while back during one of those "heated" debates on hitting in the "Coaches Tips" forum.

Don't know what it would take to get him "up-and-running" again, but he would sure be a valuable asset to this site.

OMG, yes........
As far as female contributors go, there is always room for more Orlando. Add AParent and TPM to extremely valuable women who share different views perhaps but are siginificant in there wealth of information for all the newbies.

Orlando, I too, am rooting for the Cardinals as Carpenter is a neighbor and friend of my boys.
They are a joy to watch!

Chill, our Carp is well loved -- I really enjoy the post game interviews (like when Eckstein hit his grannie and last night with Molina and Edmonds) when the team maintains they HAVE to win for Carp with the way he's been pitching. Give him a whole lotta hooray from Orlando when you see him next.....which will hopefully be long about Hallowe'en.