Here in America, it's that time of year where we give thanks before spending obscene amounts of money on Black Friday. It's been a great year for the game of baseball, and our staff is thankful for numerous aspects of it. There are plenty of different things we could have added to this list, but here's a brief sampling of the TOC staff.
Ian Casselberry: I'm thankful for MLB.TV. The ability to watch any team (and thus any player) any night of the week is an incredible luxury. We don't have to just read about how great Clayton Kershaw and Mike Trout are or simply settle for looking at the numbers. We can watch them play. And not just on the TV/Roku box, either. We can be in the kitchen, working at the computer, outside on the patio, at a bar or restaurant — even in the car (not while driving, of course). All of the other major pro sports are playing catch-up to MLB in terms of making their product easily accessible and available.
Jaymes Langrehr: I'm thankful for Baseball Twitter. Not only does it feel like you're watching a game with dozens of your fellow fans, but there's been so many times someone I follow alerts me to something happening in another game that I'd otherwise miss (PUIG IS AT BAT). Things get really fun when everyone ends up watching the same game, whether it's for #WeirdBaseball or the playoffs. It adds another level to the game experience that you don't really get with other sports.
Joe Lucia: I'm thankful for the youth movement that is infiltrating baseball. Over the last few years, this sport needed an infusion of young talent. We've gotten that in spades thanks to guys like Mike Trout, Andrew McCutchen, Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, Clayton Kershaw, Jose Fernandez, Wil Myers, Yasiel Puig, and Chris Sale (among many, many others) performing exceptionally well at the game's highest level.
On a personal note, I'd like to thank all of the readers and staff of TOC for a great year. Also, I'd like to thank the brass at Bloguin for all of their help in taking this site to the next level. You are all appreciated far more than you can imagine.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.
