Here Goes Nothing

I have been handed the exciting yet unenviable and impossible task of taking over for Jeff. Like you, I found it sad and unsettling to hear that Jeff would no longer be writing at LL; his posts have been part of my baseball routine for several years. Unlike many of you, I haven’t immersed myself in the great community here and can only imagine what this is like for those of you who have put so much into this site.

I’m not a complete outsider, however, having read the site pretty regularly since 2007, participated in discussions here and there (600-some comments as JonBBT), and spent a short while as a Sexy People a couple years back doing prospect coverage.

I may be better known for Pro Ball NW, my contribution to the Seattle Mariners blogosphere for five-plus years. (For the record, my decision to board up PBNW a month ago had nothing to do with this. This was all very unexpected.) I’m comfortable with the writing style and tone I’ve developed over the years, so you won’t have to worry about some imposter coming in here trying to impersonate Jeff. I bring something different to the table and hope it’s something you’ll enjoy.

There will be some changes around here, an inevitability with any major personnel change. Just know that my main motivation for taking this gig was a fear that the network would bring in someone who didn’t quite grasp what this community means to its members. I’ve been, at best, on the periphery and it still means a lot to me. With that in mind, please feel free to email me with any concerns or suggestions you might have, now and in the future.

One change you definitely will see is the number of contributors. I have a day job and will need plenty of help meeting the content demands. The staff isn't finalized, but it will be comprised of my personal recruits, suggestions from the network, and LL community members who expressed interest in contributing.

It’ll take some time to ramp up to full speed as I get the staff locked in and everyone comfortable with the platform, but here we go. I know none of you would have made this trade -- I wouldn’t have made this trade -- but we’re going to have a good season.

Best,

Jon Shields
shields@proballnw.com