Do you have writers that you read everyday? Do you feel as though they will be there no matter what? That’s how I feel about Rob Neyer. Rob Neyer has covered baseball as part of ESPN.com baseball section for as long as I have read about baseball on the Internet. Today he has announced that he is stepping down from ESPN and moving on. I don’t know Rob Neyer nor have I ever met him but he has been my most important baseball friend (After Jeff Miller and Jeff Gerttula) . Every day he writes something smart, interesting and new about baseball. Like Tim McCarver (Yes, there was a time when Timmy Mac was the best analyst in baseball. He called the Mets with Steve Zabriskie and Kiner 1983-89) did for me when I was a kid teaching me about baseball on the field, Rob Neyer did for me about analyzing baseball. Neyer was my entry into Bill James, Baseball Prospectus and all the other mumbo jumbo baseball stats I’d never would have heard about. He wrote with wit, with an edge and wasn’t afraid to hammer his hapless Kansas City Royals when ever they made a dumb move. (Which there were a ton of) In short, he was my intellectual baseball mentor. I’ll miss him and I hope that he keeps writing the way he as been.
What can we learn from this relationship with a man I never met? We learn that the writer has power, especially the blogging writer. The daily nature of a blogger has the power of a radio personality or a news anchor. The solitary blogger can be like a friend. You share there day to day. If you write with a passion, a philosophy and put yourself behind your words you can have major influence on your audience. It isn’t about how many readers comment, or how many emails you are getting from readers, its about reaching people like me – the reader. Rob Neyer influenced me and I am just one of his regular readers. There must be thousands just like me who owe gratitude to their influences without their influences even knowing they existed.
Thank you Rob, the 15 years have been a blast! See you where ever you land.
Who’s blog to you read everyday that you feel close to without ever having met?
Posted via email from Laurent Courtines Free Online | Comment »
