As you know, changes are afoot at SB Nation. You've already seen our new logo. You might have read at other sites you visit a few details about the changes that will be coming to all of our sites at SB Nation. (Soon.)
But the look of Bless You Boys isn't the only thing changing. So is the manager. (Sort of.)
Big Al will be sharing the duties as co-manager of Bless You Boys, beginning Oct. 1 officially. Unofficially, Al stepped up as soon as I asked him to and we've been putting our heads together and sharing a lot more of the duties already.
The two questions I'd have if I were you is why, and HUH? OK, maybe, because I am generally interested in myself, I'd also ask how much will I plan to be around the site.
The why: I have been contributing more and more of my time toward working as an editor at SBNation.com and its affiliated regional sites. It's pretty rewarding work and I'm grateful to have the opportunity. But as I've done this, I've noticed that I haven't been able to contribute as much time to Bless You Boys as I had in the past and I haven't been as visible around the site. That simply can't happen. You need your top editors to be accessible, and BYB needs to have its writers contributing frequently.
So I asked Al to step up and lead the site with me. I have known Al since 2006 -- back when I wrote my own blog, Mack Avenue Tigers, and when The Wayne Fontes Experience was about all the sports in Detroit, not just the Lions. (For you way-back people, I also met Ian when he wrote Sweaty Men Endeavors, long before he joined BYB!)
I trust Al's decisions completely. We might not always agree on baseball, but that's what makes it fun. As Al puts it, we're Dr. Jeckyll and Mr Hyde. No, wait. That's Felix and Oscar. He's more knee-jerk. (Hey, he co-hosts The Knee Jerks!). I'm more analytical, playing the long game. (Or a long con, some might allege.)
In any case, as Bless You Boys enters its new era, Al and I will be working together to make the site better than it has ever been before. It will offer challenges along the way, but I am certain we'll have a lot of fun in doing so.
So I will be doing a little more organization work in the background, playing into my strengths. I'll be helping set the tone of the site, basically. Al will be doing a few more posts, both of the recap variety, as you've seen, and breaking news, along with running the podcast. Our deputies will play even more important roles, so don't be surprised if Alli or Rob show up a bit more, too.
As for me, I'll keep being that annoying sabermetrically-inclined voice you've grown to love or hate. Expect me to post a bit less, maybe, but hopefully several times a week you'll be seeing more of the writing that I do best: putting things in context, analyzing possible moves, and projecting rosters, lineups, standings, whatever.
As for the community, it will continue to be our main focus and we'll all continue to be active members of it, setting the tone and making sure it remains the fun place we all spend so much time on.
A message from Al:
I'm not sure I can add much to Kurt's post announcing our becoming co-managers of Bless You Boys. Honestly, I was thrilled Kurt asked and I didn't have to think twice about accepting.
With the introduction of SBNation United and the huge changes coming to the site, it made sense to delineate the responsibilities. This will also allow Kurt and I to concentrate what we do best. Kurt writing his analysis posts and I can crank out game recaps, amongst other things. In other words, Kurt is BYB's educated baseball voice of reason, while I'm your typical knee jerk Tigers fan with a soapbox for my opinions.
As to what will happen to The Wayne Fontes Experience, now in v.3.0? It's my baby, publishing in one form or another since January 2006. It was the calling card which gave me exposure for other opportunities, such as here at BYB. But I'm not sure where TWFE goes from here on out., other than on a long hiatus.
I do know I'd rather write and podcast about the Tigers and MLB rather than the Lions and the NFL. I plan to invest all my energies into BYB and SBNation.
As Kurt said, we may not always agree on baseball topics, but we do agree on all things BYB. I couldn't ask for anyone better to collaborate with on a daily basis.
And I was the one who came up with the Oscar and Felix comparison. I wanted to be Oscar Madison! Where's my cigar?