In terms of Winter Meetings activity, I’m spoiled. This was my second year attending the event, and both years the Yankees made big moves. This doesn’t happen every year, nor does it happen for every team. I just got lucky, I suppose. The activity definitely made the trip to Indianapolis and the half-mile walks in the bitter cold and wind a bit more enjoyable.
By the time you read this, I’ll be back in the greatest city on earth. If you ever need a reason to further appreciate New York, spend a few days in Indianapolis. It’s not a bad place, but damn, it is not New York.
After a week of spending most of my time parked in the press room, I got to know a few people. I also have many people to thank. So here goes.
First, the readers. Holy crap, guys. Tuesday was our best day ever, over 70,000 page views — better than the day after the World Series. There are tons of Yankees sites out there, and we’re damn glad to have you as readers. If you guys ever need anything from us, our email addresses are in the sidebar. And we have that nifty tip box, too, which goes to all three of us.
As for the people in Indy, I’d really like to thank the Yanks beat writers who sat near me. This wasn’t by design, actually. I came in on the first day and found an ideal spot: kinda towards the front, straight on with the podium. It’s what Mike and I did last year, and it worked. As it turns out, three Yanks beat writers were a row behind me, and about 10 minutes after I got here another one sat down next to me.
The week was much more entertaining thanks to Marc Carig, Bryan Hoch, Chad Jennings, and Pete Caldera. They’re good, funny guys who made the stuffy press room a much better environment. Plus, now every time I hear someone say, “Oh really?” I’ll laugh a little. So thanks, guys, for not excluding me from the conversation when I butted in.
Also, because the Yanks crew wouldn’t let me into the meetings with Cash or the Pettitte and Granderson conference calls, I had to rely on them for quotes. I feel bad poaching them — trust me, if I could have been there recording them myself, I would have. So, in appreciation, here’s some link love.
You can read Bryan Hoch at Bombers Beat and follow him on Twitter: @BryanHoch.
You can read Marc Carig (even though he drinks sissy lattes from Starbucks) at The Star Ledger Yankees blog and follow him on Twitter: @Ledger_Yankees.
You can read Pete Caldera at Pinstripe Posts (though he hasn’t updated since October — come on, Pete!) and follow him on Twitter: @pcaldera.
You can read Chad Jennings at The LoHud Yankees Blog and follow him on Twitter: @LoHudYankees.
Then there are the online guys. Here’s a thanks to Craig Calcaterra of NBC Sports, Maury Brown of The Biz of Baseball, and Keith Law of ESPN (who also has a great personal blog).
A huge thanks to Jon Lane, who edited my features at YES. He’s blogging over there, too, so check out his blog.
Finally, I can’t forget Bob Klapisch, who answered one of my emails four years ago and pretty much set me on this path. You can Read his Record columns or follow him on Twitter, @BobKlap. Thanks for the compliment, Bob.
The Winter Meetings might be over, but the Yanks aren’t done. Neither are we. Even when things slow down in January, we’ve got plenty of stuff planned. Again, if you have any suggestions, email us. And now, your open thread.
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