Baseball is back!
Spring is here. Welcome back baseball!
Welcome back to Major League Baseball! Spring Training is underway and there's a lot to talk about. But first I wanted to give you a little update on everything that's been going on with Inside Baseball and a glimpse of how it will continue.
If you've been a regular reader for a while, you know that since I came to Substack I've been writing a lot about baseball. I've regularly covered the Cuban National Series, both editions of the Elite League, various events in which the Cuban national team has participated, the stories of Cuban players in the Major Leagues, and much more. Over the last three years, I've concentrated a lot of my work here. I hope you've enjoyed it, and that you'll continue to take a few minutes of your time to come back.
From the beginning, I've always loved Substack because of the great advantages it has for writers. I love the flexibility of the editing panel and, most of all, the fact that each post will come to you as a newsletter in your email. I know I've been persistent. Forgive me if it's been a lot of weekly emails at this time. Yes, I've written quite a bit.
In just over three years, I've published more than 650 articles. That's an average of almost five posts per week, although there have been many weeks without a break—especially during the Cuban baseball and Major League Baseball postseason.
For me, it's been a great journey, and I still hope to continue inviting you to read, debate, and converse. That's why I wanted you to know some of the reasons why I haven't been publishing as much as I used to at the beginning of this year. I think I mentioned to you before that I'm working on two big projects. One of them, perhaps the most laborious, has been finding the possibility of seeing the updated statistics here.
I've talked to a couple of people at Substack who have given me some advice on how to do it here. However, the possibility of inserting reports into tables is still impossible. There are also other problems that Substack should improve. Several readers have been telling me for some time now how they can interact without having to use the Substack App.
I see that possibility as quite difficult, especially for readers living in Cuba. The rest is reasonable: Substack needs more flexibility in its App so that more readers and subscribers will use it. Now, what I hope they will consider at some point is the possibility of inserting tables and other details. I understand that there are many long-term steps, so we just have to wait.
Anyway, I've been thinking about the idea of moving from Substack to a new place as well. I'm not sure when that will be. Nor how Ruth and I will do it. But there can be some interesting options like Medium, Ghost, Mailchimp, WordPress, or Beehiiv.
I've also thought about the idea of being in both places, but publishing different content. I'm grateful to all the people at Substack for offering me a space to write about baseball. It's going to be crazy when you get emails from two places at the same time! But hey, if you feel good about reading everything you get from us, we'd be grateful. This is just a thought. And if we make it a reality, we'll organize all the coverage in a way that you can enjoy everything we'll bring.
Don't worry about subscriptions. I've heard from a couple of friends that Beehiiv is highly effective at delivering and putting together newsletters. So, I think we'll continue to have a good time. As I told you before, I've been working hard in the last few months to try to surprise you with two of the most important projects of my life. It will still take time, but at some point, it will be a fact and we'll share it. I know you'll like it.
By the way, now that we are just 19 days away from the Opening Day of the III Elite League of Cuban Baseball, I will be back this week with the second part of the “preview” column. I will analyze the first three teams in the ranking, Granma, Pinar del Río, and Las Tunas.
There is also a lot to talk about in the Majors. Have you seen how the Dodgers look for this season? What do you think of the controversy generated by the arrival of Alex Bregman to the Red Sox? Will the Red Sox keep Rafael Devers at third base or will they use Bregman, the 2024 Gold Glove winner?
It seems that we will soon see Shohei Ohtani pitching in action alongside another Japanese superstar, this time the talented Roki Sasaki. Is Mike Trout in right field for the Angels? I am looking forward to seeing Trout healthier and in action!
News about Cuban baseball players this spring continues to arrive… Will Yuli Gurriel be able to make the Opening Day roster? Does Adolis Garcia have what it takes to hit 50 home runs? Will Luis Robert’s swing return to the MLB elite? Will Randy Arozarena find new adjustments? How will Néstor Cortes fare in the Milwaukee rotation? How much will Aroldis Chapman represent for the Red Sox bullpen?
Yes, we will have many topics on the table from now on after baseball returns. So I hope you stay tuned here. I appreciate that you continue to enjoy our newsletter. Have a great week!
