Hello Yankees family and I hope you are having a great
weekend. I come to you today with a question that has been bugging me, what is
a blog? The dictionary defines a blog as “a website containing a writer’s or
group of writers’ own experiences, observations, opinions, etc., and often
having images and links to other websites.” The reason I bring this up is
because I have recently come under fire for the way I run my blog and for the
content that I create. I have been called too emotional, I’ve been told I push
my opinions and beliefs on people and my words are sometimes taken out of
context. I am okay with this, you are allowed to disagree with my and all that,
but why am I being attacked for putting out my observations and opinions on a
blog that I own?
I am under no illusions that I am a beat writer or a
journalist although sometimes bloggers and their work are compared to them. I
write from a fan’s perspective, I’m not an insider and I don’t work for the
team. I was being compared in these emails to people who work for the Yankees,
either directly or indirectly, and who presumably have their opinions, their
observations and their emotions limited by the team and the people signing off
on their paychecks. I don’t live under those restrictions and I am not Jon
Heyman, Andrew Marchand, Wally Matthews, Chad Jennings, or Jack Curry (all men I have an enormous
amount of respect for FYI), I am Daniel Burch and that’s all I’m ever going to
be.
When I started this blog along with Bryan Van Dusen we
didn’t go out of our way to be different, but we are. We are fans first and
foremost and we’re not the GM. If I want Cliff Lee in pinstripes I’m going to
write about it, if you don’t then don’t click the article. I don’t push my
material on anyone, I don’t even post links to my stuff 99% of the time. I am a
fan so yes I have an opinion and yes I am emotional and yes I may be dramatic
and over the top sometimes, so what? I’m human. I’M A HUMAN BEING TOO. My feelings are hurt and that's why I've been quiet.
I have done things my way for better or worse since the
first day of the blog until today and I will continue to do so until I decide
to close up shop. If that means I never become more than what I am today as far
as writing then that’s A-OK by me. I’m happy where I’m at and as much as I
would love to turn this into a career I am quite content with it not being. My
wife and kids have everything they need and then some and I have a hobby, a hobby
I enjoy and I’m told I’m quite good at most of the time. This blog is not
changing and if emotions and opinions and observations and the use of common
sense to make determinations isn’t for you then maybe this blog isn’t either.
I have respected anyone and everyone that has ever come my
way in this industry whether it be in emails, on Twitter, in comments etc. and
I expect the same in return. If I don’t get it then I burn the bridge. Life is
too short to be disrespected and I feel disrespected. This is just something I
had to get off my chest and I appreciate you all listening. Thank you.
Oh and FYI apparently it’s unprofessional to do Twitter
polls despite the fact that you guys all enjoy them and enjoy being on the
blog. That’s not changing either. Thanks again, love you guys!
