by Gregg Pearlman
I should have written this in August, at the latest, since I've defined August 11 as the anniversary of the first appearance of EEEEEE! on the World Wide Web (mostly because that's my wedding anniversary, so I don't have to remember an extra date). But a whole bunch of factors intruded, preventing me not only from putting up a timely anniversary piece, but also from adding anything to the site over the last several ice ages. The least of these factors was a long period of frenzied work-related activity, culminating in two months of hell (well, not hell, exactly, but at least heck) that ended just a few weeks ago. Plus, as with everybody else, there's lots of stuff going on at home that demands attention that might otherwise be given to EEEEEE! (Not that everybody else would otherwise give attention to EEEEEE!, necessarily.) And I'm forever involved in other writing projects (though, currently, less than in the past). And probably the most important factor was the still-unbelievable events of September 11 and beyond. But let's not forget two things: down the stretch, me feeling like I wanted to be a fan for a change, instead of a pretend-journalist; and me being really tired most of the time, which I bet has received no small contribution from being up till at least 3 a.m. most Saturday nights, working on EEEEEE! However, I don't think I've taken into account until now that lots of energy is consumed simply by being a Giants fan.
What all that means is not that I don't enjoy doing EEEEEE!, merely that it's taken its toll. This isn't new; I've noticed it for a long time, and to an extent I've taken the advice of close friends who suggest cutting back. Also, at this time last year I'd decided to back off from the end of the Giants' postseason "run" until just about Opening Day (aside from the 2000 Postmortem), and I found that I liked and needed that rest. So I went into the 2001 season with a new URL and a new look for the website, hoping to feel energized and ready to renew an update schedule that shouldn't be too grueling. The only thing missing was the energy. And -- let's be honest -- the "installments of season notes" thing can get kind of "samey."
I enjoyed the writing -- I always do -- but it reached a point where it was kind of like the first six months of my son's life. See, my wife, who took that time off from work, would be with the kid most of the time from Monday through Friday, especially during the wee hours (and God knows there was plenty of wee), and on weekends I'd give her a chance to catch up on her rest. That might have been fine for her, but what it meant for me was that come Monday, I was a wreck.
So as much as it pains me to say it (and believe me, it does), as far as EEEEEE! is concerned, we aren't going to be seeing any journal-type season notes, at least not for a while (and I don't know how long that while will last). I figure on focusing on some standalone articles and "Looks at Books" pieces, and certainly I'll put up articles by other writers who want to contribute; I continue to be active in the Giants newsgroup, though I don't have the time to post as much as I used to.
And while I'd sure as hell rather work on EEEEEE! than spend energy doing my actual job, my actual job at least provides something vaguely resembling an income, so it has a funny way of asserting itself in terms of my priorities. And while I'd love it if EEEEEE! were lucrative (and who says it can't be?), that wouldn't be just for me; I'd love to pay the other people who pour their hearts into writing pieces for this site. Toward that end, a book along the lines of "The Best of EEEEEE!" has been in the works, albeit sporadically, for some years. (Do you have any idea how long it takes to edit me?) I've gotten a strong sense that many readers -- despite knowing that they can read this stuff on the Web for free -- would actually buy such a book as a show of support. I'd love that, especially because it would enable me, in a sense that's a lot less cheap than talk, to show my appreciation for "my stable of writers." I can't overemphasize how much it has meant to me that people actually read this site, take the time to comment on the stuff I write, and -- this is the part that still blows me away -- enable me to play editor-in-chief by asking to contribute articles.
I continue to receive e-mail from readers, old and new alike, and I welcome and enjoy those correspondences. You've all been so supportive and interesting, and I'm eternally thankful for your feedback. As I usually point out in anniversary pieces, I've made some great friends online, thanks in no small part to EEEEEE! And I've even heard from the occasional baseball person's relative. Sometimes they get a kick out of seeing their family member's name in print; sometimes they want to correct a misconception on my part. I hear from the occasional journalist, too, which gratifies me to no end. Readers mostly tell me they appreciate what we do with EEEEEE!, and they marvel at the work that must go into it. And believe me, I appreciate the appreciation.
Nearly everybody who's written for EEEEEE! is, or has become, a friend, at least on some level. I've known David Beck, as I've pointed out frequently, for about 25 years, and if I'd never had the opportunity to talk out such a concept with him over the years, there would be no EEEEEE! I've gotten together many times with Richard Booroojian, whose newsgroup contributions (and, eventually, dedicated articles) have added so much to EEEEEE! I'm in frequent contact with Rick Braverman, Todd Hawley, and Grant Brisbee through e-mail. There just haven't been any EEEEEE! people I haven't liked. (Why should there be?) And I certainly don't want to forget other folks who, even if they don't know it, have standing invitations to contribute to this site.
But although this anniversary piece has been something of a downer, let it be known that I still love EEEEEE! fiercely. It's just that in any love relationship, things change over time.