Today marks a different direction for BP Milwaukee. I am stepping down as Editor-in-Chief in an effort to re-charge my writing batteries, while Nicholas Zettel (formerly of Disciples of Uecker) will take the reins. I would be doing a disservice to the great writers at BPM and readers, like yourselves, by not giving 100 percent to the site. I’ve written on the Milwaukee Brewers for the better part of seven years, and it’s simply time to explore other topics, formats, and ideas.
When first being asked to captain this ship, I harbored grand ideas. I wanted BP Milwaukee to be the home of high-end baseball writing and analysis on the Milwaukee Brewers, something I felt the Brewers’ blogosphere desperately needed. We took massive steps in that direction. Jack Moore and Ryan Romano have become true anchors for this site. Their styles and interests are quite divergent, but that has only benefited BPM. Julien Assouline and Seth Victor, the other two regular staff writers, have improved leaps and bounds (from an already high level) in just eight months. If their trajectories continue in this direction over the next couple years, they’ll have something truly special to offer readers. The BPM team has so many talented writers, though, as Travis Sarandos, Colin Anderle, Andrew Salzman, Michael Schwarz, and Xavier Alatorre all make this site what it is.
Exciting changes are on the horizon, both for Baseball Prospectus and BP Milwaukee. I eagerly anticipate seeing the places BPM can go in the coming 12 months because the site has a tremendous opportunity standing in front of it. I just don’t have the drive to steer the ship any longer.
In some ways, it’s an inopportune time to step away. The Milwaukee Brewers have one of the most exciting farm systems in Major League Baseball. The big-league squad is packed with post-hype sleepers who could breakout and become key cogs in the machine over the next half decade. Guys like Chris Carter, Domingo Santana, and maybe even Keon Broxton will hit monster home runs at Miller Park, putting Bernie’s Chalet in danger on a regular basis, while frustrating the average fan with too many strikeouts.
And, in many ways, that last part has been the most enjoyable part about writing on the Milwaukee Brewers. I’ve strived to bring a high level of intelligent analysis to the organization and the game, while fully understanding that I have more to learn than I’ll ever be able to in my lifetime. My philosophies about the game continuously shift. I try out ideas, watch them fail, and re-evaluate to hopefully be better the next time. I’ve tried to educate die-hard fans, to push against simplistic analysis, and to learn along with my readers.
That’s ultimately what BP Milwaukee needs to be. It must be a proverbial sandbox, a place for smart baseball writers to test out new ideas and to teach others. It’s also the responsibility of readers, though, to make it that way; it can’t be a passive role. I hope that I’ve made some positive contributions in that direction. If so, great. If not, Nicholas has a wonderful opportunity to do so as the next Editor-in-Chief at BP Milwaukee.
A deep thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read my work on the Brewers over the past half-dozen years or so, and especially over the last eight months. I hope we’ll see each other around the bend.
All the best,
JPB
Your analysis on the Brewers has been some of the best online and your work starting up Milwaukee BP has been much appreciated. Sad to see you go, and thanks for all of your contributions.
Mr. Breen, or J.P.,
Thank you for your work. Thank you for giving my father and I a chance to celebrate an early Christmas by breaking the greinke trade. Thank you for this site. Thank you for teaching me more about this endlessly complex game. Most of al, best of luck in your new field. Our loss is their gain.
All the best.