This is something I really believe: in a general sense, there’s not much of a good reason for me to be starting a blog. I’m not famous. I don’t have anything worthwhile to sell. The world doesn’t need another white man’s voice pasted on the internet just as DC doesn’t need another hipster-owned exercise studio near Georgetown. It’s just more noise crowding out a more-deserving signal.

But what I do have are some facts here and there. I’m a historian, by nature and by training. I’ve always felt more comfortable talking about the past than the present (and the future is always terrifying, if sometimes exciting). So perhaps, there is something I can contribute. Maybe I can help connect some dots for you.

As a result of my focus on the past, I won’t hit too much on the current big-picture things, the things that people hear about every day and every hour (everyone reads the news every two hours, too, right?). If you need to know where I stand…well, you don’t, but you’ll probably be able to tell. So I don’t think I need to state my opinions on current events in this medium because there are so many better writers whose voices need and deserve to be heard (and with whom I agree).

Plus, disclaiming that allows me to focus on the things I really love and the things that I really love to write about. Baseball, for one. History, for another. Baseball history, for a third? You betcha that’ll probably come up.

We’ll see what happens, though. If you’re interested in coming along on this journey with me, in seeing where this thing takes me and what sorts of topics I cover. This really is my most ambitious blogsperiment (I’m not ashamed to use that word) that I’ve embarked on, and I’m very excited to see where it goes. (This is one of those times that the future can be pretty exciting.)

So to you, here’s my thanks for reading, and my advance thanks for joining me along the way.