Being an Insider

Sometimes things happen that you just cannot logically explain. During the 2006 off-season I had an opportunity to meet several members of the Arizona Diamondbacks front office. They graciously allowed me to come down to Chase Field to their offices and talk with them about various subjects. During our conversations I happened to mention my web site and this blog. I had no idea that they were familiar with these sites and I was just slightly worried since I can't remember everything that I've written. This meeting though led to establishing a couple of friendships with Diamondbacks staff members and we've exchanged emails and phone calls since then. I try not to be too much of a pest and they try to tolerate my constant barrage of questions and suggestions. From this meeting and subsequent conversations an opportunity arose that I would never have anticipated. In late June I received an email from Greg Salvatore who is the editor of D-backs Insider magazine. He asked if I would be interested in possibly writing a monthly article for their magazine. I was completely shocked and just a little bit flattered. My mind raced as I thought of myself becoming a member of the press. I would need to get me a fedora hat so I had somewhere to put that little card that said "press". I would need to get some clothes that looked like they always needed an iron, and I would have to go to an antique store and see if I could find me a typewriter. This was going to be a lot of work I could already see it. Who knows, maybe I would get to see the inside of the press box or at the very least maybe I would quit getting hassled by the security guys whenever I tried to bring my camera to the ballpark.
I eagerly accepted Greg's offer and wrote my first "piece" (that's press jargon for the junk I usually write I think). I turned it in at the required deadline then promptly forgot about it. The thing about writing for a magazine is that they actually have deadlines and they seem like they are kind of important and they are a long way in the future. With a blog, I wake up and think of a subject that might be interesting. For a magazine you have to think ahead to what might be interesting a month from now. At first that didn't seem like a big deal but the more I thought about it the more I struggled. The entire landscape of the standings and the season can occur in a week during a tight race in the National League West and yet I would need to be able to write about it as though it was current. I've begun to realize that writing for a magazine is part journalism and part psychic and I am definitely not real good at the latter.
My copy of the August issue D-backs Insider arrived over the weekend and I immediately began to devour it. As I perused the magazine I got to page 72 and there staring back at me was this good looking guy who had a sense of humor very similar to mine. Oh wait, that was me no wonder I related to him so well. It was surreal seeing my words there on the page. Trina immediately confiscated the magazine and has taken it to school to show all of her friends. Tiffany requested a second copy of the magazine since she wanted to take it to school to show off as well. My daughter Ashley has requested a copy be sent to her in Utah so she can read it and my parents in Idaho have also asked that I send them an issue. I'm quickly coming to the realization that this opportunity is about to cost me some serious money. Instead of needing a single subscription to D-backs Insider magazine I am now going to need 4 or 5 just so I have a copy that I can read. The experience though has been amazing. I'm having fun and hopefully people will have fun reading it. I'm still looking for a fedora and I still get hassled at the ballpark about my camera so some things don't change.