It’s Never Truly Goodbye...

This is an article I wasn’t ready to write.

They say that all good things must come to an end, but they never talk about what happens next. What do you do when something you’ve been a part of for 6 years changes drastically and it’s time to walk away from the table? You look ahead. You look forward to new beginnings. You thank everyone who helped you along the way.

This is my thank you. My hat is off to you, Gaslamp Ball reader.

Thank you for taking the time to read Gaslamp Ball. Thank you for interacting with us on a daily basis, whether it be through here or through other channels such as Twitter and Instagram. Thank you for carving out part of your day to read my articles on baseball hats. Baseball hats! I never ever had the presumption that writing on this blog about headwear would have received such a warm and enthusiastic response. Your kind words and support over the years have been greatly appreciated and have helped me not only grow as a writer, but as a person. That means everything to me. Thank you.

I started off my writing career out of high school as a fiction writer. Having a penchant for storytelling I began to carve away at a zombie apocalypse scenario (this was pre-TWD, by the way) before eventually shelving it when the genre became more played out than the stuff on pop radio. I shelved the practice once a burgeoning music career took hold and lead to nowhere (as is the usual) and I settled into working life post-college attempt. Collecting hats became a new hobby and baseball a rediscovered escape. I took to the internet and stumbled upon Gaslamp Ball some 6 years ago. Gumption and a want to re-enter the writing scene led me to my first of many fanposts on...you guessed it, hats. The overwhelming response and continued work led me to take the mantle of SD Hat Guy (that operates on Highlander rules, by the way) and embark on further writing about a sport I am still learning more and more about every day.

I’d be remiss to not mention how much of a pleasure it was to write alongside such fantastic scribes and people. Jodi ran this ship with an energy and unwavering optimism that brought so many Padres fans together. Richard could knock out a recap and double it back up with a great article that was filled with wit as sharp as a blade. Roy is the consummate writer’s writer and can pack so much knowledge into an article that I learned something new from him in every writing. What else is there to say about Joe other than you don’t so much read his articles as you do experience them with him utilizing the written word as skillfully and as gracefully as an Olympic-class fencer? Who could forget Dave and him holding you down daily with the game recap and fun articles? While I’ve yet to meet Kyle personally, I thoroughly enjoyed his work here and know he’s going to fit right in as a baseball writer par excellence. I’ve made so many new friends and acquaintances throughout my journey here at Gaslamp, and I look forward to meeting many more in the years to come as the Padres journey towards that coveted title.

Unfortunately the changes incoming to Gaslamp Ball have shaken my convictions about what’s next for the site. It’s hard to foresee what lies for GLB, but I’d like to tell you where you may find my next work if you’d like to check it out. SD Hat Collectors just celebrated its first year of existence last November and will be going stronger than ever with writings and musings on hats, uniforms, and the minutiae of Padres aesthetics. As for my baseball writing, stay tuned. While I certainly can’t speak for my fellow writers, I can assure you that none of us are hanging ‘em up anytime soon. You can also follow my exploits on Twitter and Instagram at @SDHatGuy and sdhatguy, respectively...much the same as my time here on Gaslamp: come for the hats, stay for the commentary.

Thank you for everything, Gaslamp Ball. It’s been fun. And to the readers who stop by daily, it’s never truly goodbye. It’s until next time.