My Favorite Memories of 2024

A annual tradition revisited

My wife and I have, at least in theory, a household tradition (that we probably don’t observe as often as we should), of saying our gratitudes at night as a way of clearing out the daily stressors and remembering how fortunate we are and how full our lives are of treasures.

Once a year, I like to bring this idea to There R Giants and look back on the year that was with gratitude. And this summer really was a great ride. On opening night, I watched a lineup in Richmond that included Hayden Birdsong on the mound and Grant McCray in center field….and last week in Baltimore I watched a lineup that included Birdsong on the mound and McCray in center field! That’s a good full circle summer! Including spring training and some extended action, I saw somewhere between 60-70 games, laid eyes on nearly every active domestic player in the organization (and several who are no longer in the organization), interviewed dozens of them, and saw untold moments to dazzle the mind and fire the imagination.

So here are my 2024 baseball gratitudes: the list of moments that reminded me how fortunate I really am to work this beat for all of you.