Early Season Beat Writer Change at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette?

"While I have you on the phone, you guys didn't get the Houston-Milwaukee score yet, did you?"

 

Nope.
It is very simple, actually.
I have 3-month-old twins, a boy and a girl. They were born premature, fought through some things but are doing fine now.
My wife (a saint) has a good job. Over the past few weeks, I have begun to really question my family/work balance and there is just one other extenuating circumstance --- I never knew my father all that well, grew up in a single parent household.
I want to be there as much as I can for my children, I don't want to just put them on the school bus and then see them at 1 a.m. as they are sleeping.
I want more.
So, my wife and I looked at everything and decided this could happen -- although it might be tight -- financially.
Will I work again? Almost certainly. But it will be doing something where there's a clear distinction between home and work. I don't want to be playing with my kids at the playground and be checking my email on my phone. Does that mean I might have to throw bags at the airport? Sure. But the trade off will be worth it.

I just saw myself headed toward being one of those miserable, divorced, cholesterol-through-the-roof, chain-smoking, curmudgeons that all of us come across in press boxes ... and I wanted to jump off now.

There's no conspiracy, no ill will or animosity. Will some say I'm a quitter? Sure.

But it is simple, to me: I just want to play with my kids and not worry about someone getting DFA interrupting that. That's all. So I walked away. And am happy.

 

And, Colin, some people will say you're brave as hell.

 

Good for you, man. You'll find quite a few threads on this site where people are saying success at home is much more important than success at the job. Glad to hear you picked the one you believe is best for you and have no reservations about it. Never heard of anyone on their death bed saying to loved ones, "I Really wish I woulda' spent more time at work."

 

Good for you. Takes guts and swallowing a lot of pride and ego. Many would never leave a MLB beat willingly. Good luck at your most important job of being a father.

 

Colin, congrats.

 

After reading that post, I'm not sure how anyone could think of calling you a quitter. Good luck to you sir.

 

Good on ya, mate. This business can be insane and all-consuming at times and sometimes the only solution is to walk away while you still can.

 

So, you're going to stick with just being a regular curmudgeon?

Seriously, Colin, best of luck. Sounds like you made the right choice.

 

Good luck. I respect the hell out of your decision.

 

Hiring someone now would be odd, to me.

Side note: To my memory, Chico Harlan finished the 2009 season out as Nationals beat writer. Of this, I'm almost certain, though his imminent move may have been announced before the season ended. I know that Adam Kilgore was hired back either during or immediately before Spring Training 2010.

 

It's your life, and you chose what was most important to you. Good for you.