It’s been real everyone, but I’ve decided to hang up my cleats here at FR. I’m sad to make such an announcement with a fresh season so close, but that’s why I know I have to go. Writing here and making it worth your time takes several hours a week, even with the great help I have here. With a 2 year old and child # 2 coming in June, as well as other priorities, I know I can’t continue and make it worth your time and mine. I had every intention of writing for another season (that’s why I brought on Dustin), but this final decision literally came at 6am this morning. It’s something I’ve wrestled with in my heart for a while, and real life got the better of me.
I’ve enjoyed unexpected success with this blog, thanks to you readers and my co-writers. You guys are the greatest. When I started, I didn’t know what I was going to write about, nor did I know a whole lot about the minors, to be honest. My curiosity is what birthed it, fed it and brought it to health. I’ve since been able to form some great relationships, and never even dreamed it would go as far as it went…which probably isn’t really all that far in reality, but it’s still been a great ride.
In the end, I love doing this, maybe too much, but I can’t think just of myself. To be able to write about baseball professionally would just plain kick butt, but it probably isn’t going to happen, reality beckons. I don’t want to be like the Quad-A player who never gets the call. Sometimes that Quad A player may be able to play at a higher level than others because he works his behind off, but the truth is he probably will be more of a natural doing the things his Maker truly made him for, not just what he wants to do or really enjoys.
If it were merely a hobby, that would be one thing, but for me, honestly it can be a borderline obsession. And in order to make it worthwhile, I want to give 110%, which means time. I haven’t been able to completely do that for a while now, and I know I won’t be able to for the duration of another baseball season. I will still be writing once a week or so at Beyond the Boxscore. That I can do. Once a week blogging is probably a whole lot more balanced and would be more like a hobby and not a second part-time job.
In the end, I just wanted to say you all of have been great. Thank you for reading and thank you for all your support. Thanks for putting up with my poor grammar and mistakes at times. I’ll miss the discussion the most, but I’m sure I’ll be commenting and defending Luhnow’s overrated Faberge’ eggs at VEB every now and then.
Entries (RSS)
Erik, I can tell how difficult your decision to shut down the site was, but I wish you nothing but the best in all of your future endeavors.
Erik, I’m a long-time reader of this blog but have preferred to stay at a distance and not get involved in discussions. Thank you VERY much for your time and effort into researching and writing intelligent and topical articles. I’ve learned more than I thought I’d ever want to about the Cardinals system and it made me take a more active interest in the relatively local Batavia team.
Best wishes for your future endeavors. Being Dad comes first, I know.
Thank you again. Cardsfan17
I am sad to see you go. You have done a fantastic job and your perspective will be missed. Will you be shutting the site down or will AZ and the rest continue here?
Without trying to speak out of turn, the site will probably be shut down all together. The dynamics behind the scenes have always allowed me to write here and erik handled most (read: all) of managing the site. I have little desire to take over that aspect of a site and was grateful for the balance that was struck between our roles as well as writing styles, etc. I’m in a similar, if more selfish, boat as erik w/r/t what I want to commit time wise as well.
While I don’t have the capacity to do DFR’s every night of the week, I doubt I’m capable of walking away from this all together. I sometimes wonder if I don’t follow our minor leagues in more detail than the big league club. I’m not sure if/where I might write again though yet.
You know it wsa funny I was thinking a couple weeks back that you said you were going to take some time off, but really didn’t–your an addict. I hate to say it, if not as a friend then as a concerned associate, but maybe you should totally cut the cord and not write on any blog for a while.
I feel a little more connected to this blog than others. It is going to be missed. My employers will unkowingly reap the benefits though…
I didn’t post here much, but always stopped by and always enjoyed the information. This site will be sorely missed by Cardinals fans.
Good luck to you.
Thanks for all your effort! Good luck to you in the future!
This is the first time I have ever posted here but I am a loyal reader and I would implore you to keep the site going even if you won’t be actively writing anymore, Erik. For the past couple of years this has been one of the first sites I check every morning and would greatly miss it if it were gone. As a loyal reader I would like you to know Erik how much I have appreciated the in depth incite you have provided on this site into the world of the Cards minor league system. As far as I am concerned this is far and away the best site for Card minor league info. If this site is gone I know I will miss my Daily Farm Report. Once again thanks Erik.
Go Cards!!!
I’ve been an every day reader for the last couple of years–I truly appreciate all your hard work. Thanks.
Thanks for your time and effort Erik, you and the others have done a great job. your insights will be missed. Good luck
Really sorry to hear it for my sake Erik!
Future Redbirds is my favorite Cardinal blog, been reading it regularly the last couple years, thanks for all the energy you have put into it. I love reading about all prospects.
Best wishes for you and your family.
Best wishes and congrats on #2. And if you are looking for something to get past the Quad-A level, might I suggest a family vacation to the Dominican?
Erik,
This makes me every bit as sad as when Larry Borowsky and, before him, Brian Gunn hung them up. This had become my first-stop site, and I will miss your insights and fine writing. And as much as I respect your priorities — time with your family should certainly trump baseball — I can’t agree with your Quad A analogy. You are no John Gall.
Best of luck in your future. I look forward to reading your stuff on BTB.
Erik,
Like a couple others this is my first post on this site, but it has been a daily visit for me for about 2 years. I truly appreciate all the work you and the others have put into making this site as outstanding as it is. I completely understand your decision. Family always comes first, but I will miss you guys’ insights and opinions. I guess I’m just going to have to put in a little more work to get all the information that you guys packed so nicely into one site. I want to truly say thank you to all of you and wish you the best in your future endeavors.
I can’t believe it. I’m devastated. This has been one of my favorite blogs, period. I am very sad to see it go. Maybe you’ll get the itch to start it up again sometime soon (crosses fingers). I don’t know where I’ll go for all of my farm news from now on.
Thanks for all the work you put into keeping up with this site. It was a great idea and filled an important niche in the blogosphere. You will definitely be missed.
Todd
Erik,
Thanks for all your great work, I check your site everyday and will truley miss the minor league reports and all the great disscusions we have here.
Take care.
Thanks Erik and good luck. Hopefully someone else will step in and keep this site going. It really has been great learning about the farm system. Maybe Mo will read this and hire you on and make this the official site for the St. Louis cardinals minor league teams.
I just started reading about a year ago. I consider myself an extremely knowledgable Cardinal fan and one year ago found out how little I knew about the system as a whole. Every morning before work I would check the site. It’s going to be missed more than you can imagine. I now enjoy the minors as much as the majors so for that thank you very much for taking the time to do that. My question now is where can I find coverage of the Cardinal minor leagues? I’ve been to some other blogs, but if you could steer me to others I would appreciate it.
This is a huge let down but I understand your feelings. Is there another blog that is even close to this one? Anyone?
Terrible to hear about this, Erik–the increased profile of the minors among Cardinals fans can be attributed almost entirely to you and your co-writers’ work on this site, which is to say that whether you’re AAAA or not (you’re not) the Adam Reifers and Jarrett Hoffpauirs of this system owe you a ton. I’m glad to hear you’ll still be around.
Thanks for the hard work, time, and dedication over the years. This site filled a much needed void with regards to info about the farm systems and up and coming prospects and other players. Only during the past year have I taken so much interest in the Cards farm. Without this site that wouldn’t have been possible. Much thanks to all who have contributed and best of luck to all.
Erik,
I never posted much – but I always checked out the site. Y’all did a great job. Best of luck with all your future endeavors.
Erik you are leaving a dangerous power vaccum in the Cardinals prospect evalution world. Who knows what sort of tyranical despot will rise up to fill your place.
I can only leave you with a quote from the great thinker of our time George Carlin: “You show me a tropical fruit, I’ll show you a c**ksucker from Guatemala.”
I’m pretty sure that has relevance here.
Another daily reader but infrequent poster. Just want to know one thing, where will I find my Amaury Marti facts now?!
Seroiusly, I have loved this sight and will miss it.
Erik, congrats and good luck with #2. Don’t feel bad for an instant on making the right choice and make sure you take enough time to just enjoy Cardinal baseball.
Long live FRB!!!
Definitely sad to see the site go. This was one of my daily reads (scratch that, tri-daily at least). Anyway, thanks for all of the hard work you have done. Good luck with the kids!
May you experience even greater success and satisfaction with your next endeavor, Erik. Job well done, here.
This is the first time I’ve posted, but I have read the site daily for some time now. Thanks for the great work, Erik.
My whole interest in the minor leagues lays solely on the hands of Mr. Manning here. The passion you infused into this site is what made it what it is today. Of all the days I’ll remember here, last years draft coverage was by far the most memorable. It was my first draft to really follow and it wouldn’t have been as nearly interesting without FR. I’m sure AZ, roarke, the baaron, and Dustin will take up the torch well.
Well done Erik. Well done.
My whole interest in the minor leagues lays solely on the hands of Mr. Manning here. The passion you infused into this site is what made it what it is today. Of all the days I’ll remember here, last years draft coverage was by far the most memorable. It was my first draft to really follow and it wouldn’t have been as nearly interesting without FR. I’m sure AZ, roarke, the baaron, and Dustin will take up the torch well.
Well done Erik. Well done.
Oh and I’ll be wearing my FR “The Walrus” jersey in your honor today!
erik –
Thanks for all the time you’ve put into this site over the years. I believe your work here was part of a lasting trend in baseball. Over the past five years or so the baseball community has rapidly developed a new passion for propsects and player development. This is the age of the Prospect, and you led Cardinal Nation into the new era.
Thanks.
thanks for all of the great info.
never post but always check in everyday.
this is as sad as the day fjm shut down.
I am sad to see such a great Cardinals blog go. Thank you very much for your time and effort, I am going to miss visiting this site and reading your work everyday.
I want to say thank you for all of the information that you have provided. I too have always been fascinated with the minors, but never had a place to get good info until this site. It will be tough for us Cards fans to replace what you provided here. Thanks.
Man this sucks. Best of luck, Erik. You’ve done an excellent job.
Where am I gonna go for my minors fix now?
AZ said it seems likely the site will just shut down. I definitely don’t want the job, but what about opening it up to some of the frequent and knowledgeable commenters here? I’m sure someone in the FR family would be able/willing to take the reins. If so, then the other writers could stay on in their current capacity.
I’m sad to see Erik go. Don’t take away the site too!
I am crushed, but since I have a 2 year old and a 1 year old I understand your need for more time. Thanks for all that you have taught me over the years.
Here is to hoping that Dustin at whiteyball.com picks up the DFR’s.
I’m disappointed and very sad about this. I have greatly enjoyed all of the minor league insight available on this site. Like many others have said, I certainly hope that this vacuum is filled by someone in the near future to inform us fans of the Cards minor league system going forward. Especially with the farm system on the upswing.
Thanks for all your hard work.
Just wanted to drop by and say thanks everyone for you kind words, they mean a lot. I really will miss the community we’ve built here, and I’m glad you were able to learn a thing or two here about the minors.
I think Brian Walton and Dustin will fill in the gap quite well when it comes to covering the minors and majors at their respective blogs.
I just wanted to publicly wish Erik the best of luck. When I started up whiteyball.com, I was very appreciative when you put my link on your site. I always felt we were distant collaborators even though we were on different sites.
Hopefully, we can meet up at a minor league game soon and discuss those faberge eggs!
Dustin Mattison
http://www.whiteyball.com
dang..i enjoyed the blog a lot.. by far the best minor league blog i’ve seen..i’ll miss it, thanks erik for all the effort you put into it..and all the other writers here
First time poster here. Just wanted to thank you Erik for all of your wonderful blogging for the past few years. This site was on my daily rotation. You will be missed.
Thanks for everything.
I am angry, however, and will take my frustrations out on you during fantasy baseball season.
A completely understandable decision. That, of course, doesn’t make it an easy or enjoyable one, either for you or for your devoted readers.
Whenever I think of the Cardinal farm system, Future Redbirds is the first thing that comes to mind. I agree with whomever said that this site was the main (perhaps only) reason knowledge of the farm system is so much better than it was even just a few years back.
Good luck with the family and hopefully somewhere down the line when the kids are older you can come back to this fully refreshed.
Wow. I don’t post in the comments regularly but FRB is semi-daily stop for me. This is such a valuable resource I hate to see it close up shop. I wonder if someone might be willing to take on the administrative behind-the-scences responsibilities while at the same time keeping azruavatar and others as frequent and perhaps erik as an infrequent contributor. I shudder to think of returning to the days where my knowledge of our minor league system and its projects are only what I get filtered from the PD and management.
If not, and this is the end, boys, great run. Good times. Good luck in all your future endeavors. D.GOOCH
Erik,
Just wanted to offer my sincere thanks to you for sticking with this labor of love as long as you did. As a Cards fan, I’ve found FR indispensable for the last couple years, and I’m going to miss it.
Best of luck.
I’m not a man of many words so I will just say that you have been the Albert Pujols of blogdom, and I have appreciated all your hard work.
I’d definitely be up for at least contributing to keep the DFRs going. I found myself spending my evenings posting on the Minor League threads on Cards Talk anyway so it wouldn’t be much different. I’d certainly have some reading to do to add anything else of substance though. But just as DanUp filled in for sir Lboros I’m sure somebody can/will step up.
FR Authors,
Thanks for all the great info over the past few years….I will miss stopping by this site daily for all the great info you guys provide. Good luck with all future endeavors.
Best Wishes.
sad to hear, erik. thanks for everything. this site has been a great resource.
I’ve been with you since the beginning, I’m grateful for what you’ve done, and saddened to see you go.
Definitely gonna miss this site. I’ve been a loyal reader and poster for over 2 years now. Sad to see it go, for sure.
Erik, you’ve always done a great job with the site. I can’t imagine the time you’ve had to put in over the years. As awesome as baseball is, and as awesome as talking prospects is, I’m sure it doesn’t come close to being a dad.
Best wishes to you and your family!
Thanks, Erik, for setting the standard for blogging, for enlightening us in a way that will now be a dark hole again and for having the courage and selflessness to make a hard decision about what’s most important in life. Yours has been a blogging success story from start to finish.
Would that everyone had the integrity and the class that you have. We’ll miss you and FR.
You guys did some terrific work here. Best of luck in the future, erik and all the others.
Does anyone know how to get in touch with Erik about keeping FR up?
This is also the first site I come to and I will miss it a great deal. I’ve often thought about how much time you and other bloggers have to put into a site to keep it fresh and interesting. Thank you, Erik, for doing it as long as you have. It’s been a real service to those of us who take an interest in the long term future of the Cardinals and in the great game in general.
Thanks for all your work. You will be missed. Good luck in the next chapter of your life.
Erik, totally understand and respect why you’re getting out. I will definitely miss the site. Thank you.
I’m very sorry to see this site close! I used it a lot for info and respect the writers and posters here.
I would encourage anyone that likes quality conversation on the Cardinals’ minor league system to come and read/post at http://www.gatewayredbirds.com. We have an active minor league forum and frequently conduct interviews with Cards farmhands. It’s not going to replace FR, but it’s a great place to keep the discussion going.
Thanks for a great site!
well this is terrible news…i understand though erik…my wife says i’m addicted and i just check the site a couple of times a day…i can’t imagine actually running it and how much of your day it takes up
i wish you the best of luck in all of your future endeavors(mostly in fatherhood though)
hopefully all of your top ten prospects will become all stars in your memory
Thanks for to Erik and all the the other authors here at FR. I will definitely miss this site. I check it at least twice a day. Best of luck to all in future. You will be sorely missed.
I’m extremely sad to see this site go. I am a very infrequent poster, but it has been a huge part of my Cardinals daily reading for a long time.
Thank you Erik, and all of the other great writers here, for taking out your time to write and maintain this site. It will be missed.
(PS, I know some others have mentioned this already, but Erik, would you be willing to hand over the administrative reigns to someone in order to keep the site going? I’m sure many would love to have the opportunity. If not, I understand- it’s your baby.)
erik–it’s all been said, so +1 and i hope things go well
thnx everyone again for all your kind words.
to answer a question, yes, i’d possibly consider to allow others to carry the site in my absence. possibly. standards and quality would have to remain intact. i would want to stay out of the loop as much as possible.
what little $ is generated off of ad revenues at t shirt sales as long as the hosting contract remains would still go to me. (it ain’t really much)
no one so far as i know it is asking for such a duty, i wouldn’t think, as it is quite a bit of work. i can be reached at eriknmanningATgmailDOTcom if any one is inquiring. obviously, i won’t just hand it off to anyone. it would have to be someone i feel i know and can trust.
Well Larry handed off VEB to DanUp, you could hand this off in much the same way.
Either way I do enjoy this site alot and haven’t found one so dedicated to the minors and keeping up with the prospects. Enjoy the kids and your life, those always have to come first.
This is really disappointing, but I understand completely. As another poster suggested, I think your quality of work and the interest it has generated will be sorely missed to the point that I think the cardinals should put you on the payroll to keep this going. It’s because of this blog and your writing that a lot of us fully understand the prospects in the system and why we don’t blow a fuse when these guys aren’t unloaded for a 2 month rental player.
Mr. Lunhow and Mr. Mozeliak, I hope someone tips you off that such a fantastic sight for the fans is in danger of shutting down. Erik Manning is worth more to your organization than Charlie Manning ever will be. So cut him and fork over that minor league salary to erik so he can continue to do what he loves and keep us informed about all your “fabrege eggs”, so geeks like myself can continue to hyperventilate over prospects.
Sorry to see you go, but I understand. This is the only Cardinal site I visit besides VEB. I love reading about prospects. I live in Springfield so I get to see the AA club but this is where I find out about what is coming next. If there is anyone going to continue posting about minor leagues, please make yourself known.
Wow, what a punch to the sternum. I love this site as much as any on the web, and I’ll miss the hell out of it.
Best of luck, Erik, you did a teffific job!
And may you have only healthy and happy children.
First time poster, long time lurker. I’m Korean… live in Seoul, Korea.
(hope you guys can understand what I’m saying, because I’m still learning ESL…)
This is a huge blow… This site has been a daily stop for me, along VEB. Erik, have you ever expected that there would be a loyal reader of this site…. in Korea?
Thank you for your tremendous efforts. You will be sorely missed. I wish you all the best.
I’m going to be completely selfish for a moment and ask you to please, please reconsider. Please. Just write once every ten days if possible. Please.
No? Well then good luck with your future endeavors and thanks for sharing your talent and hard work with us for so long.
(please?)
Is it sad that I still check everyday to see if this was some kind of sick joke.
Erik -
I echo everyone else’s sentiments and say “thank you” for a job well done. As the father of a 20-month-old myself, I totally understand. This stage of your life is about your family, and I tip my Cardinal cap to you for your decision.
Even Jeff Luhnow is in mourning:
http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/bird-land/bird-land/2009/03/postcards-ask-st-louis-cardinals-vp-jeff-luhnow-vol-1/ (See last response.)
I was going to post exactly what DCGreg just did.
LUHNOW: “…I am very saddened to see Future Redbirds cease to exist. I checked that site every day and it was one of my RSS feeds that I used extensively. I wish there were a way Erik and others would keep it going, but I get the realities of balancing a hobby and a “real life”.”
FYI, Jeff Lunhow is sad to see you go, Erik. From a chat posted today on stltoday:
Q: (from Twitter) Has the increased intelligence of the fan base re: prospects (because of FR, mainly) made his job harder?
LUHNOW: First of all, I am very saddened to see Future Redbirds cease to exist. I checked that site every day and it was one of my RSS feeds that I used extensively. I wish there were a way Erik and others would keep it going, but I get the realities of balancing a hobby and a “real life”. To answer your question, the intelligence of the fan base (and there is no other team that has fans as well informed and on the ball as ours) is a tremendous help to us! We read the blogs and message boards (oh and the paper too!) and it often sparks conversation that leads to more conversation that sometimes leads to us doing something differently than we might have without the fans input. So keep it up, everyone! We are listening.
Thanks for all your work Erik. You will be missed.
i seen that in the chat to would like to and my thanks to eric and the rest this was one of my first checks everyday.Learned most of what i know about our little birds on this blog once again thanks eric and good luck in whatever life throws your way