Mondays with Hoyt, Episode 21

2005 Upper Deck Classics #45 Hoyt Wilhelm

Before I start tonight's post, I'd like to let all those on the east coast know that you're in my thoughts as this hurricane approaches.

In my experience, I've noticed that the majority of collectors (the ones who I've dealt with online, anyways) reside in the east coast. 

Be safe!

Moving on to a different subject...I'm sure we're all aware of what happened last night.

The Giants won the World Series for the second time in the last three years.

Although I know I'm probably the 832nd different blogger to post about it at this point, it's still something worth addressing.

Given that the Nationals, A's, and Orioles were all eliminated in the early stages of the playoffs, I figured I wouldn't have much to get excited about during the final few weeks of the season.

While that was pretty much true about both the AL and NL Championship Series contests, I found myself getting into the Giants' four-game sweep over the Tigers in this year's Fall Classic.

I'm still not quite sure why. Maybe it's because I would've hated to see the Tigers win it all, given that they knocked the White Sox out of contention.

Whatever the reason, I'm glad I still found myself caring about the World Series.

I would've hated to let those last few precious days of the baseball season go to waste.

Plus, one of my favorite former Cubs will forever be a footnote in the annals of baseball history, as Mr. Ryan Theriot scored the Series-winning run in last night's 4-3 victory.

With that, so begins my first full offseason as a blogger.

Since I started this blog in early December of last year, I wasn't on board to fully experience what transpires in the blogosphere when baseball isn't around to keep us company. (I don't specifically remember much from that first month or two of blogging, anyways.)

I'll be interested to see how much the readership of this blog and others is affected by the offseason, if at all.

More than that, I'm eager to find out if it will play a role in my own "inspiration" to write. Will I still want to blog on a day-to-day basis?

I think I can provide a good answer to that right now.

Yes.

With collecting, there's no such thing as an "offseason". 

That's one of the great things about it.

While there may not be many new "exciting" new sets coming out in the next few months (thanks, but I'll pass on dollar-a-card Bowman Chrome and that "Five Star Club" stuff), there's still a lot to love about the winter months in the cardboard universe.

After all, card shows have no bounds. In fact, I'll be attending one next month.

While I'm bound to see a little more football and basketball this time around, I'm sure the majority of the show will consist of sweet, glorious baseball cards. 

I'm already looking forward to it.

Plus, it's not like my collection instantly disappears during the offseason.

Whether for inspiration to blog or just for sheer enjoyment, I've still got my collection to browse through any time I want. 

My Hoyt collection will still be there for me during the 20-degree weather and massive blizzards. 

Whether it features a simple Upper Deck Classics base card, a shiny numbered parallel, or an elegant vintage piece, you'll still see the continuance of "Mondays with Hoyt" throughout the offseason.

Even more than that, you'll definitely see this blog running at full throttle during the winter months.

I wouldn't have it any other way.

Besides, the return of baseball isn't that far off in the distance.

There's only 115 more days until the first spring training games begin.