Tuesday, June 9, 2020

Post #2,000 (or, an ode to Ian Kinsler)


This post, whenever I hit Publish, will be the 2,000th in the history of "Dime Boxes," and I'm using it to honor...Ian Kinsler?

I'm not sure I've mentioned Ian Kinsler even once in the first 1,999 posts I've written. He retired from the game this past offseason and managed to become one of those guys who hung around baseball for a good long while (14 years) without ever really approaching stardom. And while Kinsler's good enough to be a "binder guy" in my collection, I don't chase his cards with anything near urgency outside of the few Short Term Stops he had near the end of his career. So why the sudden interest?

I knew my 2,000th post was coming up, but even as recently as last night, I wasn't quite sure what to do for it. It's not a major milestone in the baseball world: you rarely hear about a hitter getting his 2,000th hit, or a pitcher notching his 2,000th strikeout. It's the 3,000th hit, the 3,000th strikeout that people seem to care about.

But as I was poking around some stat sites last night (a common evening activity for me), I discovered something that could only be described as serendipitous.




I discovered that Ian Kinsler retired with exactly 1,999 career hits.

I didn't quite believe it when I first read it, and I had to go get one of Kinsler's 2020 baseball cards (with complete career stats!) to confirm the strange fact. But there it was, clear as day: 1,999 career hits. On the eve of my 2,000th post, I discovered Ian Kinsler and his 1,999 hits. Weird.

Baseball stats are sometimes exciting and sometimes painful, and the latter is no doubt true with Ian Kinsler. To think, if he hit just one more ground ball just a little harder across the infield, or perhaps if the rain in a shortened game would've just held off a little longer -- if any of those (or the infinitely other possibilities) had happened just once during his 14-year career, Kinsler would have that 2,000th hit. But the reality is that 1,999. And while 1,999 career hits certainly isn't anything to sneeze at, it just makes the guy's career seem...incomplete, somehow. 1,999.

Ian Kinsler became Mr. 1,999. So when I publish this post and hit the little Publish button at the top of my screen, I'll turn that despairing number ending in all those 9s into a happy round one: 2,000. I'd like to thank all my readers who've helped me get this far over my eight-and-a-half years around here -- I wouldn't have come anywhere close to this milestone without your support, readership, and overall good vibes. I offer my most sincere and heartfelt gratitude.

And so Dime Boxes, unlike Ian Kinsler, flips the page to #2,000...and counting.

30 comments:

Shlabotnik Report said...

Congratulations on this notable - yet somehow familiar - :-D - landmark!

I wonder if Ian Kinsler knew he was retiring with 1999 hits, and whether it bothered him.

The Diamond King said...

Nice tie in! Fun post to read, and congrats on 2000!!!

OhioTim said...

Congrats on post #2,000! Here is to another 2,000.

acrackedbat said...

Yay 2000! Nick, it is you I thank. Your love of the hobby and writing had much to do with my entry into the blogs. I enjoy your humor, knowledge and youth! Thanks for sharing it all with us!

Adam said...

Congrats on 2,000 posts Nick!

Mike said...

Here's to the next 2,000!

John Sharp said...

Kinsler was a terrific plain Detroit, and I wish he'd have stayed there until he was done.

Congratulations on 2.000 posts!

Jeff B - Wax Pack Wonders said...

Wow congrats on 2000.

Mark Hoyle said...

Congrats Nick

Robert said...

Congrats on 2000 Nick, a great accomplishment!

I'm hoping to be the 3rd blogger this year to hit the 2K milestone, hopefully this summer...

Alex Markle said...

Congrats on 2,000, Nick! That's a heck of an accomplishment and I'm looking forward to hanging around for the next 2,000.

Johnnys Trading Spot said...

Congrats on YOUR milestone. Most awesome. I know that I have said this many times over the years. But your blog was the first to pull me into this small little world we live in (the blogosphere). I should hit 2000 near the year's end or shortly thereafter.

Brett Alan said...

Congratulations! If you had a dime for every time I've gone back and read one of your short-term stops posts...OK, you wouldn't be rich or anything, but I do go back to them a lot, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. Here's to the next 2,000!

hockey kazi said...

Congrats on 2000 and to another 2000

bbcardz said...

Ya done good, Nick! That's so awesome that you've got 2000 posts under your belt. I'm looking forward to the next 98,000 lol.

night owl said...

For my 2,000th post, I threw out cards:

https://nightowlcards.blogspot.com/2012/05/to-celebrate-my-2000th-post-i-threw-out.html

Congrats. If I was Ian Kinsler I'd be getting no sleep.

Nick Vossbrink said...

Wow congrats. 2000 posts is very impressive. I'm 2 thirds of the way there and it's taken me 10 years.

Jay said...

Great going, Nick. Your blog's been a real inspiration to my own, and I appreciate all the questions you answered when I was getting started all of three months ago...!

P-town Tom said...

I remember when you were the new "young kid" on the scene and now you're an old grizzled posting veteran. LOL
Congrats on the major milestone!

GTT said...

Congrats. I'm just hoping to get to 100 sometime.

Fuji said...

Congratulations on reaching the 2,000 post milestone. Here's to the next 2,000 posts. As for Kinsler... that's kind of a bummer. But he managed to collect 1,999 more MLB hits than 99.9% of us.

Jafronius said...

Way to rub it in, kicking Ian when he's down! If I was in his position it would certainly annoy me!

Congrats on 2K Dime Box Posts!

Matt said...

Congrats on reaching the 2K mark!

friend11 said...

Ian was one of my favorite Tigers. Are you a HOF'er when you get to 3000 posts?

Jon said...

Happy 2,000th, Nick! This is quite the milestone, and is one that not many are able to achieve, as it takes a lot of time and dedication to reach such a lofty number.

gregory said...

Curtain call! Curtain call! (Waiting for you to step out of the dugout and tip your cap.)

GCA said...

Happy Day, He Made 2K!
I'm sneaking up on 600 and still don't approach some of the quality you put out.

Anonymous said...

This is Wes, Congrats on the milestone, keep on keepin on

Brian said...

Congratulations! Here's to 2,000 more!

Adam Kaningher said...

Congratulations on an amazing milestone! I'm happy to have been along for the ride.