Dear Blue Jays fans: Thank you for the gifts you've given me

In a lot of ways, it's hard for me to believe that this is my last article for Jays Journal. I've been here just shy of seven years now, with six working as a co-editor and contributor, which means you've all been part of my daily life for a very long time now. But after 2,642 articles, I've decided it's time for me to move on.

Before I do that I want to thank a lot of people for the gifts I've been given by working here for the last seven years. Thank you to Keegan Matheson for teaching me a lot of what I know about how to do this, and for still answering my messages when I pick your brain from time to time. To my friend Clayton Richer, who I partnered with to run this site for about four years, more than anything I thank you for your continued friendship. I'm glad we've kept in touch. To Tyson Shushkewich, who is also moving on from Jays Journal at the end of the month, thanks for being an incredible partner and for keeping me in the game a little while longer. I appreciate all you've done, and your friendship too.

For those of you that didn't know, for years I've worked as a professional musician, and I spent a ton of time on the road. This gig with Jays Journal worked really well for me, because I could watch the Jays regardless of where I was in the world, and this platform allowed me to share all of my thoughts with you as long as I had my laptop with me. I've always made a bit of an effort to keep those two hats separate, but I loved that I started answering questions about the Blue Jays while doing media interviews for my music.

Speaking of media, I want to thank all of the various news outlets, radio shows, podcasts, and more for having me on as a guest. I never dreamed I'd be on the national news giving my opinions about my beloved Blue Jays, but somehow that opportunity happened more than a few times. I've had the chance to interview some of my heroes, and some bright young stars in the game, and I want to thank the agents who set up those opportunities for me.

I'm thankful for the friendships I've made while working with this website as well, even if I haven't met some of you in person yet. Whether that's the long list of writers that have come and gone over the years, or the folks I've interacted with on Twitter, many of you have a real place in my life and in my heart. It sounds cheesy to say, but in this massive world we live in, it's a beautiful thing when something like baseball can connected us in a meaningful way. I could write a novel listing off all of the amazing people I've met, and thanking them for their love and support, but I hope they know who they are.

I want to thank my incredible wife for putting up with me coming to bed late nearly every night, and for not only tolerating, but encouraging and support my baseball and Blue Jays obsession. It wouldn't have happened without her support, and I'll always be grateful for that.

More than anything though, I want to thank all of you for reading my thoughts over the years. You've given me the gift of a voice in this community, and the vast majority of you have shown me love and support for the past seven years. Even if I'm excited about what the future holds for me, I will truly miss you all. I might not miss editing articles at 3am after finishing a gig and finally getting back to the hotel room, but I will miss a lot about what this role has done for me.

Thank you for reading my work, and for all of your love and support over the years. It's truly meant the world to me.