Ten years in the 'Pool! Thank you!

[Guest Mets Guy in Michigan]

I noticed in my profile that I joined the Crane Pool Forum on June 5, 2006 -- a full decade ago. It's hard to believe that much time has gone by.

I think I first heard of the forum when G-FAFIF interviewed me for a post on Mets bloggers. And I've been hooked since. (My day job severely limits my blogging, but I still try to sneak up a post every now and then.)

It's a challenge being an out-of-market fan. It was really tough when we first moved to the Midwest in 1990, relying on box scores and a paragraph in USA Today to find out about my Mets while surrounded by Tigers fans. The 'net has changed all of that, of course.

I just wanted to say "thank you" to the friends in this little community. I love having the opportunity to not just talk baseball, but Mets baseball with people who are just as passionate as I am, or even more so. I love the IGTs. It's like sitting on my sofa watching a game with good friends -- without having to restock the fridge. I love the off-season chatter, the baseball cards, the ranting and raving, the communal dislike of the MFYs and all the other things that we do, (including F-man's Yankee KTEs, which I can not read at work because people want to know what is causing me to laugh so hard that I can't breathe, and, well, I can't exactly explain to them what's going on there).

I've only met two people from the forum in person, and don't even know the real names of most of you. But still I consider you friends. I love that we are able to share good times and bad, hear about families and friends, debate things like the Beatles' White Album as passionately as we debate David Wright's health, hear epic stories about crazy neighbors building hockey rinks and contribute to good causes at the holidays.

Ten years is a long time. The world was a very different place for me in 2006, and it's changed in so many ways, good and bad. The Crane Pool Forum has been a wonderful constant through it all.

Should this all go away, it would leave a pretty big void in my life. So I wanted to express a heartfelt thanks to the folks who created it, the folks who keep it going and the folks who join me in sharing.

Let me know if anyone is visiting for the Detroit series in August, because I love to meet the people behind the names.

Let's go, Mets!

[Guest d'Kong76]

If I had to guess, I'd have said you've been around longer than a decade. Glad
you found us!! It's moments like this that just awe me that sometime in the next
year or so I'll have been posting on a Mets' board (Metsonline/Mofo - then here,
of course) for twenty years. Mind boggling.

[Guest cooby]

Glad you are here!

[Guest themetfairy]

I'm glad too!

[Guest cooby]

Should this all go away, it would leave a pretty big void in my life. So I wanted to express a heartfelt thanks to the folks who created it, the folks who keep it going and the folks who join me in sharing.

Oh, and this goes for me, too!

[MFS62]

You have helped make this an enjoyable place by staying around. We should be thanking you.

Later

Edited June 5, 2016 by Guest

[Frayed Knot]

Ten years in the 'Pool!

You must be awfully wrinkled at this point.

[Guest Mets Guy in Michigan]

Frayed Knot wrote: Ten years in the 'Pool! You must be awfully wrinkled at this point.

And gray. Two kids and the previously mentioned day job will do that, too!

And thank you all for the kind words.

[TransMonk]

Mets Guy in Michigan wrote: It's a challenge being an out-of-market fan. It was really tough when we first moved to the Midwest in 1990, relying on box scores and a paragraph in USA Today to find out about my Mets while surrounded by Tigers fans. The 'net has changed all of that, of course. I just wanted to say "thank you" to the friends in this little community. I love having the opportunity to not just talk baseball, but Mets baseball with people who are just as passionate as I am, or even more so.

I feel MGIM's pain and echo his sentiment.

This is my favorite place on the web.

[Fman99]

The pool rules! It's not just Mets chat -- I have coworkers who are baseball fans, and play in fantasy baseball leagues where we can dig into the minutae of stats and whatnot. It's the cumulative experience -- the sum is greater than the parts kind of thing.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I like how we post pictures of player's wives and discuss old music.

[Centerfield]

Happy Craniversary MGIM.

Long live the 'pool.