FAST FORWARD

Technological advances in the past 20 years have made the baseball fan experience better than ever

- J.J.Cooper

As this issue went to press, I had just started my 20th year at Baseball America.

That’s a lot of baseball. Twenty years encompasses more than 3,000 hits, 600 doubles and 500 home runs of Miguel Cabrera’s career. It’s almost the entirety of Justin Verlander’s college and pro career.

The last prospects from when I started at BA are edging into retirement. Most of the players I remember from my formative years at BA are now coaches or front office officials, if they are still around the game. Jackson Chourio wasn’t born when I became a BA employee.

I’m fortunate to have a dream job, one that exceeds anything I could have imagined when I was growing up. So thank you Baseball America subscribers for providing this opportunity. I am truly grateful.

But the other thought that I can’t dislodge from my head is how much baseball is better now than it was two decades ago.

I’m an optimist by nature, but I don’t think this is just a matter of seeing the glass half full. As a baseball fan, as well as someone who covers the game, I find now to be better than then.

The current game does have its issues. If you want to talk about too many strikeouts, not enough on-field action or other complaints, you have valid points.

But baseball changes, adapts and develops. And if you pull back to a wide-angle view for a moment, you can realize how good we have it in 2022.