Why I Started The Diamond

 I love this game. I love it so much.

Frankly, it ran in my family. My grandfather on my dad’s side spent 30 years as a coach and teacher at our local high school, which led to two state titles in baseball and one in softball. On mom’s side, my other grandfather played travel baseball and softball all across the country, eventually being inducted into the Arizona Softball Hall of Fame. They instilled their love of the game to their children, who in turn instilled it upon me. I was taken to my first game when I was just three years old, and I was instantly hooked.

I grew up in Arizona alongside my hometown Diamondbacks, and my parents were Day 1 fans (they have the jerseys to prove it). We would make it a point to go to Bank One Ballpark at least a few times each season, and it would always be a highlight of my year. The act of seeing the bustling crowds in the concourse, watching the players take batting practice, going through the pregame rituals, eating the cheap hot dogs, and rooting for the home team was pure bliss for me as a child - as I’m sure it was for many of you reading this - and that feeling has remained the same after all these years. Whether it’s Little League, high school ball, college, the Minors, or MLB, I will always take the opportunity to watch a game when I can, regardless of if it’s live, taped, or I’m there in person. I just can’t get enough.  

I started playing about as soon as I was able to. Over the years, I played every single position on the field, but I eventually settled on catcher. I loved being able to control the game from behind the plate: calling pitches, positioning the fielders, and calming down my pitchers in a tough spot. I never felt more powerful than when I had my gear on, ready to jump out onto the field to start a game. That being said, I was never good enough to have a legitimate shot of making it to college ball, so I had to hang up my cleats as I headed into my freshman year. However, my desire to stay involved with the game only grew. I joined my school’s newly formed sports analytics club, where I started to do my own research about the game. I was heavily involved with the on-campus radio station, through which I got to call a few games for the varsity team. And now, with a shortened MLB season on the horizon, I’m finally doing something I’ve been planning for years: launching my own site dedicated to all things baseball. 

The use of “all” in that last sentence is incredibly important here, because baseball is such a multifaceted sport. No two games are ever played in the same way, and similarly no two fans are exactly alike. They all have different perspectives on the game and are looking for something different out of it. There are the traditionalists, the old guard who love the game for its rich history and timeless nature. There are the analysts, those on the cutting edge of baseball research looking for every statistical advancement they can find to improve our understanding of the game. There are the casual fans, who love to kick back with a beer to watch the game after they finish working a long day. And, of course, there’s everyone in between. After all, there is no right or wrong way to be a fan (as much as some people may tell you otherwise). 

My goal with The Diamond is to focus not on the differences between these groups, but on the very thing that brings them all together. I want to provide a place with something for every kind of baseball fan: a place where you can find original, community-driven analytical research in addition to fun and interesting podcasts; a place where you can find deep-diving analyses and light-hearted commentary; a place where you can learn about baseball’s past, as well as its future. Perhaps most importantly, I want this place to be a celebration of the game—all that it is, and all that it can be. 

This website is dedicated to all of you, for the love of the game. 

Welcome to The Diamond.

Sincerely,

Connor Turner