It ain’t over till it’s over (it’s over)

Back in December, Vox decided to part ways with their 200+ California-based writers due to AB 5. If you’re unfamiliar with the bill, we’ve discussed it a few times on the site. I happen to be one of those California writers. We were given the choice to stick around until March 31 at the latest, and this will be my final post on Pinstripe Alley.

Despite the fact that I’ve had months to process this, it still feels like a gut-punch. It’s bizarre to be forced out of a job not because of the quality of my work, but because of my physical location. I didn’t think very highly of Vox before they made this decision, and I have to say this has pretty much sullied my time at PSA.

I joined the staff as an editor in December of 2013. I’ve published 1,631 pieces of content during that time. My stories have brought in millions of page views. For nearly six-and-a-half years, I edited all stories running every third or fourth day (depending on whether the editing team was three or four people). I took time off of my full time job to help with live draft coverage. I brought my laptop and blogged on countless vacations. I organized my entire life around the PSA schedule.

If you add up all the time I spent writing, editing, managing the staff schedule, helping with writer searches, etc...it equates to far more time and energy than someone who was paid as a contractor. Unfortunately, due to the terms in my contract, I don’t get to speak my real truth. You’ll just have to believe me when I say that this was handled as poorly as possible, and it showed people’s true colors. I hate that I’m not leaving under my own terms, but I am happy that I won’t be affiliated with this company anymore.

Enough with all of the bad stuff. Here are a few things that I am going to miss:

• You, the reader. Yes, you. Whether you’re a longtime member of the Pinstripe Alley community, have only been around for a few months, or just decided to check out the site for the first time today. Thank you for laughing with me, arguing with me, defending me, questioning me, criticizing me, and encouraging me in the comments section below. Thanks for all the emails (unless your name is Betty), and thanks for answering the FanPost prompts (seriously, I love reading them).

You pushed me to write better, think smarter, and develop thicker skin. It has been an honor to share my work with you.

• The Pinstripe Alley staff. A lot of writers have come and gone over the years, and I’ve had the privilege of working with a great bunch of people. By my estimate, I’ve edited at least 4,000 stories published on PSA during my time here. Thanks to the PSA staff, past and present, for teaching me new things, making me laugh, coming up with thoughtful and creative ideas, taking feedback to heart, and putting so much time and effort into their stories. My favorite thing about this job has been watching—and helping—you all grow into better writers.

I don’t know what the future holds for me. I had never written about baseball before I joined PSA as an editor. Writing about the Yankees has been a passion project, but I don’t really see myself writing about baseball anywhere else. What I do know is that I love writing—about anything, really, fiction or non-fiction—and will continue to do so whether my work is read by thousands of people or just me.

I can’t promise that I will stick around Pinstripe Alley. I’m not always known for my dramatic rhetoric, but the idea of being here but no longer being part of the experience feels physically painful right now. Maybe that will change. After all, I originally found my way to PSA in 2010 because I didn’t know any Yankees fans IRL in California. I still don’t—my boyfriend is an honorary fan, but no one man should be subjected to all these baseball thoughts. It’s entirely possible that you’ll find me in the comments section once again.

I’m still not on Twitter, so you can’t keep up with me there. Feel free to drop me a line at caitlinrogerspsa [at] gmail [dot] com. Someday there will be baseball again, and the Yankees will win another one. In the meantime, stay safe out there. It’s a wild world that we’re living in, thanks for being part of my journey.