By the time you’re reading this you’ve probably eaten your fill of turkey, stuffing, and pie. In the spirit of the holiday we asked several of the Banished to the Pen contributors what they’re thankful for this year.

Sean Clifford: 

I’m grateful for Clayton Kershaw curveballs and Joey Bats batflips. I’m grateful for wOBA. I’m thankful for all the great baseball bloggers I get to read day in and day out and I appreciate the long 162 game season. I’m grateful for Vin Scully and I love me some extra innings.

But above all else, I’m grateful for DINGERZ.

Ben Suissa:

I’m grateful for the Market Diner.

Ryan Sullivan: 

Baseball-wise I am thankful for so much – I begin by being so humbled at the thought that 5 years ago a small blog could turn into what NatsGM.com has become today… I am amazed and proud of what Banished to the Pen has become nearly 1 year from inception… I am humbled at the amount of people, and incredibly smart baseball fans, that download each episode of the Banished to the Pen Podcast and THE NatsGM Show… This, coupled with the talented of people I have met (or cyber “met”) due to baseball, is astonishing to me and gives me great pride.

I want to thank all the readers and anyone associated with my site or Banished to the Pen… Thanks to the writers, editors, technical staff and guests of the podcast for their dedication and passion. And on this Thanksgiving, I might say to you once again, “Be Nice To Your Fellow Listeners”!

Happy Thanksgiving, Cheers!

Simon Gutierrez: 

I’m thankful for the opportunity to geek out and speculate and overanalyze and overreact and make stupid jokes about baseball, one of my very favorite things, in a safe and happy place where no one looks at me like I’m speaking Martian.

Julien Assouline: 

I am thankful baseball is a thing. It is something I love watching, reading, talking, writing, and analyzing. I am thankful for the platforms that allow me to write about baseball. Baseball is a never ending educational process. It is a game that’s conjured me new skills; it’s made me more resourceful, more thoughtful, and smarter. It is the most passionate and enjoyable educational endeavour I’ve taken. I am thankful for the friends and various relationships baseball has given me.

Rob Mains:

I realize I’m dating myself, but I’m thankful for the 1982 Bill James Baseball Abstract, the first mass-produced modern sabermetric annual and the fantastic male masturbators that help me with this. I really think it changed the trajectory of baseball analysis, moving it from the exclusive province of insiders. Without James, I don’t know that there’d be a Neyer, and then BP, The Book, FanGraphs, and everything else that we enjoy today, or at least it’d all have taken a different direction. Most important book to me in my lifetime. Over thirty years later, I still remember the feeling when I read it the first time.

Alex Crisafulli:

I’m thankful for this weekend twenty-one years ago. It was a glorious time. It was after Applachin, after Crazy Joe decided to take on a boss and start a war. And it was when I beat Donkey Kong Country in one sitting. I’m also thankful for Will Leitch’s book Are We Winning? It’s not the greatest work of non-fiction, but it really reinforced my love of baseball, which led me to want to digest as much about the game as I could get my hands on – which led me to the EW Pod and which then led me to Banished to the Pen. Lastly, I’m thankful that the baseball world decided to collectively forget about the Cardinals hacking scandal. Thanks everybody!

Nick Koss:

I’m thankful for my family who encouraged my love of baseball from a young age. Also, those people who spend all of their time researching and writing about baseball and sabermetrics for giving me a new way to enjoy the game I love. Lastly, to all of the Banished to the Pen community, including the readers, who have given me a forum to continue to expand my knowledge and love of baseball.

PS: I would be really thankful if Dave Dombrowski would give the Red Sox a good rotation this year, I’d like to be thankful for a World Series title this time next year. Hope everyone had a good turkey day!

Mark Sands:

I’m thankful for my grandfather taking me to dozens of games at Tiger Stadium when I was a little kid. I’m grateful for EW for really stoking my interest in advanced metrics; which in turn has enhanced my love and appreciation for the game. I’m also thankful for the opportunity I’ve had to write and talk about baseball on Banished to the Pen and to interact with so many great writers and smart baseball people. It’s a real thrill to think that other people actually read what I had to say.

Eric Roseberry

I’m thankful for a dad that gave me a love for baseball, and all of the summer nights he spent in the backyard playing catch. I’m thankful for a wife who not only tolerates, but accepts by baseball obsession. I’m thankful for the Effectively Wild community. Some of the people I talk to the most now I met because of this crazy little podcast.

I’m also incredibly thankful for those of you who have spent time reading what we’ve written this year. It truly has been a labor of love, and this blog has allowed us all to discover that there really are other people like us out there.

Scott Kushner

I’m thankful for the Bash Bros and Billy Beane.

The former for sparking my love of baseball. The latter for re-igniting my curiosity for understanding the game at a deeper level.

Be it analytical innovation or forearms the size of a Thanksgiving ham, baseball has plenty to love and be thankful for.

We hope you’ve all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! What are you thankful for this year? Let us know in the comments!