Farewell for Now: A letter from BBB's Founder and Owner

Man, what a ride it has been! I truly cannot believe Bronx Bomber Ball has come as far as it has over the last couple of years. Much of that success has been thanks to you guys, the readers, the followers, and the supporters. Most importantly, however, has been the staff that has worked behind me since I created this website/blog from the ground up in November of 2014. And I absolutely cannot thank you all enough for all the support and contribution you have given BBB.

Today, I have come to you all to announce that my time with Bronx Bomber Ball, at least for the time being, has come to an end. I have accepted a summer internship position with the enemy, the New York Mets, but I could not be more excited about the opportunities that are coming my way.

 

I always wanted to be one of those athletes signing a letter of intent, and I finally got my chance (somewhat).

Ever since I created Bronx Bomber Ball, I realized that it has been my ultimate dream to one day work in baseball. Admittedly, I initially thought my calling would be in sports journalism, and that explains a lot about why I decided to create what has grown into the largest unaffiliated Yankees website (again, thanks to our staff). Now, I have discovered my true passion. That passion is still to work in baseball, but from an analytics and operations standpoint, and I am blessed and excited to have an opportunity to work at Citi Field every day this summer.

I have always been fascinated with the way baseball organizations are run from a front office standpoint. That is why my favorite time of every season (other than October of course) is the trade deadline, and just behind that is the Winter Meetings. Seemingly every other night this offseason, I spent countless hours searching, and applying for internships, and it was my hope and my intention that I would one day be able to step away from BBB with them in even better hands than I could have ever imagined.

To my staff, a simple thank you is not quite enough. You guys have been here for me to support me, and to support this blog. You have all bought into something, not because you had to, but because you wanted to. I constantly pushed you all to contribute to this growing project, and you guys have vastly exceeded my expectations. I truly believe our staff is comprised of the biggest and best Yankee fans out there. They are a wild and diverse group who come from all over, but they all share a common love for the Yankees. Today, BBB is where it is at not because of me, but because of you guys. So I thank you all for what you have done. Everything you all have done has been greatly appreciated.

My successor as “The Boss” will be Ryan Thoms. I have given Ryan co-ownership and I expect him to run the show while I am gone. Ryan joined our staff just before the 2017 season, and he has been my go-to guy ever since. He took over for me during my absence this offseason, and I know he is going to do an incredible job leading the charge for us. He has stepped to the plate and ran a fantastic site this offseason, and I have high expectations going forward. Ryan, you better believe I won't stop checking in, and I know you'll continue taking BBB to bigger and better places. 

To the readers and the followers, you guys have made this entire experience so fun for me. Through our live tweets, our controversial articles, and everything in between, you guys have had our backs. We’ve had some extra hot takes on Twitter (myself included), that has stirred some hot debates, but that has what made checking in on everything every day for the past three and a half years such an entertaining experience. Besides, what’s better than talking about baseball?

I had the opportunity to interact with so many Yankee fans in my time as the boss at BBB. Now, I get to change my cap, and I’ll actually be in New York working for the team in the different shade of blue. Truth be told, I’ve never actually been to New York. Granted, I’ve seen the Yankees play in person, but never in New York. Growing up in North Carolina and going to UNC Chapel Hill will do that to you. So if anyone has any advice for a 20-year-old kid still looking to find his place, you are all more than welcome to reach out to me at any point. In fact, I will leave my Twitter handle, Instagram, Email, and LinkedIn links at the bottom of this page.

This summer will be the opportunity of a lifetime for me. I am one step closer to accomplishing my wildest dreams, and I could not possibly be more excited. I owe much of my success to BBB and everyone involved, and I’ll never forget the relationships I’ve built along the way.

I know I’ve already mentioned it, but I have to hit on it again. Bronx Bomber Ball is in incredible hands. I don’t know if you have checked it out, but we launched a podcast on iTunes and other platforms, and it’s awesome. We’ve been more active on Instagram, with Facebook likely to follow in those footsteps. We’ve looked into other opportunities and avenues that I will not spoil for now, but I know the guys will continue following through on them. And as always, we’ve been just as active on our beloved Twitter account which will never change.

Finally, even though I will not be around much this summer, you all have not heard the end from me. I will still be in and out at BBB, though I cannot commit to contributing this summer. I hope you all have enjoyed your interactions with me on Twitter, or any other form of social media. I hope you’ve enjoyed my content, and most of all, I hope you all continue enjoying the content coming from BBB. I’m sure you all will.

Running the show at BBB has been a pleasure for me. It’s been something I looked forward to day in and day out. It is something that I committed to, and it is not something that I am leaving behind forever. The Yankees will always have that special place deep down in my heart. But for now, I’ll be cheering for the other team in New York. Again, thank you all. I have loved doing this, and BBB is something I truly will miss.

I’d be wrong to not conclude this message by saying something you may not want to read, but that I absolutely have to say. Let’s go Mets! (And Yankees, too, of course).

Thanks for everything,

Chad Raines

BBB Founder (and now Co-Owner)

Twitter: @Chad_Rain

Instagram: @ChadRain

Email: chadraines24@gmail.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chad-raines/