What is "South End Grounds?"

It should be the first thing you see when you open up a web browser. If not that, I hope it's something you check regularly.

Word is getting around blogland that this is a baseball blog. That's true in a sense. But the Grounds will actually be a political blog with a baseball theme. I wanted to create something a little different than the ordinary political fare. Sure, I'll talk some baseball but politics is the focus of main effort.

Many have asked about the origin of the name. South End Grounds was located on the corner of Columbus and Walpole streets in Boston, just across the railroad tracks from the Huntington Avenue Grounds - home of the Boston Red Sox - and hosted its first game in May, 1871. The home 9 were called the Boston Red Caps. They went through several incarnations in the following years including the Doves, Rustlers, Beaneaters and Bees before becoming the Braves. The Grounds were demolished, rebuilt, burned to the ground and rebuilt again before being permanently retired in August of 1914. The cigar factory that stood behind right field is about all that remains from the first home of my beloved and presently hapless Atlanta Braves. You'll see the Braves in action on the Grounds at the top of the left sidebar. Read more about the hallowed grounds here.

This blog will provide quality content and commentary on the issues confronting Tennessee and our nation. If you're concerned enough about these issues that you've stumbled upon my blog in hopes of finding such commentary, I don't have to recite how important these days are to the history of the world. This is a place where you can come to get another perspective that you may not get on other blogs and you certainly won't get it on the evening news.

On the sidebars of the site, or foul lines as I call them, are links to a variety of resources that I use regularly. The Grounds can be your first stop if you're looking for information on a variety of topics. Included are my blogroll, my favorite baseball sites, a feed of new Blogs4Bush, conservative journals and websites, economic information, the Bush campaign's news feed, national and Tennessee media, cultural and historical links, and links to candidates that I care about. I've also included a few of my favorite webgames for those slower moments in your day. You can utilize the google search bar to look for a previous post and my posts will also be categorized by topic and archived by date. I welcome any input that might make this blog more user friendly or of better service to you.

At the top of the right foul pole, you see a picture of a great man throwing out the first pitch at the Grounds. Many people forget that from 1975-1979, Ronald Reagan did a series of radio addresses on 300 stations across the country. The commentaries were brief, lasting only 3 minutes, and introduced listeners to information that they wouldn't find in the mainstream media. Reagan tackled weighty issues and used the broadcasts to define and hone his message that would eventually change the world - free markets and democracy's victory over communism. It sounds a little like a blog. Had the technology existed in the 70's, Reagan's site would have led off my blogroll. (As it stands now, Bill Hobbs is up there for good reason.)

I harbor no illusions of this blog making the impact that Reagan did. That borders on sacrilege. Nor am I as eloquent or gifted a writer as Reagan. But this can be a place where ideas are introduced, exchanged and accepted or rejected. This will be a place where tough issues are discussed and debated and opinions become better informed.

Like any park, South End Grounds has a few ground rules. First, keep the commentary clean and above board. If you wouldn't want it said to or about your mother or child, don't post it. If you wouldn't want your mother or child to read it, don't post it. I have a delete button and I'm not afraid to use it. You're welcome to take issue with me and you won't hurt my feelings if you call me dirty names. Chances are, I've been called worse. You might, however, offend my readers and I won't have that.

Second, and this is more of a request rather than a rule, if you like what you see, don't be shy about tipping the Groundskeeper. This site is affordable, but not free. I have a wife, a child and a mortgage. And I just plowed under a bunch of my corn to build a baseball field. If you own a business or run another blog, I will be happy to talk to you about advertising as readership grows. Just shoot me an email.

Finally, don't sit in other people's seats or pour beer on the players, keep your feet off the rails (that's fresh paint) and enjoy yourself. I hope you come back often.

Play ball!

Comments

[Mark]

Mr. White,

Best wishes for the success of your blog. I attended grad school in Boston and never had a clue that the Ruggles Station stop on the Orange Line of the T was previously home to a baseball field. Don't know that I really wanted to stop there, but most of my subway riding was on the Green Line, so it probably doesn't matter.

Keep up the great blogging!

Regards,
Mark

[The Groundskeeper]

Mark:

Thanks for visiting the Grounds. Wish I could say I was more familiar with Boston. Visiting the old Grounds and Fenway Park are still on my life's to-do list.

Come back often.

[The Groundskeeper]

Oh...and enough with that Mr. White stuff. Matthew (or Groundskeeper)will do.

[MikeWhite]

Dear Groundskeeper,

I myself do not claim to be a republican, which from your site I take it you are, nor do I claim to be a man of great political conviction, and I'm barely a baseball fan anymore. However, through miscellaneous web surfing I stumbled upon your site and found it very interesting and thought provoking. I do have one question though. Being a newcomer to accidentally land up here, can you explain to me exactly what a 'blog' is? I feel that it I'm missing out on a new american trend that will soon be sweeping the nation, alongside other important landmark events....like J.Lo's latest marital status!

Thanks.
MikeWhite

PS-You're on my FAVORITES list, but I can't throw any money your way...FICA is killing me!

[Al]

The South End Grounds are part of the Northeastern University campus. Also on the campus is the site of the Huntington Avenue Grounds, the site of the 1903 World Series. The indoor areana on campus is the birthplace of the Boston Celtics and the Boston Bruins. The Northeastern outdoor sports play on a field that was across the street from a former home of Babe Ruth. He would come outside and play with the neighborhood children.