Bill McGill: Let Me Introduce Myself

I feel like a raw rookie starting this. No, I am a raw rookie starting this. So let me introduce myself: my name is Bill McGill and I am a retired academic, taught history for a number of years at three different colleges then served as dean for twelve years at Lebanon valley College in Annville PA, where I still live. I have been poetry editor of Spitball since 1993 and also served a stint as managing editor from the fall of 2002 until the spring of 2008.

Mike was kind enough to say some nice things about my work with Spitball so maybe you know how I got involved in the magazine. Did some pitching in high school and college, but when confronted by having Moe Drabowsky as a fellow member of the freshman team at Trinity, not to mention another classmate, George Case, who spent a few years as a pitcher in the Giants organization I retired.

Since then I've expended my energies rooting for the St. Louis Cardinals. The license numbers on the family cars are 0006 and 0005 if you want to know my favorite players past and present. Doubtless you'll read more about that in future postings.

The main reason I retired from the academic world early was a desire to spend more time writing. The main reason I stepped aside as managing editor was that I found it increasingly difficult to juggle my own writing projects and the work putting together and getting out the magazine. The wisdom of that decision is reflected in two things. I have been able to complete two long articles on the early (pre-professional) career of George Sisler. And I have managed to revise and gather together a number of baseball stories I have written and publish them under the title Dream Team: A Novella and Other Stories of the Game. You can buy a copy through such operations as Amazon or directly from me (P. O. Box 333, Annville, PA 17003). The cost is $14.50 which includes postage.

Having taken the plunge here I will next report to you about Spring Training in Jupiter, Florida. Am taking off for their next week and will be speding most of my days in and around Roger Dean stadium watching Cardinal games and some morning work outs as well. The best news I have had in preparing for the trip is that Albert Pujois will NOT be going to the World Baseball Classic so I can get a full dose of watching him.

While I am away why don't you look up and read two excellent baseball books I've read recently Chriss Coste, The 33 Year Old Rookie and William Kashatus, Almost a Dynasty: The Rise and Fall of the 1980 Phillies (one of the nominees for the 2008 Casey Award). Yeah, I know they're both about the Phillies, but living where I do I have to humor some of my friends.

--Bill McGill