Today’s TBNL is a little shorter than usual, but maybe also a little more thoughtful.

TBNL launched roughly 19 months ago on Dec. 1, 2024. This is post No. 300. It’s a meaningless round number, but still a milestone. And one I’m treating as important.

I didn’t think TBNL would last this long, frankly. There have been several times when I’ve thought about shutting this down: if not for good, then at least temporarily. There has been ample reason — maybe most notably, the frustration over how subscriber/reader numbers have grown. But then I remember why this started in the first place and why I keep sitting down to write so frequently. It’s an odd dichotomy.

There have been times when I’ve thought hard about focusing my efforts a little more. Writing about one team on a consistent basis is no easy chore, but it’s exponentially easier than what national writers look to undertake. When you add in the minor leagues, college baseball, and the international landscape of the sport, it becomes a massive undertaking to cover it all. Limiting myself has never felt quite right, though.

I’ve wondered whether I should charge a subscription fee, but I’ve never felt right about it. First, my subscriber base isn’t big enough to justify it. Second, and maybe more importantly, too many of those same subscribers are friends and family. It doesn’t seem right to ask any of you for money for my writing (though if you insist on donating, I do accept Venmo 🤣🤣). I’m already enormously grateful for the support you’ve shown — so thank you!

There are ample reasons to put an end to TBNL, but in the end, I don’t know that I want to — which perhaps is what matters most of all. I still enjoy writing, even when it doesn’t provide anything beyond self-satisfaction.

So, in all likelihood, TBNL will press on.

That said, don’t be surprised if the month of July is on the quieter side compared to usual. Between some personal stuff (vacation, moving, my super-fun arthritic flare-ups) and professional stuff (a story for another time, once things are settled), the next few weeks are going to get quite busy. TBNL may be temporarily pushed to the back burner as a result.

Univ. of Georgia catcher Daniel Jackson was announced on Monday as the winner of the 2026 Golden Spikes Award, given annually to the best amateur player in the country. UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky and Arizona State outfielder Landon Hairston were the other two finalists.

Jackson is the second Bulldogs player to win the award, joining Charlie Condon in 2024.

Jackson became just the third player, and first catcher, in NCAA history to hit 30-plus homers and steal 25-plus bases in the same season. Jackson played in 67 games, making 57 starts behind the plate, while hitting .379/.473/.803 in 319 PA with 14 2B, 32 HR, 87 RBI, and 26 SB. He led the country in total bases (212) and runs scored (88) while finishing second in hits (100), homers, and RBI (while setting a Georgia school record).

Jackson is already expected to be the third catcher off the board in the MLB Draft after Georgia Tech’s Vahn Lackey and Arkansas’ Ryder Helfrick.

Hoping the team will see better results in the second half, the Doosan Bears (38-38-2, .500) overhauled part of their roster on Monday by officially releasing right-hander Chris Flexen, while also parting ways with outfielder Daz Cameron. Flexen’s release had been expected. The 31-year-old (he’s 32 on Wednesday) suffered a setback as he prepared to start a rehab program after suffering a partial tear in his rotator cuff in April. He’s set to return to the U.S. to seek a second opinion, but it doesn’t sound as though he will pitch again this season.

Cameron, 29, had produced solid results with Doosan in his first taste of the KBO, hitting .287/.360/.473 in 314 PA (75 G) with 19 2B, 3 3B, 9 HR, and 9 SB. There have been no indications of what prompted the Bears to move on. No replacement for him has been announced.

The Houston Astros used the 37th overall pick in the 2015 Draft to select Cameron out of a Georgia high school. The son of longtime MLB outfielder Mike Cameron found himself on most Top 100 prospect lists ahead of the 2016 season and was ultimately traded to Detroit, along with two other minor leaguers, for Justin Verlander in Aug. 2017. Daz made his MLB debut with the Tigers in 2020 and appeared in 160 games over parts of five seasons (most of that time came in Triple-A) with three teams, hitting .200/.258/.326 (65 OPS+) in 472 PA with 16 2B, 3 3B, 11 HR, and 15 SB.