I had columns up this week on picking players to try to win one All-Star Game and on the Futures Game rosters. I talked to San Jose mayor Chuck Reed on this week’s Behind the Dish, and was a guest on Slate’s Hang Up and Listen podcast this week. And I chatted today as well.
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I mentioned on Twitter last week that after two years and nine months, we’d sold our house in Arizona and decamped for the east coast, choosing Delaware as our new landing spot. It wasn’t exactly a secret, but the sale of the house happened on such an odd schedule – the appraisal took forever, arrived three days before the draft and we closed just 16 days after it came in – that I never quite made the Big Announcement that, hey, we were leaving paradise.
Many of you asked why – why leave Arizona, and why choose the drive-through state of Delaware. If you don’t care about personal stuff like this, feel free to skip this post.
Why leave Arizona? That’s simple, and it’s complicated. My wife did not enjoy living in Arizona, and especially did not like being so far from family and friends in the northeast. My daughter wants everything – she loved the weather and the pool in Arizona, and she hated leaving her friends, but she missed her grandparents, aunts, uncles, and year-old cousin (my niece), all located between New York City and northern Virginia. It would be easy to just say that I go where they go, and it would be true, but the decision for me was a bit more involved than that.
I loved living in Arizona. I suffer from seasonal depression when the winter grey and the winter darkness become too much. If you thought the top 100 prospect packages were better the last three years – I did, at least – my improved mood in those three Januaries probably had something to do with it. It’s a lot easier to get up and get rolling in the morning when the sun is practically screaming at you to start your day. I loved the near year-round baseball, with spring training and Fall League suddenly home games, and access to rookie ball and two Pac-12 schools, as well as the ability to commute trips to SoCal and Vegas. The food scene in Phoenix exceeded all of my expectations for it going in, and it’s improving rapidly, with more emphasis on seasonal and local ingredients where possible. And while I’m not a particularly materialistic guy – the move reminded me of how little stuff I have beyond kitchen tools and something like 36 cubic feet of boardgames – I did love our house, which we built new through Shea Homes. (Other than dealing with their partners Foresight Security, the process overall was very positive, as was our experience as homeowners.)
I relented on the move primarily because of work – with a commitment from Baseball Tonight for a minimum number of dates, and the difficulty of getting from Phoenix to Bristol, it made more sense to return to somewhere within driving distance. It has been bothering me that I’ve only seen my niece twice in the fourteen months since she was born, and that my grandmother just turned 99 while I haven’t seen her since Christmas. (Phone calls with either of them are about equally productive at this point.) Minor league scouting beyond rookie ball was difficult over the summer as well, because the only team within driving distance is the Tucson Padres, who are about to head down the highway to Hell Paso next year anyway.
The political environment itself didn’t drive me out of Arizona, although the support for Joe Arpaio, who violates civil rights with impunity and ignores the pile of unsolved sex crimes while chasing cameras and headlines with his anti-immigration sweeps and blatant racial profiling, boggles my mind. We lived in a moderate area, highly educated and higher income, and I can’t say that the gap between the state’s overall political leanings and my own ever affected my life in any material way.
That said, I do believe Arizonans are living in a deep state of denial about what climate change is going to mean for them – for the heat, for energy usage, and for water. We had highs of 117-118 over the last two summers, and those days will become more frequent, with highs in the 120s, which are dangerous and will put ever-greater strain on the local electrical grid – one that makes far too little use of the abundant solar and wind resources available in the Phoenix area. (ASU did do something very smart recently – they covered the football/baseball fields’ parking lots with solar panels.) The state’s water policy revolves around hoarding – they have about five years’ worth of supply stored up in underground tanks, which is part of why the Colorado River no longer reaches its delta on the Gulf of California, and also is a lousy plan for long-term sustainability. Water is cheap, and there are no real conservation efforts. We had neighbors with grass lawns. Las Vegas at least pays people to replace grass with low- or zero-water alternatives. In Arizona, no one cares if you leave the sprinklers on all night.
There’s also very little attention paid to the shape and scope of development in the area. There’s no concept of zoning anywhere, and the response to sprawl has mostly been to build more highways further away from the city center, like route 303, going from out by Goodyear north through Surprise up to I-17 north of town. (My daughter often asked if there was a route 404, but I told her all I got was a “highway not found” error.) Mass transit barely exists; they just hooked up the light rail to the airport this spring, and from where we lived, it was never practical to use it whether we were flying out or going to Chase Field. When the population spreads without any planning or control, it will settle in a shape that is not conducive to mass transit solutions – which is exactly what you have in Phoenix.
All of that did add up to one very real concern for me: property values won’t just keep going up out there as they have since the market bottomed out and we bought into it in 2010. The area can only hold so many people, and water shortages could mean rapid declines in property values. I’m not keen on holding on to assets with that kind of downside risk, and the strength of the Republican Party in the state did not make me feel better, because they do not seem to have any intention of focusing on these environmental/growth issues, and because they are far more focused on things like restricting abortion or asking Obama to produce his birth certificate.
If it were just me out there, though, I would have stayed at least a few more years. I hated leaving the friends I made out there, the long list of places I loved to eat, and the spectacular weather nine months out of the year. Even the summer heat is tolerable when you have functioning air conditioning and a pool in your backyard. It also made smoking things on the grill easier, because I never had to worry too much about the temperature dropping below 180 or so unless I let the fire go out completely. The only factor that truly motivated me to move was the air – my daughter and I both suffer from seasonal allergies, and my original hope, that the dry desert air would help us, turned out to be ill-founded. The air quality in Arizona is quite poor, especially in the summer, and neither of us found much relief, while my wife had allergy issues for the first time after we moved there.
As for Delaware, it’s two hours from my in-laws, three hours from my parents and my sister, four hours from Bristol, two-plus from New York City, and has low taxes. The Wilmington area offers good schools, and I’ll have three different minor leagues within 90 minutes of me, possibly four. We’re taking a little bit of a leap of faith, but given that I had no interest in returning to the tundra of New England, wouldn’t touch the tax rates of New Jersey or New York, and won’t abide Pennsylvania’s Puritanical liquor store system, Delaware kind of won by default.
It does seem like I have quite a few readers living here in New Castle County, so if there’s interest, perhaps we could try a meetup before a Blue Rocks game at the Iron Hill Brewery that’s right by the stadium. It’d be great to get to meet more of you in person, and perhaps to learn some insider tips on living around here. So far we’ve had good meals at Two Stones and at the slightly pecular Matilda’s/Mad Mac’s in Newark, but I’m sure there’s far more for us to discover.
One final note, unrelated to why we moved, but about the fact of the move itself. I’ve mentioned a few times here and through other venues that I suffer from anxiety, and have been receiving treatment, including medication, since last summer. The move hasn’t been good for me in that department, in part because of the stress of moving itself (especially with a daughter and two cats in tow), and in part because I liked living in Arizona so much. I’ll write more on that at some other time, but the last three weeks have been less than fun.
Thank you Keith for talking so opening about your anxiety and depression. I walked away from a high-powered and financially-rewarding career, in part, because I didn’t want to feel like crap all the time. That’s not an option for everyone, or even most people, but I was lucky and took the leap. We only have so much time, especially with our kids. We need to enjoy it as best we can. Best to you.
Keith – a meet-up at Iron Hill before a game would a great time. They have some Saturday home dates coming up over the next few weeks that hopefully at least one would work for your schedule. Hope you start feeling better quickly as the settling in process starts to wind down!
Good luck with the move, I hope the more settled you become in your new home, the easier life will become for you.
P.s. really enjoying the podcast, feels like you are becoming increasingly comfortable with the new format (sans EK) and starting to hit your stride.
Hi Keith,
Congrats on the move. I grew up in Wilmington, DE and my parents still live there. You chose a wonderful place to live and the proximity to minor league baseball doesn’t hurt either. As much as I love living in south Florida, the prospect writer in me does wish I still lived in the Wilmington area. Breathe easy – you’re in a good spot.
Maybe I’ll run into you at Frawley Stadium one of these days when I make a trip home.
Jeff Moore
MLB Prospect Watch, The Hardball Times
http://www.mlbprospectwatch.com
Being in the midst of full-blown unpacking and renovations, I completely sympathize. You mentioned your in-laws in northern VA; it may not be a breeding ground for prospects, but any chance we see you at a Hounds game next year? Hope Delaware works out great!
Thanks for always about being so open and frank. Best of wishes and luck to your move. On the bright side, your next eagerly anticipated Fantasy Focus appearance can be in studio and maybe you can record Behind the Dish in the Weasel Dome!
Thanks for writing this Keith. Really appreciate the openness, and a lot of insights within.
This post sums up so very well why I want to move away from AZ…and yet the reasons why we are looking to upgrade from our current house to another one out here. I love my job, and it’s the first time a job has made me so happy. I worry that leaving that and moving back towards family (St. Louis area) would take me back towards the mild depression I experienced at my former jobs.
As for your two cats – we know one is #biascat, but you never speak of the other one. Might we finally know that cats name please?
Best of luck Keith. May all of the positives outweigh the negatives.
you know Delaware state taxes and NY state taxes are almost equivalent (unless your making more than a million). and for some its even a little less.
Man, I wish I was one these ” few readers living here in New Castle County.” From Tucson to NoVA here; you’ll only really miss Mexican food.
I have no idea if this post was easy or hard to write, but thank you for sharing. I mostly read you for your baseball and board game opinions, but do appreciate these small looks ‘behind the curtain,’ as it were. Good luck with the rest of the move and settling into your new home.
And I hope you can offer similar opportunities for meet ups if you decide to come visit some of the Orioles/Nats affiliates in MD/VA.
You didn’t owe your readers an explanation so personal and well-thought out. Thank you for writing it and best of luck to your family.
I think you listed almost all the reasons why I’m almost assuredly leaving Arizona after my program is done. All the best to you and your family in Delaware.
I’ll miss all your food recommendations in the AZ area. I think I probably hit 15 of them based solely off your reviews. I referred my brother to your blog, as he works in Wilmington for DuPont. My loss is his gain.
Bumbed to hear about your anxiety escalating over these last few weeks. Hope you get some relief soon.
As always, thanks for the blog.
For someone with a refreshing long-sighted perspective on things. I find your political leanings baffling. Not out here to promote or bash a party as much as satisfy my curiosity. Core conservative values are long sighted and supported by facts, evidence and history, while being (especially recently-with right dysfunction) harder to communicate based on talking points easy for people to pounce on in exasperation (a basic example – min wage being counterproductive to the very class it is intended to help.) While it is quite popular and easy to yell from the rooftops promoting left policies, as they feel good and sound exceptional, they are nearly always counterproductive. Now, that being said, I don’t expect the masses to truly understand a horribly communicated right base, and expect them to see long term benefits of smaller gov. But you, I hold to a higher standard. You are one who looks at all effects and consequences long and short term of decisions, (at least in your baseball analysis,) while blocking out noise and short term setbacks or negatives. With that in mind, I am utterly baffled how your logic can be so long sighted and clear in one area that you study, yet so woefully misguided in something I see many similarities with. Good luck with your anxiety. And I hope you enjoy Delaware, make sure to order yourself an EZ-Pass for the bridge out there, and keep in mind, there is a service that will drive you across the bridge for you if you find that anxious. Best of luck.
Welcome back East. I suffer anxiety and seasonal depression and even worse, PA’s liquor laws so glad you side stepped that one. Great baseball climate in Wilmington. Close to the Blue Rocks, Ripkin Stadium. Comfortable distance to CBP and Camden Yards as well. Enjoy.
Keith: Good luck w/ the move and hang in there.
But I gotta ask: Transportation infrastructure, renewable energy infrastructure, water conservation efforts, planning for population growth….all of that takes a lot of public money. I’m curious as to why you cite lower taxes as a positive for moving to Delaware. It takes money — a lot of it — to make all of those aforementioned things happen. Wouldn’t you rather move to a place that might have a higher tax rate but invested in energy/transportation/conservation/etc.?
Good luck with the move, Keith. Hope it works out for the best. Your reasons for leaving, sound a lot like why I would consider moving away from So Cal and closer to the Midwest someday.
Enjoy the lack of sales tax, and constant references to Wayne’s World! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQEwJdhfddk&feature=player_detailpage#t=69s
Enjoy all of your work and enjoyed reading this, Mr. Law. It’s nice to see such openness.
Now that you’re back on this side of the country, any plans to attend any Cape League games? I understand it might be tough with the recent move, but if you are I’d love to meet you. I’m interning there as a play-by-play broadcaster for the Wareham team.
In any event, best of luck with the relocation.
This is just a wonderful post on a number of levels. As much as I enjoy reading your writing on ESPN and as much as you (and others) have helped me to develop my understanding of the game of baseball, I get so much more enjoyment reading your pieces on The Dish. Few people in your position, that is those who are of an elevated profile in their industry, write with the personal honesty that you do. I’m not an internet commenter. I actually can’t think of a time that I’ve commented here or anywhere, no matter how large the forum. But after reading this, I just wanted to thank you for your work and the frank nature in which you write about your life and your interests outside of the industry.
Good luck to your wife, your daughter, and yourself as you transition back to the east coast. I hope the move grades as an 80.
I don’t know what you mean by core conservative values Jackson, because many of their social beliefs show anything but long term thinking and only knee jerk, short term reactions.
Keith, thanks for the great post. Really enjoy the podcasts, insider articles, and chats. Hope you enjoy Delaware. Keep up the awesome work. It means a lot to me and many others.
Thanks for sharing, Keith. I hope to meet you one day, perhaps next time you are in the Atlanta area. I appreciate and enjoy your insight.
Welcome back to the East! For what it’s worth, Pennsylvania may be liberalizing it’s archaic liquor laws. Should you visit Montgomery County, I’d be glad to buy you a microbrew.
Can’t speak for the Wilmington area, but Philly is a phenomenal town for local/seasonal ingredients. Here’s a guide: http://www.fairfoodphilly.org/our-work/philadelphia-local-food-guide/ . I recommend any of Vetri’s places, Barbuzzo, and Bistro 7 to get you started.
Thanks for opening up, exceptionally well written post and hope it goes well. I’ve got a touch of SAD and bought one of those lamps that trys to mimic natural light and gtadually brightens in the morning, not the same as the real thing but very helpful.
I do agree with Ace, all the sensible points you make tend towards a higher tax rate to pay for the.
As for Jackson Briggs facts and conservatives don’t go well together in my experience.
@Groucho,Tou your point about social issues, its a fair argument, one that I agree with you about. However social issues affect PERSONAL lives less than non social issues. Case in point, wherever you stand on the gay issue, if you want to be gay, you can be gay, and you all the benefits being gay without an actual marriage license, now that may be immoral depending on your views, but you can live it out in real life, with exact benefits, government agenda be damned. Non social policies however, affect if you actually have a job, if this country will provide your kids with decent healthcare, education, things that the gov has completely in its hands, the citizen be damned. What I meant by core conservative values I mean smaller government. Less involved in healthcare, lower taxes, less red tape, less excessive regulations, and less spending. To name a few, but crucial policies.
@Alan,, the old saying goes, facts are different as you like to see them. Get a Thomas Sowell book, I am not talking about facts presented by conservative politicians, or any politician for that matter, as their order of values starts somewhere with ‘votes’ and ends somewhere with ‘money.’ I am talking about factual studies made by non biased scholars and researchers. Anyway, I don’t want this setting of Keith to become an argument, and I apologize to him if that is what came across. I was just confused as I explained before. Good luck with your move Keith, and Delaware will do you proud.
Great stuff Keith. Awesome. I really enjoy how much personal stuff you share. It “humanizes” you–if that makes sense. Plus we have a similar interest in books and old-school hip-hop so that’s a plus.
Good luck on the move.
Welcome back East Keith! I wonder – did the state of DE make you admit that the Ryan Howard deal was the right thing to do at the time, and it is only because of unforseen injuries that have made it a trainwreck?
Also, you mentioned smoking in your backyard – what do you use? I just got a Big Green Egg a couple of months ago, and have to say it is the best thing I’ve ever cooked on. Just fantastic.
Keith – been following you on twitter over the last year and started on the podcast this year. You’re acerbic insights are always funny and a great read – best of luck with the move and I hope you and your family are happy in your new digs.
Welcome to the Diamond State! Come out for some base ball as it was played in 1864! Also known as a bunch of guys that play baseball in silly costumes and by silly rules: http://www.diamondstatebaseball.com
Keith: You are my favorite espn insider and twitter follow. I wonder if you read the comments; I suspect that, for various reasons, you steer clear of them. But I want to thank you for your honesty and thoughtfulness, both about baseball and other matters. I hope that being so open about some very personal matters is cathartic for you. Regardless, I have no doubt that your openness about certain mental health issues can help other people, either by shedding light on certain issues or by helping others know that they are not alone. Wishing you nothing but good fortune with your move and your family.
Hi Keith,
Best wishes to you and your family. One struggles to say anything meaningful in the comments section on the internet, but I wish you well as you adjust. As a reader, and sometimes interactive reader, I’ve sensed your anxiety often, I think. I’m sure you have received enough “advice” so I just wanted to say good luck, take good breaths, and enjoy things. Even people who may write critical things to you, whether on baseball or in life, probably support you and wish you well more than you’d think. Best wishes. -Nick
And of course I meant your, not you’re. D’oh!
Fantastic entry, Keith. Thank you for the openness and honesty.
Jackson – I don’t think Keith said anything against non-social conservative policies. As you yourself can probably admit, the Republican party does a horrendous job of vocalizing the long-term importance of such policies. They seem far too focused on bringing down the current administration by all, including traitorous means (filibusters, lack of compromising, “scandals”, etc.). And, furthermore, there are a litany of countries with higher standards of living than the USA that would suggest that government involvement in healthcare and high regulation of businesses are a necessity. But I digress – the main point here is that, based on past readings, Keith holds a lot of fiscally conservative beliefs. I think you’re jumping to conclusions based on him defending that Obama is not a Kenyan socialist overlord.
Keith,
Thank you for the article and best of luck on your move.
I lived in Tempe for five years when I went to ASU but the heat in the summers bothered me much more than you – along with the political environment you so accurately described. Hopefully you will get a chance to explore the Eastern Shore when you are in Delaware. For me I’ve always found being on the ocean has remarkable calming powers – maybe it will for you too.
john
New builds are not required to have solar here. Baffling. Aps and srp make it unfeasable for solar unless you rent from a company getting a 20-30% discount from overall electricity bill. It’s crazy. ROI in new solar is somewhere around 10-20 years depending on how one calculates electricity bills. I’d LOVE to see total solar in the valley as it would more than produce enough power for our city and others. Just the mere fact of having solar in ones roof can cool a house by virtue of extra undulation.
It should be noted also that az is near the bottom of energy consption as 6-8 months if the year no need for ac or heat. We use far less energy per capita than say someone in Boston or heh Delaware. I don’t understand why we feel its okay to give a subsidy for hearing oil but not ac. That’s bs.
On the water, yes it’s an odd policy we have. Although our trends have been steady with water. We still have okay rain fall and even with the 119 temps it should being monsoon season next week- that is early rain. I too worry about water though as so cal, nm, az all fight for similar water sources.
Keith,
Please let us folks in Northern Virginia know if you ever have a meet up in this area. You have a lot of fans around here.
Thanks Keith for sharing something so personal it makes following you that much easier. You are an easy person to root for. Good luck with the move!
Well, you just summed up 100% of the reasons why I will never, ever, ever live within spitting distance of AZ. My one trip to Sedona via Phoenix did nothing to convince me otherwise, although some of the scenery was quite nice.
Keith, this is a really great piece. I enjoy your work a great deal, both for its baseball content and for the very clear ethos behind it. Getting a chance to connect the philosophical underpinnings of your work to what sounds like a very difficult and trying set of life decisions is damned valuable to me as a reader. Thank you for writing and posting.
I don’t want to get too far away from my thank you to Keith for his candor and willingness to share with his readers, but to Jackson: I think I’d understand your post better if you and I were able to have a discussion about the difference between traditional conservatism and the 2013 Republican party. Because I think the difference is huge, and therefore the two are no longer interchangeable in political discourse. As I get older I realize that I have more conservative values than I ever realized (almost all in the realm of economics), but also that none of them are reflected in current Republican leadership.
Keith – Thanks for sharing this. When someone has an interesting life and a clarity of thought and expression like you do, it’s always a pleasure to read a window into how they’re navigating their way through the world. You may have a memoir in you someday.
Tim K.
Portland, Oregon
As someone who moved out of Delaware last year (to move to CT to live with my wife) and lived there for 3 years while working on my PhD at UD, the food scene on Main Street in Newark is a mixed bag. There are a lot of newly opened chain restaurants, such as Panera and Chipotle that cater to undergrads. But there are also some better options for adults. I recommend trying Stone Balloon Winehouse. I ate there once and enjoyed it. Cafe Gelato, on Main Street, also had good recommendations although I never managed to eat there. When I go back to Newark (about once a month for PhD related stuff), I’ve been meaning to try Taverna, which is part of a local restaurant group. It seems like you’ve already identified the goodness of Brew HaHa, I used to hold my office hours there when I was TA. No one ever came, but it was better than sitting in my empty office.
Hey Keith,
From a reader and fellow admirer of baseball, just wanted to say I know how you feel. I moved almost a year ago from Brooklyn (where I was born and raised) to New Jersey. And while that’s not quite Arizona to Delaware, it felt like it at the time. I felt a lot of stress and anxiety as well. But ultimately, I’ve realized we all end up where we’re meant to be. I hope that helps, even just a little. Welcome back to the East Coast!
Truly,
Will G
Keith,
I’ll echo the masses: great post, and thanks for being so open. I lived in South Florida for 25 years. The unplanned/random growth that you mention — along with its corresponding resource problems — happened there before and during my stay, and contributed to my leaving the area. FYI: I wrote a book about the area, “What Sucks About South Florida,” right before I left.
I relocated to the “frozen tundra” of New England. It really doesn’t get that cold all that often. And a well-timed vacation in the dead of winter does a world of good. Additionally, the autumn in this area (the ‘burbs of Boston) is utterly magnificent.
Keith,
Best of luck in the new environment. As someone who also suffers from severe anxiety and recieves treatment/medication, it’s always reassuring to hear from people that have found ways to manage it and lead happy, successful lives. I can relate to your recent bouts with anxiety, having gotten married, found out we’re having a baby, and moving all in the last 8 months. Reading your work and listening to your music/book recommendations always gives me reprieve from any anxiety I might be experiencing. Thanks for all the great work you do.
Keith,
While I don’t agree with some of your political opinions, I wish you good luck and good mental health in Delaware. I suffer from a lot of the same things.
Queue the biascat as Keith is obviously biased towards the East Coast! Anyways, congrats on the move and your openness and clarity of thought in your post. Not expected or needed, and that makes it even more refreshing!
Keith,
If you’re looking for any food and/or drink recommendations for your trips to Bristol, let me know. It can be slim pickings in CT unless you know where to look.