I love baseball.

And since you’re reading this, I hope you do, too.

Ryan Isaac here. After more than a decade working in Major League Baseball and watching more than 2,500 games, I have stories to tell.

Warning Track Power examines the game from the perspective of a former front office staffer and scout who is learning to become a fan of the game again. It provides an insider’s take on a variety of issues around baseball, some of which aren’t covered by traditional sports media. It’s also for fans who want to learn about people in the game they otherwise may never know of. Really, WTP came about because baseball is in my blood and I needed a healthy outlet to share my passion.

There have been two unexpected surprises from writing this newsletter: One, I have a reason to pick up the phone and call (not text, call) former colleagues and talk about life and baseball. Two, we’ve built a baseball-loving community together. Thanks for being part of it.

Warning Track Power is a reader-supported publication.

Paid subscriptions help me continue my work and support independent journalism. I hope you’ll consider an upgrade.

Paid subscribers receive:

  • NL West stories and intelligence: I spent 10 years working in the NL West and I now live between Petco Park and Angel Stadium. I’m entrenched in the West. For the 2023 season, we’ll keep a close eye on baseball out west and talk to coaches, staff, and other personnel affiliated with those 10 teams.

  • One-off paid subscriber-only pieces

  • Full access to the WTP archive

  • A birthday card on your birthday

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Baseball & Writing Come Together

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always been around the game of baseball, and I’ve always been writing. Writing about baseball, though, was never of much interest. I had taken a couple stabs at it when I was between scouting jobs: I contributed to Baseball America with an appraisal of then-Indians prospect Triston McKenzie; I tackled the notion of disappearing aces for The Ringer. But with my sights still set on a return to a front office, I found myself holding back.

As 2020 was coming to an end, I decided to embrace the impulse to write (a lot more!) about baseball. And here we are.

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Baseball stories and short essays celebrating the characters from a career in MLB.

People

Former MLB team official and scout // Former Wine Spectator editor // Present day baseball & wine lover