Introducing 'Off Base with Howard Cole'
Former Sports Illustrated 'Inside the Dodgers' writer launches subscription newsletter.
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The what and why of Off Base with Howard Cole:
Off Base with Howard Cole (OBHC) is Howard unfiltered. I’m going to write what I want when I want, and a lot of it. I’m done chasing clicks, I’m done with editors, and I’m done looking over my Frank Jobe surgically-repaired shoulder.
I’m taking my work straight to the reader. Yes, there’s a fee, but I think I’m worth a whopping 50 cents per article (.42 if you subscribe for a year and in reality even less than that because there’s going to be all kinds of bonus content).
From here on out, the kid gloves are off, which worked out well for the previously-babied Julio Urias this past October, don’t you think? Now sit back and watch me deal.
Off Base with Howard Cole is the column writing you're used to if you’ve been following me for years. And if you haven’t, please see Sports Illustrated and Forbes. You’ll get the idea. OBHC is primarily but not exclusively Dodgers content, with my thoughts on all things baseball; past, present and future.
OBHC is Dodgers news, opinion and analysis, as up-to-the-minute as I can get it to you. When important news breaks — for example, say the Dodgers trade for a guy like Mookie Betts — you’ll get my email that day, and often within minutes of the news occurring. If the item is about Josh Sborz being recalled or optioned for the third time in a 10-day period, I’ll either save that for the next of my twice-weekly issues, or won’t mention it all.
OBHC is baseball writing with perspective, with an edge and with a sense of humor. I guarantee a minimum of one knowing smile per read, along with the occasional laugh like Shailene Woodley.
OBHC is compelling baseball writing, with guest columnists who know things I don’t and who I pay personally.
OBHC is a mix of old stats and new, written in plain English.
OBHC is the entire industry of baseball curated by yours truly.
And OBHC is about supporting independent, direct-to-inbox sports journalism on Substack.
Here’s what you get:
Approximately two newsletter issues per week, 10 per month, plus bonus pieces as things occur to me.
Dodgers news, opinion and analysis. Trades, trade rumors, free agent signings, injury reports and roster moves, of which with Andrew Friedman in charge, are many. Included will be verbatim text from club press releases, often with a quick comment from me, with more detail in a subsequent post.
Dodgers Emailbag. A continuation of the series I did at SI and Forbes the last few years. Email or tweet me your questions. I’ll answer at least one in every issue.
The “Baseball Photo of the Day” (BPOTD). While you won’t necessarily get a pic sent to you every single day, you will get seven per week and 365 in a year, with at least one included in every newsletter. If, for example, I publish an issue on Monday and Thursday in a particular week, I’ll include three photos Monday and four on Thursday (or four on Monday and three on Thursday). Trust me, this is great stuff, which you will love. Here’s an example of what I might put together on a given day:
Chuck Connors, Los Angeles Angels, Pacific Coast League. 
Edward G. Robinson, Chuck Coonors and Walter Alston. 
Chuck Connors with Walter O’Malley, in “Branded.” Baseball books: news about new and recently-published material that you’re going to want to get your hands on. Book excerpts too. (Authors, please keep me apprised.)
“Media Savvy” — I spend hours each day reading about baseball so that you can be more discerning, and provide links to the finest for your consideration.
Locally produced video, which will include my periodic “Between Three Palms” talk show co-hosted by Tom Wilson (here’s an example) and “An L.A. Minute” with me, a camera, a mic, and in some cases post pandemic, on location.
Baseball highlights produced by others, embedded by me. Here’s an example:
Here’s another example:
Why you should subscribe to OFHC:
To be informed, to be entertained, to support independently-published sports journalism, and quite frankly, to support me. While I get that the baseball savvy consumer has scores of publications from which to choose, I believe that what I provide stands out from the rest; not necessarily because it’s better, but because it’s unique. And I think you think so too. I suppose we’re going to find out, starting right now, today.
In the meantime, please tell your friends. Thanks, everybody!
About Howard Cole:
The dean of Dodgers internet writers, Howard has been writing about baseball online continuously since the year 2000. In the past decade, he has written over 1000 baseball-related articles, appearing most recently at Sports Illustrated, and prior to that at Forbes, Orange County Register, Rolling Stone, LA Weekly, Voice of San Diego, Bakersfield California and the Los Angeles Times. His general interest work has been published at Guardian, Westways, Prevention, Jewish Journal and CNN. He is also the founding director of the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA).
Follow Howard on Twitter. Follow OBHC on Twitter. Be friends with Howard on Facebook.
And remember, glove conquers all.