Category: Buddha Business

Day 106 “I need to explain…”

raybansI am in a Starbucks (hard to believe) in Appleton, Wisconsin. I am going to a Wisconsin Timber Rattlers game tonight and then head towards Eau Claire, WI.  I think I need to explain my website. I have run into a lot of people that follow my blog and they don’t even realize that I have a website.

My Home page has links to Interviews I have done with some TV stations and links to newspaper articles about the trip.  I have set-up a section of some of the more popular blog posts I have written.  All you have to do is click the different links, which will take you “on my tour”.

There is a Biography page that gives you a little background about my family and what I was like growing up. That page is a work in progress and I add to it when the mood strikes!

The Tour 2014 page is my attempt to explain what I am trying to accomplish on this trip.  The trip is evolving and I have my moments of greatness in my writing and, also, some very futile attempts at writing. However, in essence, my goal is to document what I have seen, how I have felt, who I have met during all of it.

How to Help page talks about what has inspired me to go on the trip initially – how people can help me by spreading my news and sharing my posts.  The “Donate” button is available, if you wish to contribute to this journey.  I have listed all the people the have contributed on this page as well. Without all the financial support I have received, I would never have gotten as far as I have.

I have attended a lot of games, so we created a Games page.  You can go to this page and see all the games I have been to, where they were played and who won.  I keep adding future games to the list, this way you will know where I will be heading to next. I have included a section on the page documenting all the major league parks I have gone to, along with dates, during the trip.

The Buddha “Swag” page has a hat and shirt on it that you can order to support me. At the moment the shirt is being redesigned. Therefore, if you have ordered one, we hope to have it out to you soon.

Of course, a link to my Blog page, that takes you to all my posts. Most of you go to that page already that I share on Facebook and Twitter; but, these can be reached through the website, also.

The Contact page is simply that. This gives you my contact information – email or by phone. Don’t hesitate to text me some encouragement.  I would say, “call me”, but I don’t normally pick up the phone if you aren’t in my contact list.

Buddha Travels page shows you where I have been and where I’m headed on the map. By clicking on the baseballs will display a pop-up of the game I attended in that location and give you the score. On some, we have included a picture in the pop-up to add a bit of fun to the page.

The last, but not least, is the FAQ page, or the frequently asked questions. I get asked a lot of the same questions and I thought it would be fun to share. You may have the same questions as those people I have met along the way, and some from those I may never meet – but thought I would include!

There you have it. Please check out my website, along with my posts. I hope the above information helps to explain what I am doing in a more defined way. I have been very lax with my posts lately and I do have an excuse; but, every one has one of those. Just a note though, once again, writers block has hit me, which I am trying to work through.  I am sure my friend, Beth Chapman, would appreciate it. She is the one that edits all my posts so they flow better.

I continue to enjoy all the different facets of baseball, adding a new facet. I am taking a course on Sabermetrics! This course covers the theory and the fundamentals of the emerging science of Sabermetrics. Definition, just so you all know:

  1. the application of statistical analysis to baseball records, especially in order to evaluate and compare the performance of individual players.

We discuss the game of baseball, not through consensus or a fan’s conventional wisdom, but by searching for objective knowledge in hitting, pitching, and fielding performance. These and other areas of sabermetrics are analyzed and better understood with current and historical baseball data. If you are interested in taking the course, click here for information, it’s FREE!  We just started, so you can catch up easily. It runs for 6 weeks.

I love being at the different ball parks every day. The constant traveling can be a grind; but hey, life is what you make it!  I have met some wonderful people and I’m constantly amazed at how everyone continues to read and encourage me. Please keep it up, it does feel good! I had a fun day yesterday going to a game with Roger Wilson. My Dad and I are going to a game tomorrow. It’s his birthday and he is treating me!

In One Week…

Packed Up!
Packed Up!

I will be leaving a week from today, I have the majority of my home packed up and in storage, still have a few large items that I need to find a storage spot for the 265 days that I will be on the road.  I am still tweaking the website everyday and it will evolve over the course of this project.  I have got everything worked out with Topline Promotions to make all the T-Shirts and Baseball Hats, please order one and when you receive it please take a picture and post to the Baseball Buddha Facebook page!  Click here to order http://w.mawebcenters.com/baseballbuddha/ecommerce/ .

I am still working on my itinerary but it is coming along nicely and I will post that on a weekly basis when I figure out a more defined system, my friend Roger Wilson has compiled a list of over 16,000 baseball games that are scheduled for the upcoming season.  He has organized them in an Excel spreadsheet and all I have to do is sort by day and location to see what games are being played in that area, the games he has included are MLB, MiLB, College, College Summer Leagues and some various independent leagues.  What a wonderful thing to have and it is very much appreciated.  I have had an outpouring of support from so many people and the constant encouragement and kind words has given me a lot of motivation.

My co-workers got together with me last Friday night and gave me a going away party, what a wonderful group of people, you all will be missed and I thank you all for the last 5 years.  Just wanted to give a quick update!  Keep checking the Social Media sites and go through the website, I have added to my biography and I will continue to add as the summer progresses, I explained further on the “How to Help” page on what I will be blogging about so please check those things out.

Do you know Social Media? I need help!

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I am looking for someone that knows Social Media, the pay is not that great, well there is no pay.  I am looking for someone that wants to get their hands dirty and learn the ins and outs of all the Social Media platforms, I need someone that is willing to work with me for the next 9 months to get Baseball Buddha as much exposure as you can.  This will help you gain valuable experience email me at john@baseballbuddha.com, I look forward to hearing form you!

Website on Mobile Phones

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It never dawned on me to make sure the mobile site was as good as the full website, if you have checked out my website only on your smartphone it needs a lot of work, you can view the full site on your mobile if you scroll to the bottom and hit the “full site” link.  Sorry for not saying something earlier, I am sure that a lot of you were not to impressed at first.  I will continue to improve everything over the course of the baseball season, thanks for all your support!

Follow Me on Instagram

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I will use Instagram to post all the pictures I take when I am out on the “Baseball in America Tour 2014”, click on the following link to sign up for an account http://instagram.com/#

Don’t forget to go to my website www.baseballbuddha.com and click on the Social Media tab at the top of the page and follow me on all the social media sites I will be utilizing during this trip.  Please share and tell all the baseball fans you know what I will be doing!

What is Instagram?  I took the following from their website:

Instagram is a fast, beautiful and fun way to share your life with friends and family.

Take a picture or video, choose a filter to transform its look and feel, then post to Instagram — it’s that easy. You can even share to Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and more. It’s a new way to see the world.

Follow Me on Foursquare

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A great way to see where I am, during the baseball season, is to follow me on Foursquare.  What is Foursquare?  How do I sign up?  I  grabbed a paragraph form their website that explains it a little more:

“Foursquare is a free app that helps you and your friends make the most of where you are. When you’re out and about, use Foursquare to share and save the places you visit. And, when you’re looking for inspiration for what to do next, we’ll give you personalized recommendations and deals based on where you, your friends, and people with your tastes have been. (Read More)”

This is a great social media site that I will be utilizing everyday please follow me click on this link :https://foursquare.com/_baseballbuddha or sign up for an account and follow me, I will follow you back!

Crowdfunding Campaign

Crowdfunding is the collective effort of individuals who network and pool their money, usually via the internet, to support efforts initiated by other people or organizations.  I chose to start a campaign on the website Indiegogo.com, there are many sites to chose from and it is becoming the go to platform to raise money for a variety of projects. At Indiegogo, creating a campaign is simple. Tell people what you are doing, how they can help and what unique perks they’ll get for becoming contributors.

It is my goal to raise approximately $50,000 to help support Baseball Buddha. My personal contribution is roughly $10,000 and I also have commitments of an additional $10,000 from a couple of supporters. I am looking for the support of baseball fans to raise another $10,000 on Indiegogo.com and the remaining $20,000 I hope to raise as I am out traveling and interacting with baseball fans across America during the season.  The $50,000 will go towards the expenses I incur on the road, i.e. gas, insurance, camping fees, baseball tickets (hopefully I will meet some great people along the way that will give me tickets) and the occasional hotel.  I promise that I will live frugally as I conduct this social experiment!

If you would like to contribute to this project you can do it a number of ways, purchase a T-Shirt or Hat, or donate a gallon of gas on my website www.baseballbuddha.com.  Shirts can purchased when you click on the Buddha “Swag” link and to donate a gallon of gas click on the “How You Can Help” link.  These links are at the top of page.  The other way to contribute is to go to the Indiegogo,com link http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/baseball-buddha–2/x/5965788 .

Thanks for all your support!

John Reimer

Topline Promotions Partnerhip

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I am excited to announce the partnership between Baseball Buddha and Topline Promotions.  Topline has agreed to make and ship all of Baseball Buddha’s “swag”!  Scott Gillette and Topline Promotions is a premier provider of embroidery and screen printing apparel and imprinted advertising specialty products.  Since 1994, they have provided corporations, small business and organizations with the highest quality products available.

Topline will be producing all current orders for T-Shirts and we hope to have everything out at the end of next week, we are also going to unveil the new baseball hat next week!  If you haven’t ordered a T-Shirt please go to http://w.mawebcenters.com/baseballbuddha/ecommerce/ and place your order!  I have created 3 new T-Shirts.