This note can be found on page 5 of the May/June 2020 print edition of PressBox.

As part of the preparation for any print issue, PressBox’s editorial staff meets about a month before the issue is scheduled to hit newsstands to discuss story ideas for the issue at hand and strategize for the months ahead.

On March 9, we made plans for our mid-April issue. We talked about the lacrosse players we could profile, the basketball seasons we could wrap up, the horse race we could preview and the farm system we could delve into.

And then the world changed, and PressBox had to change with it. This is our first print edition since mid-February. Since then, all of our content has appeared online, with our biggest focus being the 2020 NFL Draft.

With this issue, we’re celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Orioles winning the 1970 World Series. We were planning on publishing our celebratory issue later in the year, but with the coronavirus wreaking havoc across the world and with sports having largely been shut down since mid-March, we thought the time was right to look back at one of the great teams in Baltimore sports history.

Longtime reporter Bill Ordine gets you started by looking back on the 1970 Orioles through the eyes of Brooks Robinson, Boog Powell and Jim Palmer. Then, Stan “The Fan” Charles, Jim Henneman and Matt Kremnitzer offer their insights on the 1970 team and its place in history. How do the 1969-1971 Orioles stack up against some of the game’s other great teams? Just how good was that pitching staff? And why have Earl Weaver’s philosophies aged so gracefully through the years? These are just some of the questions we try to answer in our special section on the 1970 champs.

Flip through the paper and you’ll find more than nostalgia. We’re examining Trey Mancini’s fight against stage 3 colon cancer. We’re looking ahead to the NFL season, which will presumably occur in the fall. And you’ll find some light-hearted pieces, too.

It’s difficult to predict how the coronavirus pandemic will unfold in the coming months and how we’ll roll out future print editions, but we remain committed to delivering the sports news and analysis Baltimore sports fans crave. And with the people we have in place, I know we’ll be able to get that done.

I’ve been PressBox’s managing editor for nearly two years. Before the pandemic hit, I knew I was surrounded by talented, hard-working people, but it’s easy to take that for granted when there’s always somewhere to be or a paper to send off to the printer.

But when each day feels like Groundhog Day and everyone keeps grinding, it’s impossible to take that for granted anymore. For instance, take Glenn Clark and Kyle Ottenheimer, who host Glenn Clark Radio weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon. The work they’ve done since mid-March in putting together captivating programming day after day is a source of pride for everyone at PressBox.

Want to hear from the Ravens’ first-round pick less than 12 hours after he was drafted? They’ve got you covered. Want to hear from former athletes who are now set to work on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic? They’ve got you covered. Want to hear from the area’s college coaches and athletic directors about how they’re preparing for the fall? They’ve … well, you get the point.

As for our readers and listeners, I want to offer you our sincerest gratitude for sticking with us. Stay safe.

— PressBox managing editor Luke Jackson

Issue 262: May/June 2020

Luke Jackson

See all posts by Luke Jackson. Follow Luke Jackson on Twitter at @luke_jackson10