At the end of the award voting, I decided that since the Baseball Bloggers Alliance had come along so quickly, it might be nice to get an idea of who was actually in the group. To that end, I’m working through the roster and asking ten questions of each member. The first five are standard, while the last five are a little more personalized. Hopefully this will help us get a feel for our fellow members. So, here’s entry three in what hopefully will be a recurring series.
Question 1: How and why did you get into blogging?
I got into blogging about two years ago for no concrete reason. I guess I just wanted to share some of the thoughts I had on baseball with some of my close friends. Blogging also gave me an outlet to write, something I had always liked to do, and wanted to work on.
Question 2: Do you have any blogging projects planned for the off-season?
The San Diego Padres are a team currently in transition, and we at Friar Forecast we will be keeping an eye on all of the developments. We will have analysis on the Adrian Gonzalez situation, a possible Kevin Kouzmanoff or Chase Headley trade, and any other roster moves the team may make.
Question 3: What’s been your most enjoyable experience as a blogger (particularly well-received post, a high-profile link, a connection you wouldn’t have had otherwise, etc.)?
I feel one of the main purposes of blogs is to stimulate discussion, so interacting with my readers has been one of the most rewarding aspects of blogging. Engaging with my regular commenters, as well as those who have sent me emails with feedback, questions, or just a “hey, I really like what you wrote,” is always something I look forward to.
Question 4: How did you find out about the BBA and what attracted you to the group?
I originally heard about the BBA from a fellow Padres blogger. What most intrigued me about the BBA was the idea that fellow members could act as resources to each-other by providing input and expertise on the teams they follow every day.
Question 5: What do you want to see out of the BBA in the coming year?
I would love to see BBA bloggers begin to interact more with one another, and truly use each-other as information resources.
Question 6: How long have you followed the Padres?
I was born in San Diego 21 years ago, and have been following the team for as long as I can remember.
Question 7: Was it difficult to see Jake Peavy traded off?
While there is no doubt that Jake Peavy was an excellent pitcher, and provided a lot of value to the Padres, trading him was absolutely the correct move and something I had been advocating for some time. Peavy was being paid nearly what he was worth, and has a somewhat violent delivery making him an injury risk. Because the Padres were in rebuilding mode, and are in a smallish market, trading him was a no-brainer.
Question 8: San Diego seems to have a strong and populous blogging community. Is there any particular reason for that?
When I began blogging, I too was surprised to find such a strong online Padres community. Geoff Young at Ducksnorts, the guys at Gaslampball, my co-bloggers at Friar Forecast, as well as the other BBA bloggers from the Padres chapter have done a great job of providing content readers are interested in, and highlighting notable content written by the others. Of course, the real credit has to go to the readers who continue to support all of the blogs by reading, and interacting with the bloggers and fellow readers.
Question 9: What gives you hope for the Padres in the coming seasons?
The Padres have a deep farm system that has greatly improved the past few years. The team is committed to building through the draft, and has a front office full of smart individuals who are more focused on implementing the correct processes than the actual results. While the team may not compete in 2010, I do not feel Padres fans will have to wait too long for another contending team.
Question 10: What player on the current squad ranks as your favorite?
Trevor Hoffman…Whoops…
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