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 nineteen in a recurring series.
Ian Hunter
Website: The Blue Jay Hunter
BBA #29
Question 1: How and why did you get into blogging?
I started my blog more or less just to vent about the Toronto Blue Jays. When I started it back in 2007, The Blue Jay Hunter was my own little corner of the internet where I could voice my opinions and get things off my chest. Little did I know, there were other folks out there on their own corners of the internet who thought the same way.
Question 2: Do you have any blogging projects planned for the off-season?
There aren’t any real projects I have planned for the off-season. Earlier this year, I toyed with the idea of having a mini “meet and greet” with other Blue Jays bloggers, but it turns out that was much more work than I anticipated. Hopefully that will be able to get off the ground for next off-season.
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.)?
My most enjoyable experience was being able to speak with Blue Jays starter Scott Richmond. He isn’t necessarily a high profile player, but it was a great opportunity to get to speak with him and ask him questions about his first full season in the majors.
I was also fortunate enough to have been linked to Sports Illustrated’s “Extra Mustard” blog (basically SI’s version of Big League Stew). They featured my “Best Moustaches in Baseball: Part One and Two” posts back in November.
Question 4: How did you find out about the BBA and what attracted you to the group?
Daniel first introduced me to the BBA and a couple of fellow Blue Jays bloggers recommended the Baseball Bloggers Alliance to me. I really enjoy the comradely of the group and the accessibility to bloggers from other teams. The BBA is another great way to find out what’s going with other teams in the league.
Question 5: What do you want to see out of the BBA in the coming year?
I expect to see more growth and participation amongst members this year with the Baseball Bloggers. Last year, we were just getting our feet wet, but in 2010 I can foresee us taking full advantage of all that the BBA has to offer with many collaborations.
Question 6: What’s the general feeling among the Blue Jay faithful about managment?
After the departure of J.P. Ricciardi, it was like a huge weight was lifted off the shoulders of the club. Personally, I didn’t think Ricciardi was that bad of a GM, but the fans in Toronto saw him as the scapegoat for everything that went wrong with the Blue Jays. Alex Anthopoulos brings a breath of fresh air to the Blue Jays organization, and so far he is doing a great job of building a team of young, talented, controllable players.
Question 7: Is there a Blue Jay you expect to break out in 2010?
It’s hard to call him a “breakout player” since he has already performed well in the past, but I think Shaun Marcum will turn a lot of heads in 2010. He’s coming off Tommy John surgery, and word is that he will be 100 % for Opening Day. I just hope he can return to his 2008 self, where he went 12-6 in 25 starts.
Question 8: Will Toronto ever been able to compete with New York and Boston on a regular basis?
I do believe that the Blue Jays can eventually compete with the “Beasts of the East”, just not in the near future. They Red Sox and Yankees payroll is just too high right now, and it’s not the right window for the Blue Jays to spend a ton of money while they are in the process of a rebuild. Maybe in three to five years, I could see the Blue Jays nipping at the heels of the Red Sox and the Yankees.
Question 9: How many games do you get to in an average season?
On average, I’ve only made it to about 3-4 games at the Rogers Centre. Luckily, last season I was fortunate enough to up my total to seven games. I just recently moved much closer to Toronto, so hopefully I can crack 10 games this year.
Question 10: There are/were rumors about Carlos Delgado returning. What were your feelings about that?
Originally, I was all for bringing back Carlos Delgado to the Blue Jays. It would provide a little bit of that nostalgia factor that has been missing for the past couple of years. Then I realized that Delgado doesn’t really fit in with the vision for this team: younger, stronger, faster. If Adam Lind didn’t occupy the designated hitter position, I could see Carlos Delgado possibly fitting in on the roster, but right now it doesn’t seem like very a good idea.
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