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 eighteen in a recurring series.
Brian
Website: Raise the Jolly Roger
BBA #27
Personal info: I’m an 18 year old college student, in my first year studying engineering at the University of Virginia.
Question 1: How and why did you get into blogging?
Once I started reading sports blogs a few years ago, I just started thinking, “hey, I could do this.” I just sat down and started writing one day and haven’t stopped.
Question 2: Do you have any blogging projects planned for the off-season?
Nothing major. I put together a Pirates depth chart page and am going to try and train another writer or two for this spring when the season picks up and I’m buried in schoolwork. I also tweaked some minor stuff and will work on improving our Pirates liveblogging group from last year.
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’ve had more enjoyable experiences blogging than I ever could have guessed I would when I started. I have “met” some awesome people on the internet, and the blog even became a huge part of my college applications. But honestly, even though I haven’t really hit the “big-time” yet, I’m stunned at how many people are consistently willing to visit my blog and share thoughts about the Pirates.
Question 4: How did you find out about the BBA and what attracted you to the group?
You emailed me about it, and it was a no-brainer from there. The BBA has been everything you originally described it to be and more.
Question 5: What do you want to see out of the BBA in the coming year?
Probably a little more participation on the main BBA website, and some collaboration between bloggers during preseason previews, series/games between respective teams, and trades/the like.
Question 6: Were you glad to see Andrew McCutchen get the BBA ROY, even if he fell short in the official vote?
I was very happy to see that, and not just as a Pirates homer. I really liked that the BBA was able to back up their voting with open posts for all to read, providing us the opportunity to argue why Cutch deserved ROY over other (still very deserving) players that played for a larger market and/or more competitive team.
Question 7: Who has been your favorite Pirate over the years?
Man, that’s really tough because not too many guys have been around long enough to become a “favorite Pirate over the years.” There are countless guys I like but haven’t been here/didn’t stay here long enough to qualify for this distinction, so I’ll say Jack Wilson, who lasted almost the entire decade. His under-appreciated, spectacular defense was remarkable, and he played his heart out every single inning.
Question 8: Does Neal Huntington still have a favorable reputation among the fan base?
That depends. The dedicated fans (us) that track and break down each and every move generally either like Neal or are still willing to give him a chance, but the casual fans who just read the paper every once in a while and don’t follow the team that much are certainly not fans of him. His slightly more aggressive approach this offseason and the possible breakout of Pedro Alvarez this summer could change that, though.
Question 9: What’s your general feeling, right now, about the ‘10 team?
It’s obviously better than the one that lost 99 games, but the question is “how much better?” Honestly, I think they’ll be closer to .500 than most think, with a chance to get there if a lot of things go right. The starting rotation is pretty solid with Ohlendorf/Duke/Maholm/Morton/probably D. McCutchen. The bullpen looked like it was going to be a disaster, but a bunch of recent additions changed that. The offense is the real question – if Lastings Milledge and Andy LaRoche put it together, Jones/Iwamura/Doumit/McCutchen hit like they can, and Alvarez and Tabata are what people expect … watch out!
Question 10: Exactly how much do you dread seeing Albert Pujols come into PNC Park?
Oh dear. A lot. Well, maybe a little less now that Tthe Bucs never have to put Ian Snell up against him, but still a lot. With the constant roster turnover and the lack of a real power hitter, I’m pretty sure Pujols is in the top 3 for most home runs all time at PNC. Now that’s just scary.
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