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This might be my favorite post of the year, our annual introduction post. Yeah, mostly because it means it is opening day (it has been such a long long off season), but also because it is fun to see where everyone is from and learn a little bit about the folks who come to the site.
The second title comes from an Wilco song, “Jesus, etc”. Back when Hugo was on the site, he would use song lyrics as titles for his posts (generally from some obscure song that only he had ever heard of), and it gave the site an identity, making it different than all the other Blue Jays sites out there. I kept up the tradition for a while, but SEO interests I stopped that.
What we’d like is for you to copy and paste the following questions into the comment thread and give us your answers.
Name:
Location:
Favourite Current Jay:
Favourite All-Time Jay:
Favourite Non-Jay:
Favorite Blue Jays Prospect:
Metaphysical Position on the Diamond:
Ballpark I’d Most Like to Visit:
Favourite Baseball Movie:
Stepping up to the Plate Music:
When Not Bantering, I:
On Twitter I am:
Baseball Card Back Fun Fact:
Name: Tom Dakers (I know, you would have never guessed). I’ve been around here since April of 2008, before Jose Bautista was a Blue Jay.
Location: Calgary, Alberta. Land of never ending winter, at least this year.
Favourite Current Jay: It changes daily, sometimes hourly. Maybe Aaron Sanchez.
Favourite All-Time Jay: Marco Scutaro or Lloyd Moseby or Scott Downs or Roy Halladay or any of a couple of dozen others.
Favourite Blue Jays Prospect: Dalton Pompey.
Favourite Non-Jay: Gary Carter
Metaphysical Position on the Diamond: Second base, even Metaphysically I don’t have the arm for shortstop but I have lots of range.
Favourite Baseball Movie: Bull Durham
Stepping up to the Plate Music: I don’t know, maybe My Music at Work, Tragically Hip
When Not Bantering, I: You mean you can have time away from here? But I am a Dad, Husband, I play guitar some and, as always, working to get into better shape. I’m also riding in a couple of charity bike rides this summer. If you would like to donate, go here, I’d appreciate it very much.
On Twitter I am: @bluebirdbanter
Baseball Card Back Fun Fact: My kids say I’m famous, just not many people know it. I like the line.
Name: Kate Stanwick
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Favourite Current Jay: Curtis Granderson and Randal Grichuk
Favourite Non-Jay: Clayton Kershaw
Favorite Blue Jays Prospect: Ryan Borucki and Danny Jansen
Metaphysical Position on the Diamond: Water Girl/Encouragement Supervisor
Ballpark I’d most like to visit: Wrigley Field, but excited to be going to SafeCo in August
Stepping up to the Plate Music: “You Only Get What You Give” - New Radicals
When Not Bantering, I: help make TV shows
On Twitter I am: @OhKStan
Baseball Card Back Fun Fact: Had a British accent as a child thanks to a two year residence in London.
Name: Minor Leaguer
Location: Toronto, ON
Favourite Current Jay: Probably Roberto Osuna?
Favourite All-Time Jay: Roy Halladay
Favourite prospect: Connor Panas
Favourite Non-Jay: José Altuve
Metaphysical Position on the Diamond: The ballboy who gets fired after one game because he couldn’t catch
Ballpark I’d most like to visit: Safeco Field (and I will, in August!)
Favourite Baseball Movie: Angels in the Outfield
Stepping up to the Plate Music: Happy Birthday To You -- it’s bound to make someone in the ballpark feel special
When Not Bantering, I: Pretend to still be a scientist
On Twitter I am: @Minor_Leaguer
Baseball Card Back Fun Fact: Once accidentally injected himself with potassium cyanide! (See “When Not Bantering I:”)
Name: Mark Colley
Location: Nashua, New Hampshire.
Favourite Current Jay: Joe Biagini, Curtis Granderson.
Favourite Non-Jay: Too hard a question to answer.
Favourite Prospect: Hagen Danner
Metaphysical Position: Anthem singer, because I sometimes butcher good moments (read: stories).
Favourite Baseball Movie: Field of Dreams
Walk-Up Music: A Little Rain, Arkells
When Not Bantering: Doing musical theatre.
On Twitter, I am: @MarkColley.
Baseball Card Back: I saw Chris Colabello in a parking lot in Nashua, but wasn’t sure it was him until I tweeted at him and he confirmed that it was.
Name: Jared Book
Location: Montreal
Favourite Current Jay: Justin Smoak
Favourite All-Time Jay: Vladimir Guerrero (he counts, right?)
Favourite Jays prospect: Vladimir Guerrero Jr (but Bo Bichette is mighty close)
Favourite Non-Jay: Bryce Harper
Metaphysical Position on the Diamond: Long reliever
Ballpark I’d most like to visit: PNC Park or AT&T Park
Favourite Baseball Movie: Major League (either one)
Stepping up to the Plate Music: “Check it out” - Oh the Larceny
When Not Bantering, I: help run Habs Eyes on the Prize, so thanks for the distraction
On Twitter I am: @jaredbook
Baseball Card Back Fun Fact: Have a game-used baseball from three different MLB stadiums
Name: Matt Gross
Location: West Greenwich, Rhode Island
Favourite Current Jay: Tulo
Favourite All-Time Jay: Tulo
Favourite Non-Jay: Nolan Arenado
Favourite prospect: Vlad Jr.
Metaphysical position: Starting pitcher so I only have to work once every five days
Ballpark I’d like to visit: Whatever new one they eventually build for the Rays so they can demolish that dump they play in now.
Baseball movie: The nerd in me will proudly say Moneyball, but the 12-year-old me still loves that scene at the beginning of Angels in the Outfield when the manager goes on a clubhouse tirade and flips the food table.
Walk-Up Song: For some reason I’ve always wanted a batter to come to the plate with The Lion King’s Circle of Life playing. That opening is sweet.
When I’m not bantering: I’m tracking weather
On Twitter I’m: @MattGross87
Name: Erik
Location: Saskatoon
Favourite Current Jay: Granderson
Favourite All-Time Jay: Halladay
Favourite Non-Jay: Lindor
Favorite blue jays prospect: Pardinho
Metaphysical Position on the Diamond: Pitcher, forever and always.
Ballpark I’d most like to visit: PNC Park in Pittsburgh. I drove through Pittsburgh 9 years ago or so (that can’t be right) and the entire city just seemed really beautiful. PNC park is just a cherry on top.
Favourite Baseball Movie: A League of Their Own
Stepping up to the Plate Music: For my high school graduation, they played “Like a Rock”, and that seemed fitting then. I’ll go with that now too.
When Not Bantering, I: Eat? I like to dream about travelling and also buying a house.
On Twitter I am: quietly stalking people
Baseball Card Back Fun Fact: I... I don’t know. I hit my first official over the fence home run last year at the age of 30. That was a pretty amazing feeling.