MLBlogger: Trevor Docwra | Where: Desert Digest
Template: MLB | About page | First post in The Show

Why did you sign up for an MLBlog?

I originally signed up for a Yankees blog (pinstripepride.mlblogs.com), just because I love the Yankees, and I wanted to talk about them to anyone that would listen.  I grew up in New England, so I didn’t have a lot of fellow Yankees fans I could discuss baseball with, so I wanted to try this option.   After a while, I thought that my blog wasn’t standing out, due to the large amount of Yankees blogs, so I wanted to have one that would get some more attention.   So now I write about anything in baseball that catches my attention.   Any team or player is fair game.   And at this time of year, since I’m in Arizona, I wanted to share my experiences at all the spring ballparks with everyone that is stuck up north in the snow.   Once spring training is done, the focus of the blog will shift to anything worth talking about.

What is your favorite team and why?

The Yankees.   A lot of people question how I became a Yankees fan, since I grew up in New England, but I have a decent explanation.   When I was little, my father took me to a Red Sox/Indians game at Fenway.   I was probably 6 or 7 years old.   I just remember sitting there the whole time, listening to a small group of people talking trash and booing the Indians at every opportunity.   As a kid that young, it left a bad impression with me, I just couldn’t understand how fans could be so mean.   After that day, I hated the Red Sox, so it just made logical sense to support the Yankees.

Of course, later on in life I figured it out that this stuff goes on in every stadium.   And the fans that day weren’t particularly nasty, it’s just really easy to be influenced when you’re that young.   So I no longer hold that against the Red Sox.   But I’d already been supporting the Yankees for so long, and I wasn’t about to change.   I don’t hate the Red Sox, I think the rivalry is great for the sport.  Of course I want them to lose, but I’m not nasty about it.   

What is your favorite thing about blogging?

I like getting feedback from people visiting and reading my blog.   It’s not always easy going to a spring game, taking a ton of pictures, and try to remember everything about the game, so I can write about it that night.   When people tell me they enjoy my impressions, it makes it all worth it.   There’s a lot of great and knowledgable baseball fans on this site, and to get praise from any one of them is an awesome feeling.   I just hope people still enjoy it when the regular season starts and they no longer need me for my spring training pictures, haha.

Favorite blogs, including at least one in the MLBlogosphere:

Does my own count?  Just kidding.   I enjoy Coral’s West Coast College Student Looking For East Coast Baseball Knowledge blog.   She has a passion for the game, and it’s great to see someone that up such an interest in the history of the sport.   She’s also really good at commenting on other blogs, which is nice, it helps build the community.   I also enjoy the Diamondhacks blog, as he’s living in the same area I am, and it’s nice to read smart opinions on the local team, even though it’s not the team I support.

My most memorable MLB moment:

Can I use two?   I watched a little bit of the World Series in 1991, but my first big year of following baseball was in 1992.   The following year, I got to see Joe Carter win the World Series for the Blue Jays, with that home run in game 6 against the Phillies.   I was 10 years old at the time, and I remember being allowed to stay up late on a school night to watch it, and it was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen.  That moment ensured that I would be a lifetime baseball fan.   I was also a big fan of Roberto Alomar, who I idolized growing up.   I can’t wait until he is elected to Cooperstown, and I will make sure that I’m there for the induction. 

As a Yankees fan, my favorite moment was when Aaron Boone hit the series winning home run in the 2003 ALCS against the Red Sox.   The picture is on my desk as I write this.   I was watching the game with a bunch of Red Sox fans, and having to listen to their taunting for most of the game, they were finally silenced in the 8th inning, and then I got to celebrate on that home run.   I was acting like a 14 year old girl when it happened, I just couldn’t control myself.

What would you be doing if you weren’t blogging?

Well I have my teaching license for music, and I’m currently getting my master’s at Arizona State University.   Once that’s done, I hope to be teaching high school music for the rest of my life.   There’s nothing like teaching what you’ve been studying your whole life, and seeing the excited look on kids’ faces when they get what you’re saying.   It’s the best feeling in the world.

Last MLB item you bought:

The last thing I got was a t-shirt at my latest Angels spring training game.   I’ve been collecting shirts from each stadium I go to this spring, to help me remember my first spring training here in the Cactus League.

Who is your favorite MLB player?

Well like I mentioned earlier, Roberto Alomar is my favorite player of all time.   That guy could do it all.   It’s a shame about the whole spitting incident, because nobody ever said a bad word about him before that.   He will go down as one of the best, if not the best, all-around 2nd basemen of all time.   There was no part of the game that he didn’t excel at.   I have a Robbie Alomar jersey of every team he’s played for, except for the White Sox, which I’m still looking for, and the Devil Rays, whom he only played for during spring training.   If anyone knows where I can get those jerseys, they will be my best friend forever.

As for current players, it’s Mariano Rivera, hands down.   He’s the best at his position in the history of the game.   He’s underrated, if that’s even possible.   And not only is he amazing, but he manages to stay off the backpages.   In an era where seemingly every player is involved in a controversy of some kind, Rivera has done an amazing job of being a consumate professional.

Happiness is…

The Yankees getting back to glory, the way they did 10 years ago.   This year would be special, with all the young guys we have.   We’re finally getting back to the way we were, focusing on the farm system, and filling the additional spots with players outside the organization.   Instead of throwing money foolishly, we’re starting to make better decisions.   I look forward to guys like Philip Hughes, Robinson Cano, Chien-Ming Wang and Melky Cabrera bringing us back to the top.   And I’m of the belief that Alex Rodriguez does not deserve the flak he’s getting, and he deserves to be part of a championship team.

Want to be the next Spheroid and give us the 411 about your own MLBlog? Just email us
your answers to these Nine Questions and put "SPHEROID" in the subject
line, and we encourage you to include any links and images you’d like
to see included.

Here’s what you need to know about Steve, the guy behind the quickly popular My Brewers MLBlog out of Oshkosh, Wis.: He decides his favorite players mostly on character; his main wish for 2007 is for his favorite bunch of guys like Bill Hall (L) and Prince Fielder (R) in the above photo to be "consistently competitive"; he was there when a Brewer collected his 3,000th hit and it wasn’t Bernie Mac; and don’t get him started on a Cubs rant. We appreciate him taking the time to answer the Nine Questions here and step up as our latest Spheroid here in The Show, so please get to know another fellow MLBlogger and drop by his page with some comment  love.

Why did you sign up for an MLBlog?

I decided to sign up because I thought it was a great way to express my feelings about the Brewers and have it read by more than just friends and family. The idea that, eventually, large numbers of Brewer fans will be reading and responding to what I have to say is pretty cool. I also liked the idea that there were players, broadcasters and legends of the game out there blogging, and potentially reading my blog just as I read theirs.

What is your favorite team and why?

My favorite team is, obviously, the Chicago Cubs. Hahaha…NO WAY…not in a million years! I despise the Cubs and their fans. I enjoyed watching children, and adults for that matter, crying when the Marlins knocked them out in 2003. I mean I thoroughly enjoyed it…and every Brewers fan should have because they would have heard the same if the roles were reversed. As a Milwaukee Brewers fan, they went from being a harmless National League team that the American League Brewers would never have to face, to an opponent today. With the switch to the NL, feelings have shifted from the South to the North Side of that awful city to the south of us, although the White Sox are only one notch above the Yankees as my least favorite AL team. But back to the original point: the Milwaukee Brewers are my favorite team. Why? Because I grew up in Franklin and Hales Corners, Wis., and it was the right thing to do. I am a homer, plain and simple. I cheer for the Brewers, Packers, Badgers, Bucks, Warriors (Marquette, that is), and any other team that is from the fair state of Wisconsin. As far as specific Brewer teams that are my favorite, I’d say it’s a tossup between the ’82 (photo here shows that ALCS clincher!), ’87 and ’92 teams (big shockers). I am hoping the ’07 team makes that list too!

What is your favorite thing about blogging?

Being able to express my feelings and have everyone that’s interested read them at their convenience. I talk with my coworkers Doug, Rory, and Nick at work, e-mail with buddies Brad and Jeff, and talk with my best friend, Mark (even though his attitude about the Brewers is that they never have and never will win anything), my dad, Don, cousins Mark and Tony, and various other people I see every once in a while (Rick, Ted, etc.), but with the blog I am able to give my opinion without having to repeat myself 13 times. When I see these people they will already know what I am thinking and we can just concentrate on their side of the story, unless, of course, they post responses. Then when I see them we have to talk about other things. OK, maybe this blog thing isn’t such a great idea! The other part that is great for me is the ability to write about sports. As a kid I always thought it would be great to be a sports reporter. Blogging gives me an opportunity to do it for fun and live out that dream…kinda. Who knows, maybe if I get polished enough, the Brewers will find a place for me on their payroll writing for them in some capacity.

Favorite blogs, including at least one in the MLBlogosphere:

My favorite blog outside of the MLBlogosphere is Life In the Office about my favorite television show, "The Office." In my opinion, it is the best show on television nowadays (with ’30 Rock’ making a solid run at it). The blog really posts some great stuff about the show. I don’t have to search the Internet for anything, it does all of the work for me! In the MLBlogosphere, I would have to say that there are three at this early stage of my MLBlogging career: Brian Anderson, the FSN voice of the Brewers; Fans On The Field by Dan Mathers, a huge Red Sox/MLB fan with a Boston edge; and The Brewer Nation by South Side Rob and Big Rygg, a couple of guys who really know their Brewer Stuff and have the stats to back it.

Your most memorable Major League moment(s):

Being at Robin Yount’s 3,000-hit game was probably the best baseball moment I have seen first-hand (although watching Steve Kiefer hit a grand slam off Scott McGregor, and then Paul Molitor hit a solo shot in the bottom of the ninth to win a game against the Orioles, 9-8, in August 1987 was probably the best non-history-making live baseball memory, as odd as that sounds). I’ll be posting later this season to commemorate the 15-year anniversary of that great Yount/Milwaukee County Stadium memory. There have been so many others that have unique stories that come along with them. Each of the stories will help to build my blog and add a fun element to it.

What would be doing if you weren’t blogging?

I would be watching and listening to games and discussing them with friends and family — so pretty much the same as I plan on doing this year, except with the additional opportunity to share that information through my MLBlog. I am a pretty fast typist and don’t have to go back and do much
editing, since I try to do it right the first time, so it really doesn’t cut into anything else I do. I like to sit in my recliner with my laptop on my lap while I watch games, so now I can be productive while doing that.

Last MLB item you bought:

Honestly, I really don’t spend much money on anything, so it may go all the way back to last July 4 when I bought a new Brewers hat before going to the game with my wife, Amy, and my parents, Don and Jan, against the Cincinnati Reds. (It happened to be Hot Dog Racing Sausage Bobblehead Day.) And come to think of it, Amy actually bought me the hat for my birthday since it is on July 6…so I really don’t know what to tell you on this one!

Who is your favorite MLB player?

My favorite current MLB player is probably Chris Capuano. Much of this can be attributed to the fact that I am an avid listener of a radio show out of Milwaukee called "Bob and Brian in the Morning" and he is a weekly guest. It plays on local affiliate 96.9 The Fox, which is based in my current hometown of Oshkosh, wis. I think the reasons I selected Cappy are: 1) I can’t choose anyone on any other team, 2) He comes across as a really good person and is pretty funny when he is on the show with them, and 3) He is the best starting pitcher on the Brewers right now (apologies to Ben Sheets). Character is very important to me when deciding whom to cheer for. As a matter of fact, there have actually been Brewers that lacked character that I rooted against (i.e. Gary Sheffield). That is one of the reasons that I love the Brewers; they always seem to have high-character players (money probably has a little to do with that, huh?). My all-time favorite MLB player is Yount, hands down. I could go on for days explaining why, and will do so as I write the blog. To summarize, though, everything I said about Capuano applies to Yount tenfold.

Happiness is…

The Brewers being consistently competitive. That’s all I ask for. I can’t take another stretch of years like the late ’90s/early ’00s. I want them to be competitive so they give me something positive to talk about all season long, every season. Don’t get me wrong, I would LOVE a postseason appearance and, dare I say, winning the whole thing sometime before I die, but I don’t want to get greedy and upset the baseball gods. So I’ll start with a small request for my happiness!

Please add My Brewers to your list of other blogging friends and visit there often this season. If you would like to be a Spheroid and make more people aware of what you’re doing here, feel free to drop us an email with the word SPHEROID in the subject. Happy Blogging!

It could be a great year for Coral Marshall, the fan behind West Coast College Student Looking For East Coast Baseball Knowledge. Her favorite NFL player, Peyton Manning, got it all done in Miami. Her favorite NASCAR driver, Kasey Kahne,  at least has the same Dodge car number (9) as Ted Williams. Her Angels will contend again. And best of all, she had the good sense to start an MLBlog in the last month so all these other superfans of mass intelligence can leave her constant comments and help cultivate her baseball intellect while she’s in college. Our thanks to Coral for answering the Nine Questions as today’s featured Spheroid, so get to know her.

Why did you sign up for an MLBlog?

Oddly enough it was during my first finals, ever, in college. During my whole first quarter I hadn’t found anyone to talk baseball with, and with the stress of finals I needed someone to vent to. My friend, Joe, recomended that I get a blog, and as if it were a sign there was the ad on MLB.com. So I joined, and have had a place to vent ever since. If anyone here attends UCSD or knows a baseball fan that does, comment my blog.

What is your favorite team and why?

My favorite historic team has to be the 1936 Yankees. DiMaggio leads them to a World Championship (he should have been MVP that year), and Gehrig is on the same team. They also prove that they can win without Ruth. Additionally DiMaggio becomes the first rookie to play in an All-Star Game.

However I am by no means a current Yankees fan. I am a diehard Angels fan. The Angels are my home team, but they have served as a form of bonding between one of my best friends, my Dad, and I.

What is your favorite thing about blogging?

I don’t blog in general, only about baseball. But I love blogging here because I know that people who share my interests are reading what I am writing. I love knowing that the people who read this can discuss "Who deserved the MVP in 1941?" or "better hitter of 1961 Maris or Mantle?", and that Giants fans on here actually have a response to "How excited are you for Zito?"

Favorite blog, including at least one MLBlog:

I have really been taken by CJ Wilson’s blog. I don’t think I really have a favorite. I just enjoy reading everyone’s opinion and letting them know what I think in response.

Your most memorable Major League moment(s):

Ahh there have been so many.

I was at the game against the Royals where Jeff DaVanon hit for the cycle (for the fifth time ever in Angels history), and Jose Molina hit a grand slam. That was an amazing game.

I was at the game against the Orioles where Troy Percival had his saves ceremony. That was also the game where Robb Quinlan tied Nomar’s record for the longest hit streak by an American League rookie. I met Jeff DaVanon also that night.

During the summer of 2006 I got to see A-Rod make an error in person, at Yankee Stadium, that was priceless. Plus seeing where the Clipper played in person…indescribable. All with my best friend Ali.

Lackey vs. Willis as my Father’s Day gift to my Dad one year.

Having Scott Spiezio wave at me.

Joking around with John Lackey about who would have more K’s — him or Randy Johnson.

Seeing Orlando Cabrera homer in the 2005 ALCS.

Having a ball thrown to me by Mo Vaughn when he was still with the Angels.

Finding out that my Dad had gotten tickets for a random game during the week throughout school.

However I don’t know that my "most memorable moment" counts, as it isn’t technically a Major League moment. For Christmas in 2005 my parents bought me tickets to three games of the World Baseball Classic. I turned 18 that week, and was leaving for a two week long trip to Russia the day after the last game. I was praying that team USA would make it  to the second round so that I could see them, and sure enough there they were. Before the game I made my way over to the dugout where I got to meet Jake Peavy, Brian Fuentes, Scot Shields, Chad Cordero, Joe Nathan and Huston
Street. Then it was time for all the boys to be announced, and as I looked out at Roger Clemens next to Mark Texiera I got teary eyed. Never before had I felt so proud to be an American. To see the best of the best assembled before me, representing the country that I love so much, united as one despite their Major League alliances to portray what we all believe in, the United States of America. Then it was time for play to commence and my Dad and I hiked up to the VERY last row of the view section. We got to see Dontrelle pitch in person for the second time, and we made some fellow bleacher creature friends. I was decked out in red, white, and blue, and even though team USA lost, and it was below 40, and my Mom was mad that we stayed out so late in the cold while I was sick and hadn’t packed for Russia, it was the greatest baseball experience of my life.

What would be doing if you weren’t blogging?

I would sleep a lot more. I would also probably do more reading regarding my classes instead of baseball. Thats actually not true. Even if I didn’t have my blog I would still have shelves full of baseball books. And once those are done, an entire University library’s stock of baseball books (which is fairly impressive). So possibly homework, but probably just reading about baseball somewhere else.

Last MLB item you bought:

Tickets to the Angels’ season opener against the Rangers on April 2, 2007, at 7:05 Pacific Standard Time.

Who is your favorite MLB player?

My favorite all time player is Joey D. This summer I had the opportunity to retrace his steps, in a very broad sense. I have read numerous books about the man, and have a pretty good idea of his entire history (or at least what has been published), and the Richard Ben Cramer biography is by far my favorite. So with that book in tow, almost like a bible, I set out to find my baseball roots. I went up to San Francisco (unfortunately not Martinez, DiMaggio’s birth place), here I got to see Taylor Street (where he grew up), I could see the church he got married in, the bay where he fished with Gisuppe,
where the Grotto used to be located, where he took his first girlfriend on dates, and most importantly the park where he learned to play baseball. I even saw an A’s game (the only team DiMaggio ever worked for other than the Yanks) Then later in the summer I had the opportunity to go to New York, and see a game at Yankee stadium. This really brought things full circle. I also had the opportunity (coincidentally, not planned) to stay at the same hotel that DiMaggio and Monroe got in their famous last fight (the St. Regis). DiMaggio epitomizes perfection in my opinion. Not only in his on-field performance, but his off-field persona. I’m not claiming that Joe DiMaggio was a nice guy, but rather that his dedication has yet to be matched (well, except maybe by Peyton Manning). And 361 HRs/369 strikeouts is nothing to laugh at. Plus 56 games straight.

My favorite current players are Scott Spiezio (Game 6, come on) Jeff DaVanon (the cycle), David Eckstein (I ballot stuffed for the 2005 All-Star Game), Barry Zito (not so much now that he is a Giant), Hank Blalock (there is just something about him), and John Lackey (my favorite current Angel).

Happiness is…

Watching sports with friends. The reason I train home to watch football on Sundays. The reason that I go to NASCAR and will sleep in a tent. The reason that I’ll miss the first day of Spring Quarter classes to go to the Angels’ season opener. That and Adam Sandler movies.

Be sure to visit Coral’s MLBlog and leave comments all season, and also feel free to hit up her myspace page. Lots of bloggers use this area to promote their myspace page, and people like Curtis Granderson use their myspace page to point people to their MLBlog. Raise your hand if you’re the only person left who has just one personal space on the Internet. And if you’d like to be considered as a future Spheroid, email us with your answers to these Nine Questions. And please put Spheroid in the subject line because there’s some really bad spam to wade through over there. Click here for past Spheroids.