Owner Bios

[leecemark]

--This thread is intended to give Classic Keeper League owners a chance to get to know one another. 8 of us have been involved in the project for several years and know each other pretty well, but we have 4 new owners for 1963 and I think it will help them get in the flow if we all introduce ourselves. Share as much as you feel comfortable with.

[leecemark]

--Hi, my name is Mark (Mark Leece actually) and I started these leagues up a few years ago to play teams from an all time draft. We played 4 different "concept leagues" before switching to the current keeper format in what would have been DM5. Happily 7 of our current 12 owners have been around for most/all of those seasons (and Scott, of the PAP Redbirds, has been around for all of the current format).
--I grew up in Michigan and the 1968 Tigers were the team that first infected me with baseball fever as a child. The Tigers remain my team from a historical perspective, but its been a long time since I lived in Tiger territory and the Mariners are my current team.
--I graduated (after a long and unorthodox education route) from the University of Hawaii with a degree in History. Education was interupted for several years with a stint in the Navy, where I served in Japan and the Philippines. I stayed in the Navy reserves and just retired from that last year.
--I've been in the retail drug business for about a dozen years and manage a store in Washington state (where I've lived since 1995) now. I've been married for about as long as I can remember:rolleyes: and have a grown son. He is in the Army Reserve and currently called up for duty in Iraq. My daughter-in-law and 1 and 3 year old granddaughters are living with us while he is overseas. Blame them for any and all typos in my posts:D .
--Most evenings my computer is tuned to BBF, although I'm ususally also doing something else at the same time. I try to take a look before work and during lunch too. If you need assistance with anything related to the league you'll generally get a speedy response if you PM me or ask a question in one of the league threads.

[ElHalo]

Hi, I'm Jim, 25 years old, attorney and resident of Long Island. I spent a few years as a kid in Detroit, which means that my NY Yankee fandom is somewhat tempered by my Detroit Piston fandom.

I'm one of the rare Yankee fans who became so as an anti-bandwagon jumper. I was raised by my grandmother, an old Irish lady from Brooklyn who was a die-hard Brooklyn Dodgers fan until her team split. As a result, she infused me with a love for the game, but no particular team loyalty. When I was a kid, the Mets were winning World Series and were the hottest thing around, and all the kids my age were huge Mets fans as a result. I've always been one to go against the mainstream thinking, so I became a Yankee fan largely out of spite. The first season I really followed every game of theirs and all their transactions, they finished in last place.

I'm nowhere near married, and can't see myself ever being so. I'd love to have kids and a serious relationship, but as an attorney, the legal ramifications of marriage don't seem worth it for the esentially non-existent benefits. I had lived in Manhattan for a few years, but recently moved back out to Long Island to take care of my beloved ex-Brooklynite grandmother, now well into her 80's, and my high school aged sister.

[jkc32]

I'm Joe, 41, originally from Pomona, California but now residing in Warner Robins, Georgia. I'm happily married with two daughters (20/18).

I retired from the Air Force 2 years ago, did a stint as a gov't contractor, and am now a civil service F-15 Avionics Program Manager at the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center. My degrees/certs are all in the IT field which comes in handy about 3% of the time in my current position.

Growing up in So. Cal. I went to many Dodgers/Angels games as a kid but was won over by the Big Red Machine in 1971 and still consider them my favorite team. Pete Rose was my childhood baseball idol and epitomized how I thought (and still do) every ballplayer should play...all out all the time!

[mac195]

I'm 43, wife, two kids (daughter 9, son 8), five cats, a dog, a few fish... 3 chickens:eek: . I've been working as an English teacher here in Japan since the early 1990s. I enjoy sim baseball, and doing sports with my children. We're into martial arts and recently fast-pitch softball. If I may be permitted to brag a little bit, my daughter just won her division at the Shizuoka Prefecture (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shizuoka_Prefecture)Shorinji Kenpo (http://www.shorinjikempo.or.jp/wsko/index.html)tourmament (2nd year in a row), and my son's team finished 2nd out of 47 pairs! :cool:

We just started playing softball a couple months ago. I would have preferred baseball, but the Japanese are so serious about sports clubs that it is difficult to belong to two at the same time. The softball program is a little more causual than baseball, (still incredibly serious and well-organized by American standards), but the manager told me he doesn't mind if kids play other sports. Plus it's only $5 dollars a month instead of $40, so we signed up. The kids love it so far, and I'm probably having even more fun as an assistant coach. It's good to know that I can still catch and hit the ball a little after hardly ever playing for the past 30 years.

As a kid I played little league, and just about lived for Red Sox baseball from 1971 to about '78. During that period my dad and I made the trip from Maine down to Fenway 3 or 4 times a summer. And I caught just about all the other games on TV or radio, unless they were on the West Coast. I became more of a basketball fan in the '80s, but have come back to baseball, often watching Mariners and Yankee games on TV here in Japan.

[baseballPAP]

Hi guys.....I'm Scott Carter, 34, SE Ohio raised and residing. I was born in Hamburg Germany, where I spent 6 weeks of unremembered life, but I can still claim I got to see Europe :)

I am and have always been a Reds fan, with a line of favorite players that started with Johnny Bench (I was there on Johnny Bench day when he homered), moved to Pete Rose, then Eric Davis (still my all time fav...if only he could have avoided all those walls), and is currently Adam Dunn, with Brandon Phillips and his all out style gaining fast. My playing experience includes 10 years of little league (plenty of power, walked a lot, still managed to hit about .250..no wonder I like Dunn). I went from there to playing slow-pitch softball...and I've played every position on the field over the years...not too shabby for a guy that tips the scales at about 350 on a 6'4" frame. I have in recent years become a firstbaseman only, and due to the current establishment's shamefull regulations, I'm reduced to a slick fielding singles hitter...think a big fat version of Keith Hernandez :)

I'm pretty much single...it's a long twisted story that I don't have the stomach to tell LOL. I'm the proud renter of a 14 year old boy, who belongs technically to the ex, but since we still share a house....ah screw it, you get the idea...complicated. I do get to re-live my little league days coaching his team though, so thats a nice thing for me.

My sim experience is pretty extensive...I began playing APBA Board Baseball in 1983, and played it like it was a religion up through about 1994. After a couple years chasing women and booze, I settled down again and got into the online world. I also bought Diamond Mind in 1998, and have been running my own PAP and PAP2 leagues ever since. We(leecemark and catcher24 and now jkc) are all in that league, which is about to start its 3rd season.... check it out if you want at www.geocities.com/baseball_pap2 (http://www.geocities.com/baseball_pap2) . I put a ton of work into that, but lately BBF has started to push my time for it back a little.

Thats about all you ever wanted to know about me...and a lot you didn't...sue me, I'm long winded. Geez...I have to quit saying that with EH around!

[mac195]

not too shabby for a guy that tips the scales at about 350 on a 6'4" frame
Fellow heavyweight here - 6'5", 300. Good thing we're not in the same division, or we might alter the fabric of space-time.

[catcher24]

Lew Snyder. Age 55. Reside in far western New York - Jamestown. Snow Country. The county seat AVERAGES 140 inches of snow per year; a record of 297" over one winter. Retired two weeks ago after 33 years in law enforcement with the Chautauqua County Sheriff's Office - road deputy/juvenile detective/civil law unit/navigation unit/Family Court - Court Security unit/finally a road sergeant (day shift road supervisor) to close things out! Married (second time) for 21 years now. The first marriage lasted 14 years, so I've pretty much been married my entire life!!:p Three great children - two from marriage #1: son Matt, age 31, general manager of an Infiniti dealership near Savannah, GA; daughter April, age 27, teaches second grade in Charlotte, NC. One daughter from marriage #2, Heather, 18, presently attending college.

Favorite players all time are Lou Gehrig (strange, because I'm a Yankee hater) and Willie Mays. Went to games at Cleveland and Pittsburgh while growing up in the 60's - one game per summer, usually alternated between the two cities. Saw Maris hit one of the 61 in '61. The one time I saw Mays in person he K'ed three times! Got a Minnie Minoso autograph at Pittsburgh in 1962, still one of the highlights of my life. Lean towards the Indians, although not as into the team as I was in the 90's. And I absolutely love PNC Park in Pittsburgh, although the Pirates leave a lot to be desired.

Don't really know where my love of the game developed, as I was raised by my mother. Just came naturally, I guess. Dad lived nearby, too. Was introduced to the game by my older brother, as I recall, and it was love at first encounter. Played sandlot ball as a kid - mom didn't have the $$ to sign me up for Little League and dad didn't care about it. Went out for my high school baseball team, was set to be the backup varsity catcher as a sophomore, then tore up a knee. Had to work in the spring my junior/senior years so never made it back. Organized, managed and played on the Sheriff's Office softball team for 10 years. Then I turned the managing over to another guy but played 7 more years. At age 40, joined an over 40 baseball team. It was great! Played every position at one time or another, ended up at catcher/pitcher my final three seasons (and my uni was #24, hence catcher24). Finally gave that up at age 51 after I messed up my right shoulder and basically couldn't throw any more.

Started in on baseball sims with Cadeco Ellis All Star Baseball - maybe Mark remembers it; I think the rest of you are too young. Advanced to Strat-O-Matic and had a few leagues where I kept stats. Actually wore out two game boards rolling the dice on them! Graduated to a computer All Star Baseball game (can't remember the maker) when I got my Apple II computer and spent many hours with that. Was still also playing STrat with my nephew, some evenings for hours. Got S-O-M computer baseball for the IBM when I got my first DOS-based computer and ran a few leagues. Found BBF on the web about three years ago and have spent WAY too much time here since then, but you all know about that problem!:p Got involved in Mark's DMII League, and been with his leagues ever since.

That's probably a whole lot more than any of you wanted to know or care about, but that's me in a nutshell. And BTW, I'm NOT a big guy - 5'11", 180. So I won't mess much with Scott and Mac.:laugh

[J W]

I'll make it a point to call you two in case somebody ows me a lot of money. :gt

I'm a former heavyweight myself--but only 6'0, 270... I'm about 220 now and my knees are thanking me every day.

[The Dude]

My name's Wil Wasielewski, but everyone who knows me refers to me as Beej. Call me either, doesn't really matter. I'm 18 and just graduated from Kimberly High School in the great old state of Wisconsin. I was born and lived in Milwaukee for almost a decade, then moved up to the Fox River Valley. I'm going to be attending University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in the fall, majoring in Journalism and getting two minors, one in Radio/Television and one in German.

I also have a big frame as well, I'm 6'0 and 215 pounds. I played little league baseball for a few years and gave that up, but eventually somehow found my way into trying out for my high school team. I started for our JV team last year and got to start 6 games this year for varsity at catcher. Sadly, we were horrible.

Just like Lew, I don't really know where the love of the game comes from. Nobody really had a profound impact on me. The 2nd half of the 1997 season was when I truely became a baseball fan, and you could say I probably should love the game the way it's played today, as the first thing I ever payed attention to was the 1997 home run derby when Tino Martinez won it. Then added with the home run chase in 1998 I was hooked to baseball and it's never changed after that.

My favorite player growing up was really Ken Griffey Jr. I was glued to the TV anytime the mariners were on and he's still probably my favorite player today, I just won't acknowledge it. My favorite player from before I was born would have to be Indian Bob Johnson, followed by Richie Ashburn and Ferris Fain. It was this Bob Carroll quote that probably made him my favorite player

"Indian Bob Johnson never had one of those super seasons that make everyone sit up and whistle. While phenoms came, collected their MVP trophies, and faded, he just kept plodding along hitting .300, with a couple dozen homers and a hundred ribbies year after year...like a guy punching a time clock"

I've always been a Brewers fan, but I've been a Diamondbacks fan ever since they were created. Neither of those makes much sense. My brother is a Yankees fan (Like EH, not a bandwagon fan) and my father is a Cubs fan. I don't understand either of them and probably wont for a while.

I was never big into baseball simulation games, although I have always played baseball video games, starting with Ken Griffey Jr for the Super Nintendo all the way up to MVP 2005, which is the only game I will play anymore for a baseball videogame.

[ElHalo]

Fellow heavyweight here - 6'5", 300. Good thing we're not in the same division, or we might alter the fabric of space-time.

I was formerly there. Well, shorter, but about 6', 280. I've since decided that that wasn't working for me, and I currently reside at around 210, but am looking to get into the 190ish range.

[leecemark]

--You guys are making me feel like a beanpole. I'm at 6'3" and 190ish.

[ElHalo]

--You guys are making me feel like a beanpole. I'm at 6'3" and 190ish.

I used to be about 6' and 190 in high school. Then college and law school, and the inherent sitting around drinking and... uh... well, other things that cause you to sit around and eat a lot... made me blow up like a balloon. After I got out I decided to get myself back in shape, which is annoying now... I wear a suit to work every day, of course, and all of my size 52 fat suits hang off of me like a homeless guy. I have to get around to getting a new wardrobe, but since I've got maybe fifteen or so pounds to lose, I'm holding off... and in the interem I look like a clown.

[catcher24]

Yeah, I'm 5'11" to 6' (depending on how stretched out I am that day). I got up to 202, nothing fit well anymore and I figured enough is enough. Three years ago I lost 22 pounds over the summer, and I've managed to stay there since. I am proud of the fact that when I retired I wore the same size uniform as when I started 33 years ago!

[J W]

Congrats to both of you on the weight loss! I'm proud to say my low water-mark was about 185 lbs... that was three years ago I believe. I had all the time in the world to focus on that being unemployed :o . Now that I've been steadily working my weight shot up but I've tempered it.

[538280]

Sorry I haven't checked in earlier here...anyway....

I live in Western Mass, right outside of Springfield (birthplace of basketball). I was born in 1992, and I started enjoying baseball starting in 1997. My first real memory of watching the game was in that sesaon. I remember watching Edgar Renteria getting the game winning single and the Marlins winning the World Series. I guess I could have ended up a Marlins fan after that, but I didn't. I've never had a true and absolute favorite team, one that I lived and died following. I followed the Expos quite a bit, and that has continued when they've moved to Washington. They're probably my favorite team to pick one. I saw them play the Red Sox earler this year, almost caught a foul ball hit by Coco Crisp. My favorite players growing up were Barry Bonds and Frank Thomas (I remember watching him in '97, tracking his hits hoping incessantly he would win the batting title. He did, much to my pleasure). I never really saw the peak Thomas except for in '97, but I'm sure he was awesome.

Where did my baseball passion start? There's no real history behind it, my father was a huge baseball fan and even coached the local high school team, so I just liked the game like him. He was a Yankees fan, and has been watching the game since 1965. His favorite players growing up were Bobby Murcer and Roy White. He became a Red Sox fan (broke away from his father, my grandfather) and has remained with the Red Sox ever since. His Red Sox favorite was Fred Lynn.

I enjoy playing baseball as well as football, I've always been a very good football player, and good at baseball as well. As far as heights and weights, following up on a theme, I'm about 5 foot one and 107 pounds. Not fat at all either. Like EH I have recently taken to going to local gym, preparing for high school sports, particularly football (nowadays you absolutely need to lift to be good at that).

Anyway, that's me, hope you enjoyed it and sorry I was so late.

[catcher24]

Chris - I can't believe you're only 14 (13 still, maybe?). Your posts indicate an understanding of the sabermetric and historical aspects of the game well beyond those years. Do you enjoy math? I would think so, based on some of the sabermetric responses you have given in various threads. Anyway, to say the least I'm very impressed.:clapping And your management capabilities in this league are equally as amazing, particulary when I realize that you were probably all of 12 when you started participating!! It's scary how good you might be when you get some experience.:eek:

[538280]

I"m 14 now, 13 when I started participating. Do I enjoy math? Well, yeah, I do, especially when relating to baseball. When it's not relating to that not so much. Writing I don't like at all unless it's about baseball.

[catcher24]

You sound a lot like me regarding the math. Don't really like math, but if it involves doing stats, I can do it for hours and not even notice!

[538280]

You sound a lot like me regarding the math. Don't really like math, but if it involves doing stats, I can do it for hours and not even notice!

Yeah, I did math for a very good portion of the day today when I got home from the gym (figuring Tom Glavine's DERA+). It involved figuring his K rate, the league K rate, comparing them, doing the same for BB and HR rates, and finding his BABIP, and the league's BABIP. In total it probably took me about 2 and a half hours. Yet it was fun to me. Now when it comes to math homework, I have trouble getting myself to do it. Unbelieveable. Why can't they teach math through baseball?

[Erik Bedard]

Quick bio:

Dan, age 13, born in Toronto, moved to Boston, then Baltimore. Currently reside in B-more.

First started being a baseball fan in the summer of '98, when I lived in Boston. That's why I'm a Sox fan. I'm not a bandwagon fan like some people suspect. 6', 150, to follow the size theme.

Not a huge stathead, but I will use stats in comparison situations, but I tend to put too much emphasis on mitigating factors and other intangibles (hence my selection of Nap Lajoie in the first round of the ATFD).

There.