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Get to Know a SnakePitter: James Atwood

September 18, 2024 by AZ Snake Pit


A rare breed: a truly local Arizona fan!

SnakePit username: James Attwood

Place of birth: Phoenix, Arizona

Other hobbies: Soccer, Tolkien studies, cinema, being a foodie

Favorite food

Having been a chef for 30 years, it is difficult to settle on a favourite. However, if I am putting together a shortlist, that gets fairly easy. I love wings (all sorts, but especially spicy garlic), sushi (pretty much all sorts), ribeye (rare with horsey sauce), chocolate, and fresh salads, usually Cobb.

Favorite film/TV show

My home media server has over 5,500 movies and 42,000 episodes of television. Again, like my food tastes, picking a single one as y top choice simply depends on mood. In general, when it comes to movies, I love the original Peter Jackson Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Godfather series, Apocalypse Now, Ladyhawke, Blade Runner, Hudson Hawk (so bad it’s hilarious), The Before Trilogy, American President, Bulworth, Blazing Saddles, and I am sure I am missing others. For television, I love MASH, pretty much anything written by Aaron Sorkin, Murdoch Mysteries, Death in Paradise, The Mentalist, pretty much anything by J. Michael Straczynski, and Ted Lasso (despite the final episode).

What else should we know about you?

When I am not writing about baseball, I spend most of my time studying Old English and footy. I spent thirty years in the food service industry. I held every position from commis to executive chef, to front of house manager, to general manager, to proprietor. I spent a stint in the Navy, where I was a nuclear engineer (a glorified plumber trained to work with nuclear reactor and related system maintenance). I spend a good portion of my time these days doing Beowulf scholarship that it is likely no one will ever take notice of, but I enjoy academia and have been piling up degrees for about 15 years now.

One of these days, I’m moving to one of about a dozen places across the Pond. But that’s probably still another decade or more away. Sigh…

Why are you a Diamondbacks fan: I am Arizona born and raised.

Who’s your all-time favorite Diamondback?

Either Byung-Hyun Kim or Chris Young. From my posting history on the Pit, I clearly also like RJ, Pollock, Webb, and Goldy. I have a personal soft spot for former high school opponent Shea Hillenbrand, but he is also something of a bristly person.

Outside of post-seasons, what’s your best D-backs memory?

Ermmm…

  • Maybe Womack on Father’s Day or Jay Bell’s grand slam? Those are probably the most memorable single incidents, for easily identified reasons.
  • I still remember being wiped out and surly as hell after staying up for all 19 innings of the marathon game in 2019.
  • J.D. Martinez hitting four homers out of Chavez Ravine was special.
  • Barry Bonds collecting Curt Schilling’s pink slip was painful to watch, but also memorable in the grand fashion in which Barry went about it.

How did you end up on the SnakePit?

The Diamondbacks gave away Chris Young for portions of pennies on the dollar and I needed to vent, so I converted from multiple years of lurking into an active poster.

What other MLB teams do you care about – good or bad!

I was raised a Cubs fan. I also grew up next to the Giants’ AAA team, so I quickly learned to appreciate the Giants. Over the years, for various reasons, I have developed affinities for the Tigers, Mariners, and sometimes the Astros.

For obvious reasons, I despise the Dodgers with a white-hot hatred. I have also never much cared for the Red Sox. Once John Henry bought Liverpool FC, that mild dislike turned to hatred.

While I don’t actually hate them, I could really do without the Marlins or White Sox because of the black eyes that they have given to the sport over the years.

Mostly, I tend to like or dislike specific individuals over teams. The Dodgers are just special that way though. I can like a few of their players, but I still want them to lose and to lose badly in every single game, even if players I like are playing.”

Why do you love baseball?

This is a case of nurture and nature lining up. I was raised on baseball (by my grandmother) as a religion. I hardly knew any form of sports or entertainment outside of baseball until I was around eight. Then, the combination of the organized chaos and the cerebral nature of the sport just touched all sorts of pleasure sensors in my brain. I love figuring things out. I love that there is no time limit, that the stadiums are all different, etc. Then, there’s the extra bonus of a rich and storied history, which includes both heroes (Ted Williams, Jim Abbot) and villains (John Rocker, The Black Sox). Until footy entered my life around age eight or so, there was nothing beyond baseball, Star Wars, and Tolkien.

Filed Under: Diamondbacks

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