Another of the Tucson contingent takes the mic
SnakePit username: Justin27
Place of birth: New Britain General Hospital, New Britain, Connecticut.
I lived in CT until I was almost 9.
Other hobbies:
Well, I like hockey. I was a big Arizona Coyotes fan, and had been for a long time, I will still follow the team in Utah. Hopefully, we get our own team back, but I kind of doubt it. I am excited for Keller, Schmaltz, Guenther, Cooley, etc. I didn’t watch terribad hockey for the last few years just to abandon them. Am I disappointed they left? Of course. I kind of made peace with the fact that they might eventually relocate a few years ago. Just ask ISH…
Living down here in Tucson, I have actually never been to a Coyotes game, anyway. So for me at least, it’s just a matter of getting NHLTV package. I have not been to a Tucson Roadrunners game, but I probably should. Having to rely on the bus system makes going to the Tucson Civic Center an all afternoon/evening thing. (Uber would probably be about 20$ one way)
More hobbies, watching tv, youtubes, occasionally playing video games. I like Red Dead Redemption 2, but I havent played that in a while. There is a game I have that I keep saying I’m going to play, (and then not lol) called “”Kingdom Come: Deliverance”” You play as a peasant in 16th century Germany and the goal is to attain knighthood, amongst other things.
I like taking pictures and hiking. Been to Mount Lemmon and Catalina State Park a bunch of times. Haven’t in a while, though.
I have Baseball Mogul 2024 on my PC and have bought a new version every year… I think this might be my last year buying it. Last year was a bit buggy and this years’ version if you play past the current season it just starts spitting out the same schedule over and over year after year. Some other issues.
Favorite food:
I like cooking, and in particular love my instantpot I got as a Christmas present a couple years ago. Thanks Mom, even though you won’t see this! I have made New England Clam Chowder in it, that was really good. Chili, pot roast, my most recent thing was making pulled pork for sandwiches.
Cuisine wise, I would say Italian and Mexican, as long as it’s not too spicy. I like spice, but not your tongue is lava.
Favorite film/TV show:
I liked Wednesday when it came out a couple of years ago. Looking forward to the sequal. I don’t think I really have a favorite, just whatever seems interesting. I have a few shows I have watched all the episodes of on PBS Digital Studios (Monstrum- highly recommend, Eons, Reactions) I watch a lot of history stuff.
Baseball movies that I like are Major League, Bull Durham, 8 Men Out
What else should we know about you?
Well, I was born in CT, moved here in 1994 after my mom divorced my biodad. My aunt is the only person on that side that occasionally talks to me. They were big Yankees fans, so that was my first introduction into baseball.
My first professional game I have attended was a Hartford Whalers game. I have always loved hockey, and even after we moved to Marana I had sticks and a couple of nets and would play street hockey with the neighbor kids.
I am hearing impaired. I have bilateral otochlerosis, which basically means my inner ear bones have fused together.
I work at Fry’s. Have worked there for 14 years. If you had told me 14 years ago I would still be working there, I would have laughed in your face. My technical position is utility clerk (their nice way of saying janitor), but I am also trained in the bakery and as a cashier. Of the three positions I have most experience in, my favorite is bakery, but at my current store there arent enough hours because the department had 4 full timers.
I graduated Marana High School. Former Major Leaguer, Ryan Perry was the next class. In high school I did tennis and was the girls soccer manager my senior year. Of the two, I actually liked being the soccer manager more. Basically it is glorified ball boy, but I could run around up and down the sidelines, go to away games, etc. I had a couple of friends there were on the girls team and they got me to join. They even let me be a practice goalie, until someone snitched.
My tennis tenure was much less fun. I was 0-12. In what should have been my one win, I won the first set, was leading the second set and….I let my foot off the gas. The other guy came back, won and then dominated the third set. That was my it aint over til its over moment, so I never celebrate anything too early.
I touched the 2005 World Series trophy. The White Sox had it displayed behind a roped off area at Tucson Electric Park (now Kino Memorial Stadium). My mom and I went to a spring training game and I decided it was a great idea to go behind the rope and touch it. I thought it was amazing, my mom? Very much less so. I have no idea why the security gaurd (there had to have been one, right?) didnt say anything. Maybe the angry lady yelling at her 20 year old, idiot son was enough of a punishment.
Why are you a Diamondbacks fan?
In the 90’s I was aware of baseball. I would watch a Cubs game on WGN or Braves on TBS, but not really care or pay too much attention to it. I had a sega baseball game, that even then I would have a notebook and do a lineup/rotation/bullpen thing and stick with that. (You could in theory start Randy Johnson in all 162 games. Even as a kid, I wanted some semblance of realism).
Then the Dbacks got a team. I think 1998 was more in line with “I’ll watch but don’t really care.” We also went back to CT and visited over summer vacation. My Italian Grandfather was a huge Yankees fan (Saw DiMaggio, Mantle, etc, etc) He told me that Buck Showalter used to manage the Yankees and a few things about him. Andy Fox also was a NYY.
I am fairly certain my first time at Bank One Ballpark was in the 1999 season.
Who’s your all-time favorite Diamondback?
Randy Johnson. I even wrote a little piece this past February. Webb, Finley, Gonzo, Matt Williams, Goldy, Greinke, there are a few.
Outside of post-seasons, what’s your best D-backs memory?
There are many. The Ryan Roberts grand slam. As someone who would regularly go to Tucson Sidewinders games as a late teen and yearly 20s individual (yay not having to pay rent, yet) I would throw out “”seeing the next crop of Dbacks”” I saw Stephen Drew. There were also other players like Andy Green that couldnt make the jump to the Majors, but were great in Tucson. I saw Anthony Rizzo play for the Tucson Padres.
How did you end up on the SnakePit?
For me this question should be, “”How did you end up on DiamonbacksBullpen.org?”” DBBP used to be kind of a PHP message board connected to the Snakepit. Both owned by Jim. I had discovered baseball-reference in 2006. BR used to let individual people sponsor players’ pages. TAP (Jim’s deputy on that branch) had sponsored one of the Dbacks players, I actually think it was Brandon Lyon. At the bottom was DBBP’s banner, “the forum that doesnt suck.” So I joined, lurked, then started posting after the Dan Haren trade.
It was kind of just natural to gravitate to the Snakepit. My original username was Justin1985. I believe it still technically exists. I had left SBN sites for a few years, due to not having a computer and other issues. When I came back I used a different email to start a new account. I was whiney and I wanted to not be associated with it. “
What other MLB teams do you care about – good or bad!
Kansas City Royals. I’m not sure why. I have a friend who grew up in KC, and she said the 2014/2015 teams made all of the bad years worth it. She is a Dbacks fan, too. Just something about the Royals and their ballpark.
That said, when I was playing my first Sega baseball game in the late 90s, the Dbacks didn’t exist in the game yet. I think the version was the 1996 season. I liked the blue colored jerseys and I liked how they displayed the stadium (for 1996 graphics….) I wouldnt play as that roster, I would do force trades and get who I wanted…Hey I was a kid.
My best friend is a Yankees fan and my Italian side (Biodad’s side of the family-they don’t talk to us) are also Yankees fans. So I don’t root for them, but if they are winning, I am ok with it.
Why do you love baseball?
Something awesome can happen on any given night with certain players. You can watch intently at a game, or just have it on in the background as you are making dinner or whatever. You can be stats heavy into it, or just watch for the sake of watching.
I have been to lots of Spring Training games, (original AAA) Tucson Toros games, Sidewinders, Tucson Padres. I just love the atmosphere. I had not been to a minor league game since the Tucson Padres left, when Jim, Mrs Snakepit and I went to the Tucson Saguaros game last month it felt like I was in some way, home. I might actually do an article in the off-season of various ST and minor league games that I have been to. Oh, I’ve also been to a few U of A games!