Matt is a baseball fan through and through. Many a summer night you can spot him on WGN-TV at a Cubs game sitting four rows up and just to the right of home plate. He's also a constant presence down at the Arizona Fall League. In addition to his passion as a fan, Matt stepped up in an administrative role within the CFCL. When David retired, Matt took over the duties of tracking players being cut during Spring Training and annually provides the league with the Official Draft Sheet of Available Players.
Matt is the only team in CFCL history to go through three name changes. He entered the league as Matt's Hard Hats. In 2004 he changed the name to Hot Sludge Sundae (don't ask, please don't ask) and thankfully again changed his name in 2006 to Graging Bulls. You can read his profile here.
In real life Matt is a firefighter and perhaps the most poignant moment in the CFCL was when Matt came to a CFCL get together, I think it was a draft, with his hair dyed red. He and many other firemen across the country did this as a sign of support for their fallen brothers in the 9/11 tragedy. It reminded me once again that what we are doing here is just a game and more importantly, this league is made up of some really amazing, special guys. It's time now to meet the Graging Bulls.
You are the fourth most senior member of the CFCL. What changes
seem the most significant to you from when you joined (2000) to now?
The last time I was a
senior member of anything, there was a spanking machine, a 44 gallon drum of
rendered bacon fat, a plethora of rubber chickens and three legged ocelot
involved. Oh wait, I was never in a fraternity in college. That must have been
a dream. Yes, a dream.
Ahem. Anyways, I think
the biggest change is going from 12 teams to 10. Our player penetration was so
deep (don't go there Mike) that there was spirited bidding on 5th outfielders
and 3rd catchers. You never could draft starting position players in the
Rotation draft, even if they were Betancourt bad. Plus there are so many players
available on the waiver wire now. I don't think there has been a week without a
FAAB bid or waiver claim this year.
When you draft each year you wear your “Angry Eyes” hat. Is that a
“mascot” for you like DunnKenn is for the Kenndoza Line?
LOL It's mainly a
combination of watching too much poker on TV and my impeccable fashion sense.
Plus it's a really cool hat. For this special occasion, I'll even give you guys
the origin story. Be sure to print this out on non-acidic paper and store it in
a vacuum sealed mylar bag. I was researching (re: obsessively stalking) one of
my many, many Padre prospects (most likely Jaff Decker) when I saw a thumbnail
pic of said prospect. He was wearing a Lake Elsinore cap, probably because he
was playing for them at the time. It was love at first sight. A quick visit to
their online store and a long week of waiting by my mailbox like Charlie Brown
on Valentine's Day and there it was. History was made. And it irrevocably
changed the CFCL forever ... It is my precious.
It sounds like you head off to Arizona for the Fall League pretty
consistently. Is that a yearly event for you?
Yeah, and I've already
started making plans to attend this year. I'm not sure how many years I've been
going, maybe close to 10. I think it's a great way to extend the baseball
season another month. It's three days of going to some fairly competitive games
and talking about them with people who do that sort of thing for a living.
Have you met scouts and other baseball executives while you’re
there?
Actually, I have.
They've invited a Blue Jay scout, Kimball Crossley, the last few years. He's a
fantastic speaker and very approachable. One year, they had Logan White as a
featured guest. He's the Dodgers VP of Amateur Scouting. I've also met a few
guys who have gone on to work in various team front offices. For the most part,
it's writers for most of the major sports and fantasy sports websites. Guys
like Ron Shandler, CFCL alum Jason Grey, Lawr Michaels, John Sickels, Jim
Callis, Eric Karabell & Jeff Erickson. Every year I try to convince Jeff to
fire a low level employee by the name of Kenn Ruby but he never takes my
advice, with the usual lame excuses of being a terrific writer, a keen fantasy
strategist & righteous dude.
In your thirteen years in the league, who has been your favorite
ballplayer to own?
If you had asked this a
couple years ago, my answer would have to had been Mark Prior unfortunately. He
had such a bright career ahead of him before Dusty destroyed his arm. I can't
wait for Baker to die so I can go spit on his grave ...
On the bright side, my
new favorite player is a current Bull, Steven Strasburg. He was so good in his
last start, he almost single-handedly put me in 1st place for about 10 minutes
Sunday night. :) I thank Buddha that he's pitching for an organization that
knows a little something about protecting pitchers. BTW, a close second is
Bryce Harper :) But he gets docked a spot for getting his GED so he could enter
the draft early and thus scuttling my plans on drafting him in the 13th round
while he was a senior in High School ...
What exactly is your obsession with minor leaguers and your
Reserve Roster?
It goes back to when I
first came into the league. I saw the expansion draft list and the rosters of
the returning teams and knew I wouldn't be able to compete. I was just getting
back into fantasy sports after a long hiatus as well. I thought one area I
could get even just a slim advantage was to put a lot of focus on the minor
leagues. Sure, I made a lot of mistakes at first like drafting middle relievers
(Hi Matt!!). :) But I think I've gotten better over the years and my hit rate
is substantially better now.
As for Reserve List
picks, I've actually done a complete 180 on them since starting out. The
graybeards might remember a time when I'd just give them away like <REDACTED>.* Or maybe they can't remember because senility has set in. ;) I
like having extras now either to as trade fodder or just to hoard so others
can't use them. That didn't happen this year since I am in the unfamiliar
position of being the dumpee rather than the dumper.
In real life you’re a firefighter for Chicago. Any interesting or
cool stories you can tell?
Sure, but most are NSFW.
I once nearly fell through an attic onto a fire floor (luckily I was too fat to
slip in between the joists). Another time, some stairs collapsed right after I
had just got off of them. Had a room flash over on me a couple of times. There
were also a few bottle rocket fights at the firehouse and other assorted
fireworks related gags. :)
But I guess the most
appropriate memory for this forum would have to be meeting Double Duty
Radcliffe a couple of times before he passed away a few years back. He was an
old Negro Leagues ballplayer who earned his nickname by catching the first game
of a doubleheader then pitching the second. He was living in an old folks' home
close to my firehouse. He'd call for an ambulance and if we were closer, the
alarm office would send us first. Even in his 90s, he was pretty healthy and
able to get around well enough. He would tell us stories about the greats he
played with who were long gone. He was a gifted storyteller.
On a more dour note, we
were the ones who pronounced Vernon Jarrett a few years back as well. You never
know who will be on the other end of a call ...
OK, I lied. There will
be no further Joker references today ...
* - That was just too
mean to Mike ;) I couldn't do it ... Just finish the sentence with candy :)
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