On the Beat with Pete Flynn (A Lost Interview)

I have written about Pete Flynn a couple times.  We never planned on interviewing Flynn.  Honestly, we never had even heard of Flynn until after we talked to him.  Looking back over all of the interviews we have done, Flynn could possibly have seen and done the most interesting things of all.

Flynn has been a groundskeeper for the New York Mets for over 40 years.  For a long stretch, he was Head Groundskeeper, but since "retiring" he rejoined the crew.

Flynn has seen all of the great players over the years.  He saw the awful Mets of the early 60's, the Amazin' Mets of 1969 and the World Series champs of 1986.  He has seen the Polo Grounds, Shea and the new Citi Field.

His adventures aren't limited to baseball though.  He drove the Beatles from the stage to their lino for their Shea concert.  Years later, he drove Paul McCartney to the stage to surprise Billy Joel at the last concert at Shea (as seen on "The Last Play at Shea").

Flynn is soft-spoken and modest.  He's a fascinating guy, but getting him to talk was a bit tough.  If it hadn't been for a rain delay, we wouldn't have been in the dugout and we wouldn't have smooth-talked the security guard and he wouldn't have called over Flynn to talk to us.

Sometimes you just never know what you will find.  In Flynn, we found a gem!

Interviews:2009

Here is the complete listing and linkage for all of my 2009 interviews.

David Clyde was a baseball phenom when I was growing up. He had an interesting career and I had the pleasure of talking to him at the Miracles Baseball Academy in Houston. Clyde's statements were open, honest and very refreshing. I posted his interviews in parts.
To hear the interviews with Clyde, click here and here.
In 2008, I interviewed Christy Hemme (of TNA wrestling) at the Wizard World Convention in Chicago. In 2009, I caught up with Hemme at the Motor City Comic Con.
To hear the Hemme interview, click here.
I did a phone interview with former pro basketball player Randy Denton. Denton talked about the draft, the ABA, basketball cards and more.
To hear the Denton interview, click here.

I had a quick chat with Bob Uecker in the Milwaukee Brewers dugout. He talked about golfing with Fran Gallagher of Global Traveler magazine.
To see the Uecker interview, click here.

In New York, I caught up Scotty Eyre, who pitched on both sides of Chicago. To see the Eyre interview, click here.

We talked to pitcher Jack Taschner in the Phillies dugout while at Citi Field in New York. Taschner talked about his hometown and his time on the west coast. To see the Taschner interview, click here.

It was a thrill talking to Gorman Thomas. He discussed his favorite ballparks to visit as a player. To see the Thomas interview, click here.

Willie Randolph was a class act throughout his playing career and he still is. Randolph gave some insight into Milwaukee and other cities when I talked to him at Miller Park. To hear the Randolph interview, click here.

Pitcher Jerry Augustine was another former player with the Brewers who talked to us. He talked about signing autographs at the stadium. To see the Augustine interview, click here.

We caught up with catcher Brad Ausmus, whom we followed for years in Houston. Ausmus talked about playing in Los Angeles and his future. To see the Ausmus interview, click here.

Jim Gantner talked to us about his playing days and the possibility of having his number retired by the Milwaukee Brewers. To see the Gantner interview, click here.

Pinch-hitting ace Manny Mota discussed his favorite cities to visit when he was a player. To see the Mota interview, click here.
Mike Cameron gave me a memorable interview. Cameron talked about the proper way to approach him, his favorite cities to visit, his time in Chicago and his time in Milwaukee. To see the Cameron interview, click here.
Then, a couple weeks later, I caught up with him in Houston. To see that video, click here.
My interview with Casey Blake got off to a bit of a rough start, too. Blake laughed it off and I recovered enough to make it okay. To hear the Blake interview, click here.

Ryan Braun approached us at Miller Park in Milwaukee. I asked him about the All-Star game and the Home Run hitting contest. To see the Braun interview, click here.

I caught Matt Thornton playing a video game at the Metrodome. I talked to him a bit about his game. To see the Thornton interview, click here.

Jason Michaels talked to us about his favorite cities to visit, which included Chicago. To see the Michaels interview, click here.

Hunter Pence turned down our first request, but came back to us later. To see the Pence interview, click here.

I was very excited to talk to Jose Cruz, one of my earliest mancrushes. To see the Cruz interview, click here.

I talked to Dewey Robinson about favorite cities to visit and about his time with the Chicago White Sox. To see the Robinson interview, click here.

I talked to Cecil Cooper about his favorite cities to visit. To see the Cooper interview, click here.

I think Geoff Blum got me in my quick chat with him. To see the Blum interview, click here.

Random Interview:Casey Blake

Casey Blake played 5 1/2 solid seasons with the Cleveland Indians. In midseason of 2008, Blake was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. This move turned out well for Blake, as the Dodgers have reached two straight National League Championship Series, while the Indians slumped to fourth place in the AL Central.
This chat with Blake started off a bit rocky, as yours truly needs to work on his wording. I threw out a seemingly loaded question about L.A. over Cleveland. I was trying to get a comment on the difference between playing for them. I need more polish. To his credit, Blake laughed it off and I took another route of questioning.
Overall, the interview went well. I probably owe that mostly to Blake and his understanding way. Hey, at least I stuck with it and pulled something out.

Random Interview:Willie Randolph

When I was growing up, Willie Randolph of the New York Yankees was the picture of quiet consistency. Randolph played 13 seasons for the Yankees after being acquired in a trade from Pittsburgh. Randolph would be the only player in that trade to play more than 2 seasons with the new club.
After the 1988 season, Randolph signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He played there for about a year and a half, before moving on to Oakland to finish the season. He finished his career with one season with the Oakland A's and one with the New York Mets. He later managed the Mets for 3+ pretty successful seasons. Randolph became a coach for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2009.

As with most of my interviews, I did not plan on getting Randolph. However, when a former player of his stature is available, I cannot pass the opportunity. I think Randolph's answer (to our question of favorite city) speaks of his views on many areas. I thought it was an interesting response from an insightful man who has probably played through some poor situations. Randolph is a class act and should get another managerial position.

Random Interview:Jason Michaels

For most of his career, Jason Michaels could probably be best described as a 4th outfielder or the better part of an outfield platoon. He's the kind of player every team wants, except for a fantasy team. Also, he is a very nice guy.
When we approached him in Houston, he was eager to answer our questions. He really seemed to think about the questions, rather than just throw out an answer. He gave us a very insightful response.
Players like Michaels won't make the Hall of Fame, but these guys make baseball. His playing time decreased last season, but hopefully he will rebound in 2010. As an added piece of trivia, his grandfather John Michaels pitched for Boston.

Random Interview:Dewey Robinson

In 1977, Dewey Robinson was a 19th round draft choice by the Chicago White Sox out of Southern Illinois University (really Swede, he really did go there). He made his first appearance for the Sox in 1979. In 30 games over 3 seasons, Robinson compiled a 2-2 record.
Since 1997, Robinson had been with the Houston Astros organization in a variety of roles. Unfortunately, Robinson did not survive the Cecil Cooper firing. Robinson will surely be employed in a baseball capacity somewhere in 2010, but I don't know where yet.
Just after I talked to Cooper in Houston, Robinson walked right to us. I took my opportunity to talk to one of the pitchers from my White Sox youth. It was kind of funny, as he seems to recognize Global Traveler (can it be?). Also, we got to discuss Ross Baumgarten, another White Sox from my youth.

Random Interview:Cecil Cooper

Cecil Cooper had a very good career. With a couple more of his average seasons, he might have gotten Hall of Fame consideration. Coop was a pleasure to watch.
I got to watch him up close as the Manager of the Houston Astros for parts of 3 seasons. He took over the team during a tough time. The team was transitioning from the 'Bagwell-Biggio' era. Unfortunately, these Astros never found a real identity and floundered around the .500 mark.
I really liked Coop as a player and I respect him as a Manager. I hope he gets another shot somewhere. When we were in Houston this summer, I had the chance to talk to Coop for a couple minutes. As always, no matter the topic, it is always a thrill for me to talk to these stars of my youth.

Random Interview:Geoff Blum

I have had a lot of fun interviewing players over the last couple years. Of course, I am not a trained journalist (although I worked for a newspaper for 17 years and did some writing).
I have to admit though, Geoff Blum came up with a simple answer, but not one that I expected. I asked Blum where he liked to play as a visiting player. His answer made total sense, but caught me a bit off guard. Perhaps I need to do a little more research before asking any question (although I probably won't).
I did bounce back a bit and seemingly surprised Blum by commenting on his brief tenure with the Chicago White Sox. Players generally do not get complimented by reporters.

Jose Cruz:A Definite Childhood Mancrush

When I was a young Johngy, Jose Cruz was one of my favorite players. I know what you are thinking, "but Johngy, Cruz was actually very good". Yes he was and I know I usually followed backup catchers and utility infielders, but Cruz was one of the exceptions.
Cruz played for 19 seasons, racking up 2251 hits while batting .284. He had an excellent career. His number is retired by the Houston Astros, the team for which he currently coaches.

Talking to Cruz was one of my main goals on the last trip. I was not to be denied. It took a while, as he was busy watching the Astros take batting practice, but we did get Cruz.
When Cruz answered our question, he mentioned his brother playing in Chicago. For whatever reason, I thought of Tommy (his brother who had brief stays with the Chicago White Sox and the St. Louis Cardinals).
Cruz corrected me and named Hector (his brother who played with the Chicago Cubs for parts of 3 seasons). Hector had a much better career than Tommy, although nowhere near as good as Jose.
My mistake was not realizing how little Tommy played in Chicago and the fact that if the Sox were in town, the Cubs were probably away, meaning Jose wouldn't have been here either. But hey, these are the kind of flubs a rookie makes, especially a rookie talking to one of his earliest mancrushes.

Hunter Pence Approaches Us

When we were in Houston, we made an attempt to get a quick interview with Hunter Pence of the Astros for Global Traveler magazine. Pence had to take some swings in the cage and politely declined.

We thought that was the end of the story, but it wasn't.

We continued to hang on the field talking to some other players. All of a sudden, Pence approached us and asked me if I was ready. He surprised us so much that my usually unflappable videographer Matt Parker (aka Big Money) missed the very start of the interview.
We couldn't believe how cool that was for Pence (an All-Star) to find us and ask us if we still wanted to talk to him. I was tempted to joke "Window closed, Pence", ala my friends Chachi and Jim, but seriously I was too floored to attempt the humor. I just fumbled to regain my composure.
This guy is pure class.

The Mike Cameron Lesson:Part 2

Several weeks ago, I wrote about an interview I had with Mike Cameron of the Milwaukee Brewers. It started off a little shaky, but ended up being a lot of fun and a great experience.
A couple weeks later, we were in Houston for the series between the Houston Astros and the Milwaukee Brewers. We had gotten a few interviews already and were ready to call it a day when we saw our new friend Cameron. We had to go up to him again.
He remembered us immediately. He got a good laugh out of it and some of the other writers looked at us incredulously. I love the big smile and little giggle he gave at the beginning.

No Pinch Hitter for Johngy

A few people have asked me about the questions I ask my interview subjects. For the most part, when I talk to baseball players, I start by asking for their favorite city to visit. This is a good ice-breaker, because reporters usually ask baseball-related questions. Plus, I am working this info into a future piece for my Global Traveler blog.
After that, depending on time, I will ask about their career or perhaps time in Chicago, if they played here. This is a pretty good way to end the conversation, because it lets them know I know something about their career and am not just asking silly questions.
Really though, none of that matters. Below is an excellent example of what really matters. That's Manny Mota, pinch-hitter deluxe and me. Manny Mota and me!
I followed Mota's career through box scores in newspapers (long before you could get them online) and baseball cards. Now there I am talking to him as a peer of sorts. What a blast!
If that isn't cool enough, I have stood on the field or in the dugout and clubhouse at Citi Field, Miller Park, Dodger Stadium, the MetroDome and Minute Maid Park. I have walked around with legit press credentials.
Make no mistake about it though. I know I am not a sports reporter. I don't care, because in the words of legendary Chicago radio personality Jonathon Brandmeier...I'm just havin' fun!

Stormin' Gorman Thomas

Stormin' Gorman Thomas. That name invokes memories of a feared slugger!
For about a 6 season run, Thomas was one of the most dangerous sluggers in baseball, leading the Brewers to the 1982 World Series. For some World Series starved Chicago fans, we lived vicariously through the Brewers!
When I was at Miller Park, I wasn't looking for Thomas. I had no idea he was even there that night. I just happened to look over and I saw and recognized him immediately.
He was engaged in several conversations (one of which I documented here with one of my favorite pictures). Time was running out, as I learned he had to go to his autograph station, but I would not be denied.
I waited and waited and jumped in as Thomas started to head to his area. This was a thrill for me. Thomas was probably one of my first mancrushes (boy crush?).

Ryan Braun Approached Johngy

In 2007, Ryan Braun burst onto the baseball scene with an outstanding rookie season for the Milwaukee Brewers. He followed his Rookie of the Year season with 2 more great seasons.
Braun's nickname is 'Hebrew Hammer', although Braun admits he really was raised with no faith. He is fine with the nickname and the connections and fans of all denominations are totally behind Braun.
Just a few days prior to the 2009 MLB All-Star game, I had the chance to ask Braun about being on the team and the home run derby. The quick inerview is below.
The funny part of this interview was that Braun basically came to us. We had just made our way to the batting cages and were checking out prospective targets. Braun walked up and pretty much offered himself to us. Pretty cool.

#17 Jim Gantner

About a week ago, I posted a photo of Gorman Thomas, Larry Bowa and Jimmy Gantner. All three of these players were among my favorites in my youth. I have had the pleasure of interviewing all three as well. Below is a quick couple of questions with Gantner.
I asked Gantner about his favorite city to visit. I followed that by asking him about possibly having his number retired by the Brewers.
Gantner had an interesting career. He played parts of 17 seasons, all with the Brewers. As I noted last time, Gantner, Molitor and Yount hold the record for most games played together by 3 teammates. He ranks in the top 5 of most offensive career statistics for the Brewers.
Despite all of this, Gantner will never have his number retired. He had a very nice career and I would happily take him on either Chicago team any time, but he sort of remains an anomaly.
There aren't many players in the modern era who have played as long with only one team, who aren't in the Hall of Fame (or reasonably close).
Frank White was a similar, although slightly better player in the 70's and 80's. I cannot think of a current player who is similar. It is an unusual but impressive, accomplishment.

Catching Up with Jerry Augustine

Jerry Augustine was born in Kewaunee (WI) and attended the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse. He was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in 1974 and enjoyed a 10 year career with the Brewers, from 1975 through '84.
Augustine was named to the Topps All-Rookie team in 1976. He finished his career with a record of 55-59 with 11 saves and a 4.23 ERA. After his playing career ended, Augustine coached for several seasons at UW-Milwaukee.
I ran into Augustine in Miller Park a few weeks ago. He was one of a few former Brewers brought in to sign autographs before the game.
I like guys like Augustine. The guy played 10 seasons in the majors. He's a baseball guy. He will never have his number honored like former teammates Hank Aaron, Robin Yount, Rollie Fingers and Paul Molitor, but he has a place in baseball history. I liked following his career and it was fun to talk to him for a bit.

Catching Up with Brad Ausmus

When my sister's family lived in Houston for much of the 00's, we would always go to the Cubs games at Houston. Brad Ausmus was always one of our favorite players (except for the infamous ball incident with my brother-in-law Scott).
This year, Ausmus is playing closer to his home with the Los Angeles Dodgers. At 40, there are questions about his future. I addressed these two topics, when I talked to him at Miller Park in Milwaukee a couple weeks ago.
Ausmus is a class act. He is one of the real gems in baseball. When he retires, he will be missed, at least until he becomes a major league manager, as many predict.
Check out my interview with Ausmus here, along with the rest of my interviews on YouTube.

Brad Ausmus and me in Miller Park in Milwaukee, WI-July 2009.

Mike Cameron Gives Johngy a Lesson

Mike Cameron played 4 seasons with the Chicago White Sox in the mid-90's. He was traded to the Cincinnati Reds for Paul Konerko. Cameron is currently playing for the Milwaukee Brewers.
A few weeks ago, I was on the field at Miller Park and I approached Cameron for a quick interview. My first 2 questions were about his favorite city to visit as a player and about his time in Chicago. Cameron questioned my questions. He invited me into the dugout for me to explain what my point was. I explained I wrote for Global Traveler magazine and thus asked questions about visiting other cities. Now that I had clarified my intent, Cameron opened up and gave me some very good answers, along with a quick lesson in how to approach ballplayers in the future.
I have to admit, I was a bit scared when Cameron summoned me to the dugout. Maybe he thought I was trying to set him up somehow. To his credit, he quickly smiled and accepted the whole situation. This really turned out to be one of the best experiences I have had with a player on the field.
The interview can be seen here, along with the rest of my interviews on YouTube.

Mike Cameron and me at Miller Park in Milwaukee, WI-July 2009.

Matt Thornton Plays Games

I was in Minneapolis for the Chicago White Sox series against the Twins. Due to pre-game activities on the field, I was unable to get many interviews.
When I saw Matt Thornton and Clayton Richard playing EA Sports Major League Baseball 2K9, I figured I would have some fun. Unfortunately, Richard didn't really want to talk and politely declined. Thornton did answer our questions though.
My interview with Thornton is below.

Thirty Seconds with Scott Eyre

Scott Eyre spent parts of 7 seasons pitching on both sides of Chicago. He has been with the Philadelphia Phillies since mid-season 2008.
I had the chance to talk with Eyre before a game against the Mets in New York. Eyre was very polite, although like most athletes, he was pressed for time, but he did give me a quick interview.
I asked Eyre about his favorite baseball city to visit and about his feelings for Chicago. His answers were very clear and honest. The interview is here, along with the rest of my interviews on YouTube.
Eyre is a class act. He gave a solid effort during his time in Chicago and was always willing to talk to the media, good or bad.

Scott Eyre and me in Citi Field in Flushing, NY-June 2009.