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.

An Interview with Randy Denton

Randy Denton played basketball at Duke University. He was drafted by the Boston Celtics of the NBA and selected by the Memphis Pros of the ABA. Denton chose the Pros and started his pro career.
In the crazy world of the ABA, Denton went from Memphis to Carolina, back to Memphis, over to Utah, then to St. Louis. When the ABA was folding, the New York Knicks selected Denton, but traded him to the Atlanta Hawks, where Denton finished his pro career.
When I was a kid, I collected sports cards like everyone else. In the pre-internet days, these cards were one of the few connections we had with the players. Pro basketball was barely even televised in those days.
Denton was one of my first favorite players. I followed his career through his basketball cards and the box scores in the newspapers. I never had the chance to see Denton play, but I hope to eventually see some game tape somewhere.
Years ago, I sent Denton some cards asking him to sign a couple. I offered him more if he wanted them for his own purposes. He agreed and I sent him a small bunch of his cards. To my surprise and delight, Denton searched me out and left a very nice message on my answering machine thanking me.
Now years later, I am in a position to conduct some interviews with my childhood favorites. I contacted Denton and he graciously agreed. I called him Wednesday evening and Denton answered my questions during the 10 minute interview.

We didn't discuss world affairs. We just talked about fun stuff. This was a real blast for me. Talking to these players who were my cardboard idols some 30+ years ago brings back great memories. To sports fans out there, Randy Denton is a class act, a real true gentleman. To Randy Denton (if you ever read this), thank you so much for the memories, the autographs and most of all, your kindness.

Former pro basketball player Randy Denton.