This is my second post focused on the 2013 MLB FanCave. As many of you already know, the MLB FanCave is back for a second season. Currently, there are 52 Baseball fan contestants remaining, and out of that number there are 3 verified Dodger fans vying for a chance to immerse themselves into the game. They will eventually whittle it down to a final 9 with the help of fans like you. Go here to see them all. Voting ends next week.
Since I am fanatically pro-Dodger, I thought it would be interesting to hear directly from those folks who want to represent us. Yesterday, I shared an interview with FanCave contestant Thomas Aaron Roberts. Check out that interview here. Tomorrow, I'll have up Mark Fabrick. But, todays special feature interview is with Dodger fan Jeremy Dorn. See his FanCave voting here.
Facebook: JeremyDornMLBFanCave
Featured columnist at Bleacher Report: profile
Blog/Podcast: Three Up, Three Down
Above are his particulars, and below is my informal email interview provided in full. I asked the same question to all three contestants; with exception of the last one (which was meant to be a little fun). BTW, Jeremy has been extremely active on Reddit. In fact, later this evening he will be doing a AMA 'Ask Me Anything'. Go here to check that out. Anyway, on to the questions.
So, Jeremy why should this Dodger fan trust you to represent the Dodger faithful at MLB's FanCave? What would you say are your Dodger fan bona fides?
I have a unique back story as a Dodgers fan. My parents were both raised in Southern California and moved up to the San Francisco Bay Area before I was born. But my dad, being a diehard Dodgers fan, was not going to let his firstborn root for the rival Giants he had despised his whole life. So I've been born, raised, and am still living in the enemy's den -- Giants country. Because of that, I have a great perspective on the rivalry itself and have spent most of my baseball fan life explaining why the Dodgers trump the Giants, all while in a hostile environment. If I can survive 24 years here wearing Dodger Blue, I think I can be a great representative in the Fan Cave for this team. Despite the distance, I make multiple road trips down to L.A. to catch game
Please relay your greatest Dodger memory.
Well, in person, I have two: My best moment was actually at AT&T Park. The third game ever played there was in a series against the Dodgers. Not only did 11-year-old me trick Robb Nen into giving me, a Dodgers fan, his warmup ball from the bullpen, but it was the final game in a sweep -- it was a pretty awesome way for the Dodgers to help the Giants open that fancy new stadium. That moment was replaced as "best ever" a couple weekends ago at Dodgers Fan Fest, when I got the unbelievable honor of meeting Tommy Lasorda! I shook his hand, talked to him for a few minutes, and got a video for my Fan Cave campaign. It didn't hit me until hours later on the drive home that I had just met and talked to one of my personal sports heroes. I still can't believe it today! My most memorable moment watching a game was the back-to-back-to-back-to-back homers against the Padres to tie up the game in the ninth inning, before Nomar Garciaparra hit a walk-off. That's still one of the most amazing things I've ever seen in sports.Give me a rundown on the good, the bad and the ugly with the Dodger lineup/roster.
This is a fun question. The Good: A lot of people are going to hate on the star-studded lineup for the amount of money poured into it and the possibility of them not "gelling" as a team. I disagree. Even if Carl Crawford doesn't pan out, a healthy season from the foursome of Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, Adrian Gonzalez and Hanley Ramirez is the most ferocious in the league. Both Mark and A.J. Ellis are patient, veteran hitters that will fill their spots nicely, and if Luis Cruz matches what he did last year, you can add him to that list. Now, if Crawford DOES play well, the Dodgers have a true leadoff guy with some pop and speed that will just wreak havoc on opposing pitching staffs. I'm really excited to see the quantity of runs this lineup can produce. And I think they really started showing what they were capable of last season down the stretch, when they finally clicked as a unit.
The Bad: I'm worried about a couple things. First, how will the health of aforementioned sluggers hold up in 2013? We know that Kemp is going to be the base-stealing, wall-crashing force we've come to love, no matter the risk of injury. And Ethier has had his fair share of injury problems over the years. If we lose one or both of them for any extended period of time, I'm not sure how the lineup will hold up. The second thing I put in this category is the questions surrounding the pitching staff. I love the depth we have in the rotation, but half of those guys on the roster who can start are either constantly injured or recovering from a DL stint right now. I'm not worried about Kershaw at the top, but what if Zack Greinke underwhelms, even at pitcher-friendly Dodger Stadium? Will Hyun-Jin Ryu be as good as advertised? And does Josh Beckett's good stint back in the NL last year translate to a full season this year? If a couple of those guys bomb, the Dodgers are in trouble, even with that depth.
The Ugly: This was a tough question. I really love the roster overall, and think they will be challenging for the NL West title all season. But if I have to choose one "ugly" weakness, it's that I don't trust the back of the bullpen. There are certain guys I like a lot, but I don't have faith in Brandon League as a closer, and still think Kenley Jansen has some finer points to his game that need tweaking before I consider him a lights-out ninth inning guy.Here is an extra question for you. If Juan Uribe showed up at the FanCave and swept your girlfriend off her feet, what would you do? BTW, there's a side story here. Long story, short: Jeremy made the Top 50 last year and ended up meeting his current girlfriend there. She is also a Top 52 contestant this year, as well.
Great job, Jeremy! The happy couple are hoping to be in the finals together. Be sure to go to the MLB FanCave site to vote for him. Also, check out an extended cut of his video below.I stand corrected. THIS question rocks! If Juan Uribe were to swoop into the MLB Fan Cave and steal my girlfriend, I honestly think my first inclination would be to laugh hysterically. After all the weeks, months and years I've ragged on Uribe for his lack of production, that would be the ultimate karma bite. I'd hope that my girlfriend knows better than to date anyone who has a career on-base percentage under .300 though!
Video Link:
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