MikeLortz.com/JordiScrubbings.com » Tampa Bay Rays

Rays Index: A Letter to the Rays Owner

Jordi Scrubbings — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 15:28:11 +0000

Over at Rays Index, I wrote a letter to Stu Sternberg, owner of the Rays. I told him my honest impressions of him and a few things I think he can improve on in regards to his public relations and the team’s impression in the Tampa Bay area.

Rays Index: A Letter to Stu Sternberg

Who are Rays Fans?

Jordi Scrubbings — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 04:37:37 +0000

As a writer in the Tampa Bay Rays blogosphere, sometimes I feel like I am rowing against the current. Amid a deluge of negative articles bashing the Rays attendance, the stadium, and the metropolitan area I call home, it seems sometimes I’m the only writer who focuses on the positives of the experiences of going to a Rays game.

But now there are other Rays writers who are taking the side of the fan base. The fine gentlemen over at DRaysBay are looking to write about real fans and feature the fan base in future articles. To do so, they are first looking to know who is going to games and get some background data.

Please help the DRaysBay guys by filling out the short survey at the below link.

Thanks!

DRaysBay Fan Survey

A week of new posts in same places

Jordi Scrubbings — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 20:45:29 +0000

A few new writing excursions in my usual haunts.

Over at Rays Index, I wrote about the bliss of being at the Rays final regular season game of the season. Spoiler: they make the playoffs.

Joy, Jubilation, and the Sheer Exuberance of Victory

At The Wrestling Blog, I posted an old interview I did with e-migo and highly regarded media studies professional Sam Ford. We talked about indy wrestling and social media, especially from the promoters perspective.

Guest Blog: An Interview with Sam Ford

Finally, at Bus Leagues Baseball, I compared two baseball books I recently read.

A Literary Comparison of “Out of My League” and “Odd Man Out”

So check them out. Of course, more coming soon. Thanks for reading.

Talking to the Sully Show

Jordi Scrubbings — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 16:12:24 +0000

I had the pleasure of talking to Paul Francis Sullivan of Sully Baseball.com for his podcast. Sully is a huge Red Sox fan and he wanted to talk baseball with a Tampa Bay Rays fan. Well, that’s me.

We come on at the 60:00 minute mark. It was a lot of fun. We talked Rays, Red Sox, baseball managers, Tim Wakefield, the 2011 playoffs, and the origin of the “Jordi Scrubbings” name.

Check it out.

Listen to internet radio with Seamheads on Blog Talk Radio

I think I am getting better at radio interviews. I actually sound half intelligent.

I want to thank Sully again for the opportunity.

Writing at my usual baseball haunts

Jordi Scrubbings — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 02:39:40 +0000

As usual, I wrote at my usual spots this week.

Over at Bus Leagues Baseball, I began our campaign to find out why people love minor league baseball by interviewing a friend of mine who is a huge Dunedin Blue Jays fan.

Q&A: Dunedin Blue Jays Super Fan Torianne Valdez

Then over at Rays Index, I wrote about the premise of chances by comparing the major league opportunities of three Rays pitchers.

The Chance of Opportunity

Ballparks and peace over at Rays Index

Jordi Scrubbings — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 07:16:38 +0000

Check out my latest piece over at Rays Index about finding peace at the ballpark and the calming affect of baseball.

Fields of Solace

Writing about Watching the Rays at RaysIndex

Jordi Scrubbings — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 04:28:47 +0000

Check my latest post over at RaysIndex.com, where I talk about how I feel when Rays attendance numbers are anemically low.

I’ll admit, when reported attendance numbers are below 15,000 at Tropicana Field, I feel kinda guilty. I feel guilty because I think I could make a difference. It’s the same guilt I feel during an election when there is a candidate I support but I don’t bother to get out and vote. And then that candidate doesn’t win. Was it because of me? Or was it because of hundreds of other people like me who figured someone else would carry the burden of voting?

Read the rest here: The Guilt of Not Going

Also check out pics of a recent meeting of baseball-minded twitter-posting folks at Tropicana Field over at FifthWorldArt.com. That included me, of course. I even made a cameo on the Rays television broadcast.

Making the Fan

Jordi Scrubbings — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 03:14:19 +0000

(I am going through some old paperwork in a mass cleaning of my apartment. Among the clutter, I found a pile of half-written essays and rough drafts. This particular piece was written in late 2006. I have absolutely no idea why it was never published, but although my loyalties are split between the Mets and Rays today, this essay is as true for me now as it was then.)

Anyone can call themselves a fan. You can wear the hat, sport the jersey, talk the talk, walk the walk, blah, blah, blah. But you are not a fan until your team absolutely, positively is the worst in their sport. Only then, when you don’t give up and your are seemingly still the only one cheering, can you claim to be a true fan.

I’m writing this on the day after the NY Mets clinched their first division championship in 18 years. The last time, in 1988, I was 11 years old. And though all the joy, the fanatical bliss, the unadulterated exhuberation, all I can think of are the 100-loss seasons, the mediocre players, and the 2-or-3-game winning streaks which were the highlights of seasons past.

Being a fan is a passion. It is a “for better or for worse, ’till death do us part” obsession. It is one of those feelings that tests commitment, inner strength, and even patience. But in the end you realize losing makes winning feel that much better.

Because being a fan is love.

An interview from BJ’s Bowl-A-Rama

Jordi Scrubbings — Tue, 17 May 2011 18:47:02 +0000

A few months ago, I went to the BJ Upton charity bowling event at Splitsville in Tampa. BJ personally invited me allowed fans to attend, so I dressed in my Sunday best, afro and all.

While I was there I was interviewed by local reporter Todd Grasley. I’m at the 2:14 mark.

The places I’ve been – Baseball Edition

Jordi Scrubbings — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 11:02:00 +0000

I’ve been making my rounds again. Another BusLeagues interview and another post on Rays Index.

At BusLeaguesBaseball, I did an email Q&A with Jim Donten of Claw Digest, a blog on the Port Charlotte Stone Crabs, the Rays’ Florida State League affiliate.

An Interview with Claw Digest – BusLeaguesBaseball

Over at Rays Index, I wrote about the use of the word “panic” when it comes to sports. I’ve been a fan of some bad teams, I never panicked that they were going to be worse. It happens. Relax and enjoy watching the game.

What, Me Panic? – Rays Index