Celebrities

From Wiki Gonzalez

Q. Have celebrities visited Baseball Think Factory?

A. It depends on how you define "celebrity."

Knock off the Count Chocula jokes... Peter Gammons of ESPN.com has (finally) admitted to reading Baseball Primer (http://danagonistes.blogspot.com/2006/02/gammons-on-bloggers.html).

In this (http://www.baseballthinkfactory.org/files/newsstand/discussion/the_dish_keith_law_speaks/P0/) thread we learned that Tracy Ringolsby posts as ballfan.

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports/The Sporting News has been "Inside Fishing" around Primer for a long time and is a fan of the old-school version of the Baseball Newsstand.

Longtime ESPN.com writer and flannel shirt flaunter Rob Neyer has posted before, using his own name as a handle. Steven Goldman has also posted, but not for a long time. Moneyball author Michael Lewis has been known to read the site, though he doesn't post.

Salon sports columnist King Kaufman posts occasionally, although he wisely stays out of threads devoted to his own columns, other than to answer specific questions.

F basketball! Staff writer for S.I., Chris Ballard (http://www.charlierose.com/guests/chris-ballard), has crossed over to Primer in '08.

David Schoenfield (http://espn.go.com/mlb/columns/bonds/1174429.html) (columns (http://search.espn.go.com/keyword/search?searchString=david_schoenfield)), editor at ESPN.com, has stopped by the site.

ESPN.com columnist and former special assistant to the General Manager for the Toronto Blue Jays Keith Law is a long time reader/lurker/poster.

Speaking of long-time lurkers...Rob Bradford (http://blogs.weei.com/robbradford/) (Boston Herald and now with WEEI) has been hanging around longer than Dabs Greer from a blimp.

Dayn Perry (http://msn.foxsports.com/story/3194380), an origimate from the Baseball Primer days, now toils at FOX Sports alongside Ken Rosenthal.

Nate Silver (http://espn.go.com/mlb/columns/bp/1561575.html) of BPro was another early Primate that found fame at ESPN...(before the Pete Rose debacle sorta blew that gig).

Mainstream media sportswriters who have posted on BBTF at one time or another include Jeff Pearlman (of John Rocker fame), Tracy Ringolsby of the Rocky Mountain News, and Primey nominee Dan Le Batard of the Miami Herald.

Jayson Stark of ESPN.com also presumably visits, since he has quoted BBTF posts in his column before.

Joe Posnanski of the Kansas City Star "checks the Primer as often as I can." He was not known to have posted, until recently.

DA-DA-DA-DA-DA (feeble horn vibe announcement)...Bill James (http://billjamesonline.net/toursite/default.asp) has acknowledged ("It was like pulling Paul Toth! (http://www.baseball-reference.com/t/tothpa01.shtml)" said a harried Repoz) that he reads Baseball Primer.

Bernie Miklasz (http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/resources/miklasz200x160storypage.jpg) of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Bob Klapisch of ESPN.com and the (Bergen, NJ) Record, Marcos Breton of the Sacramento Bee, Eric Neel (http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/archive?columnist=neel_eric&root=page2) of ESPN.com, Bud Geracie (http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/columnists/bud_geracie/) of the San Jose Mercury News, Art Martone (http://www.projo.com/redsox/images/art_big_03.jpg) of the Providence Journal, and Jon Saraceno (http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/saraceno/index.htm) of USA Today are all readers.

Former ESPN.com scouting guru John Sickels is a reader. As of February 19, 2005, Sickels is also a posting Primate.

The legendary Bill Conlin (http://www.temple.edu/tempress/titles/1319_reg.html) of the Philadelphia Daily News has recently started reading Baseball Primer.

Tom Verducci (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/writers/tom_verducci/archive/), talented writer at S.I., has been "scheming" at Baseball Primer.

Brian O'Neill (http://www.post-gazette.com/search/archive.asp?cCat=263), aka "The Stats Geek" of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, is a long-time reader and comes on to discuss his articles.

Bob Gamere (http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/nyy/history/broadcasters.jsp), AKA "The Great Gamere," one-time New York Yankee broadcaster, has come on to discuss his 'shadowy' past.

ESPN's baseball Play-by-Play extraordinaire Boog Sciambi (http://www.790theticket.com/aboutshow.php?show=The+Boog+Sciambi+Show) is now doing PBP of Primer...with his usual sabermetric flourishes.

Ted Turocy (http://econweb.tamu.edu/turocy/personal.htm#baseball), SABR researcher, writer and tabletop baseball game designer...is always lurking.

Biostatistician and author Michael Schell (http://www.bios.unc.edu/~mschell/) has recently become a Primate.

ESPN: The Magazine's Sam Apple (http://samapple.blogspot.com/) recently interviewed the beer-deprived Repoz about the bselig/bselig log-in/password phenomenon for a June/July 2006 article...and has become a Primer reader.

Statistician/novelist Bill Felber (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0312332645/qid=1108083798/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/102-9693054-3292140?v=glance) has attempted to gain entry to Baseball Primer...but like some others, the new system will not give him access.

David Smith (http://www.retrosheet.org/Board.htm), President and hardcore box-scorer of Retrosheet, is now on board...but under an assumed name.

Derek Zumsteg, yet another origimate from the early Primer days, now writes for the USS Mariner blog and the Seattle P-I.

Noted Seattle-based design writer and ballpark consultant John Pastier (http://www.seattleweekly.com/features/0233/arts-pastier.shtml) is a longtime reader/poster at Baseball Primer.

Prolific Mike Berardino (http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/baseball/sfla-sports-berardino,0,1210025.columnist) of the Sun-Sentinel has been watching over BBTF/Baseball Primer.

Ron Rapoport (http://www.suntimes.com/output/rapoport/cst-spt-rap23.html) of the Chicago Sun-Times has ventured on to Primer.

Bill Simmons, the Funny Guy of ESPN and one time writer for Unfunny Guy Jimmy Kimmel.

Matt Welch (http://www.mattwelch.com/warblog.html), poli-blogster/musician, Angels fan, and columnist for Canada's National Post and Reason magazine, stops by.

Colby Cosh (http://colbycosh.com/who.html), blog whizzer and columnist for Canada's National Post, is a driving force on Primer's IRC.

The brilliant writer ("Blink" and "The Tipping Point") Malcolm Gladwell (http://www.gladwell.com/) has middled about on Baseball Primer in the past.

Super saber-friendly and proud Hobokenite Jacob Luft (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writers/jacob_luft/01/28/salvage.offseason/) of S.I. has joined BBTF/Baseball Primer.

Bradford Doolittle (http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/10551476.htm), long-time blogster and now of the Kansas City Star, has flown over Primer's airspace a few times.

Bill Ryan (http://www.ctv.ca/archives/CTVShows/images/20031125/lawsvu-bio-Florek/SVU_Florek_235.jpg), guitarist, record producer, long time owner of Pier Platters (http://www.indiecentre.com/company.cfm?CompanyID=56) and behind the scenes money man for that undergound hipster jernt Maxwells (http://www.maxwellsnj.com/shows.html), has grumbled a bit while reading Primer.

Syracuse grad Jeff Passan (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/expertsarchive;_ylt=Aq2KvrXu7OPvXsv5Mgofn08HU84F?author=Jeff+Passan) of Yahoo Sports and the Kansas City Star (quickly becoming the BEST baseball section for a daily in the country) before that...is a Baseball Primer reader.

"Who's Better, Who's Best in Baseball" author Elliott Kalb (http://www.elliottkalb.com/) has checked in with his "old-school" views of baseball.

Stephen Borelli (http://www.stephenborelli.com/blog), author of "How About That! The Life of Mel Allen", has come on Primer to yak up his book.

Dan D'addona (http://www.hollandsentinel.com/stories/082804/loc_082804071.shtml), of the Holland Sentinel, has recently been an add-on.

Jesse Spector (http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/touchingbase/), of "Touching Base" (which is the ONLY reason to buy/pilf the N.Y. Daily News) fame has recently abutted Primer.

Scott Smith (http://www.chieftain.com/life/1139125390/4) of the influential "Pueblo Chieftain" (138th Year... and still on the job!...but who the hell would know!) has graced Primer with his presence.

Good guy and personal friend/co-writer with Saberslewith Joe Morgan...Richard Lally (http://www.amazon.com/Baseball-Dummies-Sports-Hobbies/dp/0764575376/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1220741201&sr=1-1) has owned up to browsing Primer.

Not only is Tobias Dorsey (http://www.thecapitol.net/Publications/legislativedraftersdeskbook.html) an acclaimed author...he's also one of those Primates with a flat hat logo!

Noted baseball researcher Michael Hoban (http://baseballguru.com/articles/analysismikehoban02.html) has had a few run-ins with the Sabermetric wing at BPU.

Kevin "Wheels" Wheeler (http://radio.sportingnews.com/shows/kevin_wheeler/), who used to do a 4-hour-a-night gig on Sporting News Radio, has admitted to reading Primer.

Pete Abraham (http://yankees.lhblogs.com/) of the LoHud Jounal News finally caved in and joined the ranks on 11-27-07...after being torched for his HOF votes (Jack Morris) and he doesn't even have a vote yet! Just wait.

Drew Olson (http://www.onmilwaukee.com/author/showauthor.html?id=46), former president of the BBWAA...has been turned onto Baseball Primer over the Neyer/Law HOF voting flap.

Will Weiss (http://www.ithaca.edu/sportmanagementandmedia/Symposium/Pages/Weiss.html), senior editor of the YESNetwork, is a Primer reader (can Michael Kay be far behind?).

Marc Topkin (http://www.mlb.com/images/2005/10/06/kdSs64xo.jpg) of the SP Times has made relations recently with BTF/Primer.

Mike Curto (http://www.tacomarainiers.com/), radio guy for the Tacoma Rainiers of the PCL, was deluged with emails after Chad Bradford Wannabe reffed a Tacoma player...forcing Curto to come down from the mountain and reveal himself as a Prima-Lurka.

Mike Nadel (http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/opinions/columnists/nadel/), of Suburban Chicago Newspapers, read the discussion (http://www.baseballthinkfactory.org/files/primer/discussion/25057/) on his thread and said he will not join in the "fun."

Guy Ewald (http://www.klinge-seckach.de/ehemalige/portraits2/ewald_krafft.jpg), Record reviewer for now defunko'd New York Rocker (http://www.angelfire.com/nj2/rsmkjo/images/nyrocker2.jpg) magazine, is a faithful lurker...but knows very little of baseball.

Writer, editor, and sexuality activist Cecilia Tan (http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/authors/Cecilia_Tan.htm) is a long time reader of Baseball Primer...except those times she's tied up.

Due to Repoz's idiotic Retrosheet: Filling in the Blank Generation (http://baseballanalysts.com/archives/2005/05/retrosheet_fill_1.php) column for The Baseball Analysts site...Gerard Cosley (http://www.matadorrecords.com/) top muck-muck at Matador Records, Billy Miller (http://www.careerrecords.com/images/RoyB&M.jpg) and the lovely Miriam Linna (http://photos1.blogger.com/img/186/1935/640/miriamlinna.jpg) (head grease-pushers at Norton Records (http://www.nortonrecords.com/index2.html)), and Dave the Spazz (http://wfmu.org/playlists/MS) of tre-cuel WFMU (http://wfmu.org/djpages.php) have rolled up their snot-dripping sleeves and found the hot vein of Baseball Primer.

Jim Testa (http://www.jerseybeat.com/jimtesta.htm), editor, reviewer of Jersey Beat Magazine and deeply involved in the Anti-Folk Movement...has been checking Baseball Primer out.

Albany's Times Union baseball/rock n' roll HOF maven...Brian Ettkin (http://www.timesunion.com/graphics/colsigs/ettkin.jpg) is a new Primer fan.

Will Leitch (http://www.gothamist.com/interview/archives/2004/03/19/will_leitch_writer.php), of Deadspin and "Life as a Loser" fame, sneaks a peak every now and then.

Jeff Lescher (http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:dmd7yl7jxpeb), lead singer/songwriter of the fabo pop-punk group Green (http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:8hrsa9lgb238) has come on now and then.

Alan Schwarz of the N.Y. Times, ESPN and Baseball America has joined in a few times.

Baseball researcher and SABR dude Clifford Blau (http://mysite.verizon.net/brak2.0/) has ventured onto Primer a number of times.

Tim Marchman of the N.Y. Sun(archive (http://www.nysun.com/authors/Tim+Marchman)) and New Partisan(archive (http://newpartisan.squarespace.com/timmarchman)) has wandered on.

Bob Smizik (http://www.pittsburghfirst.com/sports/columnists/smizik.asp) of the Post-Gazette has checked out Baseball Primer.

Kevin Baxter (http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/sports/baseball/qa_forum.htm?forumId=848), of The Los Angeles Times, The Sporting News, The Nation, Baseball America and is co-author (with Dan Schlossberg (http://www.allstaragency.com/cgi-bin/speaker2001.asp?ID=339)) of "Miracle over Miami: How the 2003 Marlins Shocked the World", has been picking up on Baseball Primer.

Jules Tygiel (http://bss.sfsu.edu/tygiel/), baseball historian and Jackie Robinson biographer, has posted infrequently in the past. Several other Primates (Bruce Markusen, Sam M, David Jones, Will Carroll, Eric Enders, John Shiffert (http://www.baseball19to21.com/articles.html), fra paolo) have also written books, although it would be a McCoveyesque stretch to call them celebrities.

Jerome from Manhattan AKA Jerome Mittelman (http://www.psych.upenn.edu/~jsiev/jerome.html), of WFAN-ESPN Radio and all round bane of NY Sports radio has screed his way on...mostly to yellface with Repoz.

The immortal R. Stevie Moore (http://www.rsteviemoore.com/home.html), a one-man tape loop full of "technical, musical, lyrical and conceptual skills, Moore's omnivorous, individualistic pop blender has dug into his awesome — and seemingly bottomless — well of talent"...was coaxed into coming onto a Primer thread (http://www.angelfire.com/nj2/rsmkjo/baseball03.html).

Steve Purdy (http://rcs.law.emory.edu/rcs/artists/p/purd5000.htm) (of Steve Purdy and the Studs fame) came on once in reference to his 1962 psychobilly hit (?) "The Weed".

If Voxter told you his real name, you probably would have heard it, but it wouldn't have been in reference to him.

While Britney Spears does not read Primer, one Primate has a juicy story about her he/she had to share. Recently, she was either looking a bit puffy or her costume d'amusement park made her appear obese, and she was approached by an apologetic attendent at the burro ride at Knotts Berry Farm and asked to 'find a bigger burro'. "True story."

Adam Yauch, MCA in the Beastie Boys, has posted occasionally.

Also see: Professional ballplayers posting on BTF.