Introduction
This might be an unconventional opinion, but I actually like the on-field interviews that baseball does on some of the national broadcasts. It gives us a glimpse of the player’s mentality and thought process during an at-bat as well as a quick view into their personalities - as you can see in Corbin Carroll’s in-game interview below. I find all of that valuable considering the generally brief postgame interviews and media appearances usually focus on specific moments in the game or the larger picture
surrounding the team. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that the players reportedly get paid a cool $10,000 for each interview and I am always a sucker for anything that benefits both the fans and the players. Admittedly, I much prefer the interviews in the dugout to avoid distracting the players in the middle of the game, but those can be slightly less dynamic and are dependent on the entertainment value of the player being interviewed. Regardless, there’s been an absolute deluge of media attention this week between the draft, All-Star Game, and Home Run Derby so I thought I would take a break from our usual programming for me to interview another baseball celebrity - my wife.
Note: This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity and conciseness.
What was your experience with baseball before we started dating?
Ben: But yeah, so I think first, can you sort of give us a background to like, what was your experience with baseball before we started dating? Did you play at all? Did you watch at all?
EJ: I never played baseball. I think maybe my dad and I had a catch once. I’m pretty sure I went to a t-ball game that my brothers were in, but I never played. Most of my experience with baseball was my dad having the games on in the car, and it was Bob Uecker announcing the Brewers, which, as I have now come to appreciate, is a really renowned, very talented announcer.
B: Rest in Peace.
EJ: And he never watched baseball on TV. So, I think my interactions with baseball were mostly just Bob Uecker’s, “Get up, get up, get outta here, gone.” That really was baseball to me. I never went to a Brewers game until I was in high school. I don’t think I went to a college game. I definitely didn’t go to a high school baseball game. So, really, it was just listening to it, which I think made it in some ways harder to get into with you being so passionate about it. I didn’t really have a basis of understanding. I had heard games announced when I was a kid, but I never watched it. So then when we started dating and we started watching more baseball together, I really had to learn and understand the game, and I’m still learning more about the game. If you don’t understand the geometry of the game, it’s really hard to listen to it on the radio broadcast, because you can’t visualize it - so I’m still learning.
Do you have a favorite current player?
B: Completely fair. Do you have a favorite current player? It doesn’t necessarily have to be a Diamondback.
EJ: Oh, that’s a hard question. It’s definitely Adley Rutschman. He’s a sweet baby angel. I saw his Major League debut and saw him get his first major league hit (Editor: a triple). So, that was pretty cool. He’s definitely my favorite. And it was really sweet that his dad pitched to him at the Home Run Derby.
B: I think that one of the first players you follow is always going to be one of your favorites. Outside of Adley’s first big league hit, do you have a favorite baseball memory so far?
Do you have a favorite baseball memory so far?
EJ: (Laughter) We went to a University of Arizona game, we parked the car behind home plate and didn’t really think about it.
B: Our rental car, specifically.
EJ: Yes, our rental car - that’s an important thing to note. After the game, I walked out to the car and a foul ball had cracked the back windshield. It kind of looked like dew when I was walking up to it so I really didn’t think anything of it. Then when I opened the driver side door, the entire back windshield collapses into the car with the safety glass pebbles. The worst part was we didn’t even get the ball. The ball was nowhere to be found. If we had found the ball, it at least would have been a nice memento to have.
B: Instead, we had no baseball and a broken back windshield for the drive back to Phoenix.
EJ: That was the most expensive baseball game we’ve ever been to so far.
If you could change one rule, what would it be?
B: I feel confident you have some kind of answer to this one. If you could change any one rule in baseball, what would it be?
EJ: I think this is going to be really controversial, but if you swing at a pitch with two strikes and you foul it off, it should be strike three. If you decided that a pitch coming at you is worth swinging at, you swing at it and you foul that ball, that should be strike three. That’s my hot take.
Do you have a favorite baseball snack?
B: That is a hot take! Returning to the favorite theme for a moment, do you have a favorite baseball snack?
EJ: I am a snack lover so, yes. At the Brewers’ Stadium, I’m a big walking taco fan. That is my preferred food at American Family Field. I love ice cream. So if I’m feeling particularly spicy, I might splurge and get some ice cream. That’s pretty much it though. I did have a crab cake sandwich at Camden Yards that was pretty good, but it was close to $30. I will give a shout out to the Brewers for having their value meal. Ultimately, you really can’t go wrong with a hot dog at a baseball field, though. It doesn’t quite hold a candle to the Costco $1.50 dog and soda deal. I feel patriotic eating a hot dog at a baseball game.
Are you excited about any Diamondbacks-related things for the rest of this season?
EJ: I would like to see Vukovich come up and play in the Show this year sometime. He’s a hometown kid and easy to root for him. I’m also excited about the D-Backs-Brewers game we’re going to later this year - another Costco deal!
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