01/18: Interviewing the Yankees Blogosphere: Mike Axisa, Pending Pinstripes
Posted by: Patrick
Our next interview is with Mike Axisa of Pending Pinstripes. YanksBlog.com commenters probably know him best as Mike A.
When you aren't doing something related to or depending on the Yankees, what are you up to?
Well, that doesn't leave much time in the day, does it? I'm lucky enough to work for a relatively small but exponentially growing engineering firm, so I spend about 10-12 hours a day at work. I'm also getting married sometime this summer, so it seems like whenever I'm not working, I'm picking out invitations, or a caterer or a... you get the point. My father-in-law gave me the golf bug not too long ago, so I try to sneak out and spend a half hour or so at the driving range a couple times a week as well. Whenever one of those things doesn't occupy my mind, something Yankee related usually does.
How long have you been blogging about the Yankees?
I'm closing in on my one year blogging anniversary actually. My maze of URL's began with In George We Trust back in the middle of Feb '05 and since then I've graduated to Baby Bombers and yet again to my current digs.
Congratulations on your first year. Besides your own, what are your favorite Yankees blogs?
Man, there's so many to choose from. WasWatching.com is great, even if Steve thinks the Yanks are always on the brink of an unmitigated disaster ;) YanksBlog.com, of course. Pete Abe's blog has been a godsend. It's the closest most of us will ever get to being in the clubhouse. And, of course, there's (in no particular order) RLYW, Off the Façade, Pinstripe Potentials, Canyon of Heroes, Bronx Banter. No Maas is great for a laugh. There's an excellent chance I've missed someone, sorry.
What are some of your earliest memories of the Yankees?
Hmmm. I remember watching the team when it was Donnie, Gator and Rags were in their heyday, but I guess the first thing that really stands out at me is Jim Abbott's no-no. Sure, he wasn't a great Yankee, but I'll never forget the one shot when Abbott looked into the camera as he was leaving the field and his expression was basically a big "look at me now" to everyone who'd ever told him he wouldn't make it with his handicap. Something like that could only happen in pinstripes.
Did you grow up rooting for the Yanks? Was your Dad or someone in your family influential in making sure you pulled for the Yankees?
Everyone in my family is a Mets' fan, except for two people: me and my grandfather. Like every good Italian family living in Brooklyn in the '80s, my grandparents lived in the same house as me and, as a kid, they'd watch me after school and during the summers while my parents worked. So naturally, spending all that time with my grandfather - and hearing his stories about Joe D., the Mick, Yogi, etc. - rooting for the Yanks just rubbed off on me. To this day though, I still consider Darryl Strawberry my favorite player ever.
Who is your all-time - past or present - favorite Yankee and why?
Hmmm. I'd have to say Mo. The way he goes about his business - nothing but class - is something we all should admire. I can't imagine what Yankee life would have been like if they dealt him to Detroit back in the day.
Do you admire anyone (doesn't need to be a player) in the Yankee organization?
Brian Cashman. To deal with all the crap he had to put up with from like 1997 to 2005 and still be with the club, that's amazing. He's got more mental toughness than any of the players Big Stein ordered him to bring in.
How often do you make it to the stadium to see a game?
Ha, not often enough. I used to get to about 20 or so games a year, but then I went away to school at Penn State, then California, where I live now. I did manage to catch 2 games in the Bronx last year, but for now I'm relegated to watching my Yanks up in Anaheim or at West Coast interleague games only.
Of any retired former Yankee that is not in the Hall of Fame already, who is the one that most deserves to be?
None of them, really. I guess Goose and Donnie would stand out, but they're not HOFers to me. The HOF has been watered down so much, it's almost sad. If they want to make it mean something, put the guy on the ballot for one year and one year only. All this getting in on the 13th ballot is a bunch of garbage. When you hear the player's name, you should immediately think Hall of Famer. That's not the case with Goose and Mattingly, for me at least. Great Yankees yes, but not HOFers.
What players in the minors right now, with little or no major league experience, will make a recognized impact in the majors this season?
Well, the obvious choice is Phil Hughes. He could come in right now and put up identical or better numbers than the law firm of Pavano, Karstens and Rasner would. As much as I'd like to see him break camp with the Yanks, it won't happen. J.B. Cox is another obvious candidate, but I wonder how bad his elbow really is hurt. One guy who could come in and surprise everyone is Matt DeSalvo. The personal issues that dogged him last year are gone and if he returns to be even 80% of the pitcher he was before that, he could make Roger Clemens unnecessary.
Not necessarily the best, or the most talented, but who is your favorite prospect in the system?
Definitely J.B. Cox. Love the competitiveness, the cockiness, the moxie and he's quite the pitcher as well. A distant second is Joba Chamberlain, but everyone loves Joba.
Take a guess: where is Clemens next summer?
I say Houston. They'll hold their ground in a weak NL Central until June, they'll pay him a boat load and he won't be able to resist being that close to home. Just like last year.
Out of all current Yankee hitters, if you need someone to make something happen, who do you want?
Certainly not A-Rod. I mean all 357 runs he drove in in the last 3 years have all come in blowouts, right? In all seriousness, give me Jeter. He's come through time and time again and I have no reason to doubt him. If I can't have Jeter, gimme Matsui.
When you aren't doing something related to or depending on the Yankees, what are you up to?
Well, that doesn't leave much time in the day, does it? I'm lucky enough to work for a relatively small but exponentially growing engineering firm, so I spend about 10-12 hours a day at work. I'm also getting married sometime this summer, so it seems like whenever I'm not working, I'm picking out invitations, or a caterer or a... you get the point. My father-in-law gave me the golf bug not too long ago, so I try to sneak out and spend a half hour or so at the driving range a couple times a week as well. Whenever one of those things doesn't occupy my mind, something Yankee related usually does.
How long have you been blogging about the Yankees?
I'm closing in on my one year blogging anniversary actually. My maze of URL's began with In George We Trust back in the middle of Feb '05 and since then I've graduated to Baby Bombers and yet again to my current digs.
Congratulations on your first year. Besides your own, what are your favorite Yankees blogs?
Man, there's so many to choose from. WasWatching.com is great, even if Steve thinks the Yanks are always on the brink of an unmitigated disaster ;) YanksBlog.com, of course. Pete Abe's blog has been a godsend. It's the closest most of us will ever get to being in the clubhouse. And, of course, there's (in no particular order) RLYW, Off the Façade, Pinstripe Potentials, Canyon of Heroes, Bronx Banter. No Maas is great for a laugh. There's an excellent chance I've missed someone, sorry.
What are some of your earliest memories of the Yankees?
Hmmm. I remember watching the team when it was Donnie, Gator and Rags were in their heyday, but I guess the first thing that really stands out at me is Jim Abbott's no-no. Sure, he wasn't a great Yankee, but I'll never forget the one shot when Abbott looked into the camera as he was leaving the field and his expression was basically a big "look at me now" to everyone who'd ever told him he wouldn't make it with his handicap. Something like that could only happen in pinstripes.
Did you grow up rooting for the Yanks? Was your Dad or someone in your family influential in making sure you pulled for the Yankees?
Everyone in my family is a Mets' fan, except for two people: me and my grandfather. Like every good Italian family living in Brooklyn in the '80s, my grandparents lived in the same house as me and, as a kid, they'd watch me after school and during the summers while my parents worked. So naturally, spending all that time with my grandfather - and hearing his stories about Joe D., the Mick, Yogi, etc. - rooting for the Yanks just rubbed off on me. To this day though, I still consider Darryl Strawberry my favorite player ever.
Who is your all-time - past or present - favorite Yankee and why?
Hmmm. I'd have to say Mo. The way he goes about his business - nothing but class - is something we all should admire. I can't imagine what Yankee life would have been like if they dealt him to Detroit back in the day.
Do you admire anyone (doesn't need to be a player) in the Yankee organization?
Brian Cashman. To deal with all the crap he had to put up with from like 1997 to 2005 and still be with the club, that's amazing. He's got more mental toughness than any of the players Big Stein ordered him to bring in.
How often do you make it to the stadium to see a game?
Ha, not often enough. I used to get to about 20 or so games a year, but then I went away to school at Penn State, then California, where I live now. I did manage to catch 2 games in the Bronx last year, but for now I'm relegated to watching my Yanks up in Anaheim or at West Coast interleague games only.
Of any retired former Yankee that is not in the Hall of Fame already, who is the one that most deserves to be?
None of them, really. I guess Goose and Donnie would stand out, but they're not HOFers to me. The HOF has been watered down so much, it's almost sad. If they want to make it mean something, put the guy on the ballot for one year and one year only. All this getting in on the 13th ballot is a bunch of garbage. When you hear the player's name, you should immediately think Hall of Famer. That's not the case with Goose and Mattingly, for me at least. Great Yankees yes, but not HOFers.
What players in the minors right now, with little or no major league experience, will make a recognized impact in the majors this season?
Well, the obvious choice is Phil Hughes. He could come in right now and put up identical or better numbers than the law firm of Pavano, Karstens and Rasner would. As much as I'd like to see him break camp with the Yanks, it won't happen. J.B. Cox is another obvious candidate, but I wonder how bad his elbow really is hurt. One guy who could come in and surprise everyone is Matt DeSalvo. The personal issues that dogged him last year are gone and if he returns to be even 80% of the pitcher he was before that, he could make Roger Clemens unnecessary.
Not necessarily the best, or the most talented, but who is your favorite prospect in the system?
Definitely J.B. Cox. Love the competitiveness, the cockiness, the moxie and he's quite the pitcher as well. A distant second is Joba Chamberlain, but everyone loves Joba.
Take a guess: where is Clemens next summer?
I say Houston. They'll hold their ground in a weak NL Central until June, they'll pay him a boat load and he won't be able to resist being that close to home. Just like last year.
Out of all current Yankee hitters, if you need someone to make something happen, who do you want?
Certainly not A-Rod. I mean all 357 runs he drove in in the last 3 years have all come in blowouts, right? In all seriousness, give me Jeter. He's come through time and time again and I have no reason to doubt him. If I can't have Jeter, gimme Matsui.
Steve Lombardi wrote:
You mean, they're not!?!?!
OK, all kidding aside. Great interview. It's nice to learn more on a good Yankees blogger!