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An ongoing feature on the TBBL web
site will include monthly
interviews with some of our
league members. In our
fifth installment, the TBBL
recently caught up with Peter
Brooks of the Michigan Rangers.
Peter currently has his team in
1st place in the American League
West and is eyeing his first
TBBL Title.
Please enjoy the interview
below:
TBBL: Hello and thanks for
taking the time to be
interviewed. How are you doing
today?
Your Response: A bit under the
weather today. Caught a little
bug from my wife and it kept me
in the house. Too bad because
it’s 80 and sunny.
TBBL: Please tell us a little
bit about yourself. Married?
Kids? Where did you grow up,
what college did you attend (if
you did), and where do you see
yourself in 10 years from now?
Your Response: I’m a
transplanted east coast person
currently living in Dexter,
Michigan. I was born and raised
in Carteret, NJ, the home of the
last Triple Crown winner in the
NL, Joe “Ducky” Medwick and the
rock band “The Smithereens”. I
spent my entire childhood there,
until I went to college in 1978
at Duquesne University (alma
mater of Major League superstars
Joe Beimel and Josh Wilson) in
Pittsburgh. Moved around a lot
after college…I have lived in
NJ, PA, MO and CA before
settling on the gloved state. I
met my wife Nancy here and we’ve
been married for 8 years. We
have 2 kids. John is 6 years
old, and Nancy’s son , Luke is
15. He is also autistic, which
involves a lot of
extracurricular work as a
parent. Sadly, neither boy has
much interest in baseball.
TBBL: Since you've been a member
of the Thunder Bay Baseball
League, your team has made the
playoffs one time. What is your
best memory of your team from
either of your playoff run?
Your Response: I’m not sure
that there is a best memory in
the playoffs. My team went down.
I suppose the highlight was
actually winning my opening
series against Midlothian last
year as it was my first taste of
victory in TBBL. The low point
was in 2007 when I lost a one
game tiebreaker to the same
Midlothian Mashers, and failed
to make the real playoffs.
Curses!
TBBL: Do you have any players on
the trading block currently?
Your Response: No one is
specifically on the block right
now. I could use help in the
middle IF and an upgrade at #5
starter, but I won’t break up my
team to get it. Michigan is
fielding it’s best entry to
date, and I’m not anxious to
mess with the core. Still, if
anyone wants to talk, I’m
listening.
TBBL: What is the defining
moment -- the top highlight --
of your franchise these past few
years? And what is the absolute
worst moment -- the top
lowlight?
Your Response: Top highlight
has to be Jermaine Dye’s MVP
season in 2007. 60 HR, 172 RBI,
.307 average and .658 slugging.
I’m in a lot of leagues and have
never had anyone produce like
that. I had a lot of fun seeing
what he’d do each game. The
worst moment, again, goes back
to the tiebreaker against
Midlothian. Despite Dye’s
season, we ended up golfing in
September. Bummer.
TBBL: If there was one trade
that you could take back, which
trade would that be? And what's
the best trade you've made to
date?
Your Response: Interesting
question. In an article about
trades which ran on our website,
I believe that I was accused of
making one of the worst deals in
league history when I dealt BJ
Upton and my #1 to Midlothian
(again) for Aubrey Huff. While
I paid heavily, Huff is a major
part of my team’s success this
season. So in retrospect I think
it might be ok, short term
anyway. Best deal? Nothing
really stands out, though the
deal I made with the Damage
where I picked up Dye, Francisco
Liriano and others for Manny
Ramirez and Freddy Garcia. Not a
bad deal for Jersey, but if
Liriano gets back to form, long
run, it was a great deal for
Michigan.
TBBL: Shifting to the MLB now,
who's your favorite team and
why?
Your Response: Die hard Mets
fan for one simple reason. My
Dad worked for them from 67-71.
I’d like to say it was something
really cool (you know, my last
name is really Seaver), but he
was the radio engineer. But I
had a lot of great interaction
with the team when I was a kid,
and I have incredible memories.
I went on a road trip and hung
out with the players (Tommie
Agee and Dan Frisella were
incredible, Gary Gentry was an
idiot). I was at the game where
the Mets clinched the Eastern
Division and the NL titles in
69. I also was at Game 4 of the
69 World Series, when Ron
Swoboda made his incredible
catch and the “shoe polish
incident “ took place. With
memories like those, I couldn’t
root for anyone else. Plus, the
Yankees suck!
TBBL: Which baseball stadiums
have you visited and which is
your favorite?
Your Response: I’ve been to
a lot…Shea, Yankee, 3 Rivers,
Old Busch, Candlestick, Jarry
Park, Tiger Stadium, The
Kingdome and the Ballpark at
Arlington. Current parks I’ve
been to are Comerica, Coors
Field, Miller Field, The
Metrodome and US Cellular
Field. I really loved Coors the
best. Something about seeing a
game at dusk with the sun
setting behind the Rockies was
amazing. Also loved Busch…the
stadium was just ok, but
Cardinal fans are the best.
Their knowledge of the game is
unsurpassed and they are very
loyal (sorry Yankee, Red Sox and
Cub fans).
TBBL: Who is your favorite
baseball player, both current
and all time?
Your Response: All time is Tom
Seaver. Too many great memories
growing up for it to be anyone
else. Currently, I love David
Wright. The kid has so much
talent it’s scary. Amazingly, I
have him in no DMB leagues!
That’s how I know he’s really
good.
TBBL: What is your favorite
movie of all time?
Your Response: Probably
Braveheart. I went to see it on
its opening weekend after
attending a party where to booze
was flowing. I had a terrible
hangover, and sat there
thinking” Why am I going to see
a 3 hour movie in this
condition”? 3 hours later, the
headache was gone, but the film
stayed with me forever. Sorry,
but not a baseball flick.
TBBL: As you know, I am very
familiar with your old stomping
grounds in Carteret, NJ. I have
spent many a late night there in
my early 20’s. What is your
favorite memory of the old town?
Your Response: Softball games at
Carteret Park and Grant Ave.
Fields were great. We used to
play for a team sponsored by
“Bogie’s Joint” in West
Carteret. We hung out there all
the time. That’s where I saw the
famous ”Buckner Incident” in
1986, while surrounded by Yankee
fans who were actually rooting
for the Bosox. That was heaven.
Also loved Burger Express, the
greatest unknown fast food joint
in the USA.
TBBL: Tell us something about
yourself that may surprise us.
Your Response: I am a
tremendous singer. I was class
vocalist in high school, did
some theater work in college,
and was even in a couple of bad
bands in my teens. Now, I just
sing to the kids, and in the
car.
TBBL: Who do you have the
biggest rivalry with in the TBBL
and why?
Your Response: Maybe
Midlothian, as we’ve crossed
paths 2 years in a row, but I
don’t know that it’s a true
rivalry. I have played a lot of
H2H with Kentucky over the
years, but again, not a big
rivalry. I think you have to
field a good team to have true
rivalries. I’ll get there yet!
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