Interview with Steve Osborne,
Nashville Funkadelic

BIGGEST DADDY: Thank you for sitting down with us for another installment of "BDBL: A Retrospective." Generally speaking, how do you feel about the BDBL?

STEVE OSBORNE: It’s a great league, and a good group of guys. The admin, of course, is active, perhaps to the point of obsession. And an active and current website, that’s huge of course. Best league I’ve ever been associated with.

I’m one of those owners who, unfortunately, has less and less time to put into this hobby, and that is difficult, especially over the last year or two. I don’t enjoy it as much as I did a few years ago, but due to a lack of time rather than the BDBL.

BD: How have you felt about the overall success of your franchise at this point?

SO: Pretty good. We’ve made a run or two I guess. And I think we’ve got another one coming in 2009.

BD: What is your favorite aspect of the BDBL?

SO: The off-season activity, contract decisions, trades. All the winter stuff really. I hate DMB, I don’t enjoy the actual season play near as much as the GM stuff. Of course, that’s more fun when we are contending.

BD: Tell us the absolute low point of your franchise, whether it was a particular game lost, or a particular trade ripped to shreds, or a particular fellow GM that ticked you off.

SO: I guess a completely horseshit DMB run of garbage against Kansas last year in the LCS. I just quit playing, was watching TV for the last 2 games of the series and clicking something when it was my turn. I would really just as soon CM the games, rather than watch the cute DMB variations. I get very little out of the actual game play.

BD: Over the course of your time in the BDBL, who is the one GM that you consider your largest rival or target?

SO: Probably Bobby. No particular reason, I don’t think, except that we are in the same division and have often contended or sucked in the same years.

BD: Name a GM that you absolutely love to talk trade with.

SO: Maybe the Blazers. We’ve made a couple big ones, and it’s always pretty easy. We don’t do a lot of BS back and forth, we usually get it done pretty quick. Same with Villanova, too.

BD: How did you first hear of the BDBL?

SO: I think from a DMB forum ad as I recall. I remember I responded and had just had 4 wisdom teeth cut out. I was over 40 at the time, and that can be a fairly stout ordeal at more advanced years, and I struggled with the recovery for a while. I recall responding to Glander while on a lot of meds … which actually is probably the best way to communicate with him now that I think of it.

BD: What would it take for you to exit the league?

SO: A random injury at the wrong time.

BD: What is your favorite BDBL memory?

SO: We scored something like 9 or 10 runs in the bottom of the 9th inning to beat Glander, maybe my first or second year. That was pretty funny.

BD: What is your best trade ever? And your worst?

SO: Best? That’s either 2003 with Kansas, I sent Buddy Groom for Reggie Taylor and Joe Nathan. Or 2004 with Marlboro, sending Aquilino Lopez and Dan Plesac for Ryan Howard and Scott Olsen. 2006 with New Milford wasn’t bad, with Colon and Griffey going for Jason Bay.

Worst? Is there a bad one? Maybe 2004, I sent Halladay and others to South Carolina for Jose Reyes and others. Reyes was the target, and I don’t regret that at all. And was about to lose Halladay anyway. So considering the contract situation with Halladay, I still can’t say that was a bad deal at all.

BD: Other than Glander, what GM would you absolutely hate to see leave the BDBL?

SO: Skijizm or DJ, I guess. I remember Brian was involved in the forums before he joined, and it really pissed me off that we were giving press to some clown who wasn’t even in the league. Who knew that he would later become a clown in the league and would be more entertaining .

BD: Who is the craziest character in the BDBL?

SO: Skijizm for true. If not me. I’m about past my angry years though. And don’t drink any more, so I doubt I’m very entertaining any more.

BD: If your franchise had a Team Hall of Fame, which players would be members?

SO: Ichiro I suppose, and probably Joe Nathan.

BD: Tell us which MLB team that you feel like your BDBL franchise is the most like.

SO: Don’t know. Never thought about it.

BD: Could the 2007 season have been any better (other than the obvious)?

SO: Any season we don’t win sucks.

BD: How has your overall team-building philosophy changed over the years?

SO: Maybe I’ve become more interested in going after players I like, and not afraid to commit to long-term deals. I tried to save $ for going after that big free agent, and it just never seemed to work out. I would never wind up with enough to play all the auction bidding games, and when I finally did in 2007 that didn’t work out well either.

But I think I’ve stayed fairly consistent in trying to build around undervalued players. A Japanese steal here or there (Dice-K) and drafting a nice college stud (Price) always helps. But doesn’t everyone try to do that?

BD: Name your favorite "off-the-field" moment from BDBL Weekend or the league forum.

SO: Easy. The first couple of April Glander Days – priceless. The 2nd year, in particular, 2005, with Mike and I teamed up to stick the rest of the league (that was my getting kicked out due to bitching about random injuries, and then threatened to whip his ass at the BDBL WE).

I think the moment when I actually made the room reservation in Philly and forwarded to Mike so he could share with the league.

For those who want to relive it … the actual email:

Hey faggot. Here’s something you can think about for a few months.

Steve Osborne
R2FkU

… which had the actual room reservation attached.

I believe some GM emailed Mike about his safety, can’t recall who that was. That’s funny stuff.

BD: You've got quite a few players with long-term contracts (Sheets, Howard, Uggla, Granderson). Is this due to player loyalty or taking a risk that all works out?

SO: Nah, doesn’t bother me. I think the trade off for a few bargain years is well worth it. Of course, you get nailed when it bombs. But you get nailed when you have to bid $28M to win 2 SP such as Jason Jennings and Greg Maddux. Is that any worse?

BD: Tell us a little about what's going on with your job. How about your family?

SO: In November of 2007 I accepted a position as Parks Director in a small town about 25 miles north of my residence. This was after 10 years as a Rec Coordinator (basically an Asst Director) here in Hendersonville. Been there nearly a year and I love it. A lot of small town drama from time to time, but I love it.

Been married 21 years in December. Matty is 11, plays baseball (3 time state champ, 2nd in a USSSA WS in 2007), and can throw a nasty circle change (thanks to his Dad). He loves basketball, and has played travel ball for a couple years – 6th grade and about to move into school ball. I coach him in baseball and basketball.