Interview with Bobby Sylvester,
St. Louis Apostles

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?

BOBBY SYLVESTER: I am so blessed to be in the greatest DMB league out there. Glander does a wonderful job with everything in the league and even though I often give him a hard time, I am very grateful of the work he puts into this.

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

BS: I'm certainly not pleased with having zero championships, but overall I can't complain. I think it took me a while to get a grasp of everything, but I feel like the past four years I have settled in alright. Blowing a 3-0 lead to Allentown in the playoffs was a shame, but it gave me all the more incentive to build a super team this season.

BD: What is your favorite aspect of the BDBL?

BS: The community. What other league has 70,000+ hits on its website per year? What other league meets up every year to see a ball game or two? What other league chats on the forum half as much as us? Besides that, I'd say the quality of the people and the overall competitiveness. It has been a treat getting to know everyone over the years through tangible encounters and through trade discussions.

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.

BS: I know I defend the Mauer trade a lot because I really don't think it should be considered one of the worst 5 trades ever...but lets be honest, trading Mauer was dumb. So either that or having Allentown one out from a sweep in the playoffs and blowing it or having Pujols and Bonds go 3 for 41 in the 2003 ELCS.

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

BS: 1) Dad, 2) Nic, 3) Steve

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

BS: Jeff, Greg, John Duel, Matt (yes, the whole division), Ed, Scott, and my old man. It's fun talking trade with Nic too, but he hasn't been around long enough to consider him up there with the rest.

BD: How did you first hear of the BDBL?

BS: When I was 10 years old my Dad asked me to take over the abysmal Mudhens team. I was already a DMB addict so another team was terrific news. Little did I know that this league would trump the rest.

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

BS: I can't really come up with a realistic scenario.

BD: What is your favorite BDBL memory?

BS: There are so many, but I'll go with signing Barry Bonds for 20.5 million. Everyone thought I was crazy and heck, maybe I was...but having Pujols and Bonds in the same lineup was a blast.

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

BS: I'm really fond of a number of deals I made this season, but we will have to wait and see how they turned out. Looking back I'd say maybe getting Ben Sheets for practically free from Paulson...or getting Crawford and Burnitz for 2 months of Moises Alou....or trading Troy Patton for the 1st farm pick last year (Kuroda).

Worst was without a doubt trading James Loney straight up for Wes Roemer after I failed to land him in the farm pickup. DUMB!

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

BS: My Dad.

BD: Who is the craziest character in the BDBL?

BS: Skizm.

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

BS: Nobody that has retired was on my team as a good player for very long. Pujols is a lock though.

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

BS: I may be biased, but I'd probably say the Cardinals. Year in and year out I have a few huge bats in my lineup. (Pujols/Bonds, Pujols/Vlad, Pujols/Holliday) Also, we usually have an over performing pitching staff. Pure luck or not a coincidence? hmmm....And lastly, I feel like we have done a good job of putting a playoff contender on the field (80+ wins 7 out of 9 years) just as the Cards seem to do.

BD: You have a developed a reputation of not being afraid of wheeling and dealing big names. Has this strategy worked out for you?

BS: Just young pitchers and unproven prospects. Everyone knows I'd never trade a Pujols or Pedroia type of guy. I think I have made a few incredibly dumb decisions, but that's part of the risk it takes to compete. If you aren't going to risk anything then you will never gain anything.

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

BS: I never really had a philosophy until just recently. I just tried to get the best players no matter what that meant. But I have grown fond of a strategy that you can look forward to reading about in my 2009 season GM book I'll be throwing together.

BD: What has been the most significant change in the BDBL?

BS: The auction...I love it.

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

BS: Probably the April Fools Prank. Specifically the trade that riled Glander up so bad.

BD: 2008 Post-Season: Heartbreaking? Or a circumstance of chance and you just move on?

BS: Part of the game. But let's be honest, I blew it! There were several choices I could have made that would have changed the outcome of three of my four losses in that series. But you take it as a lesson and move on to next season.

BD: Tell us how your college experience has been thus far.

BS: I love it! But high school was better for sure. I miss sports, seeing my parents more than three times a year, and hanging out with all of my best friends everyday. But a few of my close friends attend the same college as me and I have developed a new good core of friends. For those of you who are wondering, I still haven't done the alcohol thing and won't be changing that. I started student teaching in the inner city last fall semester and can see myself doing that following graduation as a high school history teacher and baseball/basketball coach. The majority of my free time goes into Campus Crusade for Christ where I am already co-president and lead two Bible studies a week. I also play intramural basketball (we are going to win the campus championship this year for sure) and church softball.

BD: Thanks Bobby!

BS: My pleasure, God bless!