February, 2009
by "Biggest Daddy" 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! |