Vernon Wells is late, so they're interviewing Coach on the FAN.

Addendum: Cool!

Nice job Coach.

Yeah. That was very cool. Congrats and good job Coach.

LOL. I thought you guys were kidding at first. Coach is pretty close to celebrity status.

Welcome newcomers!

http://economics.about.com
Crap. I missed it. Did anyone tape it?

Mike

Well, that worked out well, though it was completely unexpected. Mike Wilner has been a great friend to Batter's Box this year, above and beyond the excellent interview he gave us. We are grateful for all the help. Welcome to new readers who heard about us through that "shameless plug" -- if you generally agree with Wilner's point of view, you'll probably be right at home here.

Tom Wilson is pinch-hitting for Vernon Wells (you'll never see that again) and answered my question by saying it's a lot easier to prepare for a "new" pitcher than it used to be, because of all the access players have to video. He also said that even big-leaguers who haven't been to the World Series still dream, like everyone who's ever played, of doing what Alex Gonzalez did last night.

I almost fell out of my chair when I heard Wilner say we have a pinch hitter - Kent. Great job.

Although his disappearance created an opening for Kent, it is bad form for Vernon to blow off the Fan like that.

I have no idea what happened to Vernon, but my understanding is that Mike called an audible. I was in the queue to ask my question, and I think the host can see the names, like "Kent in Toronto," for each line that's on hold. He improvised, while they tracked down a real guest, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself, knowing some of you guys would be listening.

Like all the other free publicity Da Box has received, it was our good luck that I happened to call. Next time they want me to do five or six minutes, I promise to be better prepared.

Coach, how did it go? What did you talk about in your 6 minutes?

(I wish I could have heard it myself.)

If memory serves, he mostly talked about the site. And Tom Wilson did a good job.

Great job, Coach, from someone who discovered the site through Wilner's previous plugs!

Mike asked about the site's origins; I said I was excited by J.P. giving the team a direction after years of spinning its wheels, and after writing my ESPN column all year, needed an offseason place to talk baseball, but had no idea it would become popular.

He mentioned our unique access to the team and the exclusive interviews, and I credited Keith Law for "discovering" and encouraging us. When he asked me to describe the site, I said we were like a Peņa -- not Tony, but "a gathering of very devoted and critical baseball fans," as explained by Craig B. about a month ago. I added that some of us post articles, and everyone is invited to join the discussions.

It was all a bit of a blur, actually.

That's awesome! Unfortunately I missed it while watching The Matrix Reloaded (not the movie was a waste of time by any means, but it would have been fun to hear ya Coach!). I first visited the site while it was in it's infancy and it has since become a part of my every day life. Thanks for the great work.

Holy crap -- that's fantastic, Kent! Way to go! You're officially part of World Series pre-game lore now. :-) Great work!

Kudos on the spot, Coach, I just happened to tune in right as he started asking you about the Box.

Great idea adding the Farm Reports to the left column, too. I'll suggest taking that a step further and adding Jordan's reports from last offseason.

Unfortunatly I missed the interview. But it sounds like it's about time to add a History link to the left side so all the new faces know where the ZLC started.

Congrats, Kent!

Man, I wish I owned a radio.

I demand a transcript immediately!

Hello everybody. First Time Poster. I am Mike Wilner's producer at the FAN Radio Network. First off, thanks to Coach for jumping on the air while we tried to get a guest to replace an absent Vernon Wells, the interview was great. The combination of Coach and Tom Wilson made for a pretty good pre-game show. To all of you, if you ever call into the station to talk to Mike, mention that you are a member of the ZLC, I may just put you at the front of the line!!!

Rob Pizzo

You got it, Rob. Thanks!

I'd like to extend the same invitation to you; join us for our discussions here anytime!

You'd better watch out Coach, you might end up with a radio show on the Fan, or even worse, a scouting position with the Jays.

I tuned in on my way home from work last night. Hilarious. Congratulations.

First Time Poster.

That's pretty funny, Rob. As Mike would say, "thanks for coming out of the closet," and for the invitation to our readers, knowledgeable and passionate fans who will ask great questions.

The experience made me realize that your job (and the hosts's) is not easy. A last-minute change of plans on a live program is a challenge that most of us never have to deal with. You guys did some amazing broken-field running, but I'm sure the listeners didn't even notice you were scrambling.

It was my pleasure to pinch-hit for Vernon, which I hope ends right there. I don't have the right body type to play center field.

Coach,
I've never met you, but with the admission that "you don't have the right body type to play centerfield", your adoption of the slogan "fueled by gluttony and excess", and the presence of the "Zombie Like Cult", a picture is emerging and it aint pretty. When a photo of David Wells in full biker mode appears on the masthead of da Box, I'm outta here.

Cheers.

Mike Green

http://economics.about.com
You don't need to worry too much, Mike.

Coach =

1/2 Bill James

+

1/2 Hank Scorpio

---

Or as my girlfriend says: "He looks like a baseball manager".

Mike

I may look like Scorpio, but he's Jordan's role model. And I have no idea where the Bill James comparison comes from. Actually, I do -- it was Aaron Gleeman's fault.



That's me on the right, beside the fit guy. While Boomer and I wear the same size uniform, and we both enjoy a cold beverage or two, there's no resemblance; I have hair and am righthanded.

Congradulations Coach, that must have been awesome. I didn't catch the show but from all accounts you did a great job. Well done.

Hi. Long-time Syracuse Chiefs/SkyChiefs season ticket holder here. First time at this site, and I've just spent about an hour looking around. Great stuff from some obviously knowledgeable baseball fans. I came here because I'm doing some Vernon Wells research for an article I'm working on. Anyone know why he was a no-show for this radio interview? Know anything new about him that I might not have heard somewhere else? Thanks.
PS--Nice to see Eddie Zosky listed as one of your posters. He was always a fan favorite here in Syracuse.