This week, I had the chance to send some questions to a veteran Cardinal writer and passionate fan Bill Ivie. I asked him about his love for the game and the details that make him feel the need to write about the team in his free time. Here is what we came up with. Ivie’s answers are in BOLD.
1.) When did you fall in love or become addicted to this Cardinals team?
I was a military brat when I was young and my dad, who was in the army, moved us around quite a bit. He was born and spent his youth in Southeast Missouri so that’s where we settled. My first Cardinal game was during the 1985 season in September. The vibe around the stadium was amazing. Later that year, “Go Crazy, Folks” happened and I was hooked. I grew up in the bleachers of Busch II over countless summer days.
2.) What drove you to want/need to write about this team? With me it was a long time hunger and need to inform. What was your initial push to blog on the Cards?
I have always loved to write and, at one point in my youth, thought I would go to school for journalism/broadcasting. Life led me a different direction but in 2007 I decided to give writing a shot for another blog, CardsDiaspora.com. I contact Hooks and did some work there before moving on to Baseball Digest and eventually starting my own site over at i70.
3.) Favorite Cardinal of all time and why? I won’t question you if its Rene Arocha or Bud Smith, haha.
I always feel like this is one of the hardest questions out there. To make it sound completely corny, I love the name on the front of the jersey. When players are here, I will support them and wish them the best. When they leave, they will always be remembered for wearing the birds-on-the-bat, but they no longer hold high distinction. I can say this: I was raised on defense, so players that are known for their defensive abilities draw my attention more than others. Over my life, I have enjoyed Ozzie Smith, Tom Pagnozzi, Mike Matheny, Yadier Molina, Jim Edmonds, and Scott Rolen, just to name a few.
4.) What do you feel the Cardinals biggest need is for 2014?
To value their prospects correctly. If a guy is going to be “untouchable” when you are discussing trading for established, productive major leaguers, then he better be a sure thing. It’s frustrating seeing guys come to the team that are a product of a great farm system but are not star-quality players. I’m excited to see Kolten Wong and Oscar Taveras on this team, but I sincerely hope they are all they are built up to be if we have refused to trade them for other, established players.
5.) Who is a bigger threat not this year but in 2014? Pirates or the Reds?
The Pirates, hands-down. They are a young team that improves with each year. They continue to gain experience going deeper into the playoff race and that makes them more and more dangerous. The Reds are getting older and show no sign of replenishing that with a very weak farm system. Pittsburgh may be here for years to come.
6.) Go Albert Pujols or Rot Away in LA? Which side are you on?
Can I shoot right down the middle? I feel the way he departed St. Louis leaves me with a lot less respect for him. I don’t wish him ill-will and hate to see him injured and struggling, but I’m not pulling for him to continue to be great, either. I would say i am fairly ambivalent to Mr. Pujols going forward.
7.) What is your full time occupation and how do you manage to mix that career with your writing?
I work for a major software company in the Kansas City area. My job keeps me busy but I find time to write during down-times, breaks, and at night when I get home. I stay fairly busy most of the time I’m awake, it seems, but I’m learning that it is okay to say “no” to some opportunities.
8.) Last but not least, what was your most memorable live moment at the ballpark?
Now I can get obscure with you. I was at a game in the early 90’s, sitting in the RF bleachers with my parents when Felix Jose launched a home run that hit the scoreboard that hung above our heads. The loud noise that the ball made when it ricocheted off the metal, the dent that it left behind, and the acknowledgement the next day that he was only the second player in the history of the ball park to do that was pretty amazing. There are a lot of memories like that from my childhood that I will never forget.
*You can read more of Bill Ivie’s work at http://www.unitedcardinalbloggers.com.
*Here’s additional information on Ivie-
President | Baseball Bloggers Alliance
“Man, I did love this game. I’d have played for food money. It was the game… The sounds, the smells. Did you ever hold a ball or a glove to your face?…I used to love traveling on the trains from town to town. The hotels, brass spittoons in the lobbies, brass beds in the rooms. It was the crowd, rising to their feet when the ball was hit deep. Shoot, I’d play for nothing.”
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