Blade has posted one of those All-Decade Team things, and I feel like I ought to read it. Thing is, when I get to the post I'm totally overwhelmed by the mass of text and names I don't recognize. I am the MTV generation. This is just asking too much of my attention span.
So instead I ask Mr. Blade a few questions about the feature. Lo and behold, after I read his answers, it really does seem less intimidating. So I'm sharing his answers with you, dear readers, for your entertainment. For my own entertainment, I'm adding my own embellishments to the end of each of Blade's answers. Enjoy!
1. What is an All-Decade Team?
The All-Decade Team is the best set of players in a given decade, based on some complex mathematical metrics, i.e. it usually comes down to who played in each spot the longest.
Of course, bonus points were given by how good they looked in these uniforms. Hubba hubba.
2. This looks like a lot of work. Why do you write these?
I've always digged baseball history and this is one way to go back and look at teams past. Also, it's the offseason and the Reds have been quiet so it's something to do.
Digged? Dug? Duggen? Dig Dug?
3. I've never heard of most of these people. Forgive me for sounding callous, but why should I (a Reds fan who isn't a history buff) care?
If you don't care about Reds history, then you won't care about this post :-).
Does this also make me doomed to repeat Reds history? Parts of that wouldn't be so bad, I reckon.
4. You mention in your introduction that this 20s team is a team we can learn from. What, specifically, should we be learning from them?
It's the 30s and I never did go back and revisit that. I think I did touch on it but what I meant was the current Reds team was bad (like in the early 1930s) but they turned it around pretty quickly, so we should have some hope for our present day Reds.
And here I thought the only things the 30s had to teach us was that, with her winning smile and curly mop, Shirley Temple could tap your cares away.
5. Is it OK for me to use your answers, interview-style in my own post?
Sure and feel free to clean it up (like question four, take out the part where I correct you on the 1920s vs. 1930s thing).
And please also feel free to tell everyone that my real name is Herman.
Read about the Reds 1930s the Reds 1930s All-Decade Team.