About

My name is Sam Stevens and The Baseball Files is my baseball blog. I was born in Montreal to parents who used to sneak tuna fish sandwiches and a 6-pack into games at old Jarry Park. As soon as I was old enough, my Dad taught me how to read the box scores in the paper. I took to it immediately, and memorized as many player stats as I could.

The early 80s was a great time to be an Expos fan! We had a loaded roster: Gary Carter, Andre "The Hawk" Dawson, Tim Raines, Tim Wallach, and Al Oliver, not to mention an ace-packed starting rotation. In 1981, we even made it to the NLDS, our first and only post-season appearance. (Interesting side note: Both 1981 and 1994 were probably the Expos' best seasons. These were also both strike-interruped seasons. What is it about the Expos' strong performances during strike years?)

I was lucky to catch my first game in 1982, when Montreal was still very much a baseball town. By this point, my family had moved to Ottawa, but Dad drove my sister and me to a game at the Big O. I remember being on the 3rd base side of the field. The opponents were the Cincinnati Reds, whose roster at the time featured Johnny Bench, Tom Seaver and Dave Concepcion. The game was long and uneventful. The Expos lost 2-1 in 14 innings. I was so tired and upset that I cried when the winning run came home. I remember that Jenny had to feed Dad peanuts on the drive home to keep him awake.

Since I was living outside of Quebec, it's not surprising that my interest slowly shifted to the Blue Jays, especially during the early 90s. I saw them play Kirby Puckett and the Twins one year (the Jays lost.) I didn't attend another MLB game again until…

In September 2005, I made the pilgramage from British Columbia (where I live now) to Toronto to attend a technology conference. As soon as I learned the conference dates, I checked the baseball schedules. Talk about LUCK! During the three days of my stay in Toronto, I caught a Jays/Red Sox game with David Wells on the mound for Boston, and a Jays/Yankees game featuring Randy Johnson (who was tossed in the 2nd inning!) The Jays lost both, but they were excellent games, especially the second one. The excitement at Rogers Centre was a total blast for me, and I've made a commitment to get to games more often, despite my rather remote location.

My favorite teams these days are the Nationals (hometown loyalty dies hard), Blue Jays, Astros and  Padres. I'm slowly being won over by the Brewers, and I sometimes pretend to be a Mets fan. My least favourite teams are the Yankees and… hmm, that's it really! There's nothing very unexpected about the Yankees. If you spend enough, you're bound to have a strong team. It's kind of like the NBA vs. the NCAA: the NBA guys are kind of boring to watch because they can do it all–the spark is missing. NCAA players have to work harder, and as a result, the Final Four is (IMHO) much more interesting than the NBA playoffs. But I digress…

While I never played organized baseball, my Dad and I frequently tossed the ball or took the bat out to a field to hit a few. As an adult, I've kept this going with my faithful dog working the outfield like The Hawk himself. I liken the baseball swing to the oft discussed Zen of the golf swing–the practice is very meditative. (Though somehow I doubt it's quite so peaceful if you're swinging in front of a packed house.) When life gets intense, there's nothing like breaking it up by going out and taking a few swings.

I make my living as a web developer and it's a job that I truly love (I can listen to three or four games a day on Gameday Audio while I work!) However, if you do anything for too long it can get stale. I'm nowhere near feeling like that about my work, but it's always a good idea to think ahead. I've wondered how I could work in the baseball industry when I'm ready for a career change. I'm not really sure that I'd be suited to it, but you have to try something on to know if it's a good fit, right?

That's my life story as it relates to baseball. I'm probably a very typical baseball fan, and I hope that my writing here on The Baseball Files speaks to those of you out there who share a similar addiction to the game. Please feel free to comment on my posts, and don't be shy if you'd like to contact me.