Q & A with the Owners (zoobaseball)

Third in a series (by 69cubs)

Burlington Bison owner, zoobaseball, is on his 18th season in Mathewson. He is the creator of this great blog for Mathewson! In his 17 seasons in Mathewson, he has compiled a 1532-1222 (.556) record with 6 division titles and 4 WC appearances.

Overall in HBD, he has completed 27 total seasons with a 2484-1890 (.568) record with 15 division titles and 4 WC appearances.

On with the ...

Q & A with zoobaseball

Favorite MLB team:
Philadelphia Phillies

Favorite All-Time or current MLB player:
Roberto Clemente

Favorite Mathewson player (current and/or All-time):
Cookie Ramirez - he was the ace of my pitching staff and the biggest star on my team when I joined in Season 6, and I built my teams around him, all the way to the Hall of Fame.

I also liked Aaron Bailey. He was the first player I drafted, and saw him establish himself as an awesome base stealer and solid center fielder, even if never a superstar.

Significance of username and/or team name:
Many years ago, a co-worker introduced some of us to whatifsports at lunch time. We worked at a zoo, and since we were in a work computer, the random name he created to show us the site was zoobaseball. Little did I know that 9 years later, I would keep the name and that it would still be the name I play under.

As for the Bison... I started the team in Iowa City, and I wanted some iconic name representing the plains. When I relocated to Burlington, Burlington Bison had a better ring to it, so it stayed.

Favorite non-baseball team/sport:
Oklahoma City Thunder - I lived in Oklahoma City when the team first relocated and it was awesome to feel a part of a "new" franchise coming to town.

Background:
I am a nomad and work makes me move every few years. I have lived in Puerto Rico, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Washington DC, Virginia, Oklahoma and Missouri. I have never lived in Vermont, Florida or Iowa City (locations where my franchise has been located).

I grew up playing baseball through high school until I got hurt in college and decided to refocus towards school instead of baseball.

In my real life, I am a veterinarian. I work with all species of animals. In recent years I have gotten more supervisory responsibilities and have had less time for my team(s) and for keeping up the blog on my own.

Favorite Mathewson moment:
Winning my first division in Season 9

Least favorite team to face:
Colorado Colorado Crush… hoyanoel’s teams are the antithesis of mine, and it is hard for my team to play in Coors Fields. The Buffalo team is always a fun and challenging rivalry – back in the day when Parker McIntyre was in his prime, I hated playing them. Parker alone could beat me every time.

One tip you can share with all:
I do something wrong every season. My teams do well enough in the regular season but choke in the playoffs… if I figure it out, I’ll let y’all know.

Thank You zoobaseball, with Bison, Wild Turkeys, Raptors, Billy Goats, Bucks, Steers and Elephants among the teams in Mathewson, it is good to have a veterinarian around to control these animals!