Archive for February 17th, 2010

Last year OhMurph interviewed the Blogfather, none other than Matt Cerrone of Metsblog.  To start off the Mets 2010 season, OhMurph reached out to Mike Baron, the consigliere to the Blogfather, respected Metsblog contributor, awesome sports photographer and rising star.

Follow Michael on Twitter @michaelgbaron and check out his photo of the day through his Twitter link or at metsphotos.com

Kid Carter: Where are you from and how did you get to write for metsblog?

Michael Baron: I was born and raised in Scarsdale, New York and I got involved with Matt and MetsBlog a little over a year ago, when he saw my photography and the blog I originally was writing, NYMets.info. He asked me if I’d be interested in writing for MetsBlog, and I was humbled and thrilled by the opportunity to do so. The rest is history.

B.S. Upton: You’re also a photographer and you take some amazing shots on your site.  Which Met do you like best photographing and which past Met would you have liked to photograph?

The Man, The Myth, The Baron

Michael Baron: I really enjoy photographing David Wright and Jose Reyes. Both are always smiling and enjoying the game, and that’s what it’s supposed to be about. They also have a great work ethic, and are always honing their skills, and I have a lot of pictures of them doing so as well.

Kid Carter: Santanas wife, why not better looking?

Michael Baron: To each his own. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

B.S. Upton: Sorry, Kid gets disctracted.  Who would you prefer to photograph: Julie, Alexi, or Michele Yu?  Actually, Kid might have been on to something, Which Met player’s wife would you like to photograph?

Michael Baron: I’m going to have to go with Julie, although I have snapped a couple of photographs of her already. She didn’t like them too much, but I thought they were good. She has a great smile and a great attitude, and it shows on camera.

Kid Carter: We just started Oh Murph’s uglier/fatter sister site called MetsFAIL.com.  Do you think the Mets will give us material for the 2010 season?
Michael Baron: I think the Mets are going to be contenders, although I don’t think they are on the same level as the Phillies. I believe they will win somewhere around 83-88 games, assuming everyone is healthy, and that should put them in the discussion for the Wild Card, at least.

Kid Carter: In a July interview we had with Cerrone, he dodged a very important question about Razor Shines being hot or not.  So we ask you, Razor Shines, is the man desirable?

Michael Baron: Well, I don’t swing that way, so I can’t really give you an answer. He’s a good guy though, as he is always giving BP baseballs to kids along the third base lines.

B. S. Upton: If you could photograph the game from any spot on the field or the stadium, where would it be?

Michael Baron: I’d love to photograph a game from the batters box. It’s the one position on the field that can be very humbling, and help people appreciate how hard the game really is.

B.S. Upton: Oh, Kid would have picked the locker room.

B.S. Upton: What’s your most prized piece of Memorabilia?

Michael Baron: I have both a Tom Seaver and Nolan Ryan Topps rookie card, but I have to say my autograph of Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle are my most cherished. I had the opportunity to meet both of them for the autographs, and those moments, along with the autographs, cannot be replaced.

B.S. Upton: We hear you’re headed down to Spring Training next week. What other sites will you try to see besides the Mets?

Michael Baron: Yes, Ill be in Port St. Lucie Saturday February 20, and 27. I plan to be at Steinbrenner Field, as well as Marlins/Cardinals in Jupiter, and Orioles camp in Sarasota.
B.S. Upton: Mike, how do you feel Twitter has changed the blogosphere? You’ve been very accessible to Metsblog fans there, and everybody appreciates that.

Michael Baron: Well, I am very happy and humbled people even respect my opinion, because in the end, I feel as though I am just a fan, wanting the Mets to win a World Series. I think Twitter has created a forum unlike anything we have seen before. Baseball has always been a year round sport, especially in New York. But not only does it keep the chatter up about EVERY team in EVERY sport, but it has given people an easy way to push their unique content to a broad range of people. It’s a tool, if used right, that can be an invaluable resource for anyone with a website.

That’s all for now, Ladies.  Don’t forget to follow Mike and check out his site!