Meet a Bartender: New Staff Edition

We've added two more people to our staff this week. The more the merrier has always been our philosophy at the Saloon. The first person is E-Claire. She has been writing for the failed experiment known as Steve Finley Was Here, serving as our chief Oakland A's correspondent. E-Claire will be continuing her coverage of the A's here at the Saloon as well as writing about anything else that pops up. The second new person is Jordi. Jordi writes his own blog called The Serious Tip and has also been featured before at Epic Carnival. Jordi has been a long-time customer at the Saloon and along with E-Claire should be a great new addition to our staff.

Today's introductions will also kick off a new series called "Meet a Bartender". This is to serve as a sort of update for the old "Meet the Staff" post, as well as let any of you newer readers get to know some of our writers a bit more.

So without further ado, let's meet the bartenders.


E-CLAIRE

Real Name: Claire

Where are you now?
San Diego, CA

Favorite Sports Teams:
Oakland Athletics, UCLA Bruins, Golden State Warriors, and I was a Houston Oilers fan before they became the Titans.

Favorite Current Player(s):
Nick Swisher, Chase Utley, Manny Ramirez, Mark Ellis, Bobby Crosby, Josh Hamilton.

Favorite All-Time Player(s):
Nolan Ryan, Dennis Eckersley, Cal Ripken Jr.

Memorable encounters with MLB players:
I haven't had any...So I'm going to use this opportunity to share a dream I recently had involving MLB players: Josh Beckett and I were sight-seeing in Chicago, and we ended up in some bar. All of a sudden, Nick Swisher walks in. I really wanted to go talk to him, but I was nervous. So Josh Beckett gave me a big pep talk about how I need to stop being a puss and go talk to Nick Swisher. So I did, and Swisher gave me a hug. Then, Beckett told me we were about to miss our bus and I woke up...What do you suppose it all means?

Player(s) you'd sit and have a beer with:
Nick Swisher, Josh Beckett (I'd buy, to thank him for encouraging "dream E-Claire" to talk to Swish), Bobby Crosby, David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez.

Player(s) you absolutely despise:
A-Rod, K-Rod, Frank Thomas, J.D. Drew, Jeff Kent

Best baseball video game of all-time:
The last video game I played consistently was Paper Boy 2. So I don't really think I'm qualified to answer this question.

So whatcha drinkin? This being a saloon and all:
I'm super classy, so it's Bud Light for me. Or a firecracker (it's Goldschlager and Tabasco sauce. Mmm!)

What about Beecake?
What about your mom?

Favorite sports card(s) you own:
2 Nolan Ryan cards - one when he was on the Angels and one when he was on the Astros.

Ketchup on a hot dog. Yay or nay?
I'm a vegetarian. But it's a free country, so squirt whatever you want on your wiener.

Who do you consider your nemesis?
Rich Harden. Every year, that kid would come out and pitch a couple of gems to start the season, and I'd finally think he was going to overcome whatever injury issues he had. But then, he'd end up on the DL. Then he'd pitch another gem, and go back on the DL. And this year, that bastard is finally good and (pretty) healthy, and he gets traded. Sigh.

If you could be any movie character, who would it be?
Rocky Balboa in all Rocky movies except Rocky V

Favorite thing you've written for TMS?
My tribute to Estelle Getty. RIP, Sophia...

Thing you've written you're most ashamed of?
This questionnaire (you'll understand when you read the question below)...

Would you touch Carney Lansford's weiner if it meant an A's World Series title?
Hell yes I would! I'd touch it for beer money!

What's your dream baseball lineup?
C - Crash Davis
1B - Mo Vaughn
2B - Ryne Sandberg
SS - Cal Ripken Jr.
3B - Mike Schmidt
LF - Nick Swisher
CF - Willie Mays Hayes
RF - Roy Hobbs
P - Nolan Ryan

On the DL: Bobby Crosby

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

JORDI

Real Name: Jordi?

Where are you now?
Tampa, FL

Favorite Sports Teams:
New York Mets, Tampa Bay Rays, Brevard County Manatees, Florida State Seminoles

Favorite Current Player(s):
Kerry Wood (token Cub), Tim Wakefield, R.A. Dickey, Prince Fielder (calm down, he went to my HS), Tim Lincecum, all LOOGYs.

Favorite All-Time Player(s):
Calvin Coolidge Julius Caesar Tuskahoma McLish, Rusty Kuntz, Howard Johnson, Benny "The Jet" Rodriguez.

Memorable encounters with MLB players:
When I was 10 I went to a spring training game, got myself a hot dog, lathered it up in mustard appropriately, when ex-Met Roger McDowell came up alongside me and said "Excuse me." Well, of course, I moved out of the way.

Then like twenty years later I crashed the 2006 General Managers meeting in a Disney hotel. I met or saw Tommy Lasorda, Ozzie Guillen, Cal Ripken, Jim Leyland, Darryl Hamilton, Bryan Harvey, and Scott Boras. I hate Scott Boras.

Player(s) you'd sit and have a beer with:
Joel Zumaya, Nolan Ryan, Ralph Kiner, Billy Brewer, Roy Hobbs, Rube Waddell (do they have to be living?), Hack Wilson, Ty Cobb, and J.O. Sampson.

Player(s) you absolutely despise:
Bobby Bonilla, Chipper Jones, Kenny Rogers, Vince Coleman

Best baseball video game of all-time:
I am going to go with Little League Baseball for the NES. Just slightly over Basewars. Yeah, I haven't played much video games since the reign of George the Elder.

So whatcha drinkin? This being a saloon and all:
La Fin Du Monde. It's French for The End of The World. Before you get your panties in a bunch that you let in someone who speak a wee bit of Francais, rest easy. La Fin is brewed in the mean streets of Canada. Probably in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

What about Beecake?
Never much of a fan. Until he did the Barbershop and Shawn Michaels kicked Marty Jenetty through the glass window. Or like when he got in that motorcycle accident and smashed his face into a million pieces. Wait, B-e-e-c-a-k-e? I don't know no Beecake, I thought you were talking about Brutus "The Barber".

Favorite sports card(s) you own:
Sorry. I was fortunate enough to sell my cards and have them pay for my college education. Oh, you didn't do that? What, no one wants your eighteen 1993 Mike Piazza Topps regular edition rookie card? Sucks to be you.

Ketchup on a hot dog. Yay or nay?
You don't put ketchup on a hot dog. That's like putting the Spicy Brown on a steak.

Who do you consider your nemesis?
The Man. Somma bich constantly holding me down. One day I'm gonna stick it to The Man and give The Man some whatfor. Oh, and Bryan Maddox.

If you could be any movie character, who would it be?
Elliot Richards in Bedazzled. Or Joe Dirt.

Favorite thing you've written for TMS?
Well, due to process of elimination, it would have to be this. Either that or a comment. I do like to bring the humor in the comments. Yeah, remember that one comment? Yeah, that was cool.

Thing you've written you're most ashamed of?
Dear Thunder Matt Crew,

I am just starting my own blog. I found yours and thought it was really funny. Can you give me any pointers?

Wow! I must have been on crack that day.

*This is referring to an email Jordi sent us nearly two years ago asking for advice. Because we being a 6 month old blog obviously had all the answers. I still have that email saved but I'll spare him the embarrassment of posting it here.

Would you touch Kyle Farnsworth's weiner if it meant a Cubs World Series title?
No. Because I don't want to be responsible for the end of the world if the Cubs win the World Series. I would rather stock up on can goods, bottles of water, and beer.

What's your dream baseball lineup?
Stacy Keibler - CF
Alessandra Ambrosio - LF
Jenn Sterger - 2B
Jennie Finch - P
Tina Clayton - C
Lacey Alexandra - RF
Carmella Decesare - 3B
Kayden Kross - SS
Nafisa Teague - 1B

With Finch on the mound, this team is unbeatable. And hot.