Interview #6: Greg Carathimas, Do you want to know the terrifying truth...
or do you wanna see a few dingers?
Background: Greg was born in 1985 in Oakland. He grew up with me in Danville, CA before relocating to the Dallas area a few years ago and works in recruiting. We talked about living in Texas, losing a bunch of games in Little League, and about his favorite hometown teams relocating.
Getting into the sport
How did you even get into baseball? Were your parents fans?
“‘Cause my parents signed me up for Little League.”
That was it?
“Yeah. We were on the same team! One cool memory I have, do you remember the buddy system in elementary school? (where we’d get like pen pals in a higher or lower grade to be ‘buddies’ with). My mom skipped me right to farm ball, so my buddy, I was in first or second grade, so my buddy was in fourth, right? I was on his team. Then my mom realized that she messed up and put me back in t-ball.”
Note: Yes, we were on the same t-ball team, the A’s. The trophy we got after that season is still the biggest trophy I’ve ever received. Three solid pillars and about 14” tall with a little medallion on top. I swear if you ever needed a jackstand and couldn’t find one, that trophy would hold your car up.
So your parents weren’t big baseball fans?
“They’re not big… my dad’s a Giants fan but he’s not obsessed. Not a big, big fan like your dad. My dad’s just your average fan. He only goes to games if there’s free tickets.”
That sounds familiar. What about your (older) brother?
“My brother hates sports.”
So how did you wind up a baseball fan? You stopped playing organized baseball in middle school, right?
“Middle school, I think seventh grade. I gave up. So the story on that, for my last two seasons we won like four games. I just got tired of losing, so I just said, you know, I’m done with this. I liked playing baseball, I did. I was below average, but those two bad seasons, we had two good guys on our team. And then they left for an advanced level. I was like, ‘Are you kidding me?’”
Would you have kept playing if the team was better?
“I probably would have. I absolutely would have. I was not having fun winning two games a year out of, whatever, 20? It’s just not fun, getting beat every game. And I wasn’t that good, so that probably didn’t help the situation.”
Probably Vik’s fault. (our other friend you’ll read about later 😉)
“He was our best player on the team once those two guys left.”
But you were still a huge fan. Were you a Mark McGwire fan from the start? And the Bash Brothers? Or was that just to annoy me?
“Probably a combo of both. I remember my sister, she used to go to a couple of games. My sister’s ten years older than me, and so, I remember she got me a Jose Canseco Bash Brothers figurine. And yeah, they were popular when we were little kids.
I really didn’t get into the sports side of things and the stats, knowing whole teams, until the Raiders did come to town in ‘95. That’s when I really just got into sports overall, like stats, and knowing players. Like Tim Brown (Raiders hall of fame wide receiver), I actually looked up his stats. Like back with the Bash Brothers, they hit home runs. I didn’t know how many home runs they hit, I just knew they hit them.”
Yeah, ‘cause you’re into all sports. Well, and sometimes try with hockey. Basketball’s huge for you, you were a Warriors fan when it wasn’t fun to be one.
“Yeah, I liked the Warriors. Chris Mullin lived two streets up from me, and then they traded him a year later. I met him at Blockbuster.”
Oakland A’s and Raiders
We went to a ton of games together. We had the Moneyball A’s so it was perfect for us with Dollar Dog Wednesdays…
“And bobbleheads.”
Note on that last pic: for his 30th birthday, I had all his friends buy one bobblehead for him that reminded them of Greg and got a nice case for it. There are some funny ones in there (mine is that fat Tim Hudson one, center row, furthest to the right).
Yeah, we’d always have groups of five or six people going.
“We went to a lot of good games. I remember the game where Jordan’s dad kept bringing us food.”
We went to a ton of A’s games. But you also went to a ton of Raider games, too. So you’ve probably been there (the Oakland Coliseum) more than anybody I know. It’s a dump, but is there anything about the Coliseum that you have a fond memory of?
“Not specific to the Coliseum. I would say cool moments during the games. I have three, one is baseball, the others are football.
I’ll give you the baseball one first because I know that’s all you care about. Remember we went with Kristen (another person you’ll meet later) and they won at the end with this weird throw and Jason Kendall went home or something? I remember that because I always like to leave early.
These are Raider ones. I remember Tim Brown’s punt return for a touchdown against Kansas City. That was really cool.
And then I got to go into the luxury box. Remember Dan Callahan? (2002 Raiders head coach Bill Callahan’s son) In the first game of the season, during that Super Bowl run, against the Seahawks. I remember waving to my parents down below, and everyone in the section was like, who are those people up there waving to?
I also remember I went with your brother and Vik to that Twins (playoff) game, that they lost, and I remember the Thundersticks.”
Note: That was 2002 Division Series game 5 at the Coliseum. It was Sunday, October 6th. I couldn’t go because I had to work, so we listened in the cart barn as Billy Koch gave up 3 runs in the top of the 9th to end the A’s season.
Wrigley Field
For a couple years, Greg wanted to see the A’s play in every away stadium, visiting one or two a year.
I assume this idea is dead now, but you were trying to see the A's in every stadium, right?
“Yeah, that one’s dead.”
Well, what made you want to do that? Just to go see other cities? And this was your lure or your…? So you went to Chicago right? Wrigley?
“Both (US Cellular and Wrigley) they played the same week.”
What did you think of Wrigley?
“It was fun. I was a little annoyed that they wouldn't let me, I went like, what, 2 hours early and I wanted to go see the outfield. They're like ‘oh you can't go’. I’m like oh thanks. It was fun though! The people behind me were really nice. They saw me wearing an A’s hat. Some random fans came up to me and said wrong team.”
Where'd you sit?
“You know, unfortunately it kind of sucked. I sat bottom level, but I was, I don't know how many rows back, a lot of rows back where I was under the thing and so those big pillars, that was kind of in the way, so I see why that ticket was available. No, it was fun. It's a nice atmosphere.”
Living in Texas
“I played softball, I wanna say, about a year or two after I moved out there. It was fun! We’d go out to the bar after. It was a doubleheader league, so it was two games back-to-back, and then we’d go to the bar. It was fun.”
What do you think of the Rangers new stadium (Globe Life Park)?
“It's nice. I like the air conditioning. Look, I've been in the sun when they didn't have the dome. It is a lot nicer because you can actually go outside and enjoy it. I know they closed the roof most of the time. But you can actually stay in your seat versus the heat No, I mean I've gone in the summer (to the old Ballpark in Arlington). It's brutal. You don't go out to your seat unless you're in the shade or it has to be night. Really, it's brutal.”
Is it fun to go to? (note: another friend of mine went last year and she hated that stadium, so I’d like to see what the locals think)
“Most of the times, yes. I'd say one time, no. I just didn't like that group of people. Because all they went to go do was actually just drink their minds off. They hung out the bar three-fourths of the game. We paid for for a seat, let's use it!”
Current level of sports fandom
“I’m not a fan of players, per se, anymore. And I guess it’s just me, I don’t wanna… I told this to my friends who are all Cowboy fans… and one of them has like five jerseys. I think it’s weird to have a jersey of someone younger than you.”
So you’re not as much of a fan anymore. I know you love going to games. Put aside the cost, but just going to games is still fun for you, right? What part of going to games do you enjoy still?
“I enjoy watching the players. They're the best of the best, right? So then I would just say a good game. And just being out, especially now we don't have an outdoor stadium really here, right, but just going out, hanging out and having a drink or two. Just relaxing.”
You don’t go to many games anymore. Why not?
“I'll give you two reasons. I mean, I'm not as into baseball anymore. Cost. I mean, the average ticket here especially… How much you think a Ranger ticket is right now? So there's that. I could go to games with Greg (yet another character you’ll meet later) if I want, you know, right. He would go. I'm not going to spend that money.
I'd rather go to a minor league game for one-fifth the cost than to go spend a minimum of 50 bucks for the cheapest ticket at a Ranger game. It's cost.”
Yeah. But you also said you’re not as big a baseball fan these days anyway. So why is that?
“‘Cause my team left. I kinda saw this… they got rid of all their players, right? They literally got rid of every name player you can think of. I couldn’t even name a player last year. It’s like the last two years, you couldn’t name a player. Seth Brown! There ya go, that’s one. So there’s that, and then all this talk of them moving didn’t really help either.”
“And these players just make so much money. How much is Ohtani gonna be making? Like, really? He’s making that much per year? This is f-in insane.”
What would what would bring you back to being… not a super fan, but at least more engaged I guess?
“You know, I don't know. I don't know how to answer that only because… I still love watching football. Even though my team left that, too. I guess I just like it that I kind of have the Red Zone going on and even just sort of the prime time games, I still just like watching.
To get me back in the baseball, I don't have an answer for you. I don’t think I will… I don't know. I don't have an answer. I really don't.”
Well, because you were pissed off at football, right? (When the Raiders moved to Las Vegas)
“Yeah, that was my favorite team out of all my teams. I’ll put it this way, when the Warriors won (in 2014-15), you know what happens the next day? Nothing. The difference is you go to the office and say, wow, ‘They won’ versus, ‘Oh, they lost.’ But you go to work and life goes on. And that was a big kind of reality check. That was finally one of my teams that I liked, right finally won it. But at the end of the day, it's just wow, nothing really changes.”
I rooted the whole season, but okay… I’m still gonna root, right? It's kind of cool talking with friends. I guess that's another thing, I'll give you that. I guess a lot of my my current friend base here in Dallas is not really into baseball. Greg is, he's into it, right. But, that's about it.
I'll say this, too. As I’ve got older, I'm just not into sports like I used to be. Like even then, I know you say I'm a (fair-weather) Sharks fan, whatever you want to call it in high school. But I still knew the players. Did I not? (note: yes he did, especially Teemu Selanne). I didn’t know stats maybe as well as you did. But I knew all the players. Well, at least most of them on the team. And now if you ask me, I don't know who really. Logan Couture. OK, that's one, but I don't know anyone anymore cause I don't really follow sports anymore.”
(note: I’ve watched a lot of Sharks games this season and still can’t name more than 5 players, so he gets a pass on this one).
“I'm not a fan of those those teams anymore, that moved (the Raiders and A’s, plus the Warriors moved to San Francisco). I get why they moved. I get it. But still, sort of just sucks. I was a fan of my hometown teams.”
I know you were angry about the Raiders. Was there any anger about the A’s or was that just?
“I think probably when the Raiders left, I just sort of figured, yeah, I've been through this. And I get it. Look, you know the city of Oakland is a complete dump. I've read recent articles here, In-N-Out Burger closed their only location ever in Oakland because they had like 180 break-ins in like one year. Or some other stores have closed recently out there. I mean, I get why they moved. It sucks, but it’s just business.”
Article here: In-N-Out to close first location in its 75-year history due to a wave of car break-ins and robberies
I did ask if maybe Mark McGwire could help bring him back, either by telling him the terrible truth, or seeing him some dingers! There, got the Simpsons reference in…
Meeting Billy Beane
“Here's a cool baseball memory. Greg Ryan and I met Billy Beane. That was cool. And he actually made a good point, (about) the money thing. He said back in the late 80s, early 90s, the reason why the A’s were successful was because they would spend more than other teams. That was it. The more you spent, the more games you won, and then that's why Moneyball kind of came into play. It didn't matter how much you necessarily spent. It was more of the whole, you know, getting on base, all that (Sabermetrics) stuff.”
“So I thought that was kind of interesting, but he actually made that specific kind of reference. Because look it up. Look up the late 80s during their runs, early 90s. They spent the most money out of any team.”
note: I think the statute of limitations has passed now, but after the first Moneyball sell-off, Greg, myself and our friend Jordan TP’d Billy Beane’s house since he lived nearby.
Takeaways
Greg and I have known each other forever. Ate lunch at high school together, played sports all year, hung out every weekend and still talk and see each other all the time. When we were younger he was always up for going to a game or watching whatever sport and having a good time. I thought this interview would’ve been mostly talking about those kinds of things and 60% Simpsons quotes.
I thought this interview would’ve been mostly talking about those kinds of things and 60% Simpsons quotes.
It seems the business side of sports has won and Greg’s fandom is the victim. Some of his points many people will agree with, like wearing replica jerseys of someone younger than you. I think I agree with that, luckily all my jerseys are of retired players. But also, he was really pissed when the Raiders moved out of Oakland. Like to the point he boycotted the NFL for a year or two. But he came back because he loves watching football, and while the Raiders are dead to him (or Traiders, as he calls them), he still enjoys the sport. His family was more involved with football than baseball, they had season tickets to the Raiders forever.
Everyone has that time where they were legitimately pissed off at either their favorite team or their favorite sport. Not like, a player got traded or the team had a bad season. But something that inhibited their ability to be a fan. For the older generation, the ‘94 player’s strike is something that will come up often. And it’s interesting (and depressing) to see the A’s causing that anger right now. Greg accepted it because he saw the writing on the wall after the 2019 announcement that the Raiders were gone. So now, with the A’s headed to the same zip code, he has no fucks left to give.
So when he couldn’t answer the question about what would bring him back to being a baseball fan like he was even 5 years ago, I understand that. He tried, he really thought about it and nothing came up. In 5 years, his two favorite hometown teams took off.
Knowing Greg as long as I have, he’s happier when he’s got a sports team to root for. And in the summer, that’s baseball. I’m not saying the A’s being in Oakland forever would suddenly make life perfect, but it’s a straw on the camel’s back when they do things like let their stadium rot, field a non-competitive roster and constantly cry poor. I think he’s detached from sports a little bit right now, and when I first realized that during the interview, I almost wanted to stage an intervention to bring him back. But listening more, I get it. It’s just sad to look back at everything the city of Oakland and the teams there meant to the community and the fans, and then open your eyes in 2024 and realize you can’t even get a Double-Double and a chocolate shake in the city anymore…
