Captain Joe Davis Interview

Conducted by Captain Joe Davis, 10/6/07

(Skillz is a 3-year BAD ASS and proud member of the original Dirty Sanchez team. Over time he has become a trusted assistant to Leland with the BAB website as well as Rob on the BAB statistics. I sat down with Skillz before he reported to work Saturday, October 6.)

 

JD: You have said that the 2006 "Watch me!" retirement was when you came closest to not coming back.

JD: If it hadn't been for a heat wave that forced me out of my place the next weekend, I would not have come back anytime soon after that one. That one was bad, even I admit. The worst part was, I left my glove behind that had just been given to me as a gift the Xmas before. I loved that mitt.

JD: What did you do with your Sundays during your 2007 retirement?

JD: Mostly hung out with my buddy Steve. He lives in Marina, not far from Joel, so I ventured down there a lot or went up to Vallejo to visit the fams. Nice people, the fams. Can we stop talking about retirements?

JD: Fine. Let's talk about your love for BAD ASS Baseball. It's obvious you love the league, so tell us exactly why it means so much to you.

JD: We are a bunch of Average Joes who put together a baseball league with awards, stats, custom shirts...none of us are ever going to the major leagues, but we just love the game and love the comraderie. Each passing year, we're building a history. 20 years from now we could be arguing what was the better season, 2007 or 2010. That's awesome that a bunch of regular guys with regular lives, except Soonam, pull this off. It's hard to put in words, but this is very special. I fear not everyone will appreciate it until it's gone.

At the banquet I tried to tell BFF to appreciate this while they could, that they'll never find anything like BAB again. I think they thought I was drunk though.

JD: You grew up in Vallejo, California...not exactly known as a suburban atmosphere. Was it tough for a mellow guy like you to survive?

JD: I think it could have been, had I not chosen to become a rapper in high school. The "gangsta" guys in school loved hearing me bust flows...so much that after a while they would order me to do it on command. But I did it, and it kept me on good terms with the people you WANT to be on good terms with. They would kinda leave me alone where they might hassle somebody else.

JD: Did you get into any fights?

JD: Kind of. One day in school I walked up to this girl and, not knowing what it meant at the time, said to her "Fuck me". Who knows why. Anyway her boyfriend comes up to where I sat down and starts shouting and punching me in the face, WHILE I'M TRYING TO EAT LUNCH.

I didn't understand what was going on until it was over. The punches didn't hurt, but they were keeping me from eating so I was annoyed.

JD: How well did you know C.C. Sabathia, your former high school classmate?

JD: We were never pals, but we got along. He also liked to hear me rap. He could never keep a straight face, one verse and he was cracking up. He was definitely no thug or anything close, and we should be fortunate. Even back then, 60 pounds lighter than today, he was a HUGE fella. But he was cool. Good head on his shoulders.

He played football and basketball too. One time I did play him one-on-one hoop. He schooled me like 10-3 or something like that. I have no idea how I managed to score at all. The thing is, he didn't do it with his height. He balled me like he was 5'7" instead of 6'7".

JD: Any other sports celebs there?

JD: The ex-Dodger and Phillie prospect Joe Thurston, or Joey as we knew him, was there, too. He was a year ahead of me. I don't think he was a bad guy, but he was HELLA serious all the time. Intense. He didn't laugh much or seem to want to.

Also, The former New Jersey Net Brandon Armstrong (the 12th man on their two Finals teams a few years back) was a classmate. He was cool too. He tried out for the Warriors later but didn't make it. It doesn't look like he'll be back in the NBA anytime soon. Have you seen that Snickers commercial with the guy playing guitar "....spreading joy and satisfaction TO THE WORLD"?

JD: I was the one who told YOU about it.

JD: Oh, right. Anyway, I could swear that's Brandon taking a bite of the Snickers near the end.

JD: As the BAD ASS recapper, how long does it take for you to compose such a recap?

JD: I usually spend 20 minutes alone just thinking up a headline. It's getting harder as my career goes on. Aside from that it doesn't take very long to compose a rough draft, maybe 40 minutes. But then I obsess over it for another hour to find ways to make it better. How Greg Lynas managed to do his with NO notes, that's amazing.

Leland has the harder part because he adds the photos and edits anything I get wrong or omit, at least one thing per game. It is actually he that does the final posting of the recap and has the final say on what's written. I think in my whole career only twice have I posted it directly, cuz he wasn't able to. But this way works best because he catches things I don't.

For the record: other than day-to-day updates like History or weekly Awards, I don't do anything on our site without Leland's permission. He still runs the show.

JD: Are you aware of your "mongoloid" reputation within BAB?

JD: I think so. Cav told me he thinks there's something wrong with me, but I just think I have a problem.

JD: Why do you, 18 months later, continue to call yourself "Captain" Joe Davis?

JD: Well, if I didn't, the "Captain Joe" song I wrote about myself wouldn't make any sense, would it?

JD: Generic questions:

Funniest moment in BAB.

JD: Three-way tie.

1) My rookie season after I quit a game in the middle of an inning, the next week I came back. Cav came up and grounded out or something, then grabbed his stuff and jogged off the field as if he quit, too. It looked so ridiculous. I still laugh about that today.

2) This past season, some long-haired guy from a BBQ went over to the home dugout for something. Everybody thought at first it was C.T. with a wig on trying to be funny. The thought of C.T. doing that was hilarious.

3) Also this past season, during the Mother's Day game, Ed's team is getting blown out. Bottom of the 9th, 2 out, he gets caught in a rundown between 3rd and home. He beats the throw back to third but keeps running back to 2nd. Kevin K. is chasing him with the ball, and they end up all the way in medium right field. It reminded me of Elmer Fudd chasing Bugs Bunny. I think Kevin would have chased him all the way back to San Jose if need be.

Favorite moment of your career.

JD: Sanchez/Steamers Game Six, we're down 3 games to 2 and trailing by one in this game. Down to our last out. I come up. My heart is pounding, but I rope a hard double to left-center. Of course, Minor and Rob do their thing, and the rest is history.

That, and all 7 of my career bombs. I remember them all perfectly.

JD: Top 7 picks in the draft, who do you take?

JD: Rob, Lynas, Brandon R., Joel, Ed, Cav and Bush.