Greetings my fellow PSAers. About a week or so ago, I received an E-Mail from one of the 50 finalists of the MLB Fan Cave contest, a fellow Yankees fan named Eddie Mata. To put things into perspective, he is one of 50 finalists out of 22,000 applicants, so needless to say he's already done quite well for himself. In order to make it to the next level, Eddie has to get votes, but more importantly he has to campaign in order to move on. The next stop for Eddie is to try to make the final 30, and head to Arizona for Spring Training. Haha, if my relatives didn't live in Arizona, I'd love to go as well. Enough about my relatives though, as we're here to talk about Eddie.
After the jump is a little bit about Eddie, as well as some questions I asked him...
Eddie is definitely not one to shy away from the spotlight. Far from it, actually. Eddie is an actor, which is definitely not an easy business to get into. Not only has he gotten around in the wonderful world of celebrities, but some of those celebrities have even endorsed him for the MLB Fan Cave. To quote a paragraph from
this article about the 50 MLB Face Cave finalists...
Eddie Mata has received Twitter endorsements from actors Arnold, Lou Diamond Phillips, Andrew Dice Clay, Kevin Brown, movie critic Ben Lyons, Laura Posada (Jorge's wife), Acta, Chuck Knoblauch, David Robertson, Dante Bichette Jr., Bill Hall, Brett Wallace, Daniel Hudson, Dee Gordon, Ozzie Guillen Jr., Rob Ciclementi (Phillies clubhouse assistant), Geoff Blum, Gary Matthews Sr., Josh Lueke and Dallas Latos (Mat Latos' wife).
Those are some pretty awesome endorsements already, if you ask me. Some additional endorsements are former MLB Player Dale Murphy, Entourage actor Jerry "Turtle" Ferrara, and even some
YouTube videos with actor Michael Rapaport supporting Eddie,
as well as screenwriter Dana Stevens who wrote For The Love Of The Game. In addition to his Hollywood journey, Eddie is also a batting coach for kids.
This recent article tells a good portion of Eddie's tale, as well as which famous Yankees player Eddie uses to help his kids swing the bat better. To find out even more about Eddie Mata, feel free to check out these links below.
MLB Fan Cave Video
YES Network Article on Eddie
MLBReport Article
An Article With Marlon Brando's Son
An Article about Ryan Seacrest's Co-Host On The Red Carpet
Finally, I had the chance to interview Eddie myself...
#1. Tell me a little about yourself. What are your aspirations in life? How'd you become a Yankees fan?
I'm an actor who's been living in Los Angeles for the past 4 years pursuing a career in acting, but I'm originally from Brooklyn, NY. My goal is to become a full time actor. I became a Yankees fan when I was a kid. I would watch them on TV and I fell in love with them. I couldn't wait till the games started. It was so much fun watching them then, and it's still fun today.
#2. Do you have any memorable moments as a Yankees fan from your youth that you would like to share?
In 1984, Don Mattingly & Dave Winfield were battling for the batting title. It came down to the last game and Mattingly went 4 for 5 to win it. That was awesome!!
#3. Can you name some of your favorite players and why you like them so much?
Donnie Baseball was my idol growing up, playing the game how it should be played. He was so clutch. Rickey Henderson was great too. Man, did he rob those bases. Paul O'Neil was such a warrior. I wore #21 in college because I loved his intensity and his attitude. Derek Jeter, without a doubt. Such a clutch hitter with some of the best instincts in baseball. You can't teach instincts like that, either you have them or you don't. Finally, Mariano Rivera who has one of the toughest jobs in baseball. He never panicked, even when he blew saves once in a while. In 97', Cleveland knocked out the Yankees in the ALDS and Mo was responsible for Sandy Alomar's HR to advance the Indians to the ALCS. A lot of closers would doubt themselves the following year, but not Mariano. He came back strong and helped the Yankees win 3 WS titles in a row.
#4. Are you into Sabermetrics? Do you follow more traditional stats? Or do you even follow statistics at all?
I mainly follow Milestone Stats, cause they're great to talk about. Like the 56 game hitting streak by Joltin' Joe. Another instance would be A-Rod. He only needs 107 RBI's to reach a career of 2000 RBI's, and he'll be 4th on the All Time RBI's list.
#5. Do you follow Pinstripe Alley? Haha, please be honest.
Honestly, I will now!
#6. Can you tell us about your experience on the YES Ultimate Road Trip?
It was one of the best experiences in my life. Ever. I felt like I was part of the team, coming to the park everyday and watching my team. I think millions of Yankees fans would love to experience it.
#7. Is there anything in particular you are looking forward to seeing from the Yankees in 2012?
The pitching is going to be very strong. Everywhere is looking solid. Most importantly, I hope the Yankees will be hot in October just like the NY Giants were hot in January!
#8. What do you hope to bring to the MLB Fan Cave?
What you see now is what I'm going to bring. My focus right now is to make the Final 30, and to go to Spring Training in Arizona. I've got to take it one step at a time.
#9. What advice can you offer Pinstripe Alley readers that want to try to get into the MLB Fan Cave in 2013?
Be yourself. Don't just talk about the fact that you're passionate, charismatic, charming, your sense of humor, your knowledge, etc. You've got to show it. Be believable. Be creative. If you make a video recording that's cheesy, so what as long as you're committed to it. Make your recording conversational, and try to put it in your head that you're not auditioning, but rather that you're having a conversation about the game of baseball. Don't try to impress and think what you think they want you to think. BE YOURSELF!! Never ever pretend to be someone you're not. It's all in the eyes, the voice, the body, etc. This is my opinion.
#10. Finally, the most important question. Which do you prefer? Pancakes or Waffles?
Pancakes, because they taste so good, especially with bananas and chocolate chips in them. They're so yummy!!
In conclusion, after reading up on him, seeing his videos, and having a chance to talk with the man personally, I can honestly say that Eddie seems like a very passionate guy, both about baseball and acting. It's clear that his passion, his determination, and his charm has gotten him very far in life already and hopefully it will continue to get him even farther, and back to East 4th & Broadway in Manhattan, the home of the MLB Fan Cave. As someone who already gets paid to watch baseball, I can tell you that it's a pretty sweet job to have, so I wish Eddie nothing but the best of luck in the finals and hope he fulfills all of his dreams.
You can help support Eddie Mata by following him on
Twitter, Facebook, and by voting for him on his
MLB Fan Cave video page. Vote as many times as you'd like. Voting ends Feb. 22nd and he will find out if he is going to Arizona Spring Training or not as part of the final 30.
