Welcome to Pinstripe Alley! Come meet our community!

Winter is over, finally. After a winter that just did not want to end (I know we say this every year, but it’s true every year), baseball is finally back. We said goodbye to baseball on October 6th of last year after Masahiro Tanaka helped lead the Yankees to beat David Price and the Red Sox in Game Two of the ALDS. For whatever reason, MLB decided to cancel the season after that and nothing happened. There was no World Series. I’m sure of it, don’t look it up.

The winter came with much intrigue as some of the biggest names in baseball were free agents. The Yankees didn’t make much of an effort on the big names, but still kept themselves busy. James Paxton, Adam Ottavino, and DJ LeMahieu all get to call the Bronx home now, while the Yankees also brought back familiar friends in Brett Gardner, J.A. Happ, and CC Sabathia for his final MLB season.

The new season officially starts in a couple hours and we here at Pinstripe Alley are proud of our community of Yankees fans that we’ve built. We’ve seen some new folks join the site over the past few months, so as we do every year, we figured we can use this time as a chance for everyone to get to know each other.

First, let’s start off with introducing Pinstripe Alley’s staff:

Tyler Norton: Managing Editor

First/Preferred name: Tyler
Favorite Current Yankee: CC Sabathia
Favorite All-Time Yankee: Andy Pettitte
Favorite Non-Yankee: Gerrit Cole
Favorite Yankees-related memory: Boone’s home run!
Favorite Baseball Movie: The Sandlot
Opening Day Traditions: Rant about it being a day game during the work week
Position you’d play in MLB: Pinch runner, probably
Hypothetical Walk Up Music: “Bomb Thrown” by Czarface
On Twitter I am: Extremely Witty

Caitlin Rogers*: Editor

First/Preferred name: Leslie
Favorite Current Yankee: Tommy Kahnle
Favorite All-Time Yankee: Orestes Destrade
Favorite Non-Yankee: Justice Sonia Sotomayor
Favorite Yankees-related memory: Andrew Miller clubhouse bouncer commercial
Favorite Baseball Movie: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Opening Day Traditions: Goat Yoga
Position you’d play in MLB: All. Think Willians Astudillo, but better.
Hypothetical Walk Up Music: “Nine Million Bicycles” by Katie Melua
On Twitter I am: @ImNotAHRHitterEither

Jake Devin: Editor

First/Preferred name: Jake (full name is Jake, not Jacob!)
Favorite Current Yankee: Didi Gregorius
Favorite All-Time Yankee: Robinson Cano, that sweet lefty swing brought tears to my eyes when I was a kid.
Favorite Non-Yankee: Might sound boring, but Mike Trout. To watch him is to watch a true master at his craft.
Favorite Yankees-related memory: Watching from the upper deck with my Dad as the Yankees shut out the Astros in Game 5 of the 2017 ALCS. That series didn’t end the way we all wanted, but for a moment, it felt like the Yankees were going back to the World Series, and it was special to be there in person.
Favorite Baseball Movie: Bull Durham
Opening Day Traditions: For most of the past several years, my tradition has simply been to watch the Yankees lose. Hopefully last year signaled a shift in tradition, to watching the Yankees win.
Position you’d play in MLB: Center field (I’m fast and can cover ground).
Hypothetical Walk Up Music: “Come Down” by Anderson Paak
On Twitter I am: @JakePDevin

Kunj Shah: Staff Writer

First/Preferred name: Kunj
Favorite Current Yankee: WELL IT WOULD BE DAVID ROBERTSON BUT THE YANKEES ARE JERKS, so I guess I’ll go with Aaron Judge. Terrible compromise, right?
Favorite All-Time Yankee: David Robertson, Robinson Cano, and Andy Pettitte form some sort of unofficial, fluid Top 3.
Favorite Non-Yankee: D-Rob, Cano, and Andrew McCutchen
Favorite Yankees-related memory: Has to be being at Mariano Rivera’s last game at the Stadium. Knowing 55,000 people are crying with you is an oddly comforting feeling.
Favorite Baseball Movie: Major League
Opening Day Traditions: I usually take the day off from work so I can watch at home in peace, but this year I am going to be at work and very upset about it.
Position you’d play in MLB: Designated Hitter - why be bad on two sides of the ball?
Hypothetical Walk Up Music: “Pokémon Theme” by Jason Paige
On Twitter I am: #TwitterlessKunj or #TwitterlessShah

Greg Kirkland: Staff Writer

First/Preferred name: Greg
Favorite Current Yankee: Aaron Judge
Favorite All-Time Yankee: Bernie Williams
Favorite Non-Yankee: Willians Astudillo
Favorite Yankees-related memory: Castillo dropped pop-up game
Favorite Baseball Movie: Tie between The Sandlot and A League Of Their Own
Opening Day Traditions: Wake up, fall out of bed, drag a comb across my head
Position you’d play in MLB: Backup catcher
Hypothetical Walk Up Music: “Guillotine” by Raekwon
On Twitter I am: @ImNotAHRHitter

Matt Ferenchick: Staff Writer

First/Preferred name: Matt Ferenchick
Favorite Current Yankee: Didi Gregorius
Favorite All-Time Yankee: Mariano Rivera
Favorite Non-Yankee: Mike Zagurski
Favorite Yankees-related memory: Luis Sojo’s series-winning single in 2001
Favorite Baseball Movie: Air Bud: Seventh Inning Fetch
Opening Day Traditions: Wearing a Yankees’ shirsey around all day (This year will probably be Judge)
Position you’d play in MLB: Third base
Hypothetical Walk Up Music: “Wuthering Heights” by Kate Bush
On Twitter I am: @MattF15

Ryan Chichester: Staff Writer

First/Preferred name: Zach, well actually it’s Zack. Okay, it’s really just Ryan
Favorite Current Yankee: Some days it’s Didi Gregorius, other days it’s Aaron Judge. They make it too hard to pick just one.
Favorite All-Time Yankee: Derek Jeter, though the answer for favorite All-Time baseball owner might be different
Favorite Non-Yankee: Mike Trout
Favorite Yankees-related memory: Growing up in the late 90s, in a world where I didn’t know other teams besides the Yankees could win the World Series. But if you want to get specific, being at Jeter’s last home game or being in the Yankees locker room after they won the Wild Card Game last year.
Favorite Baseball Movie: Major League
Opening Day Traditions: Either going to the game with my dad and brothers or watching from home with some tasty takeout food
Position you’d play in MLB: Third base, though my defense would have more holes than Miggy.
Hypothetical Walk Up Music: “Icarus Lives” by Periphery
On Twitter I am: Talking about baseball @ryanchichester1

Kento Mizuno: Contributor

First/Preferred name: Kento
Favorite Current Yankee: Masahiro Tanaka
Favorite All-Time Yankee: Yogi Berra
Favorite Non-Yankee: Shohei Ohtani
Favorite Yankees-related memory: Following Roger Clemens’ bid for win #300 in 2003
Favorite Baseball Movie: A League of Their Own
Opening Day Traditions: Sleep deprivation
Position you’d play in MLB: Eleventh outfielder
Hypothetical Walk Up Music: “Int’l Player’s Anthem (I Choose You)” by UGK
On Twitter I am: you don’t want to follow me. Ask Josh.

Joshua Diemert: Contributor

First/Preferred name: Josh/Canada
Favorite Current Yankee: Dellin Betances
Favorite All-Time Yankee: Mariano Rivera
Favorite Non-Yankee: Mike Trout
Favorite Yankees-related memory: All of the comebacks in the 2017 playoffs. Wild Card game; beating Cleveland when down 2-0; ALCS game 4, eighth inning
Favorite Baseball Movie: Sugar
Opening Day Traditions: Wearing my Judge jersey around my Toronto office
Position you’d play in MLB: Cashman’s Faceless Analytics Bro
Hypothetical Walk Up Music: “Dimed Out” by Titus Andronicus
On Twitter I am: @JoshuaDiemert

Kenny Crocker: Contributor

First/Preferred name: Kenny
Favorite Current Yankee: Tie between Aaron Judge and your future 2019 AL MVP Greg Bird
Favorite All-Time Yankee: Derek Jeter is the actual answer, but a more interesting answer is Tino Martinez
Favorite Non-Yankee: Big Sexy
Favorite Yankees-related memory: My parents letting me go to school late the morning after Aaron Boone’s ALCS walk off
Favorite Baseball Movie: Summer Catch. Please @ me.
Opening Day Traditions: A bag of peanuts. Whether at the stadium, a bar, or my couch, always a bag of peanuts.
Position you’d play in MLB: Second base
Hypothetical Walk Up Music: “Do You Hear What I Hear” by Bing Crosby. Growing up, my friends and I played a baseball game in my basement with a Koosh ball and those little wooden bats they give away at the stadium. When I’d come in to close, I’d play that. Not sure why. Let’s stick with that.
On Twitter I am: @Kenman104

Tom Krosnowski: Contributor

First/Preferred name: Tom
Favorite Current Yankee: Gleyber Torres
Favorite All-Time Yankee: Jorge Posada
Favorite Non-Yankee: Adam Jones
Favorite Yankees-related memory: The whole 2009 season. It was magical from start to finish and I’ll always remember skipping school to go to the parade with my family.
Favorite Baseball Movie: The Sandlot
Opening Day Traditions: Head-to-toe Yankees gear
Position you’d play in MLB: Right field or catcher. Somewhere to showcase the arm and play clutch defense.
Hypothetical Walk Up Music: “Panama” by Van Halen
On Twitter I am: @TKro42

Brock Hammond: Contributor

First/Preferred name: Brock
Favorite Current Yankee: Greg Bird
Favorite All-Time Yankee: Mariano Rivera
Favorite Non-Yankee: Andrew Miller
Favorite Yankees-related memory: 2003 ALCS Game 7
Favorite Baseball Movie: Little Big League
Opening Day Traditions: Pretend to work while I watch the game on my computer
Position you’d play in MLB: Reliever
Hypothetical Walk Up Music: “Get Innocuous!” - LCD Soundsystem
On Twitter I am: @brockhammondpsa

Ryan Pavich: Contributor

First/Preferred name: Ryan
Favorite Current Yankee: Aaron Judge
Favorite All-Time Yankee: Andy Pettitte
Favorite Non-Yankee: Clayton Kershaw
Favorite Yankees-related memory: First MLB game, Yanks v. Mets in 2010, Phil Hughes vs. Mike Pelfrey (the one time in history that matchup was a really good one)
Favorite Baseball Movie: Don’t really watch baseball movies so I’ll go with Bad News Bears, might be the only one I’ve seen the majority of
Opening Day Traditions: Not too many traditions, just always wear a jersey for the occasion
Position you’d play in MLB: One of the outfield spots, or pitcher
Hypothetical Walk Up Music: Probably something from Linkin Park
On Twitter I am: @ryanpavich

Now it’s your turn! Post your responses in the comments and let’s get ready for a new season together! Go Yankees, go baseball!

First/Preferred name:
Favorite Current Yankee:
Favorite All-Time Yankee:
Favorite Non-Yankee:
Favorite Yankees-related memory:
Favorite Baseball Movie:
Opening Day Traditions:
Position you’d play in MLB:
Hypothetical Walk Up Music:
On Twitter I am:

*All of Caitlin’s answers were made up by me. I can confirm that these are 100% (not) real answers, however. She might submit her version in the comments, but I’d believe mine over hers.