Robert Conan Ryan

A blog by ryanrc in North Side Baseball

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My Northside Community Award Speech

Entry posted by ryanrc in Transactions and Roster Construction · April 16, 2025

https://northsidebaseball.com/blogs/entry/90-my-northside-community-award-speech/

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Cubs Video

Hello Cubs World,

So happy and proud to have won a Seiya Suzuki Bobblehead doll for my little slice of this website.

Before I get into future baseball insights, let me give my gratitude to this community. It's a cool corner of the net that should be expanded. I gave it a trial run and I am glad we found each other eye-to-eye. This is a voluntary dues paying club waiting to happen.

Let me walk you through my interpretation of my community blog award as a random human being you don't know.

First, yes, I am a professor who loves stats and analysis. I have done business and economics for many years and consulted for pure fun. But I am more interested in the wierd journeys in life that unite us nerds. I've met so many wild and random people that I'm proud to tell you of them.

Lets talk Shota Imanaga and why he's not the ideal bobblehead for me. this Suzuki gift was surprisingly appropriate for a reason... I'm not an Imanaga... but I always find myself tangential to such people. I'm truly more of a Suzuki, just more vocal. I show up and dominate rather than entertain. I'm the often minor injured guy you hope shows up to be the slugging hero, but otherwise plays it cool. But my counterparts always are the main show.

Ok, Imanaga is the spitting image of a good friend of mine, not me. Let me tell you about a guy who loves making others happy and comfortable in THEIR backyard as an adventurer. Imanaga is that type of guy who loves tacos and burgers, and embraces being ex Japanese in many ways. And thats cool... he's as excited about being an American as Suzuki is awkward about it.

I am currently living in an apartment in Atlanta given to me by the chief Animator responsible for Aqua Teen Hunger Force, and one of the official artists of the Grateful Dead Museum. He's not only a sports fan and animator but one of the central figures of nhe Japanese Jam Band scene now. Chris McMurray. Look him up on youtube- he does vids for "Tourheads in Japan". He recently left Atlanta for Japan, although he planned his escape as long as Imanaga did. He loves Japan far more than his former life, but won't sell us out either.

Chris is in Yokohama - an escape he planned for many years, but I helped him pull off. Chris gifted me his apartment and I'm forever grateful

He's happily married to his lovely Japanese native wife, and the most loyal Gaijin fan of the Yokohama Baystars- the former home team of Ace Imanaga and the winner of the "Japanese World Series". Chris is always put front for the Baystars as a fan to the mirror energy of Imanaga.

Here's the wierd thing.

I met Chris at Black Bear Tavern, the #1 Chicago sports tavern in Atlanta. He took me in and nurtured me as a Chicago loving Atlantean. I only met him because of my hankering for a Chicago Dog. We became fast friends and I'd love to see the Baystars with him sometime soon.

Many months later, he became a Japanese citizen and left me with the keys to his apartment. What a class act. Many more stories were telling but not all at once here.

I'm lucky and honored to be so deeply connected to this wild and crazy ride at North Side Baseball. I envision this website as a future hub for tavern club members outside of the Chicago area. A hub for loyalists to learn a deeper level of baseball analysis. And hopefully a meetup opportunity for away game fans to find each other in major cities.

Id love to host Atlanta meetings for the Cubbie fans at Black Bear.

.Despite my sentiment as Imanaga the pitching philosopher being the best bar buddy on the cubs for sake shots, similar to Chris being such a buddy, i see myself more as the DH. I love big personalities but prefer to technically achieve, to brute force my role on the team when called on. A samurai more than an entertainer. So a bobblehead fits me as a modest cultural ambassadors for the roots Japanese-Cubs experience.

Seiya and I probably just want to eat that authentic Ramen and Okonomiyaki. So, if you pass through Atlanta and want an Italian roast beef, Chicago Dog, or other hometown favorites, drop me a line. thanks for giving me the most personally identified reward possible by mere coincidence.

http://www.blackbeartavern.com/

https://youtube.com/@americantourheadsinjapan3720?si=-s5OeYBdDpNjqZgzhttp://www.blackbeartavern.com/

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aqua_Teen_Hunger_Force

https://npb.jp/bis/eng/players/01305132.html

Edited April 16, 2025 by ryanrc
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