Q&A with Tyler Kepner
Goat Jerseys sits down with The New York Times national baseball writer, Tyler Kepner. He’s a huge fan of jerseys, been in the game since a teen, and also has a really cool book out. Let’s get to know him…
Where did you grow up? I grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, in Montgomery County, PA – first in Flourtown until I was 12, then in Gwynedd Valley.
Were you a big sports fan growing up? If so, what was the first athlete and team you fell in love with? Huge sports fan – Phillies, Eagles, Sixers, Flyers. (I also adopted an old Philly team, the Golden State Warriors, around 1989.) The 1982 Phillies were the first team I followed, and that was Steve Carlton’s last Cy Young season, so he became my favorite player. I collected cards, I played Little League, listened to Harry Kalas on the radio all the time. We went to about 15-20 games a year, and I got to see the 1983 NLCS and World Series in person when I was eight years old.
What was life like as a teenager, what did Tyler Kepner dream of becoming? I’m lucky because I dreamed of becoming pretty much what I am now – a national baseball writer. I didn’t know where I would do it, but I knew I wanted to write about the game for a living. I got an early start by publishing a monthly baseball magazine from ages 13-19. The Phillies and some other teams gave me press credentials, so I’ve actually been interviewing major leaguers since 1990, when I was 15. Getting to know writers like Jayson Stark and Paul Hagen in Philadelphia, and learning how to navigate the MLB environment at such a young age, I was convinced that this was the path for me.
You covered baseball since a teenager, went to Vandy on a sportswriting scholarship, then writing for the Angels and Mariners. How did your time there prepare (or didn’t lol) you to cover baseball in the Big Apple? I learned a lot about the daily interaction with players and the rhythms of a baseball season, basic things that would help on any beat. As for New York in particular, the experience in Seattle helped me a ton because with only three traveling beat writers, the competition was fierce. The other Seattle beat guys had been there more than a decade, and they were pretty chilly to the new kid. I expected it to be the same way in New York, but it turned out that the other New York beat writers were much nicer guys — actual friends as well as competitors. They made it an easy transition for me. But the players and their stories are interesting everywhere, and that’s always what it comes down to anyway.
All-time favorite uniform in sports? If you look closely at the baseball cards that illustrate the cover of my book – “K: A History of Baseball In Ten Pitches” – you’ll see all the uniforms I love. I made sure to get a brown Padres, a rainbow Astros, a bird-on-bat Cardinals, a yellow Pirates, and ’80s-era Phillies pinstripes. And there’s also my very favorite of all: the Milwaukee Braves, with the black tomahawk underlining the script Braves, the side patch, the zipper, all of it. My favorite little detail on any uniform is the outline on the Braves belt-loops. (I should also mention the Oakland A’s uniforms, which I love because they’re the only team in baseball with green as its primary color, and their elephant patch is my favorite logo in sports.)
One ballpark to watch a game from the past, where would it be? I’ve always been interested in old Connie Mack Stadium in Philadelphia, and I’d also love to have seen the Baker Bowl there because of the wacky dimensions. And of course Ebbets Field. I saw old Comiskey Park when it was partially torn down and I wish I could have watched a game there. There are a few other ’80s parks I never got to — Texas, Toronto, San Francisco – and it would have been fun to see how they felt in person.
What era of baseball do you think produced the best uniforms? I love the 1980s uniforms for the nostalgic reasons, but objectively the 1969 uniforms were really outstanding, with the 100th anniversary logo patch. There were a lot of colors and creative designs, but things hadn’t gotten too outrageous just yet. The Astros were still in their shooting-star phase, which was a nice look, and the Padres, Royals, Expos, and Pilots (who had a terrific uniform in their only season) had just started.
One person in the world living or deceased that you could have 15 minutes to sit down with and pick their brain, who would it be? I’ll keep this to baseball and say Satchel Paige. I bet he could tell some amazing stories. And I knew Tug Mcgraw a little bit, but I’d still love another chance to talk with him for awhile.
Favorite food, favorite city, and all-time favorite sports movie? Philly cheesesteak (no onions)…Seattle…”Rocky”
What’s the best piece of advice you can give someone who’s just starting their career as a sports writer? I’d say the simplest and easiest piece of advice I could ever give would be to never, ever, ever use a cliche. Just say what you mean.
Thanks to Tyler for some great insight, go check his book, it’s a great read!
Twitter: @TylerKepner