r/baseball • u/jonahkeri Senior sportswriter • Mar 25 '14

Feature Hi Reddit, I'm Jonah Keri. AMA.

Howdy hey!

My name is Jonah Keri, I'm a baseball writer for Grantland and author of the book, "Up, Up, & Away", a really fun (and occasionally autobiographical) look at the history of the Montreal Expos, told via ~130 interviews with ex-players (Pedro Martinez! Andre Dawson! Tim Raines! Rusty Staub!), managers, owners, and many more.

The book comes out today and is available at bookstores near you, online (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307361357/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0307361357&linkCode=as2&tag=jonahkericom-20), as an e-book (https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/up-up-and-away/id707326028?mt=11), and in various other places.

Though baseball is my vocation, I'm also a native Montrealer with strong opinions about everything from bagels to standing desks. So go nuts. I'm excited to chat.

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u/lawandbaseball Tampa Bay Rays Mar 25 '14

Hey Jonah, thanks for doing this. Really enjoyed reading Extra 2% and am very much looking forward to reading Up, Up, & Away. I grew up in St. Petersburg and was seven years old when the Devil Rays started playing, so Extra 2% really hit home.

You are obviously extremely in-touch with the issues facing the Rays, and I am wondering whether you see any parallels between their current situation and the situation that the Expos faced that resulted in them leaving town. How do you view the Rays' situation shaking out?

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u/T_Miller Tampa Bay Rays Mar 25 '14

The way St Pete has been growing the last 5 years in terms of the young crown and counter culture, I think there's a possibility that the Rays could stay in Pinellas. Though I'll be ok if its in Tampa I guess but its such a pain in the ass to get over there from pinellas. My vote is that they go next to Raymond James (offices) and Franklin Templton by the Howard Franklin.

Go Rays.

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u/[deleted] Mar 25 '14

Though I'll be ok if its in Tampa I guess but its such a pain in the ass to get over there from pinellas.

Thats the opposite of the problem we have now, heh.

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u/FavresADouche Chicago Cubs Mar 26 '14

Which is a huge reason why attendance is shit

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u/[deleted] Mar 26 '14

Yea..."Lets build the stadium as far away from the population base as possible."

Hell, it would've been better in Clearwater or Largo than in St Pete.