I'm back and I just wanted to drop a quick note and say thank you so much to all of you for all of the support you've given myself and Mrs. Blez. This is the best blog community in the world, sports or otherwise.
We're thrilled with the arrival of our baby girl. I've been racked with emotions for three days straight and I can't seem to put Maya down. Mrs. Blez says I'm spoiling her, but what the hell, she's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.
Of course, I may be a bit biased.
I'm going to run the rest of the Billy Beane interview starting tomorrow...but here's a small excerpt in honor of my baby girl, Maya.
Blez: OK, so my most important question of all, I've got a baby coming any day now. So I've got to ask-- it's a daughter...
BB: I've got one myself and they're the best.
Blez: Any sage parenting advice for me?
BB: The great thing about a daughter is that you only have to be a dad. There's this feeling, particularly if you're an athlete, and if you have a son, you have to be their dad, their coach and their mentor. The great thing about having a daughter is that it doesn't matter if she can hit a curveball or a slider, you get to be a dad. That's the greatest satisfaction knowing that you're their dad and not their coach and not someone trying to instruct them in sports. You're just there to sort of be their dad. If it was up to me and I had a choice, I'd have four or five daughters. There's never an age you can't give them a big hug.
Blez: That really helps with perspective because I was really hoping for a boy until I first found out that it was a girl.
BB: Well, Bobby Geren, our bullpen coach, is one of my best friends and was best man at my wedding. We grew up together. He has two sons, two wonderful boys who are very good athletes. When our wives were pregnant, he kept needling me saying, you know you want a boy. And I'd tell him no, I actually wanted a girl. I still say this today. Listen, we all want healthy kids. Given the choice, I'd want four or five girls. I always kid Bobby that when I'm sitting in that rest home and I need someone to visit me, my daughter will be sitting there all day long. My sons will come in and look at their watches and say, "Well, Dad, I've gotta go. I've got a tee time in 15 minutes." Bobby looked at me and he went, man, you're right. My Mom was an only child, and I know the long-term relationship that a daughter has with her father and how special it is. If it was up to me, and believe me, I'm an intense person who has an intense job and having a daughter really brings me some perspective. If I'm biased, it's going to always be towards girls. Consider yourself very lucky.
The luckiest man in the world, Billy, the luckiest man in the world.
Thanks for your support, AN.