Matt’s Bats: Hi, Matt.  I know you are getting pretty famous, but maybe some people haven’t heard about you yet.  Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Baseball With Matt:  I’m a 14 year old 8th grader from Springfield, NJ who loves video games, chocolate ice cream with Rice Krispies, and especially baseball. My favorite team from the 21st century is the Yankees, but I also love the whole history of the game, including the great old timers, teams, ballparks and events of the past. My goal in life is to one day become a baseball journalist and historian. I’m also the youngest Pro blogger on MLB.com.

MB: Why did you decide to write a blog?

BBWM: I started my blog because as I learned more about baseball, I found that most of my friends knew very little about baseball history and I thought that a blog would be a fun way to teach kids (and even some adults) about the history of our national pastime.

MB: How long have you been writing Baseball With Matt? 

BBWM: I started my regular blog by using Google Blogger in April 2012 and I currently have about 25,000 views. I got interested in blogging when I realized that none of my friends knew anything about baseball history. So I thought to myself and said: what better way to teach kids about baseball history than to start a blog about it?

MB: Now, you say you are a “professional” blogger on MLB.  How did that happen?

BBWM: I talked on the phone with the head historian of MLB, John Thorn. He was impressed with my baseball history knowledge, so he made me an MLB Pro Blog. 

MB: How did you get invited onto Hot Stove?

BBWM: I got on Hot Stove because I met up with MLB Network analyst, Greg Amsinger, at a meeting. He was also impressed with my baseball history knowledge, so he asked me to come on the show and I said yes.

[Watch Matt’s appearance HERE]

MB: Other than being a guest on Hot Stove, have you gotten to do any other cool experiences with MLB?

BBWM: I haven’t really been involved with MLB except with my MLB blog. However, I am getting press credentials to the Hall of Fame Classic in Cooperstown. It’s a baseball game played by some Hall of Famers and other retired players and before the game.  I will get to interview some of them.

MB: You said you are a big Yankees fan.  Have you been able to meet any players? 

BBWM: I’m a die-hard Yankees fan!  I’ve been to a lot of their games and their record with me in a seat at one of their games is 13-3, so I think I bring them a little bit of a good luck. I’ve met Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera and they were both really nice guys.

MB: How many ballparks have you been to?

BBWM: I’ve been to Yankees Stadium, Citi Field (Mets), Citizens Bank Park (Phillies), Fenway Park, Kauffman Stadium (Royals), Wrigley Field, and U. S. Cellular Field (White Sox). That’s a total of seven.

MB: Maybe we can go to a Nationals game together.  Let me know if you ever come down to DC.  I would love to talk baseball with you.  I am a huge Nationals fan, and I bet you could tell me a lot about the history of DC baseball—the Nationals, Senators, the Grays.  There’s probably so much I haven’t learned.

You have been able to interview a lot of famous baseball players.  How did that happen?

BBWM: Mostly, I reach out to the people I interview and ask them if I can ask them a couple of questions. Sometimes, I get introduced to them by other people. In Yogi Berra’s case, I reached out to his museum in Montclair, New Jersey. They said that I should email the head of the museum, Dave Kaplan, some questions, so that he could ask them to Yogi himself, considering Berra doesn’t have an email. 

MB: Did you get to hear any of his famous “Yogisms”?

BBWM: Sadly, I couldn’t hear any of his Yogi-isms because we did the interview by email through Dave Kaplan, but I’m sure that he would have said at least one if the interview was via phone call.

MB: Who is your favorite baseball player (current or historical) and why?

BBWM: Today, Derek Jeter is my man. He’s the greatest contact hitter today.  Historically, I love Mike Schmidt of the Phillies in the ’70s and ’80s. He was a great power hitter and had an exceptional mustache.

MB: Ha!  My readers are going to love that answer!  Beards and mustaches are very popular topics here in Nationals Twitter-land.  

Moving away from the past, I want to hear your prediction of the future.  Who do you think will make it to and win the 2013 World Series?

BBWM: I personally think that it will be the Tigers vs. the Reds and the Reds will come out on top in seven games. The Reds have a great lineup and a more experienced pitching rotation than in years past.

MB: I just did a series on MattsBats.com with my predictions for each Division. I agree with you that the Tigers and the Reds will be at the top of the AL and NL Central Divisions. I’m still holding out hope that my Washington Nationals make it to the Series this year.  That would be the first time since 1924, but I bet you already knew that….  

* * * *

I had such a great time talking with my friend Matt Nadel from Baseball with Matt.  Make sure you follow Matt on Twitter at @BaseballwMatt!   You definitely need to watch the video of him on Hot Stove at because he was excellent!