As we celebrate our 10th anniversary at AngelsWin.com we've focused our attention on our writers, contributors & website members. Today we put the spotlight on one of our longest tenured members, who is also one of our moderators and a member on our advisory team. Scott Stradling has been a tremendous contributor behind the scenes, helping coordinate and facilitate during our spring and summer fanfest events, as well as contributing to our efforts financially and to our favorite charities. Stradling is also an annual participant in our softball tournaments, a tremendous player in his own right.
Let's get to know Stradling a bit more in today's Member Appreciation Interview.
AngelsWin.com: When and how did you first come to AngelsWin.com?
Scott Stradling: I was posting on AOL, ESPN and the MLB site a little bit, not enough to actually be noticed or to create an identity. I just went there for rumors and to see what other fans thought of the team, and to see what was new with Lee. I got an email from Chuck telling me about his new website and checked it out. It took me at least a couple of years before I was a regular poster. At some point, a few years ago, I found my stride and have been posting with regularity ever since.
AngelsWin.com: What keeps you coming back to the site?
Scott Stradling: Very simple, its the people. The personalities and the sense of humor on this site is second to none. I have been active enough the last few years that I almost know what everyone’s opinions are going to be on any given topic on the main forum. This place truly is a community or a family with all of the bickering and good natured fun.
AngelsWin.com: What have been some of your favorite articles and threads?
Scott Stradling: My favorite articles are probably the Point and Counter Point. I still love to look back at how excited we all were when we signed Albert. That happened during a tough time in my life, and I was on a work retreat and woke up and opened AngelsWin and was reading the thread around 6am, and hit refresh and it said we had signed him. A few of my favorite threads are in the hangout forum. Any and all Weekend Shenanigans by DR are amazing and are worth a second read. I loved the thread that had all of the graphs, I can’t recall the name of it, but it had things like “Things Meatloaf would do for love” or the chart on “Doves Cry”, maybe it was called, “The Results are in”. It was a brilliant thread.
AngelsWin.com: What in-person events have you attended from AngelsWin.com (Spring/Summer Fanfests, Charity Golf, Charity Softball)?
Scott Stradling: I have been involved in the Softball a few years now, sadly I missed this last one. I have been to Spring and Summer Fanfest. I am a big fan of all of these events. I love the softball, because it is something fun and competitive and now the last couple of years we have made it a charity event. I haven’t been up to Seattle for RiverRaft yet, but I will some day. For those who haven’t attended SpringFanFest, you truly have to make this happen. Being up close and personal with the Angels players and management was truly an amazing experience. One more thing about Softball, my first interaction with Chuck was on the softball field. We were playing at Hart Park and I had never met Chuck in person. Chuck is playing short stop and I hit a double (probably a two base error, but I will call it a double). I am standing on 2nd and Chuck walks up and introduces himself, I tell him my name and he gives me a big ol’ gay hug. It was pretty awesome.
AngelsWin.com: Why is AngelsWin.com your internet home for the Angels?
Scott Stradling: Why wouldn’t it be? Honestly, is there anyone who does it better than we do here at AW? If you want articles, we have that. If you want commentary, we got that. If you want access to players and minor leagues, we got that. If you want a boatload of pictures of cats or a 35 page argument about Israel vs Hamas we got that as well.
AngelsWin.com: In your opinion, what is AngelsWin.com’s best feature: the articles, charitable events, game-day chat, message boards, Fanfests, podcasts, etc?
Scott Stradling: This is a tough one, because I appreciate them all. My favorite articles are the Point and Counter Point or anything nostalgic that reminds me of my childhood. I obviously love the softball tournament like I mentioned before. Fanfests are incredible and should be on everyone’s Angels Bucket List. As you all know I am pretty active on the message boards, I have been called a NutSwinger, an Apologist, an Instigator, even a YesMan for all things Chuck and Angelswin. and at one time or another I have been all of those things, but through it all, I have always been and always will be a fan of the Angels, through thick and thin.
Ligther Side
AngelsWin.com: Where do you live and what do you do?
Scott Stradling: I live in Chino, California, and have for almost 20 years. I moved out here at the age of 23 when I bought my first house. I am a divisional manager for In n Out Burger, which is an amazing company to work for and is the perfect first job for your son or daughter. I have been with the company for 25 years and I couldn’t be happier with my choice in life.
AngelsWin.com: Why are you an Angels fan?
Scott Stradling: I grew up in Anaheim until about the age of 16, then I moved around a bit. My family consisted of my dad, mom, older sister and two older brothers, I was the baby in the family. My dad was a taxi cab driver in Anaheim and there were nights when he would pick up players from the stadium and take them wherever they needed to go. My dad would have his transistor radio and listen to the games while he was in the cab. One night my dad goes to the stadium during the game to pick up a player. Reggie was having a big night for us. My dad picks up the player and starts to talk to him about the game. My dad says to the guy, “Reggie sure is having a good night tonight, has a couple of home runs”, they guy says to my dad,”Yea, and one of them was off of me”. It was Ron Guidry. Like I said I had two older brothers, one a Dodger Fan and the other an Angel fan. I was closer to Doug, the Angel fan, so that is the direction I took. Doug is an active poster as well, his name on here is Splint. He is the #1 reason I love baseball and the Angels. My brother Paul, passed away 9 years ago this week after a fight with cancer, he was buried in a Dodger Jersey, I had given him the previous year for Christmas. I have been a fanatic about the Angels for the last 20 years, having season tickets for every year, but one since then. My two sons, Scottie and Jacob, have never missed an opening day.
AngelsWin.com: What was your first Angels game that you remember? Who’d you go with?
Scott Stradling: I really don’t recall my first game, my dad told me he remembers me going up and down the stairs in the upper deck around the age of 18 months. My first baseball memories puts me in the Yes We Can season of 79, but I don’t have vivid enough memories to share those. I am sure I went to the game with my dad and brothers. I do remember in the early 80’s they would have family night where tickets were very affordable. The entire upper deck (400 section and 500 section) would be general admission. My dad would buy us all tickets and then us boys would run up the ramps to get the best seats we could, which would usually be behind home plate, which is the 418 section or there a bouts now.
AngelsWin.com: Who have been your favorite players? Why? Any great stories or interactions with them?
Scott Stradling: My first favorite player was Brian Downing, I just loved the way he went all out on every play. Then I would have to say Tim Salmon. I remember going to get autographs for my son when he was probably about 4 years old. He is up on my shoulders and Salmon comes out to sign a few autographs, out behind the stadium where they park their cars. He sees my son on top of my shoulders and comes out and hands him his wrist bands from that game, I will never forget that. I also remember a time when Butcher was pitching for us, out in that same area after a game, where he got in a fans face for being disrespectful to Rod Carew, who was our hitting coach at the time. It was pretty awesome.
AngelsWin.com: How do you survive the offseason?
Scott Stradling: Simply put, Angelswin. I am the guy that only has one hobby and it is the Angels. While I like sports, nothing truly attracts me like the Angels. The only other thing I do more during the offseason is read. A few authors I like to read are David Baldacci, Vince Flynn and Dan Brown.
AngelsWin.com: What’s one thing you’d like everyone in AngelsWin.com to know about you?
Scott Stradling: I have very few loves in my life, I love my family, I love the company I work for, and I love the Angels, depending on the day, the order of those might be different. When someone doesn’t love baseball, I almost feel sorry for them, because they don’t quite know what they are missing.
