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Diamondbacks Fan Friday: Jesse Friedman

By David Coffey

PHOENIX, AZ - AUGUST 09: Fans and players attempt to catch a thrown bat from J.D. Martinez (not pictured) of the Arizona Diamondbacks during the fourth inning of the MLB game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chase Field on August 9, 2017 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
PHOENIX, AZ - AUGUST 09: Fans and players attempt to catch a thrown bat from J.D. Martinez (not pictured) of the Arizona Diamondbacks during the fourth inning of the MLB game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chase Field on August 9, 2017 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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Welcome to Fan Friday. A brand new weekly article that is entirely focused on the fans of the Arizona Diamondbacks. In this article, we will post a Q&A with big Diamondbacks fans to learn more about them and how their  fandom came to be.

In this first foray into the Fanzone, we will be interviewing Diamondbacks Podcaster, Jesse Friedman. Jesse is a co-host on the podcast The Rattle, a weekly recap of the Diamondbacks season.

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The Interview.

David: When did you become a Diamondbacks fan and how intense of a fan were you back in the day?

Jesse: I’ve been a Diamondbacks fan for as long as I can remember. My dad is an avid baseball fan, so I think my love for baseball originated with him. I probably reached “diehard” status back in 2011 when I was a “kidkaster” at age 12. I’m about to move to the Los Angeles area for college, but my loyalties will always be here in Arizona with the Diamondbacks.

D: What made you decide to create a Podcast all about the Arizona Diamondbacks weekly going ons?

J: Ever since my 20 minutes of “fame” as kidkaster back in 2011, I’ve begun to seriously pursue my passion for broadcasting. My “career” started with The Web Gem, a national MLB podcast that has featured interviews with numerous baseball analysts, writers, and reporters from outlets like ESPN, The New York Times, FOX Sports, and many more (I still host this show today — check it out on iTunes)! I first drew my attention to a Diamondbacks podcast when Sean, a fellow D-Backs fan who lived in California, presented the idea to me in an email before the 2016 season. Life got in the way last year, but we released Episode 1 right before Opening Day 2017 and haven’t looked back. The Rattle Podcast is now on it’s 20th episode, and we are confident that our show is the foremost consistent Diamondbacks podcast anywhere on the internet. For those who are interested, we’re on Twitter at @TheRattleAZ, and our show is available on iTunes.

D: Do you remember going to your first ever Diamondbacks Game?

J: Honestly, I don’t! I was actually born in the same year as the Diamondbacks (1998), and my first game came long before I had the ability to remember anything.

D: Who would you say is your favorite current player for the Diamondbacks? How about your favorite Alumni?

J: The Diamondbacks clubhouse is filled with likable players on and off the field, but I think Archie Bradley tops the list for me this year. He’s turned out to be one of few super relievers to ever put on a Diamondbacks uniform, and I love the emotion he brings to the field that is so rare in the game of baseball.

D: What are your favorite Diamondbacks uniforms during their almost 20 year history?

J: Despite all of the pushback that the new uniforms have gotten, I’m a big fan of the home teal. With so many teams wearing red in baseball, it’s nice to have teal to set the Diamondbacks apart.

D: What do you think the Diamondbacks need to do in order to keep this success the team is having going forward not only this year but in years to come?

J: As a low- to mid-market team, the Diamondbacks’ long-term success hinges on drafting well and maintaining a formidable farm system. As much as I love their current core of position players, the reality is that not all of them will be Diamondbacks for life. They need to go find their future Pollocks, Peraltas, and Goldschmidts, and I have tremendous faith that Mike Hazen and the new front office regime understand that fully and are dedicated to making that happen. The good news is that four members of what has turned out to be a top-two starting rotation in baseball—Zack Greinke, Robbie Ray, Taijuan Walker, and Zack Godley—are under contract through at least 2021. If the Diamondbacks can continue to have a strong position player core, they could be good for a long, long time.

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