#FanCave30

The MLB Fan Cave named their top 30 finalists that will be heading to Arizona. This group of 30 are now one step closer to the ULTIMATE dream job–living in New York City, watching every single baseball game every day, creating entertaining content, interacting with all types of baseball fans, and meet and interview their favorite players, musicians, models, and actors/actresses.

I would be lying if I said that I didn’t care about the Cave this year and it’s potential occupants. After all, this is how Taylor and I met last year! Taylor and I both applied again this year, and didn’t find ourselves among those chosen to potentially be a professional Cave Dweller. Knowing that we had friends who wanted to be in the Cave just as much as we did, we threw our support behind them. There’s no reason we couldn’t help our friends take that next step even though our door had been closed, is there!? No. Being a great friend means you’re able to do something great for someone else–even if you feel disappointed for not making it yourself.

I wanted to make sure you are aware of a few great people that still have a lit torch (sorry, I recently watched the season premiere of Survivor) in this contest and let you know why you should support them.

In ABC order…

Jeremy Dorn
Last year Jeremy was a member of the Top 50 finalists. For some crazy and unknown reason, his run at the Cave ended there. For those of us who had gotten to know Jeremy over the two weeks of campaigning in 2012 knew that he was a HUGE Dodgers fan and his passion for baseball wasn’t going to end just because his stroke of luck had. He, along with other members of the Top 50, started a podcast/blog called 3U3D. Their blog was one of the top MLB Blogs for 2012 and they still consistency chrun out new content. How’s that for taking a negative and turning it into a postive? Jeremy also writes for Bleacher Report and works for a magazine. He has all of the writing skills that the Fan Cave needs… and did you see his video? He is eating ice cream and crying over baseball! We can all relate to that, can’t we?! (As long as it is chocolate ice cream!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idgEQAYXqSc

Bryan Mapes
I’ve never called him Bryan–that’s not his name… it’s MAPES. Last year, Mapes was shut out of the top 50, yet he still became the biggest cheerleader and motivator for all of us–which says a lot about his character. The more we all got to know Mapes, the more we could see… THIS GUY KNOWS SO MUCH ABOUT BASEBALL! Along with Jeremy, Mapes is involved with 3U3D’s blog and podcasts. This guy was so determined to make the Cave this year that he booked a trip to Spring Training to try to gather endorsements well before the Top 52 was even announced. I think I speak for everyone when I say that it was great to see Mapes in the Top 52 this year… especially because he said he would cheer for BJ Upton and make him feel at home in Atlanta (I’m a Rays fan–I was sad to see BJ leave).

Travis Miller
A very unhealthy love for Taylor Swift would describe Travis perfectly. By unhealthy, I of coarse mean that Travis is just a really supportive fan of a musical artist that I don’t happen to enjoy. Travis entered the very first MLB Fan Cave contest back in 2010, when that didn’t pan out he kept his hopes alive and applied again in 2011–which landed him a spot in the Top 30. Not turning out the results that he wanted… he remained optimistic and applied for the Cave again in 2012. I know that every single one of us think that Travis is a talented writer and thinks of great video ideas… so here’s hoping that MLB recognizes his talents and puts him in the cave for this 2013 season! Travis is like everyone’s good friend; he’s just a likeable person… especially when he wants his Klout score to go up :).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3q9h7CdrXs

Jay Tuohey
Jay is yet another former Top 30 member from 2012. Last year I remember thinking to myself, “THIS GUY FILMED A VIDEO WITH A DELOREAN?! OKAY, WE’RE ALL DONE. HE’S TOTALLY IN!” He makes great videos that involve little details–like did you notice the images changing in the cubicle in his Miami Marlins Mio video? Okay, maybe you did. It was funny. Last year during our last outing in Arizona, both Ben and Jay dressed up–Ben as Brian Wilson and Jay as Rick Vaughn… and it was awesome. It’s always a good thing when someone is able to do something to make everyone forget that we had all just competed against each other for those coveted spots in the Cave.

Kelsey Shea Weinrich
Kelsey was one of my first friends from the Top 50 last year–we were both Florida residents and wanted to try to film a video together and do something different that the rest of the pack hadn’t done yet… sadly that video didn’t work out so well. Anyone that has watched any of Kelsey’s videos can tell you that she’s a great actress from her facial expressions to her crazy Kelsey hair! She even braved the wild last year to interview the Cards’ rally squirrel… and survived to tell us all about it. Kelsey also has a huge passion for Broadway and has a great voice–that would work out great for the Cave since they happen to have all of that stellar music equipment waiting around.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8d-oxRZBUBM

Ally Williams
#RallyAlly! I keep thinking to myself, “Who in the world am I going to take a trip to New York with this year since Ally is going to be in the Cave?!” Ally and I had a really fun baseball trip to Citi Field and Yankee Stadium last April where I sat with a HUGE crowd of passinate Giants fans and chanted with them the entire double-header against the Mets. Ally loves the San Francisco Giants more than anything and would be such an outstanding choice for not only Giants fans, but for all baseball fans. She’s in-tune with social media and was even a correspondent for the Giants and MLB… gathering those feel-good moments in pictoral form from AT&T park all season long! Her experience makes her a really well-rounded candidate for the Cave.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPJUMflz3gQ

Along with those six, there’s obviously a massive talent pool to round out the top 30. Others, who in my own personal opinion, that stand out with their videos: Lindsay Beaver, Calder Cahill, Nick Mendillo, Vanessa Demske

I’m so excited for everyone!… and for baseball… but mostly because I hope some of my friends get to live out their baseball dreams this season.