Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom was a better swimmer and tennis player growing up than he was a baseball player.
“Little League was it for me,” Bloom said. “That was about as far as I was going to go.”
Let’s take a quick break from free agent rumors, trade talks and labor negotiations to toss a few fun questions at Bloom and other MLB executives who spoke with MassLive.com at the GM Meetings in Carlsbad, Calif., earlier this month.
Bloom discussed his brief baseball career, his days as a swimmer and tennis player, his first MLB game as a kid and more.
Smith: What was the first major league game you attended as a kid?
Bloom: “It was a Phillies game, but I couldn’t tell you exactly when. I have very vague memories of it. But I once actually tried to see if I could figure out which game it was. I want to say it was against the Padres and I’m not certain about that. I’m pretty confident Mike Schmidt played in it. But beyond that, I couldn’t tell you anything.”
Smith: What got you with baseball. What made you really love it?
Bloom: “I think it was gradual early in my life and it became more and more a part of my life. But the thing that really clinched it for me was falling in love with that ‘93 Phillies team. I was 10 years old. It was around then that it became more of an obsession.”
Smith: Did one player increase that passion for you? I’ll tell you, my favorite player was Tony Pena and I wanted to be a catcher but I’m left-handed.
Bloom: “I’m also left-handed and my favorite player as a kid was also a catcher. It was Darren Daulton. I was realistic enough to know I wasn’t trying to be him but he was just my favorite player.”
Smith: When did you learn there was more to baseball than just what happens on the field? The analytics side.
Bloom: “I think as I got into high school, deep into high school, I became aware of this whole other world behind the scenes. And it was very early in college that I really decided to pursue it as a career. It was just fascinating to me.”
(Bloom graduated from Yale with a degree in Classics (Latin). He wrote for his high school paper, interned at Baseball Prospectus in college, then worked an internship in the MLB front office).
Smith: So it was really early in college?
Bloom: “When I tried to make my passion a career, yeah.”
Smith: When did you know baseball wasn’t going to happen as a player?
Bloom: “Oh, that was apparent really early on. I’m a well below-average athlete and I have been my entire life. There was never a chance I was going to play this game at a high level.”
Smith: What other sports did you play growing up?
Bloom: “I swam. That was probably my best sport. I played some tennis.”
Smith: What swimming events?
Bloom: “I kind of did all of them. All four major strokes.”
Smith: In high school?
Bloom: “No, I stopped after middle school. My high school didn’t have a swim team. ... But freestyle and backstroke were easier for me than breaststroke and butterfly.”
Smith: Do you still play tennis?
Bloom: “Very infrequently. Once in a while I’ll play against my wife (Aliza). She’s a lot better than I am.”
Smith: What sports do you play for fun now? Do you golf?
Bloom: “I have golfed a total of twice since becoming a parent. ... So it’s been a while. But I enjoy it. I like playing pickup basketball.”
Smith: Are you a good shooter?
Bloom: “No. No. I’m taller than most people so I just try to stand around and throw some elbows.”
Smith: Who do you play pickup basketball with?
Bloom: “It’s been a while. I used to play a lot of it at spring training. Actually in ‘20 before the shutdown, we played a little bit of it. Obviously this past year because of COVID concerns we weren’t playing basketball.”
Smith: Did you play tennis in high school.
Bloom: “For a year. Not a ton. Mostly recreation.”
Smith: And you played high school baseball?
Bloom: “No, I didn’t play high school baseball. Little League was it for me. That was about as far as I was going to go.”
Smith: Is your wife more athletic?
Bloom: “Yeah, and by a real margin. She’s a tennis player. (Played in) high school. But she was actually good.”
OTHER FRONT OFFICE EXECUTIVES SPEAK
MassLive.com asked other executives about the first MLB game they attended as a kid, what really got them passionated about baseball and their favorite players growing up.
David Stearns, Brewers president of baseball operations
“First major league game I ever attended, I was very young and I only remember certain aspects. It was a Mets game at Shea Stadium. I remember Dave Magadan hit a walkoff home run for the Mets. I want to say it was ‘89 or ‘90. Somewhere in there. And I was actually disappointed. I was happy the Mets won. I was disappointed because we had to go home. I wanted the baseball to keep going. I want to say he hit the walkoff in the ninth. And so I was very excited for extra innings.
“It (baseball) is part of my family. My maternal grandfather grew up a big Brooklyn Dodgers fan. When the Dodgers left, the Mets came, he stuck with National League baseball and became a Mets fan. I just sort of fell into a baseball culture and baseball family. I loved playing. I played whenever I could. I just loved the game and still love the game.
“As a kid, I fashioned myself as a pretty good shortstop. Not sure I was, but I like to think I was. And I had a good arm but I couldn’t really hit. And so a similar guy with the Mets was Kevin Elster. So I really liked Kevin Elster as a little kid. As I progressed through the ‘90s, the Mets had some pretty good teams in the late ‘90s. Those were the Mike Piazza teams. Rey Ordóñez was the shortstop and I was a fan of his.”
David Forst, Athletics GM
“First game I ever went to as a kid? I grew up in L.A. I was a Dodgers fan and my first memory would have been like ‘80 or ‘81 with the Dodgers. (Fernando) Valenzuela. (Steve) Sax. (Steve) Garvey. Ron Cey. Those are the teams I remember best. And I remember taking a picture with Steve Sax at like a player appearance when I was 6 years old probably.
“I think it just was seeing the Dodgers up close. Like I said, I saw Steve Sax at a player appearance and I wanted to be a middle infielder. I wore No. 5 because Mike Marshall was wearing it in the outfield. I think you just sort of connect to those guys who are larger than life when you’re that age.”
(He attended his first game at 4 or 5. He can’t pinpoint the exact game).
“My dad grew up a Dodgers fan in LA. He was at (Sandy) Koufax’s perfect game in ’65. I’m sure from the time I was born I was going to Dodgers games.”
Chris Antonetti, Guardians president of baseball operations
“I know it was at Yankee Stadium. That’s where we went to games — in the old stadium. I want to say it was in mezzanine. I was 6 or 7 years old. I don’t remember a lot about the specifics other than I believe we were playing the A’s. I was definitely into the game but also interested in eating hot dogs and the atmosphere that comes along with the ballpark.
“I grew up in a family of four boys. We played (baseball) all the time. We were always doing athletics. Baseball was one of those sports that we played all the time in the backyard. And then just watching Yankees games for me growing up and we would sit around and watch it on WPIX.
“Don Mattingly was my guy.
“When we were going to hire a manager, Don was one of the candidates. It was a surreal experience for me. Growing up, kind of idolized him. I was naturally a right-handed hitter and I tried to hit left-handed to mirror his swing. Obviously that wasn’t very successful based upon my playing career. It was a little bit surreal to do that (interview him.”
Perry Minasian, Angels GM
“First major league game I went to, I want to say I actually bat boy-ed the game. (Dodgers) playing the Cubs. My father worked in baseball, my grandfather. My brothers work in baseball. So it’s in the blood to a certain extent.
“We were close family friends with Tommy Lasorda. He’s my brother’s godfather. So my grandfather and Tommy were best friends. My dad worked for Tommy in the minor leagues when he was managing. So the first game I can remember going to, I want to say I was 6 and I was a bat boy.
“In Wrigley. We were playing the Cubs in Wrigley because we originally were from Chicago. Maybe they took me when I was really young and I don’t remember.”
Chris Young, Rangers GM
“It was a Texas Rangers game when I was probably 3 years old. I can’t remember much about it. I just remember my parents driving me out to old Arlington Stadium and I just loved it.
“The bonds with my father. Just going out in the front yard, throwing the baseball with him or going to the park and hitting and having him pitch to me. Or sitting and watching major league games with him. That bond was special.
“When Nolan Ryan came to the Rangers in ‘89, that really infused this love of pitching for me. That was the moment I decided I wanted to be a pitcher. I couldn’t be Nolan Ryan but nonetheless, he helped grow the love for pitching for me. He changed my fandom for the Rangers.”
Nick Krall, Reds GM
“I grew up about 45 minutes or so north of Baltimore. And I went to an Oriole game when I was a kid. Orioles-Blue Jays at Memorial Stadium. I was probably 4 or 5. I don’t remember anything about it. But I got a scorebook.
“My dad actually played college baseball when I was born. I joke with family, I say, I went to baseball games and I don’t even remember what happened.
“I played baseball growing up and just fell in love with baseball. As a kid, being an Orioles fan, Eddie Murray was probably my favorite player. But that was early on. The Orioles picked Ben McDonald with the No. 1 overall pick. I went to a minor league game. I had a buddy who was a batboy for the Harrisburg Senators. ... Ben McDonald was the No. 1 pick and I went to the minor leagues to see the Orioles (prospects) ... and I met Ben McDonald in the bullpen. Ever since then, I was a huge LSU fan. And I loved LSU baseball growing up in Pennsylvania. So it’s one of the reasons I wanted to go and try to walk on.”
Carter Hawkins, Cubs GM
“1990 Braves game in Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium. So it was right before they became really good. I’m almost certain that David Justice hit a home run in that game. I was a big Dale Murphy fan, for sure. And then obviously the next year in ‘91, they went worst to first. And I became obsessed at that point. That was a pretty easy fandom. Anyone ‘91 to ‘94 Brave, I can tell you their first, middle and last name.
“Early I was a Ron Gant guy. Then, obviously (Greg) Maddux, (Tom) Glavine, (John) Smoltz. Those guys really came on the scene. I enjoyed watching those starting pitchers day-in, day out. I mean, there were so many great players there. Chipper (Jones) came in. I think just the whole team. Like all my other friends, I was pretty obsessed.”
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