About R.J. Page
I tend to think of myself as a rare breed… an animal close to extinction. I understand that in modern pop culture rarity is worn with a with a sense of achievement similar to dropping major cash for the latest one of one Nikes. Unfortunately, my uniqueness does not seem to add to my swag like an expensive pair of kicks does. I’m in search of those with similar interests to myself. I guess you could say that is why I started this blog. I enjoy connecting with those of like ideals, regrettably those occasions are few and far between.
First up to bat (pun intended), I’m one of the last black baseball fans following the sport in a manner that some would define as obsessive. While this may be an exaggeration from both perspective’s what’s not is a pre-game ritual some of today’s black baseball players participate in. Curtis Granderson, center fielder for the New York Yankees has spoken on many occasions as to how he and his teammates attempt to count the number of black fans on any given night. On many occasions this game is over before it even gets started. My real world experiences have been similar to Grandreson’s. Meeting another black baseball fan is generally met with somewhat of an interrogation process as if we both have to ensure what we have encountered is real. While this blog will address what I find interesting within Major League Baseball please understand that I am a Detroit Tigers fan and my passion for my team will likely be reflected in the amount of Tiger posts I may write when compared to my San Diego Padres entries.
Music has been a part of my like as long as I can remember. I still have vivid memories letting my Great Adventures of Slick Rick tape rock until the tape popped as Notorious would say. Fast forward to 2011 and much of the music getting mainstream airplay sounds repetitive and the opposite of thought-provoking. Hell, I’m almost certain one hour of BET videos can do as much damage to your overall IQ as a marathon of the LA Basketball Wives. Therefore, I qualify myself as an enthusiast of conscious music. Now I don’t mean conscious in a holier than thou sense of the word. I simply have an appreciation for music that was created for betterment of the listener. As my posts will add more substance to my musical appreciation I will share with you one of my favorite songs from one of my favorite artists.
A simple glance at the blog title and I’m sure you can gather the final element of the blog’s subject matter. Growing up I was the kid that took a book with me wherever I went. While I would like to think that as I’ve matured so to has the subject matter of the books I read but it is still common for me to tote a book around the city. As the blog title suggests, two of my favorite book topics are baseball and music. Two outstanding books that capture this preference include:
In the past my reading has been heavily dominated by works of non-fiction, with very little fiction on the bookshelf. With this blog I will make a concerted effort to balance the scales and cover both genera.
My hope is that the internet will help me cast a wider net and help me realize my interest’s are not as rare as I think. As you read, I encourage comments, please express your views, and share your thoughts. I appreciate the discourse. It’s no fun being a one of one.
BaseballBooksandBeats 
I too am a baseball fan and I must thank you for introducing me to the game. Your insight, sharing of knowledge and patience have been priceless in opening me up to another world!
Although Baseball is America’s Pastime, I did not go to my first game until my 30’s! It is refreshing to know a brother who steps outside the “norm” and shares the knowledge. I look forward to reading more from Baseball, Books, and Beats!
Keep the posts coming!
I too am a baseball fan and I am proud to see that my oldest son, RJ Page, is probably an even bigger fan than I am. I remember the baseball intellect shown by the writer at the first game he attended. He loved old Tiger Stadium, even as a kid. I remember him yelling at Frank Tanana and when he pitched poorly his cry was “Yank Frank”. We drove to numerous ballparks in his childhood and even visited Candlestick Park and Dodger Stadium. I look forward to more posts from this “baseball guru”.
I’m glad I was snooping around the Negro League Conference page and they had a like to your site. Great recap of the weekend, and I enjoyed reading more about you in this piece. I can’t wait to see the work you’re going to produce in the coming years, and I hope, in some way, I’ll be able to help you.
Hey Jessie. I had no idea someone linked to my article. I need to do a better job getting the word out when I write. Hence I just joined FaceBook. I also see u have a blog. Count me as a follower brotha. Great to hear from ya