Throughout the season, the Ports front office will be catching up with several former Ports. This week, we caught up with former Ports catcher, and Brooklyn native, Yusuf Carter!

First off Yusuf, thanks for sitting down with us to chat with us. We aren’t going to keep Stockton fans waiting so we are going to dive right into the questions!

What is your favorite memory from your time at Banner Island Ballpark?

Well there are a bunch of great memories from my time in Stockton, but I would have to say that my favorite memory with the Ports would have to be catching Dallas Braden when he was there for a rehab start. That was such a cool experience!

Your uncle was Joe Carter. What was it like growing up with a famous uncle?

It was pretty cool having him as a uncle growing up. I got the chance to go to a lot of Yankee and Mets games when he came into town. I got to meet a lot of my favorite players too!

Did Joe give you any baseball tips when you were a kid?

He would give me a lot of tips on hitting and my swing and things like that. He has just been  a huge asset to me throughout my career. He has just been helpful throughout my career and still is today.

In the 09 Season you were an All-Star and hit a career high .318, that season must have been special?

That season was definitely special! It showed what I was capable if I stuck to my game and was a consistent player. It was an honor to be named as an All-Star for sure.

Which player did you most idolize and pattern your game after?

I would have to say that Ken Griffey Jr. was my favorite! He brought such a style and swagger to the game way back then and I always enjoyed watching him.

What facets of your game do you most wish to improve upon?

I think its important as a catcher to keep improving on all parts of your game. You have to stay sharp back there so you are always ready to block a ball or stop a guy from scoring or throw a runner out who is trying to steal. But I would say receiving is the most important because you do it the most.

You grew up in Brooklyn NY, Mets or Yankees fan?

Yankees hands down! I would always beg my mom to let me skip school to go to the championship parades! She caved!

Who has the best walk-up song, and why?

A lot of people say they like my walk up song, Lil Wayne’s “6 foot 7 foot”, but I’ll go with Michael Spina. He comes out to Rick Ross’ “Push It To The Limit”. I have always liked the song and hearing it loud really gets me going.

Where was your favorite place to eat in Stockton?

My favorite thing to eat was right there in the stadium! Those Kinders sandwiches are great!

Finish this sentence: the only thing that would make me scream like a little girl is…..

Realizing there is a spider or bug sitting on me somewhere! I’m a city boy! We do NOT do bugs!

If you were forced to sing karaoke, what would you would sing?

Anything Michael Jackson! Everyone will be too busy singing along to notice how bad I’m actually doing!

Any pre-game rituals or superstitions?

I just have to listen to music! I play the songs that get me going and ready to play.

If they made a movie about your life, who would you want to play you & why?

Denzel Washington! He is a great actor! He would definitely make it much more dramatic!

What was your first car?

A Dodge Charger.

You are kind of a Twitter-holic! Which celebrity/athlete do you most enjoy following and why?

I am not a Twitter-Holic! I just Tweet a lot sometimes! (Laughs) I like to joke and that’s a good way to do it when I’m bored. But I would have to say Brandon Phillips and Logan Morrison are 2 funny guys that I follow. I need a lot more followers to reach their level!

Well Yusuf, that’s all we have got, thanks for answering our questions!

Thanks for having me!

With the season well underway, the Stockton Ports welcome another catcher to their 2011 roster. Ryan Lipkin, a former psychology student from the University of San Francisco, is fitting right in with the Ports staff at Banner Island Ballpark. One may not guess it from speaking to him now, but Lipkin faced some troubling and tragic times before making it to where he is today.

Born and raised in Vacaville, CA, Lipkin began playing baseball at the young age of four.

“It was always what I wanted to do,” he said.

But it wasn’t a clear-cut path to being drafted by the Oakland A’s. Though, understandably, he does not wish to go into great detail, he admits to some dark and devastating times for him as a teen.

“When I was 16 I got jumped and I was stabbed 37 times with a razorblade. I was in some street fights and stuff like that,” he said. “And then when I was 19, one of my best friends was shot and killed in a drive-by.”

It takes a great support system to overcome injury and loss, and Lipkin was lucky enough to have that kind of support, both at USF and at home.

“I had a lot of good people who surrounded me. [After] my best friend was shot, my coach from USF was the one who picked me up from the airport,” he said. “So I had a lot of support at that college. He helped me deal with that part a little bit. And I had really good parents. I had a good home life, I was just getting into some trouble away from home.”

Ever determined, Lipkin worked through it all and drew the attention of the Oakland A’s when he was a junior. However, academic goals would take priority after his first draft.

“I got drafted my junior year by the Oakland A’s,” he said. “But I always wanted to get my degree, and I wasn’t drafted as high as I would have wanted to. So I definitely chose to go back to college, and I finished my psychology degree.”

But that wasn’t the end of the story for Lipkin and the A’s organization.

“When the draft came around, I ended up getting drafted by the Oakland A’s again in the 24^th round,” he said. “And I took it.”

Lipkin would go on to play for Vancouver and Kane County’s teams. He hit another obstacle during his time at spring training before landing a position with the Stockton Ports.

“When I went to spring training, everything was okay, and then I ended up with appendicitis. I got my appendix taken out during spring training, so I had to rehab my stomach,” he said. “And then some of the chips fell and the number one guy up here, [Max] Stassi, his shoulder’s been injured, so I ended up getting called up to kind of take over his position until he gets healthy.”

While he’s still fairly new to the team, he’s been hitting and throwing well, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed.

“He’s a real good kid and an exciting ballplayer,” said Ports manager Webster Garrison. “He’s a very entertaining guy, he’s good to have on the team, and he plays well.”

Ports fans can look forward to seeing Lipkin continue to play hard. He takes pride in his self-determination and passion for the game.

“I’m pretty self-motivated. I’ve always wanted it. I just love playing the game. It’s been a lot of fun,” he said.

He also doesn’t take anything for granted. The good friend he lost had been an aspiring football player at the community college they had attended. After his death, Lipkin became more acutely aware of how precious every opportunity is.

“Just to understand the fact that he doesn’t have the opportunity to pursue his goals anymore, [having] his mom [tell] me to make mine special and live through him kind of – that’s been a big motivator,” he said.

Catch Lipkin behind the plate this season, as he enjoys homestands near his own home with the Stockton Ports.

The Stockton Ports support growth through education. From our Baseball by the Books program to Education Days, the Ports remind kids to knock school out of the park and enjoy learning. On Wednesday, 37 San Joaquin county schools filled Banner Island Ballpark for our first Education Day of 2011! Four lucky students got to go down on the field and ask Ports players about school and baseball! Scott Deal, Gary Daley Jr., AJ Huttenlocker and Josh Lansford answer questions from favorite school subject to favorite baseball player:

A few weeks ago, we wrote an article about Ports catcher, Jonathon Johnston. Johnston has a very interesting background and we were excited to share it with all of the loyal Ports fan in our Game Day magazine. However, before we could send it to print, Johnston was reassigned to Extended Spring Training. But with such a unique story, we knew we could not let it go to waste. So here it is, the story of Jonathon Johnston.

At Ease with Lt. Johnston

While the backgrounds and experiences of each member of the Stockton Ports ball club are undoubtedly diverse, few have had a road to the minor leagues as singular as that of catcher Jonathan Johnston. The Trenton, NJ native was drafted by the Oakland A’s in 2007 and played for Kane County the following year until an obligation of utmost importance took priority – Navy deployment.

It can’t be an easy transition for anyone. To be so close to a goal, and then to have to put it on hold can be heartbreaking, but Johnston has held his head high through the experience.

“It was a tough situation,” he said. “On one hand you have the opportunity to serve your country, which is an honor, and on the other hand, you have the opportunity to pursue a lifelong dream. So it was tough going back and forth.”

Back when it had been time to make college plans, the U.S. Naval Academy stood out to Johnston. For someone looking for not only a place to play baseball, but also an academic challenge it seemed to be one of his best bets.

“I was looking at a lot of schools for baseball, and the Naval Academy is a division one school,” he said. “It’s a great school, and I got in, which is an honor in itself.”

Coming from a large family, Johnston also needed a way to help pay for his education. The Naval Academy would certainly be able to help.

“Financially, it just made sense for a family of five. I have five kids in my family, including me,” he explained. “It’s free education, and the ability to serve my country. So at the time, being a 165-pound senior, I wasn’t really looking at any professional prospects at the time. It just made sense.”

Though Johnston wasn’t immediately thinking of going pro, it had always been something of a dream for him. He started playing baseball at the age of four, and while he worked hard at the game, he kept a level head about where all of his work would take him.

“I’ve always been passionate about [baseball], and every kid has a dream to play professional baseball, but not everybody gets the opportunity,” he said. “And at the time, when I was a senior in high school, I didn’t think I was going to have a shot. But I grew, I started getting better, and just continued to keep working at it.”

While balancing baseball and the Navy may have become complicated by the time the big leagues were in view, the overlap of the two gave Johnston invaluable skills as both an athlete and a Navy lieutenant. He takes pride in what he has been able to accomplish.

“Baseball and football in high school helped me develop myself as a leader,” he said. “Being able to help lead a team to a certain goal helped me through the Naval Academy, and into my career as a Naval officer. I implemented a lot of those skills I learned from my teams that I’ve been on, and I treated my divisions as teams. We had a great rapport with all the guys. My divisions were always top-notch.”

That sense of leadership and working as a unit has transferred over well with Johnston, as he became a member of the Stockton team. Ports Pitching coach Craig Lefferts says it has been a pleasure to have him working with the team.

“Jonathan’s great. He’s had a remarkable life,” said Lefferts. “He’s a very intelligent player, and he does a great job working with the pitchers, calling games, and keeping the pitchers focused.”

Johnston has established an especially strong pitcher-catcher dynamic with fellow New Jersey native Ryan Doolittle. The duo constructs a hitter-by-hitter game plan before each game, and Doolittle appreciates the alternate perspectives Johnston provides.

“He’s an older guy, he’s very mature and knows a lot about the game. I’m a younger guy, so he helps out in lots of situations,” said Doolittle. “It’s like having a second coach.”

Doolittle also expressed that Johnston brings an outstanding feeling of positivity to the team, and always tries to keep them fired up to play. This further proves Johnston’s unwavering passion for baseball, and his devotion to the team effort. He spoke fondly of the Ports and having a place on the roster.

“I love playing baseball, I love being a part of the team, I love the guys,” said Johnston. “Whenever somebody goes away from a sport, the main thing that they talk about is having that atmosphere of being on a team, and being with the guys. That’s a big thing for me. I love it, and I just love playing the game.”

While his experience with the Navy has built his strength and character, it has also put a lot into perspective for him, and has put him at ease in the role of an athlete.

“Dealing with the totally different walks of life, all the different issues that come up, day-to-day operations in the Navy, just kind of makes playing baseball and being on a team again – it’s just easy,” he explained. “It’s fun to be part of a real sports team again. I think it has helped me be more mature about things, and just take things for what they’re worth.”

Now finally getting his shot at professional baseball, Johnston is enjoying his time in California, utilizing his strength, speed, and knowledge and passion at Banner Island Ballpark. While his road has not been easy or conventional, he gives off no sense of regret about anything he has been through, and is resolute about his choices.

“I wouldn’t do it any other way,” he said. “[The Navy] was a learning experience for me, and I grew as a man. I’m just glad to be here now.”

By Margaret Sacchet

As much as I absolutely hate to admit it, the sports industry is primarily a “man’s world”. But does that mean women shouldn’t be allowed to be a part of it? We have every right to be a part of it, right? The answer is definitely a yes. Working in the sports industry is hard. First, it’s hard to get in, and once you are in, it’s hard to stay in, especially for women. We really have to stand up for ourselves and take a lot of crap. And from what I have experienced in the past four years, it can be especially tough in the baseball industry. But what I want to know is why a lot of men think women shouldn’t work in sports. Do they think we are all “cleat chasers”? If women get this title, what are middle-aged men called who are trying to get the autograph of a 19-year-old kid? And who came up with the name “cleat chaser” anyway? It’s dumb.

After working three seasons in baseball and one in hockey, working in baseball is by far the most demanding job I have ever had. We work long hours…very long hours. Sometimes I think I should have a bed in my office from April thru September. I am here more than I am at my own apartment. Why would someone, man or woman, want to work such crazy hours for any other reason then they love their job? Do guys really think we work in baseball just to stare at minor league athletes in tight pants? Is it really that surprising that women really do like baseball? Hey guys, guess what? I do!

I take a lot of pride in my job. A lot of work goes in to preparing for a six month long baseball season. Most people I talk to don’t realize that I still work here in the off-season, too. What I love most about working in baseball is the behind-the-scenes aspect of it. Like I just mentioned, there is a lot that goes in to preparing for a game and fans don’t see all of that. They walk thru the gates ready to watch some baseball without realizing all that was done in order for those gates to open.

Did I mention how much work it is? Yep, I think I did.  And not just sitting-at-my-desk work. It’s literally getting-my-hands-dirty work. I pull tarp in the rain with the guys. I pick up hundreds of fireworks with the guys. None of us like to do it, including the guys, but hey, it’s part of the gig. Just because I wear dresses and high heels and get my nails done doesn’t mean I won’t get dirty. But at the end of the day my job is FUN. How many people can say that? I bet Mr. Bank Man doesn’t have as much fun at his job.

Working with the players though is a whole other story. I had an interesting experience the other day that I found very amusing but annoying at the same time. I was sitting outside watching our guys take batting practice, minding my own business and drawing absolutely no attention to myself. A guy from the visiting team, for whatever reason, thought it would be cool to start blowing kisses at me as he walked in to the dugout. I was so overtaken by desire that I jumped out of my seat, ran down to him, threw my arms around him and we lived happily ever after. Wrong! Dude, what was going thru your head when you decided to do that? What did you think was going to happen? Absolutely nothing. You just slightly annoyed me and provoked me to make fun of you behind your back with my coworkers.

Here is where this subject gets a little tricky for me. I absolutely, without a doubt in my mind, believe women have every right to work in sports right alongside the guys. I think I’ve made this very clear by now. But should there be any boundaries? At my previous baseball job I was working in public relations. This meant that I had to make frequent trips in to the clubhouse. At first, it was a little awkward, and the guys would make sure they made it as awkward as possible. It got to the point, though, where I was able to ignore their, well, inappropriateness. Would they act like that if a male staff member went in to the clubhouse? Yeah, I don’t think so. Like Mr. Kissy Pants I talked about above, just because you try to get my attention in a weird, obnoxious way, doesn’t mean I am going to pay any attention to you, come on now.

I had the opportunity to observe a post-game interview in a major league clubhouse a few years ago. One of the coolest experiences of my baseball career thus far, but also one of the most intimidating. Was it the fact that they were all major league guys standing around in towels that intimidated me? I don’t know. If you know me at all, or have seen me make a fool of myself at any Ports game, you know I am by no means a shy, timid person. Why then did I let this moment leave me hovering off to the side hoping no one noticed me? How would a male feel in this situation? I definitely think that random Joe- off-the-street baseball fan might react the exact same way as I did. Us average folks aren’t used to hanging out in a major league clubhouse. I know a lot of guys who are obsessed with baseball…collect-every-baseball-card-on-the-planet obsessed. How do you think Mr. Super Fan would react if he walked in to a major league clubhouse and his baseball idol was standing five feet in front of him? Awkward and slightly uncomfortable? I think so. But hey, what do I know?

I could go on and on about this topic so, I am going to come to the conclusion that all guys on the outside looking in are just jealous of my job. I have a pretty sweet job, I know. I get to watch baseball for a living and they don’t. So take that, boys!