Five questions with Dann Stupp, author of Tom Browning's Tales from the Dugout. As an aside, I really hope that more of these books will be forthcoming. There are so many great Cincinnati Reds from the past that haven't had their stories told, and there are also so many great teams that haven't been explored well enough. It seems like other (larger market) teams get books constantly, but the Reds are pretty dry. Nice to see that changing a bit.
RR: How has it been working with Tom?
Dann: It's been a really great experience. I really started getting into Reds baseball as a kid during the mid-'80s, so Tom was of course one of my favorite players. You have no idea how exciting it was just to talk baseball with him. I got an insider's view of my favorite childhood memories: his perfect game, Pete Rose's record-breaking hit and the 1990 World Series. It was just an amazing experience, and I really thank Tom for being so much fun and so accommodating during it all.
RR: What exactly do you do for the Reds?
Dann: I'm the creative services manager. Our department is responsible for a variety of things, including publications, sales brochures, logo design, photography/historic archives, maintenance of reds.com, ballpark signage and overall brand identity. We provide design/writing/editing/production support for just about every department within the front office.
RR: How did you come to work for the Reds?
Dann: I grew up in Springfield, Ohio (the hometown of our newest pitcher, Rick White) and went to the University of Missouri to study journalism. I landed an internship in the communications department after my junior year of college, and then I was offered a full-time position during my senior year. It was really a matter of being in the right place at the right time (with the right skills). I knew I wanted to work in baseball, and I really lucked out in landing a job with my favorite team.
RR: Could you take us through a typical work day?
Dann: I guess that's the most appealing part of my job; there really isn't a typical day. One day could be spent almost exclusively working on reds.com, the next day could be spent working on content for the team yearbook, and then I could spend a few days writing/editing brochures, taking photos during press conferences, searching for interns or doing special projects with the Reds Community Fund or Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum. With our new ownership's commitment to rebuilding a true "Reds Nation," I'm really looking forward to incorporating more online and outreach responsibilities to the mix.
RR: Are there plans to do any more of these books in the future with other players?
Dann: I had a great time working on this book, but we had a very tight production schedule, so I'm going to take some time off before jumping into my next project. However, Tom and I tossed around the idea of doing a book exclusively on the 1990 team. It's hard to believe one hasn't been done yet. There are also a few other topics I'd like to explore, such as Ted Kluszewski and the 1981 "We Wuz Robbed" season. I just can't wait for the day I get to write a first-person account of working in the front office during a World Series season. I'd give anything to experience 1990 again.
Amen to that! Thanks so much for taking the time to do this Dann.
Tomorrow: The Tom Browning interview