Jamie Turner (ret.)

Name:  Jamie Turner
I-75 League team name:  Tropical Heat
Birthdate: March 9, 1957
Currently resident of:  North Royalton, Ohio
Birthplace: Richmond Heights, Mo.
Family: Wife, Debbie.
Occupation:  Journalist, fledgling documentarian
Employer: Cleveland Plain Dealer
Job title: Online sports copy editor
In plain English, what do you do: I am responsible for editing and posting sports content from the Plain Dealer to our online product, Cleveland.com.
Real-life MLB team you are a fan of: In my childhood, the Detroit Tigers. Now I root for success with either the Tigers or the Cleveland Indians.
Years in the I-75 League: I believe I’m starting my 26^th or 27^th.
Years playing Strat: Same as previous answer.
How you first were introduced to Strat: I played the game once or twice as a teen, but was more interested in the real thing.  Then again, that can be said about a lot of things, can’t it?
How you became part of the I-75 League: When the league was created, I was visiting Dave and Gary in Tampa, and was asked to be the phone moderator for the first I-75 draft. Feeling a little like Pete Rozelle, I agreed for a call that memory says began around 11 p.m. and was amazed that we were on long enough for someone the following morning to ask us to move to a different location in the office. In 1984, while working in Florida, I was asked by Gary Kicinski to take over a franchise (then named the Lounge Lizards).
Origin of your team name: I was working in Hollywood, Fla., in 1984, and the name seemed appropriate. I have considered several lawsuits against the Miami NBA franchise for copyright infringement, but lawyers keep talking me out of it. Team was briefly the High Desert Heat when franchise relocated to Reno, Nev., but the old name was revived when the franchise continued to Honolulu, and then to Cleveland. Obviously, there is a lot of sarcasm in the title given the current location.
Any Strat involvement outside the I-75 League? No.
Fondest  I-75 League memory (related to Strat competition):  Nolan Ryan’s no-hitter of the Ansbach Angels in the late 90s, when I punched Mike Renbarger in the excitement of the final inning.
Fondest I-75 League convention moment: Winning the 20-year all-time tournament, when two Heat teams made the finals. Although I distinctly remember a lack of mutual excitement from the fellow franchises as the title game was being played.
Favorite I-75 League tradition:  Mocking big-league players at exhibition games … awww, sit down Valverde, it’s not like you can get out a lefty!
Trade or draft pick you made that you wish you could have back: Instead of trading the first draft pick in 2005, I should have taken Hanley Ramirez.
Trade or draft pick you made in which you think you hit a homer:  Vlad Guerrero was a good choice in the initial retention draft while everyone else was obsessing about Alex Rodriguez. But I’m even prouder of taking Mariano Rivera in the fourth round … the last remaining original member of the retention Heat.
One thing you would do to improve the league: If Strat ever created a Mac version, my life would be complete.
How to follow you: Website, Blog,  Facebook, MySpace, Twitter… I have a LinkedIn page, but haven’t figured out much to do with it yet.
Your chance to self-promote: If you’re in Ann Arbor sometime after late February, feel free to pick up “Tis of Michigan We Sing, 150 Years of the Michigan Men’s Glee Club” … a DVD documentary/concert film that I conceived, produced, wrote and directed. It will hopefully be on Amazon.com soon, too.
How you can be reached: JTrnr544@sbcglobal.net
Jamie Turner dropped out of the league after the 2010 season