From: "Brandon Weaver"
BManWeaver@yahoo.com
Sent: May 18, 2003 * 1:48 A.M.
To: "Andrew Zarzour"
AZarzour72@earthlink.net
Subject: RE: Congratulations, Tar Heel Graduate!
Hey Andrew, great to hear from you! Yeah, it's crazy, I'm a college graduate. For like 16 years of my life I've been operating on a school schedule (fall classes, Christmas break, spring classes, summer break) and now, well, that's over. It's off to the real world, working every day and getting like one week off per year. I'm going to miss all the breaks, that's for sure!
Graduation day was kind of surreal. I really said my goodbyes to lots of friends and UNC campus life days before that (my roomies and I had to fight back tears when we closed the door of our dorm room for the last time -- we had all spent three years of our lives there, lots of great memories).
The Journalism School had its own commencement in the morning and then we joined the throng at Kenan Stadium for the final commencement where everyone walks. Then my mom and dad, my sister and my girlfriend went to eat Chinese food. That was it. Then it was home to a new life.
My dad did tell me he was proud of me several times. I'm not sure he's said that to me very much in my life, so that meant a lot.
Moving on ... The Europe trip IS still on -- we leave in 10 days! Robbie is coming, too. Too bad we can't swing through Vegas first. It sounds like you're still on a tear. I'm biased but I don't see why they don't call you back up. Good grief, you've got nothing left to prove in Triple A, right? What is your record now -- 6-1 or 7-1? You're averaging like 10 strikeouts per game now, right? Bring my man Z back to the Dodgers!!
It's funny you should ask about the bid by North Carolina to get the Expos moved here. That may be one of the big stories I could be working on when I get back from Europe -- as I start my one-year internship with Baseball America!! Wahoo!
It's a long story how I landed that gig, but I really lucked out. Another guy had it, then decided it wasn't for him. I just so happened to call the head editor later that day to follow up on the position (I had interviewed a month earlier), we talked at length again, and whamo -- I'm a Baseball America guy! I'm hoping it will lead to a full-time gig there or open doors somewhere in the baseball media world (covering an MLB team, working for an MLB team, being the personal PR guy for one Andrew Zarzour)... Haha...
As for a professional team relocating in our home state, well it's a long-shot. Right now Washington DC and Northern Virginia are the leading candidates, but the group organizing North Carolina's bid is planning to make a pretty serious run at it... We'll see ... Read all about it in the next few issues of Baseball America!!
Take care my friend. Keep pitching strong and you'll get your chance in the Big Show again, I'm sure of it. Until then, just concentrate on enjoying the moment...
Brandon