11 May 2063
Boise, Idaho
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Yaxel Bardenwerper
The Tuber Times is proud to introduce readers to a new face in Yaxel Bardenwerper as the beat writer for the Boise Spuds. The towering Bardenwerper, at 6'10" tall, had a brief stint as a baseball player at Boise State before becoming a full-time columnist and writer. Former players remember him as an imposing figure on the mound. The former players include current Spuds GM Ben Teague who was a former teammate of Bardenwerper's. "Man, he was intimidating. He had a mid-90s fastball. That may not sound overpowering, but with his length it seemed the ball was released 6 inches from your face and your brain had trouble picking up any spin from his breaking balls."
Bardenwerper has contributed to The New York Times, The Washington Post, Harper's and other outlets. He received a BA from Boise State and MA from Johns Hopkins University before serving as an infantry officer with the Airborne Rangers in Iraq. He is the author of The Prisoner in His Palace and Homestand: Small Town Baseball and the Fight for the Soul of America. Editor: Yes, those are real books. Please consider buying them.
Hailing from the Boise suburb of Boise North, the author is excited to return to the area and contribute to the legacy of covering the Spuds. "As a baseball fan, this is a dream assignment," said Bardenwerper, "I'm so blessed to have my career come full circle back to the southern Idaho region." Bardenwerper and his wife Michelle have two daughters, ages 6 and 10, named Savanah and Penelope. Former beat writer Tony Toney will continue his career as a writer covering baseball for the small, Independent League's Las Vegas Athletics.