'I feel Like I Should Be Waking Up from a Dream Sometime Soon!'

Rob Engel grew up in the South Bay but is now living his dream working for Major League Baseball. He is not only a lifelong fan of baseball, but a player as well. He played baseball from the age of 8, through high school and then college, and still continues to play on a local men’s league in his new home of New York City. He’s played the position of catcher, pitcher and first base.

Even though he has recently moved away from the area, he’s still a BIG Giants fan and definitely follows his team!

Rob shared his thoughts on the Giants, their awesome season and big win in the 2012 World Series, and what it’s like to be both a fan and a player.

How long have you been a Giants fan?

I've always liked both the A's and Giants, but in 2007 I started cheering for the Giants exclusively because I couldn't bear being an A's fan after they continued to trade all of their key players.

What does the team mean to you?

The team means a lot. They have a great chemistry and are very humble, which is rather rare these days in professional sports. They really appreciate their fans, plus Giants fans have a very strong passion for their team.

Tell me about your current job working for MLB.

I am now a software engineer for MLB. I work mainly on Gameday (a game simulation you can watch live online for free) and Stats programming, along with creating a lot of programs that are used internally.

What is it like working for MLB being a lifelong fan and player?

It is a dream come true. I never thought I would be able to apply what I went to school for with my passion for baseball in a real job setting.

Now that you have moved away, do you still watch and follow the team and/or go to Giants games?

Whenever the Giants are in town or I am back in town I go to the games. I also try to go to nearby cities they are playing in too if I get a chance. Other than that I watch all the games online through MLB.tv

Did you go to any of the games during the playoffs or the World Series? Tell me about your experience at the game.

I went to the first World Series game. It was one of the coolest experiences ever! The magnitude of the game combined with the energy of the crowd was crazier than I had ever experienced before. It turned out to be a historic game as well, with Pablo Sandoval hitting three home runs, so that was amazing to see!

How do you feel now that the Giants have won the 2012 World Series?

I feel like I should be waking up from a dream sometime soon!

Favorite player?

Buster Posey.

Highlight of the 2012 season:

Perfect Game by Matt Cain, All-Star game performance by the Giants who made it, plus the entire postseason! Lastly, I will be going to the victory parade.