Cubs' Dye revisits 'Blind Mice' mishap

At one point in 2012, Minor League Baseball's biggest news story didn't have anything to do with prospects or promotions. Rather, it involved an unpaid intern, a quick-tempered umpire, and a most inopportune music selection.

Ring a bell?

On Aug. 1, Derek Dye, a University of Illinois student who was spending his summer as an intern for the Daytona Cubs, reacted to a perceived umpiring slight against the home team by playing an audio snippet of the public domain classic "Three Blind Mice" over the stadium PA. Arbiter Mario Seneca was not amused by Dye's quick-witted selection, however, as he pointed to the press box and emphatically yelled "You're gone!"

Derek Dye had been ejected from the ballgame.

At the moment it happened, Dye's ejection seemed like just one more bizarre quirk in a sport full of them, probably nothing more than an amusing anecdote that he could tell his friends upon returning to college. But a funny thing happened on the way to obscurity: the MLB Network got wind of the ejection and gave Dye a call, and an article on this website soon followed.

The domino effect had begun, and over the next 24 hours the story was told and retold on dozens (if not hundreds) of media outlets. Dye found himself inundated with interview requests, becoming an unlikely national celebrity and thoroughly relishing his brief time in the spotlight.

The following interview, conducted over email, commemorates the one-year anniversary of the "Three Blind Mice" incident. Within it, Dye talks about how the ejection came about, why it changed his life forever and what he's up to now.

MiLB.com: Inadvertently or not, one year ago you made baseball history. Did you have "Three Blind Mice" at the ready, or was it a spur of the moment musical selection?

Derek Dye: The song was put on the database earlier that day; it was the first game we had the opportunity to play organ tones. Our GM [Brady Ballard] wanted to give the stadium more of an old-school, Wrigley Field-type feel. It was under a tab labeled "Bad Call" and I didn't hesitate to play "Three Blind Mice" after a blown call.

MiLB.com: Your ejection became an internet sensation and, literally overnight, you were famous. What was your reaction to this proverbial "15 minutes of fame" and what about it did you find most surprising?

Dye: Best day of my life, [as I] went from an undervalued, unpaid intern to a coveted celebrity in a matter of minutes. Life can change at any moment, and by taking advantage of the ejection via Twitter and Facebook, I kept the story going. If I did not act immediately, the story could have died in the ballpark, but in this day and age it gained legs with social media. I was very fortunate that people religiously follow social media and sports. Also, the story is brought up about five times per week to me. I can't escape it, even if I tried.

MiLB.com: How many interview requests did you receive?

Dye: Right after the game ended I started sweeping out the dugouts and picking up trash, like I did every game. After picking up about 20 half drank beers and empty Cracker Jack wrappers, my phone began to buzz every minute with a call, text or email. I fielded five interviews the first night. Upon arriving to work the next day our media relations director had a list of 40 different TV networks and newspapers ranging from Canada to Key West. Good Morning America was ready to fly me to New York; I was on SportsCenter. After it was all said and done, I had become a pro at conducting a phone interview, completing over 50 in 24 hours.

MiLB.com: How did the ejection change your standing in the Daytona front office, which is one of the most severely cramped working areas in Minor League Baseball? Did the fame go to your head?

Dye: Like I said, I continued my usual cleaning duties after the game. I came into work the next day expecting no special treatment but received it anyway, as I was given a room to conduct all my calls and a day off from my usual work duties. I continued my intern responsibilities the next day and never brought up the incident unless someone else did.

MiLB.com: Did you look at your moment of celebrity as a way to make connections and advance your career, or, going forward, is this something you want to put in the rearview mirror?

Dye: The incident is brought up in every [job] interview I've had since the ejection. Aug. 2, the day after, was indescribable. I try to tell the story the best I can but unless you were in the press box that day, it is hard to explain the pandemonium. Call after call, the smile on my face got bigger and bigger with each interview request. I made many connections throughout the process, and I look at it as strictly a positive event.

MiLB.com: What are you up to these days, and what are your long-term goals?

Dye: I graduated from the University of Illinois in May. Since then, I have had interviews with three MLB teams, none going further than a screening interview call. I am remaining hopeful that a team will take a chance on me following the 2013 season. My dream goal would be to work in baseball operations for an MLB front office, or take on a marketing or social media role for an MLB club. As of now I am optimistic I will find my way onto an MLB team soon.

MiLB.com: And finally, any advice for aspiring ejection artists that may be reading this? How can they best advance the form?

Dye: Get your money's worth. There are seldom opportunities for non-players to get tossed from a ballgame, so when the time comes, own the moment. Disclaimer: I am not condoning streaking or drunkenly heckling the left fielder who is batting .182.