Experiences w/ballplayers-Good and Bad?

[Redsland]

This very morning I was climbing into my car at Kroger, and right next to me, Ryan Freel climbed out of his.

Holy crap! That's Ryan Freel, with Jeff Bagwell's old goatee and Junior's old Escalade, I thought to myself.

He climbed out of the car, turned away, and began to walk toward the store. That's when I said, "Hi!"

Obviously, I knew that he'd recognize my voice, and that he'd know I was addressing him.

Anyway, he continued walking toward the store as it dawned on me that I'd blown it. Then he slowed to a stop and turned toward me. Cool! Now I was trying to remember if I had a ball in the car, when I realized he was staring at me. (I suspect I was wearing a stupid grin, which probably helped him pinpoint the greeting-sniper.)

Anyway, I quickly mentioned something about how important he was to the team, and pointed out what a good year he was having, and I thanked him for the great season so far, and he seemed to really appreciate hearing that. Then I wished him luck tonight, and we went our separate ways.

He seemed like a nice guy. And I'm sure I seemed like a putz.

[bounty37h]

Wow, where would I start? Maybe tom when I have time to type some of em out....

[KronoRed]

Smooth Redsland

[vaticanplum]

I haven't met too many ballplayers. I believe my cousin is an occasional drinking buddy of Adam Dunn's. She calls him bubblebutt. But I'm sure she says it with a great deal of charm.

[Razor Shines]

My cousin used to date Jack McDowell when he played for the White Sox. She lived in Sarasota, FL and I met him a few times during family things at my Grandparent's place in FL. He asked her to marry him but she said no, and they broke up, that was in the spring before he won 20 games the first time. Woops.

edit: I met him only once, but saw him a few times.

[RFS62]

You do realize how amazing it was that you met Sandy, don't you?

The guy's a total recluse or something nowadays.

Yep. There's a lot more to that story, but I've told it several times and it's a lot to type.

[vaticanplum]

My cousin used to date Jack McDowell when he played for the White Sox. She lived in Sarasota, FL and I met him a few times during family things at my Grandparent's place in FL. He asked her to marry him but she said no, and they broke up, that was in the spring before he won 20 games the first time. Woops.

edit: I met him only once, but saw him a few times.

I would have a similar story to this if my mother paid more freaking attention to things. Apparently in the 70s there was a notable player on the Big Red Machine who had a serious interest in her. She was a model when she was young, very cute and funny, and her roommate was related to someone in the Reds' organization so they used to go to parties and things. This guy adored her, got her number and called her a lot, and she just wasn't interested.

Who was it? Well, I don't know, because she doesn't. What a freaking space cadet. You really can't remember, Mom? "I don't know. Not Pete Rose or Johnny Bench. He was tall." The real kicker is that my mother is a baseball fan and in particular of that team at that time. She'll talk and talk about George Foster and Concepcion, but she doesn't know who asked her out repeatedly. I'm not making this up, and I don't think she is either. She just has a tendency not to remember things that don't hold her attention.

So that's a worthless story in the greater scheme of things. Really I'm just venting, I've never gotten over this. I could be the child of a Red! or some version of me anyway.

[crazybob60]

No more than one hour ago, I was walking downtown on my late lunch and I walked right by the 5/3 building by the player's hotel for visitors. I recognized one guy and he was just about past me but I was like "What's up Reggie?" and in response, like it was nothing, he said "what's up" like we were old friends or soemthing. BTW...it was Reggie Sanders. Amazing what a simple hello or what's up can do to your attitude.

I then walked down to the stadium, purchased my ticket for tonight's game and then went to where the reds drove in. Several players drove by and didn't stop, but Matt Belisle did and signed a few autos and I told him "Welcome back to the club". He said "Thanks, good to be back"

Overall, a really nice afternoon and meeting one of my middle school heros in Reggie.

[donnelly_31]

I was at the Reds Caravan in Columbus this year(which was very cool). As I was looking at some stuff on display from the Reds Hall of Fame I noticed some one was looking over my shoulder. I turned around and it was Marty throwing back a gin and tonic he just said "pretty cool huh" (about the HOF stuff). He patted me on the back and said that he was glad I made it there. Later that evening (many beers later) as the players were leaving my buddy and I saw Kent Mercker at the bar. My buddy asked him a question that I don't remember and Mercker bums a cigarette off him and says we should have a smoke and talk it over. Once we get outside I offered to buy him a drink he refuses and hands me a Reds envelope and asks me to get us some pitchers. I look inside and find $200 that the Reds had given him at the event to drink with. We proceeded to get bombed and talk baseball and whatever else until the place closed down. Great guy....regardless of his stats this year I will always be a Mercker fan.

[Johnny Vander m]

In the early or mid 70"s I was at an Insurance convention in Montreal Quebec, one boring afternoon no one around I ran into Billy Martin siting on the stairs in the lobby. Got to talking to him, and at the time I was kinda down on Sparky Anderson. Billy thought different and then he said lets go have a beer and we went into the hotel bar, no one but one other person in there and he bought me a beer. Will never forget how nice he was to me.

[reds44]

It wasn't outside, but at a game at Wrigley this year I got to talk to BP for a good 5 minutes. Awesome guy, he said he was surprised I knew his name (it was right after the trade).

In Milwaukee last year they have a TGIFriday's in the left field line, and I got David Weathers' autograph and he play catch with my little brother (who is 3) for about 5 minutes. Stormy was a real nice guy.

A bad one was when I might Kenny Lofton at the Hyatt (I think) in Cincinnati after the opening game at GABP. I was like 12 and I ran into probably at like 10 and I asked him for his autograph. He told me, and I quote, "Go to bed kid." And refused to sign.

I have hated him since.

[nineworldseries]

When I was 4 years old (in 1983) my favorite team was the Astros... so my Dad wrote a letter to the Reds and they let me and my parents into the Astros locker room before the game at Riverfront. I got to meet the entire team!

I still have the old school polaroids of me with Art Howe, Jose Cruz, Nolan Ryan, et al, and the whole 1983 Topps team set signed (unfortunately the blue ballpoint signatures are fading from time).

This was a fantastic memory for me and it was really impressive that the Reds and Astros would let my family do this!

Much more recently I saw David Weathers at Waldenbooks in Kenwood mall and had to restrain myself from heckling him!