Three Run Jimmy Jack

Since Tony Gwynn was voted into the Hall of Fame yesterday, it seems like a nice time to recount the day I met Tony Gwynn. He has always been one of my favorite players, and I count meeting him as one of the good days of my life.

It was October 2002, and the Giants were in the playoffs. Gwynn was at the Niketown at Union Square in downtown San Francisco signing autographs. The line to meet him was out the door. We got in line and started to wait. At one point they told everyone after a certain point in the line to go home, they wouldn't be able to see him. I was after that point, but I stayed in the line anyway. My move paid off, I made it through the roped off areas and finally got up to the counter where he was signing whatever people had.

I had brought 3 items with me, 2 Gwynn books on hitting, and a small photo album of pictures of me hitting in my men's senior baseball league games. I knew Tony loves to talk hitting, so when I got up to the counter the dialog went like this:

me: "How's it going?"

Tony: "I'm hangin' in there" and after he signed the 2 books I had brought:

me: "Do you want to see pictures of me hitting and critique my swing?"

Tony: "Yeah, let me see those pictures."

Then we proceeded to look at my swing and he was telling me about my elbow and how I needed to get my whole right arm straight out by the time of impact (I am a lefty). He and I talked about going the other way, and how to get at the high pitch and the inside pitch, my weak spots. I would say we talked for 5 minutes or so, while the few people left to meet him waited. My wife who was watching said, "You made his day, I could see him gesturing and showing you how to swing." Well, I don't know if I made his day or not, but he certainly made my day. I think that is the crucial thing to do when you are talking to anyone, try to find something they like to talk about. I had already seen and heard Tony Gwynn talk about hitting on TV, but in person he was just as engaging and excited about it, even with a fan like me. It was the greatest.

Labels: baseball, Tony Gwynn

Yesterday morning I needed to go to the junk yard. My volvo had failed emissions, and I found that a crucial hose was sucking wind like a gaping chest wound. I knew I could buy that hose for about $40 new and about $10 at the junkyard. My wife said she'd go to the junkyard with me. This was a big deal to me. She doesn't like junkyards like I do, but volunteered to go anyway. It must be love. An umpire I know, Nils, said, "a girlfriend will go out to watch her boyfriend play baseball, but a wife will stay home." Well, not my wife. I feel very lucky. So I bought the parts for $11, put them in, took the car back to the test only station, and my NO problem was gone, I passed emissions! It was a good day.