An interesting stat for this year will be to see how long the players who are put on the 15-day DL actually stay disabled.

Brazoban, who was not projected to even be in the pictue until June, will have to be activated by May 18th.

Furcal came back just a week after he was eligible and appears to be fine.

Kuo will start throwing soon and he will be in the mix in the ever expanding pool of Dodger pitching depth.

Certainly, Jason Schmidt will be the biggest test but also monitoring Nomar, Kent, and Gonzalez's playing time and condition will be something to watch.

The baseball culture kind of encourages fibbing or not disclosing an injury. If a player does express that he is hurting the team by playing hurt, he gets skewered by the media and fans.

Heck, Buzz Bissinger made it seem like Tony LaRussa was proud that he pushed players to play when they probably shouldn't have.

Jeff Kent is currently on pace for 671 plate appearances. What's the number that activates his option for 2008: 550 or so?

0 Don't you mean, "Ve haf vays..."?

3 According to MLB4U.com, you are correct, the option for 2008 at $9 million vests if he has 550 plate appearances in 2007.

3 Don't start panicking about Kent's option until he's made it through June without crashing his dirt bike.

"Do you want me to go on the DL?"

"No Mr. Bond, we want you to DIE!"

If they open the Scott entrance that will really screw up my normal plans as I use Scott road to jump onto Elysian Park and park on the street. Now it will be clogged with cars headed into the entrance. I guess I'll have to take the Spock approach.

So yesterday afternoon I went with my wife to see if we could solve the LAUSD payroll riddle that still plagues so many LAUSD employee's. It was quite sad, 4 months into the snafu they still have a large contingent of employee's trying to get their checks straightened out. We arrived at 04:00PM and left at 08:00 PM. Many people we talked to had been there for the whole day on their own time. Being a system analyst and programmer for 25 years this snafu is incredible. How you don't beta test a payroll system until your 100% certain you've got the bugs out is slipshod. LAUSD is going to be hit with a serious class action law suit and deservedly so. How the media isn't still on this story is a mystery to me. Everyday the payroll people are working from 7:00 Am until everyone who showed up before 06:00 PM is gone which in last's night case looks to be around 08:00 - 09:00 PM. The cost in overtime for these payroll people must be staggering and if they had just spent that money on testing they wouldn't have screwed up so many single wage earners who live check to check. I feel sorry for the payroll people who have to clean up the mess that the consulting company left them with as they had nothing to do with the implementation. Sorry for the off Dodger rant.

Anyway the point of this is that I got to sit next to an old time (my age) sports fan and we talked away for hours. He's got a friend who has worked at Dodger Stadium for over 25 years and we went over all the players his friend has had contact with over the years. It was good to know that many of the guys who I've liked also were the most friendly but it was no surprise to find out that the most disliked person by the employee's to ever wear Dodger Blue is Tom Lasorda. Being that I had just attended Jackie Robinson day it was great to sit down with an African American and talk about baseball as I rarely get that opportunity at a ballgame anymore. As we talked 2 other people joined our conversation and baseball continued to be the main topic. I couldn't have asked for a better to way to blow 4 hours. Not once did I bring up any statistical evidence to contradict any opinions as we just talked about the game and the players. Sometimes that stuff just gets into the way of good conversation.

9
This makes my girlfriend's complaints about her paychecks seem a lot more understandable now.

9 - Thanks for the update. Sorry it's been such a struggle.

I kind of miss those great conversations sometimes. I can withhold giving my true feelings about some players if I don't think they're going to be understood, but it's not as much fun to have to censor one's self. There are certain players that I like that you just can't seem to even mention in polite conversation, and I feel like I'm the one who has to adjust.

So it depends on the circumstances. I still love a great chit-chat, but they are more precious than they were when I was a kid.

It's funny - I started reading Bill James in '81, but I really don't feel like I ran into trouble in this area until the past few years - maybe it was Moneyball that did it. That book just seemed to offend so many people - even those who never read it. But for example, I used to feel free to talk about Eric Karros being overrated, and if people disagreed, it would still be goodnatured. But now, there is such anger coming from both sides on certain players. It's been tough to take.

But I suppose in my own way I've contributed to that and am partly responsible.

9 Heh. COBOL?
What does the USD stand for?

I love it when you get into conversations like that. One of the things I love most about baseball is that you can be out of town in a long line at (whisper)Wal*Mart(/whisper) and if you see someone with a ballcap on, 9 times out of 10 you can strike up a conversation that will last you till checkout.

Does anyone know how I could possibly get a ball boy job at Dodger Stadium. It would be a dream come true, but I imagine I have to know someone, or that people don't give up that job too quickly. Oh well, it is nice to have hope.

12
Los Angeles Unified School District

In California, school districts can either be for K-6 and high school separately or they can cover K-12.

The K-12 ones are called "unified school districts."

13
Baseball is one of those professions where, ultimately, "you've got to know a guy."

14. And here I thought it had something to do with the US Dollar. Thank you sir.

11
For me it depends on the context of the conversation. If I'm enjoying a conversation with someone who isn't into the numbers I can filter myself quite easily. If I'm talking to someone who is arrogant about his opinion and may or may not use stat's to support his opinion then I have no problem countering his opinion with the facts.

Since we are talking about baseball conversations, and I admit I have only told this to a couple of friends, I had a conversation you guys might have liked to have had. I was flying back from Vero Beach and was siting in my middle seat and a guy sat down next to me.

I can't remember how our conversation got started but I think he had a Dodger logo on a carry on. He said he the scouting guy with the Dodgers and you should have seen his face when I said, you mean you are Logan White?

It was a non-stop conversation from Orlando to Phoenix followed by him giving me his business card after he wrote his cell phone number on it and said to call him whenever I wanted seats or even to talk more. And, for one thing, of all the pitchers the Dodgers have, Malone was the one to watch.

18

malone or...meloan? because we have one of both...

I think he said that performance and stats might get him to look at a guy but it was his values and his family's values that would get him a contract offer.

Jonathon M.

21

yea thats what i figured but wasnt 100% sure because a year or two ago in a chat, logan mentioned Chris Malone as a sleeper but since then he hasnt done much.

what else did you guys talk about? :)

19 - Sorry, every once in a while I do that. It was
Full Name: Jonathan M. Meloan
Born: 07/11/1984
Birthplace: Houston, TX
College: Arizona
Height: 6' 3"
Weight: 225
Bats: R
Throws: R

I think what he meant was it's the league adjusted values and family's values that would get an offer.

18
Wow Bum, you probably had a converstation that most of us would cut off JP's left arm to have. Were you flying 1st class?
Did he mention Carlos Santana, Josh Bell and did you bring up the Hochevar fiasco?

I was in an elevator with Hank Azaria in the Belagio once. Of course, only later did I think of the perfect thing I should have said: "America needs the wisdom of Herman's Head now more than ever."

Of course you all convinced me that if we had Hochevar we wouldn't have Kershaw so I can longer look at the whole thing as a fiasco other then the fact we didn't sign a 1st rounder in 2005 which is never a good thing for the farm system but it is hard to complain about what we do have.

most of us would cut off JP's left arm

...with a pasta cutter

18 - At first I thought you meant Kevin Malone.

28. Instead of dismembering, why not start a fund and hire a hitman to rid ourselves of Pierre? LOL..

23 Meloan has pitched in 4 games this year at JAX. 7 IP; 12 K's; 0 Runs and Opp BA is .130. I can't wait to see him.

Every time I read the words Kevin Malone I immediately bow to my Southern brethren and thank them profusely for provoking him. It may be the only fight the sedate Padre fans have ever instigated.

27 - I think we might have still had Kershaw, but we would have Preston Mattingley. Even if it is a lot of bonus money, no way McCourt would be so cheap as to not sign Kershaw.

Even if it is a lot of bonus money, no way McCourt would be so cheap as to not sign Kershaw.

it wasnt the money, it was the tigers hot on his trail and sure to pick him at #6 but they got a gift with Andrew Miller falling to him.

29- You can keep an eye on Kevin Malone but you'll have to be at Mercedes of Valencia to do so. Watch him closely or you'll wind up driving away in a $1,200/mo lease.

26 Only once have I ever thought of just the right thing to say to a celebrity, if you want to call Joel Murray, who played the best friend on "Dharma & Greg," a celebrity.

We were both in line to pick up packages at the post office, but it was confusing about where the correct place to stand was. When the postal employee called his name, he was on the other side of the post office and didn't hear it.

The employee continued to call names, and he wandered over. He asked me, "Is this where you pick up packages?"

I said, "Yes. Actually, they already called your name."

He looked very confused for a second, then saw that I recognized him from the show, got a little creeped out, and said, ".....thanks."

The postal employee called my name, so I said, "Hey man -- price of fame." And I walked away to pick up my letter.

I'd say there's a 50/50 shot this has been mentioned, but Hochevar pitched 7 2/3 11k 0bb 2h yesterday.

34
Right, that is the logic you convinced me with, Hochever would not have been there for KC at 1 so Kershaw would have been taken before our slot.

Funny with all our pitching, Morris or Orenduff don't even get mentioned but I bet by next summer they will be back on the prospect radar.

Anybody else read Neal Pollack's experience at the all you can eat pavilion in Slate today? I know he posts here occassionally, so I just wanted to say I thought it was pretty good, I wonder if his friend who he refers to as The Rabbi is a poster as well.

39 - He told me it was coming but I wasn't aware it was live yet.

By the way, there is an offer on Inside the Dodgers for LA Fans to attend a premiere of some sort for free.

http://insidethedodgers.mlblogs.com/

just email this address:
dodgersinsiderRSVP@foxsports.net

with an RSVP for Monday night at 6:30. Supposedly, it is going to be star studded and show 3 new Dodger related shows.

34, 38 - That completely slipped my mind. I forgot that Andrew Miller (supposed number one) slipped to the Tigers, gift wrapping Kershaw for us at 7.

Funny with all our pitching, Morris or Orenduff don't even get mentioned but I bet by next summer they will be back on the prospect radar.

I agree about Morris, I have my doubts about Orenduff becoming more then a back of the rotation starter.

I wonder if Morris is going to pitch at all this year.

From Dodgers Blog:

>>> Schmidt's replacement on the roster? The suitcase carrying Chin-hui Tsao. Schmidt's replacement in the rotation? Lanky lefty Mark Hendrickson, who's been terrific throwing in middle relief. <<<

Also, a nice interview with Chad Billingsley.

so we dont forget about bryan morris...

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/highschool/050526hsnotes.html

39 That was a very funny article.

43
So were so rich in pitching prospects that a back of the rotation starter is reduced to a yawn:)

46
Just finished the Slate article. If the AM pavillion included ice cream I'd give it a shot but I'd stay away from the Nachoes. That yellow stuff they call cheese is something I'll never make my stomach digest.

>>> Beltre, Seattle

The problem: .233 batting average, two homers.

Perhaps not coincidentally, Beltre played all of '04 with painful bone spurs in his left ankle.

"He was a completely different hitter," the scout said. "He closed his stance off, stopped trying to pull everything and was hitting home runs to right field. That spur in his ankle, when he jumped out, it hurt."

The scout joked that probably the worst thing Seattle did after signing him as a free agent that winter was have Beltre fix the ankle.

"He's always had happy feet anyway, and he got it fixed and went back to jumping out on his front foot," the scout said. <<<

http://www.sportsline.com/mlb/story/10133390/2

Jon -- "Billy Preston gate"? Please explain.

48 - Howard Fox nods knowingly in his kitchen.

39 I felt sick reading it, but I hate nacho cheese.

49 - Billy Preston - the fifth Beatle.

Billy Preston was sometimes called "The Fifth Beatle"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Preston

Darn you, Jon Weisman.

44- Which one?

I haven't met any baseball players or scouts. But when I was kid my friend was the bat boy for the Toledo Mudhens.

I was in line at Ontario Airport next to a guy who looked like the base player in Van Halen, except a lot older and uglier. I finally said to him, "I bet a lot of people mistake you for the base player in Van Halen".

He didn't answer, but just turned toward me and stared tough guy like for a bit, then gave a curt, affirmative nod.

He was then selected to be padded down, and it turned out it was indeed Michael Anthony. I gather he thought I was being a smart-aleck. I wasn't. He really did look like one of those uglier imitations of the real thing. I suppose he took my question as an implicit acknowledgement of this.

I felt bad, but he was always just the Budweiser doofis of the band anyway. Now apparently just a sober angry unemployed doofis.

I remember, back in the 70's, when Van Halen was the house band at a club in Pasadena called Handlebars. I hated them then too.

47. I am probably the furthest thing from a food snob that you find, and have been to a ton of food processing plants and eaten some incredibly bizarre things without a problem, but one of only three things in this world that I will not eat is the cheese on concession stand nachos.

36 (Bumsrap) It was a non-stop conversation from Orlando to Phoenix followed by him giving me his business card after he wrote his cell phone number on it and said to call him whenever I wanted seats or even to talk more.

Maybe you can help KBL 13 who wants to be a ball boy?

50 - Speaking of which:

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=6120

A: Chase Wright, Kei Igawa, Darrell Rasner, Andy Pettitte, Jeff Karstens.

Q: Who are five people who have never been in my kitchen?

57
That is funny, Michael Anthony is the only name rocker who I've partied with and it was just after Van Halen broke out with "Running with the Devil". I always thought he was a solid bass player but I'm no musician. Saw him on TV at the HOF awards last year and he looked the same 25 or so years later.

And we worry about our starting rotation.

I wonder if Derek Lowe flew into Denver yesterday instead of waiting for the rest of the team?

Really wanted to use a "Rule 12 phrase" but I am trying to be good.

64

On the Diamondbacks broadcast, I think they said Lowe flew to Colorado ahead of the team. Mark Grace promptly said that pitchers were treated too well or something like that.

If the Dodgers win the next two, or two of the next three even, then they will have matched the 16 or 17 game starts of the 2005 Dodgers. It would be nice to replace those bad memories with some good ones.

Dodgers put Schmidt on 15-day DL

>>> Perhaps most alarming is that no one is convinced there is a link between the slow pitches and the sore shoulder. <<<

http://tinyurl.com/ypottw

Well, if there is no link between the slow pitches and the sore shoulder how do we account for the slow pitches?

I have, amazingly, lost five pounds since Saturday. Maybe I'm having kidney failure like all my pets. Anyway, the Rabbi is not a poster here. Hope y'all enjoyed the piece.

Pollack

67 - Also, if there is no link between the slow pitches and the sore shoulder doesn't that mean we can look forward to those slow pitches again when he returns.

DodgerSims has the Dodgers win expectancy at 53.33% tonight. The DBacks/Padres game is dead even, and half way through the sim the Giants look like favorites to beat the Cards at home. vr, Xei

I freely admit that I love that nacho cheese. But I only eat it a couple of times a year now that I know its contents. I have recently been bringing in my own Hot Dogs to the park and using the condiment stand.

68 - Do you simply have no appetite since then, or did you gain five pounds in that sitting?

It was a fun read, I loved the end where the once proud Dodgers have gone from Jackie Robinson to all you can eat.

Do you guys ever type in your own five- or six-letter combos after http://www.tinyurl.com/ just to see what comes up?

You know, when you're procrastinating for just a minute ...?

73 - Never, but I just tried and got a message board, a shopping site and a porn site. I wonder who is tinyurl'ing a porn site?

72--I have no idea. It's a great mystery. Maybe because I ran over the gypsy woman's kid, and she placed her hand on me, moaning, "Thinnnnnner...."

By the way, I know that Jackie Robinson played FIRST base his rookie year. That fact will be corrected shortly.

73 That's just asking for NSFW pages.

74 Someone who doesn't want http://www.hotbabes4U.xxx in their favorites but doesn't mind the tinyurl? Teenagers probably. Or drunk girls.

73 - Yes, even at work, I do.

Holy Kashrut, Batman! The Rabbi put cheese on a pork-dog and ate it!

73 - Also, I found that four digits, 3 of which are numbers was the most effective way to get sites.

I saw but did not meet Bill Russell (the Celtic great) in a coffee shop. He did not give a friend of mine an autograph but he did shake his hand.

I met and talked with Michael J. Fox on back to back nights at a Westwood bar back in the mid-eighties.

I opened the door for Coach Wooden at an Encino Wichell's Donuts (I regret not buying his cup of coffee and donut).

It is true that you never know when you will run into someone in entertainment or sports in L.A. but most times, I tend to let them have their space because they want to get their non-fat lattes like anyone else.

The most annoying thing is when you sit down to eat your hot dog and your friend, on cue, says, "do you know what's IN that?"

I SHALL NOT CARE.

I hope they put puppy eyes in it. I hope they put my grandmother lips in it. And if you promise there's tons of bowel related stuffing I'll just want more.

In response to the mock draft that someone posted the other day (Nate maybe????) I asked Jim Callis today about it and here is what he had to say, just a little FYI:

Jay (Lincoln, CA): I forgot where the mock draft was, but it had the Dodgers going after Jack McGeary. What's his upside/comparable player?

Jim Callis: He's a polished pitchability lefty from Massachusetts. McGeary has a separated non-throwing shoulder that's holding him back right now, and he has a commitment to Stanford. Can't see him going to the Dodgers that high, at least not at this moment.

75 - I am not that big a guy, 6 foot, 185- which isn't that small either I suppose- but I bet I could eat 10-15 hotdogs in 3 and a half hours and I worry that I would try if I visited that section. I wish they included pizza too, but I guess that is looking a gift horse in the mouth.

The only famous person I've ever seen and wanted to talk to was Ron Popeil, at the In N Out outside of LAX. I wanted his autograph on an In N Out wrapper, but I couldn't bring myself to interrupt him while he and his (I presume) wife and kid enjoyed their burgers.

82 - I'm kinda the same way, except when I finish eating and have to toss out the water that I boiled the dogs in, the smell makes me really regret it.

Bill Simmons is, for lack of a better word, dumb.

68 For all those wishing an up close and personal with Mr. Pollack, On Sunday April 29th, he will be on stage at Young Hall at the LA Times Festival of Books.

PANEL 2093 1:00 PM
Nonfiction: Humor and Attitude
Moderator - Ms. Meghan Daum
Ms. Samantha Dunn
Mr. Larry Miller
Mr. Neal Pollack
Ms. Jill Soloway

For more information, go here. http://tinyurl.com/2qrkgp

This is not a paid or solicited advertisement. And if you do plan to go, go early because from past experience, parking for the festival ranks with parking on Opening Day as being a big annoyance.

88 - I worked with Jill Soloway on a TV show that never got off the ground. It had a lot of good people on it. Dave "Gruber" Allen (Freaks and Geeks, Naked Trucker) wrote for it too.

87 - Expound on this. I think he massively underrated K.G., but I bet you are thinking of something else.

I just logged back in.

24 - I think what he meant was it's the league adjusted values and family's values that would get an offer

No, I mean that a player's life values, attitude, as well as his family's values and morals, mean more than anybody could imagine to Logan White. Stats is the radar, character is the offer.

We talked about quite a few young players, Lasorda, Kevin Malone, and DePodesta. He really likes Colletti and McCourt. Loves Kemp. Said Loney is going to have a great career, knees and all.

I was conscious that he might not want to be trapped by a fan but since he did most of the talking, we kept talking. He obviously loves baseball and is a nice guy, well grounded, humble, likeable, and basically, one of us.

We were cozy sitting in coach flying America West. I look at this experience as my reward for being a Dodger fan since around 1953. My father was a Dodger fan and when I was a kid running around the house he told me that he would grab me and say watch a few innings of baseball with him and it seemed that when this happened Duke Snider would hit a homerun. Thus my love for the Dodgers and The Duke.

9 - you realize, of course, that you are just fueling my already-raging Tommy Lasorda-hate.

I was in Sport Chalet when I overheard a largish black man having an animated conversation on the cellphone with someone about how to handle the hit-and-run. It turned out he was involved in a girls' softball team, but it sent a little thrill down to my coccyx when I heard an Afro-American getting excited about a game that involved bats and balls.

One wonders why LAUSD couldn't just turn to ADP or someone else that processes large numbers of payroll checks. This is fairly complex stuff, but it doesn't have to be quite rocket science.

86. That's why you've got to grill them. Or microwave them like my mom used to.

73 - yes. It's immensely boring.

90- I dont really have time to elaborate but his latest article on lack of a viable NBA MVP for this year really iirks me.

89 Have you ever gone to the Sit N Spin (I have not seen it but I found out about looking up the panel for the book festival).

68
NPB, very funny read. I was glad you referenced Spurlock, because I was definitely having Supersize Me flashbacks reading the article.

18
I know the esteem that Logan White is held in around these parts, so I can't necessarily top Bumsrap's in-flight conversation but I have had some pretty memorable experiences with baseball celebrities.

I know you should never speak ill of the dead, but this tale was pretty eye-opening and made a vivid impression on me, considering that I still remember it clearly around 25 years later. My uncle used to have a baseball school for kids down in San Diego and every winter break I would go down there and help out. There would be coaches from the high school, college, and professional ranks, and a number of big leaguers that my uncle knew from his playing days. He would also always hire a few Padres for guest coaching appearances to attract the kids and increase attendance. Well, one year, Alan Wiggins was one of the Padre celebrities. Wiggins, or "Wiggie" as everyone called him, was at the camp for two days. In two days of overcast wintry skies, Wiggins never took his sunglasses off. At his coaching "station", which was baserunning, he took approximately 45 seconds to show us how to round first base and then just asked us if we had any questions. For the next twenty nine minutes Wiggie waxed philosophical about his life in the pros. When one kid asked him what he thought about Pascal Perez who had beaned him during the past season, Wiggins straightforwardly answered, "oh, that guy is a total $$$hole" (remember that this was a camp for kids from around 10-13). The coup de grace was at the end of Wiggin's two days. My uncle was over talking to Wiggins and me and my brother were waiting for him so we could go out to dinner. When he was done, he came over and we asked what took him so long. My uncle said, "Wiggie was insisting that I pay him cash and it took me a while to get him to agree to take a check."

Years later, when I heard about Wiggin's unfortunate demise that entire scene replayed in my head and I thought to myself, "well, that all makes sense now".

97 - Your post just drained the life out of me.

When I was a kid my dad went to a conference in Boston and the family tagged along. We went to a Brewers-Sox game at Fenway and coincidentally ended up staying at the same hotel as the Brewers. After the game we were in the elevator and this guy in a black leather jacket walks in -- Paul Molitor. I couldn't think of anything intelligent to say, so instinctively I just said, "Nice game today, Paul." He smiled, rolled his eyes and said "thanks."

About five seconds after he got off the elevator I realized he thought I was making fun of him -- he'd gone 0-for-5 that day including three strikeouts and grounding into a game-ending double play.

97 - And now his daughter is the best women's basketball player in the Pac-10.

My favorite is in 1974 going to a Dodger party in San Diego at the Hawaiian themed hotel in Hotel Circle (HanaLei??). I shared a hand-rolled cigarette of some sort with one of the starting nine.

All of these stories put my tale of meeting Mel Kiper Jr. in a Baltimore grocery store to shame.

101 It had to be Garvey, right?

Years ago, back when Wilt had that weird stint playing professional volleyball, I saw him in the gate area in the Denver airport. I begged my sister to go get his autograph (thinking a female might be less resistable) and he politely declined. The funny thing was that her boyfriend at the time, who was also with us at the airport, had been rejected by Wilt when he was a kid growing up in Philly. He said he asked Wilt for his autograph as he was heading into the tunnel at halftime and he snapped his towel at him and said "Not during the game."

38 - Had Kershaw been off the board, some guy named Tim Lincecum would've been a nice player still available (SF grabbed him a few picks after Kershaw). Was LA not interested in him? I seem to remember Bryan Morris being the thought if Kershaw wasn't there at #7.

It was not Garvey. Garvey kept to himself and did not interact at all with anyone else on the team. Steve Yeager got into a fight with Tom Paciorak's (I know I've misspelled it) brother too.

Dang Bumsrap, you're a lucky man. As fun as it was to sit with Kershaw at a spring training game, I didn't get to pick the brain of a prospects genius for a few hours. Getting those free tickets (which will probably be awesome seats) is just the icing on the cake.

In honor of So. Cal. sports sightings and stories afternoon, I hereby submit my sighting of Kareem last night in Culver City. The man is tall. That is all I have to say.

My mom and dad double dated with Joe Nammath. My dad was the captain of the tennis team at Alabama and lived in the football dorms. Can't believe what a big deal was made of Joe's "I don't care about the Jets, I just wanna kiss you" comment.

I once sold Glenallen Hill a set of walkie-talkies when I worked at a Radio Shack in Santa Cruz, where Hill grew up. I didn't know who he was until my boss, who was friendly with Hill, came by the counter and said, "Sean, this is Glenallen Hill. He used to play for the Giants!"

I looked up at Hill and said, "sorry buddy, I don't recognize you. I'm a Dodger fan."

My boss was pissed at me for days. He said it was because I was rude, but I think it had more to do with the fact that I was a Dodger fan.

In Sep 04 i saw nearly the entire team in the Diamond Cabaret watching the DeLaHoya fight. After exhaustive research, it was the only bar in that whole boring town that was showing the fight. Izturis wore the tightest pants humanly possible, and Beltre was in a real bad mood. It was cool to see so many at once.

Later that night we were hanging out with Lima back at the hotel bar for about an hour. Real nice guy. Loved the diamond encrusted 27 dogtag he was wearing. He explained how he personally was not going to let the Giants catch them that final week.

My friend and I were amazed by our luck and it was a great feeling after all of the years of being a fan.

Most memorable meets were Sandy Koufax, Bill Russell and Denny Crum.

110 My friends and I once saw James Worthy at a video store in the Marina, probably around 1983-1984 and as he was getting his video, my friend said, so you have Beta? And James said "Yeah."

Not much of a meeting, about that same time I saw Roger Ebert who was hear when Illinois was in the Rose Bowl (Bob would know when that happened, in the eighties) and he was walking through Century City, Siskel and Ebert had recently moved to syndication. Anyways, had a pleasant conversation about why some reviewers can't stand movies like Raiders of the Lost Ark or Empire Strikes Back but how he is able to appreciate both blockbusters and smaller (no one used "independent" back then) films.

100
Indeed, she is really good. I am not much of a women's basketball fan, but I have followed her career closely probably due to my strange encounter with her father. And in another weird twist, the daughter of a friend of mine will be joining Wiggins on the Stanford team next season. I believe she is expected to be Wiggins' backup at guard.

Really good Conte read Jon

I just remembered that I had dinner with Mickey Mantle when I was about 8 years old. Of course, it was with my Grandparents who lived on the Pebble Beach golf course at the time.

I had nothing intelligent to say at that age.

113 - why some reviewers can't stand movies like Raiders of the Lost Ark or Empire Strikes Back

I refuse to acknowledge the opinions of anyone (let alone a professional movie critic) who would fit this description.

117 - Those movies in particular are examples of good blockbusters. "Return of the Jedi" or "Temple of Doom" on the other hand...

Outside of work, my favorite encounter might be Rocket Rod Foster at the self-serve at the Chevron at Ventura and Winnetka. This was about 15 years after he took the Bruins to the NCAA finals, but he looked like he could still outrun anyone on the court.

113 - James Worthy was once on the opposing team in my old co-ed softball league, about six years ago.

I once called Preacher Roe to request an interview, which he declined, saying, "Son, I haven't given an interview in 14 years. If I start now, I'll never get to quit again."

The next week -- the very next week -- there was a story on the Dodgers website. Preacher Roe was interviewed for it, of course.

118 - Fair enough, but even "Jedi" holds up pretty well against today's blockbusters (including the new Trilogy).

I golf with Fritz Coleman on occasion. He's the world's nicest person. A friend of mine is a friend of and one-time golf teacher for Larry David so I got to hit balls with him once.

121 - I disagree, but I am not a Star Wars fan. The movie had teddy bears, for God sake! I think that was the first movie that Lucas made direct to lunch box. The movie was just an ad for all the merchandising.

119 I saw Rocket Rod on campus and he was driving a new Camaro I believe, we (other students) wondered about, we later learned how he and the other guys got their cars.

123 But the air cycle chase scenes were really cool or was that the marijuana affecting us from the back of the theater? Oh those olden days at the AVCO theater.

123 - I'll give you the Ewoks, but Han Solo's in it. Han Solo!

I've been lucky enough to have the opportunity to meet and spend time with a lot of players but I suppose the coolest encounter was a chance one on one lunch with Joe Dimaggio. This was around 1992 and he was every bit as ornery as you've probably heard. Mentioned that if he played now he'd OWN the Yankees and then looked at his Monte Cristo sandwich and asked the cute young waitress, "do you expect me to eat this"?
I loved every moment of it.

Bill Walsh accidentally socked me in the jaw - in a crowd, he was reaching over my shoulder to shake hands with another person when I turned to look. He said, "Sorry, son."

My favorite (non-work) celebrity encounters:

1) Seeing Donnie Wahlberg at a random 7-11 in the heart of Van Nuys buying a 12-pack of Bud Light.

2) Seeing Donald Faison (of Scrubs) sitting by himself at the bar in the Chili's in Northridge. We ended up watching the Laker game and chatting basketball. Really nice guy.

3) Seeing Charles Fleischer (of Roger Rabbit fame) wandering the adult video aisle of the Wherehouse on Hollywood Blvd. He didn't rent anything, was just browsing.

122 When I was about 14 I went to NBC in Burbank to test market for a new show starring John Laroquette and Fritz Coleman had the three hottest women I ever saw in person walking with him. And that includes a former girlfriend of Hugh Hefner that I went to law school with.

Rocket Rod - held in contempt in Phoenix for bad play and breaking his leg in an off-roading accident. The Ron Gant of his day, if you will.

129
I've helped Charles Fleischer at the library.

He's very peculiar.

132 You have an adult section at the Library?

130 - a new show starring John Laroquette and Fritz Coleman

That's how I read that the first time. Not thinking that would be an especially funny pilot.

133
There are public computers with access to the internet.

I am going to get all the name dropping out of my system in one thread and hopfully never do it again.

I had a decent seat at the San Bernardino Civic Light Opera when Joe Namath played the lead in Lil Abner. He actually did a good job and was entertaining. I sat two tables away from Wilt Chamberlain at the Magic Castle but I sometimes tell friends that I had dinner with Wilt before I confess the truth. I rode the elevator with Vin Scully at Dodger Stadium where someone asked him about an incident the night before and I remember him saying something like "yea I had to say something about it". That is the only time I thought it might be ok for an elevator to get stuck. And, Mary Hart mentioned my name on Entertainment Tonight once.

"a former girlfriend of Hugh Hefner that I went to law school with."

I know of no one that fits into this category for me.

135 - Deadspin readers will recognize the name "Carl Monday" in this context.

Although I've met many celebrities in the jazz world (as that's my business), the only sports celebrity I've ever met was Kareem.
----------
I was waiting in line at the Lighthouse jazzclub in Hermosa Beach to hear the great McCoy Tyner in about 1979 (and if I remember correctly, I was on a date with a woman that I went to school with who nowadays sometimes plays the organ at Anaheim Stadium for the Angels games…) and Kareem was waiting in line on the sidewalk outside the club with everyone just trying to pretend that he was normal(!) And yes, Mr."Still Bill Evans" is right,

.108

Mr Jabbar is… … tall! In fact, so tall that there were people coming up to him and hasseling him, almost yelling at him saying, "Kareem, how tall are you?"

(Of course it wasn't the McCoy Tyner fans who were behaving like that! Probably they were VanHalen fans from Pasadena that were hanging out at the pier…)

And Kareem just stood there very nobly pretending like they didn't exist. And then after the hecklers upped the volume there were several of us in the crowd who told them to "shut the xxxx up and leave Kareem alone". They finally went away and he very quietly thanked us.
------
As I am writing this I also remember a very embarrasing moment of my adolescence in the mid 1970s when I went to Sacramento on a student government field trip and we ran into Governor Jerry Brown in the lobby of the Senator Hotel across the street from the Capitol building. He singled me out of a group of 50 students to ask me what my impressions of Sacramento were - with a typical adolescent's unease I uttered "Uhhh, it's a very busy place…" And in rapid fire response he came back with: "In comparison to what?" I was so scared, I knew that he had caught me talking nonsense, so I dug my hole even deeper, I said, "Uhh, - in comparison to… Nebraska" quickly thinking about a line that I had read in my high school civics book saying that Nebraska had a unicameral legislature in contrast with the bicameral legislature in Sacramento. He came back with, "So, have you been there?" And when I replied, "No", he quickly realized that I was not worthy of conversation and proceeded to interrogate another student. To this day, I still want to find a hole to hide in when I think about that story !

Since I have never met anyone famous, here is a the short list of people I would like to meet:

Bob Dylan
Wes Anderson
Dave Chapelle
Jesus
Jessica Alba

140-

Bob Dylan- will dissapoint you

Wes Anderson - will chat with you

Dave Chapelle - will bore you

Jesus - will save you

Jessica Alba - will arouse you

I've had a number of memorable encounters in the course of my job. At one end of the spectrum was getting screamed at by Jim Bunning. At the other end was going to a Royals game with Buck O'Neil and chatting baseball with him all night.

I once had a brief conversation with Chris Berman while we were taking a leak at adjoining urinals.

Wes Anderson?

Alto Sax player with Wynton Marsalis?

Very nice and humble guy (in direct comparison to his employer) and amazing saxophonist. Very tall too - (although not of the Kareem variety…)

140 Jesus who?

I once called Eric Dickerson, AC Green at a Shell station in Malibu. We were in high school trying to buy beers.

Eric was like, AC Green? Yo man, check out what I have with me and you tell me if I am AC Green.

Back in the corner were two hot blondes in mini skirts and outside parked at the service station was a Bently with a licence plate that said "29"

142. I was once at a urinal next to Vin Scully but he was singing the whole time. That was a little surreal although anyone who's ever been around the man will tell you, he sings a lot (No Alice In Chains that I've ever heard though).

So I thought there was some kind of rule that when a player gets optioned to the minors, he has to stay there at least 10 days. How can the Dodgers summon Tsao so soon? (say that 5 times fast.) Did this rule change in the new CBA, or am I just making it up?

I played "Photon" laser tag with Devon White on Angels day at the Photon laser tag maze in Huntington beach back in 1989ish.

I remember he had large biceps (didn't help much with the laser tag though).

148 Photon! Man, I haven't thought about that in like 15 years.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117963320.html?categoryid=14&cs=1

Kitty Carlisle has moved onto another panel :(

Hendrickson to officially start tomorrow according to TJ.

149. That place was sweet! They has multiple levels filled with smoke and mirrors. You could shoot people by reflecting your laser off the mirrors. They had a wireless score keeping system too.

143 I recently had the pleasure of shaking the hand of Wynton Marsalis and having a brief conversation with him. And, I came very close to playing a pickup basketball game with him.

It helps to have a well connected brother. Through him I also got to rub elbows with Ian Anderson (of Jethro Tull).

My uncle and his family lives in Windermere, FL, near Isleworth and various other exclusive residential communities.

Among others, they've seen Shaq at a gas station and Tiger at a TCBY.

People I've stood next to at a urinal:

David Soul
Tom Bradley
The President of Mexico
Bud Furillo

I also saw Paul Newman at a Malibu Grand Prix back in the 70's

100 Candice Wiggins is a terrific player. She's a Devil-killer.

155. All at once?

I walked into the lead singer of Live in downtown Santa Barabara and I talked to Jared Leto outside of a club.

How boring.

A quirk that does not happen to often, the Dodgers and Angels will be both at home starting Friday through next Thursday.

And at least one local NBA team will have a home playoff game during next week.

The Phillies may send Myers to the bullpen, because they need bullpen help.

Usually smart to send your best pitcher to the bullpen.

I once met Jim Harrick. He was at a Target in Fullerton for a book signing after UCLA won the Final Four (What happened to Ed O'Bannon?). He was bored out of his mind as no one was there to buy his book.

Ed O sells cars in Las Vegas.

Last Friday, I saw Jake Busey. But that was at a TV studio, which is fish-in-a-barrel for celebrity sightings.

The first time I met Coach Wooden was probably the most memorable, although my memory of it is rather vague. What memory I have of it is aided by an old black and white photo I have of that meeting. I was five years old in 1965 and an avid Bruin fan (or as avid as a five-year old can be). My dad had travelled to Portland for the NCAA finals and my mom and I went to LAX to pick him up upon his return. I'm not sure if he was on the same flight as the UCLA team, but he arrived at LAX at the same time they did. There was quite a crowd greeting the team at the airport. Somewhere in that hubub of activity, my dad took me over to meet Coach Wooden. A newspaper photographer was nearby and took a wonderful photo of my dad kneeling next to me with his hands on my shoulders as Coach was bending over to sign and autograph for me. It's easily my favorite photo that's ever been taken of me and I'm looking at a copy of it on my desk as I write this.

I just did the Tinyurl random thing, and I got a Transvestite Porn site! Something like TrannyMadness.com.

I cant be sure, as I closed the window really quickly after seeing the title of the site.

Bernard Gilkey regularly drank at the bar I used to work at. At times, to excess. He once begged me to make him a margarita to go. He also slurred to me that he was a "Dodger-killer" when I told him that was my team.

Gonzo used to stop by the bar I'd go to when I wasn't working at the bar. He talked baseball with a group of 4 of us, then when he paid his tab, he threw out an extra hundred dollar bill and told the bartender to buy us whatever we wanted with it. Heck of a nice guy.

Oh yeah, I guess I kind of met the cast of Lucky Louie, when I went to the pilot episode.

163 Ryan Wright is transferring at the end of the spring quarter. Sources say that Legion will not come to UCLA.

Back in the late 70's, I met Steve Yeager at the post-game party after Fan Appreciation Day at The Short Stop (which used to be a hang-out for cops and Dodger fans. I hear it's kind of a dress-in-black hipster joint now, true?)

We had both had a few, and I said you him, (in voice of several beers) "Man, you're the best catcher in the National League."

Yeager grabbed me by my shirt (where lapels would be) pulled me almost off the ground and growled, "Oh yeah? Who's better in the American League?"

To which I replied, "I don't know, I don't follow the Inferior League".

He laughed and said "Okay then!" and we shared a beer.

Rick Monday was there, too. I wonder if players ever still go to The Short Stop?

169
Was just about to mention the Wright thing. Sad to see Wright go and not red-shirt.

Sonny Vaccaro just said Legion will decide between UCLA and Kentucky and that Love has been huge in his recruitment. So all hope, is not lost.

166 - I can't believe you guys do that. That's like playing Russian Roulette with your desktop...

This is a pretty funny thread.

I was at the blue note on one of the wildest nights of my life, I think it was Jack Dejohnette, Dave Valentin and somebody else that totally seemed at odds with Jack. anyway I was basically underneath Dave Valentin, which was cool, because I think the world of him, but not fun because I was getting covered all night with sweat and spit (flute drool, or what my friend calls sprooge). Later on I end up at the urinals with him, and I just had to say it so I did, "I guess this is better than getting covered with your spit" he laughed pretty good about it, and was joking with me the rest of the night.

171 I saw Ryan Wright win a award at the Awards dinner this week and as Coach Howland was talking about him, he appeared to be very somber. He was on the Honor Roll and I am sure he can transfer anywhere. But he was behind Mata, Aboya, Keefe, Luc, and Love so it makes sense that he would pick now to transfer.

Be nice if he ends up with Keating at Santa Clara.

I really worry about Howland starting Shipp or Roll at the 2 next year.

Dave Valentin probably doesn't rank as famous, eh? Hopefully Charenton appreciates it.

Long time ago was in a restaurant on a date which was totally ruined by a drunk and obnoxious Johnny Majors. I played soccer against his son who was a jerk, too.

Several years later, I had a girlfriend that played tennis on a team with Vicky Fulmer. In an important match my GF got a blister and I was so impressed with how Coach Fulmer nonchalantly taped her up (he'd clearly done that alot). He really is a class guy.

I was in a commercial with Kirk Gibson in 1989. It was a Forest Service commercial about preventing forest fires. My dad dressed up as Smoke the Bear. It never aired.

177 post of the year.

177 That wins the prize.

175 What's wrong with Shipp or Roll at the 2?

I was on a show that used to air in the Bay Area, called Bay Area Backroads.

175 Howland loves Shipp, it may be his blind spot, but he loves him and he probably will be at the 2 spot with Westbrook and Roll.

178-179 - At least until we hear more about Suffering Bruin's acting exploits.

180
Westbrook is better than them. Shipp should be guarding small forwards and really lacks the quickness and shooting ability of most shooting guards. Roll is a complimentary player.

That should be complementary player.

Knowing what I do about Kirk Gibson, he would be almost certain to shoot Smokey the Bear if he saw him in the forest.

It's very early, but team stats are beginning to accumulate to a possibly meaningful point. The D's right now are comfortably in the top quarter of teams in many offensive and pitching stats. And surprisingly perhaps in the upper half in defensive stats-though I have only looked at the most rudimentry defense stats and nothing fit for a true comparison. Does anyone have an opinion on where the D's are defensively compared to the rest of the league and any specific reasoning?

185 - I'm sure he's a nice kid too.

170 Before games there's way more Dodger fans at the Short Stop than hipsters. The rest of the time its pretty much your standard Silver Lake young crowd. Its not too pretentious tho.. but thats based on assumption.

175 You wouldn't happen to be a SCU grad? Uke (sometimes poster, sometimes lurker) and I are SCU grads from '01.

James Keefe will lead UCLA in scoring next year.

I agree Westbrook is good, but I don't know if he's better than Shipp, who's got more experience and has shown play-making ability. He used to play point guard in high school.

You're right though, he's on the slow side for a guard in college.

Hopefully Roll will benefit from the double teams Kevin Love will be drawing.

187
Based off rep we should not be that good, but having Valdez and Martinez for Betemit helps. Kent has been playing well so far. Gonzo and Pierre have seem to have had the most problems.

189
No, but I am from the Bay and have family that went there. I could actually go see Wright play.

127 About 25 years ago, when I was a sportswriter in San Francisco, I was assigned to do a color piece on a big race at Golden Gate Fields. It might have been the California Derby. The GM of the racetrack saw me and asked if I wanted to meet Joe Dimaggio, who was sitting by himself at a small table in a private lounge. Sure did! As I was introduced, Joe stood up and shook my hand. We chatted for about 15 minutes. I mentioned that the Yankees, who then had a big lead in the AL East, were about to face a poor team in a series. Joe then told me how when the Yankees were in their prime, they went into St. Louis one year to play the lowly Browns and got swept. The message was: Take nothing for granted. He was very gracious.

191
I think Westbrook has the potential to be our leading scorer at some point in his career. DC and RW would create defensive havoc in the back court and I think we would have the quickest and most athletic back court in country.

192 I haven't looked at any metrics, nor would they really mean anything at this point, but I don't think Valdez and Martinez have been a defensive improvement over Betemit, who, despite his reputation, has been excellent with the glove so far.

Furcal has been spectacular since his return. Nomar's biffed a couple of easy plays, but otherwise OK. Kent's been awesome, as has Martin. Pierre seems bent on reenacting the Kenny Lofton horror show from last year. Gonzalez... on the advice of my mother, I won't say anything at all.

My wife had a good Dodger sighting in May of 1998. That month should ring a bell. She was eating with some friends at Tony Romas in Beverly Hills. Seated alone eating a brownie before a home game was newly acquired Gary Sheffield. My wife was sure it was him because he had a WS ring on. I don't think I would have thought of that. Anyway a few days later I got a birthday card from my wife which read "Happy Birthday, Gary Sheffield #10."

I can live with the fact that Pierre can't hit but I can't live with his bad glove right next to Gonzo's bad glove. I wish we had just gotten some no hit/great glove cast off. Bad defense in center field will cost us more runs that his hitting will. I really think he's worse defensively than Lofton.
Sadly, that's not a rule 6 violation.

196 - Yes, it's very early, but using rate2 (which I'm not really a fan of anymore) LA has LuGo, Kent, and Nomar as below average (well under 100). Pierre, Martin, and Ethier are well above 100.

Former Rocky Chin-hui Tsao was recalled and it'd be interesting if he made his first big league appearance in almost two years against his former team.

Here's tonight's lineup:

Furcal, SS

Pierre, CF

Nomar, 1B

Lieberthal, C

Ethier, RF

Clark, LF

Betemit, 3B

Martinez, 2B

Lowe, P

197. You married Gary Sheffield??

No wait I think I misunderstood. Women always look for the ring first.

192 Thanks Train. We are low on the list for outfield assists, but since it runs from about 7 down to 1 (and thats just rough memory), it doesn't mean much. I think we have 2 and I would expect we will continue to fall behind on this stat, though I have read much argument about what this stat means and its importance. I would guess in our case it is significant, but hopefully, not important.

200
Now that is an interesting lineup. The word terrible can substitute for interesting in this context.

Boy, Grady is sure punting this game.

202
We could get a good number of assists just because teams will constantly challenge our outfield arms. As you said, have to question the importance of that stat.

Brush with greatness #1:

When I was a baby, my regular sitter was Nan Britton, who claimed to have had an illegimitate child with President Warren G. Harding.

Brush with greatness #2:

When I worked for Mayor Bradley, movie crews frequently took over the place for a few days. Leslie Neilsen, filming one of the Police Squad movies, was sitting in a hallway I had to pass through several times an hour to talk to my boss. Every time I walked past, he squeezed something that let off a fart noise -- but I was so focused, I didn't notice the sound, or that everyone was laughing at me.

204 Maybe this is the ground ball defense lineup.

200 This is what happened, Luis Gonzalez stayed back in Arizona until this morning knowing that he was not starting today but he would be starting tomorrow afternoon. Russell already knew he wasn't playing (Lieberthal's one start was with Lowe). And it figures that Kent and Nomar would be trading a days off.

I think because the Dodgers were playing 2 games in less than 24 hours in the altitude, it makes sense that they were going to give these guys some time off.

208 The part about Luis staying home until this morning is just my guess. Call it a veteran's benefit.

I recently worked with and befriended Harry Belafonte on a Youth Social Justice campaign - very nice guy and deeply passionate about Civil Rights. Just this past Sunday, I had a great conversation with Sharon Robinson, Jackie's daughter, after the ceremony about her family and her work in education.

In college, I bumped into Ken Griffey Jr eating at the McDonalds inside MGM Grand in Las Vegas. It was about 1 or 2 am. From a nervous college kid approaching his favorite player at the time, he was pretty nice.

A friend of mine actually works for Scott Boras and another friend of a friend dated Jessica Alba. (there's some hope for regular guys).

Also, my mom is an interior designer and she's worked with Jackie Slater from the Rams and of all people, Giovanni Carrara.

My friend used to work at the Raider Image store and his boss claims she had a kid when she was real young with Ken Griffey Jr and had to put it up for an adoption.

She also used to be involved with Lincoln Kennedy, so I would not put anything past her.

198. I really think he's worse defensively than Lofton.

I'd give him a slight edge over Lofton for one simple reason, he will at least dive for balls that would otherwise be slightly beyond his reach. Lofton had reached the point age-wise where he was so concerned about injury that he wouldn't leave his feet. It was frustrating watching balls just beyond his glove roll to the wall for doubles or standup triples.

163 - He was bored out of his mind as no one was there to buy his book.

The thought of Jim Harrick being totally ignored pleases me no end.

I once shook the hand of a guy who now has a major league baseball stadium named after him, Hubert Humphrey.

Re: 150

Ah, Kitty Carlisle. One of few last living links to the dear Brothers Marx, though she bears the dubious distinction of being half of the romantic "centerpiece" that Thalberg insisted on to make the MGM-produced "A Night at the Opera" more palatable for a mass audience than their (wilder) Paramount efforts.

Alas, she and her onscreen paramour (Allan Jones?) have the effect of dragging the precious, priceless Marxian proceedings to a grinding halt every time they're on screen. Sigh.

Naturally, it was their biggest hit to date.

212- I agree that Pierre has looked bad a little too often for comfort this young season, he is simply not a worse CF'er than Kenny Lofton.

My most memorable celebrity sighting was when I was in Governor Brown's office waiting along with senior staff and the Governor for a courtesy call from President Ford. All of a sudden, the Secret Service guys were running around like the proverbial chickens. Ford came in cool as a cucumber, even though Squeaky Fromm (sp?) had just tried to shoot him.

101 - I'm betting he had a dog named "Hobie" and was an instrumental player in MLB Free Agency.

170 - The Short Stop was bought by now sober Greg Dulli of The Afghan Whigs/Twilight Singers a few years back. A big Reds fan. The new Dodger ad music reminds me of 'Teenage Wristband', his ode to a similar Who song.

I've sold a Mac to Robin Williams (at Whole Earth Access in SF, he's the hairiest guy i've ever seen. I sat next to Cybil Shepard (an ageless beauty) when Sting played the Wiltern (Soul Cages tour), sat behind Mickey Rourke when he played the Greek (Blue Turtles).

But my top freaky encouter is O.J. Simpson cutting in front of me to order at Westwood Fatburger one Friday at 12am. Nicole was sitting outside in his double-parked white Lamborghini.

Checks for LAT ...

New post up top.

I once played guitar while Bruce Springsteen was singing Born to Run. I was sitting in the front row, and he leans over and thrusts the guitar in our faces, so I strum a few notes. I have no idea how to play the guitar, so I'm sure it sounded terrible.

219 - That was worth reading the penultimate comment in the thread for.

This thread has been a great read today. I have very few brushes with greatness, but one of my favorites is meeting David Bowe (co-star of UHF, the greatest film of all time) at a Target in Palm Springs. He was buying baseball cards.

In high school, I got to ride a bus full of major leaguers from their hotel to Angel Stadium (in Palm Springs, former minor league and pseudo-spring-training site) for the annual Pepsi all-star softball game. I sat next to Rafael Palmeiro and Bobby Bonilla.

Oh I have another good one. In 1992 I got some seats for an Angels/Tigers game in the players' family section in Anaheim. There was this 9-year old black kid who appeared to be at least 180 lbs (as in FAT) and wielding a regulation wooden bat. I couldn't get a positive ID on the kid but I did overhear that he had an odd first name... Prince.