Tuesday, July 27, 2010

My Baseball





The other night I met Tony Gwynn, one of baseball's greats, and had him sign a baseball that has been in my possession for nearly 20 years. In 1991 my parents and grandparents took me to see my first MLB baseball game in Atlanta. I don’t remember much about the game that day, but I remember waiting in line to get signatures from the Braves pitching staff on a Rawlings Little League leather cover baseball. Guys like Kent Mercher, Steve Avery, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, and Mark Wohlers.


Around that time my grandparents had season tickets to the Bulls right behind home plate where Javy would catch. We even had the privilege of watching Chipper move through the ranks. On special nights guest athletes would come into town and I would wait in line, much like we did with Tony, to get that same baseball signed by aging Hall of Famers, such as Brooks Robinson and Bob Feller. There were others who would come through like the late Enos Slaughter and Willie Stargell, but for some reason I didn’t think there was enough room on the baseball to have anybody else sign it. If it wasn’t for my wife I probably would’ve continued to think that way. I actually gave the baseball to her when we got engaged so she would know how serious I was about marrying her. I gave it to her, but technically since what’s mine is her’s and what’s her’s is mine the baseball is still mine.


When we got to the ballpark this past Monday night my nostalgic mind took me back to my childhood and I didn’t mind waiting in line, even if it meant missing the start of the game and possibly not getting the baseball signed even after waiting in line for an hour and a half. We were told that Gwynn had stopped signing autographs and was only doing picture, and we decided to stay in line anyway. I mean, hey it’s still cool to say you met the guy and after being in line for an hour it’d be pointless to leave. As we got closer to the room where he was the security guards cut off everyone else from entering, so we were like the 2nd to last people to go in. As we walked up I heard Tony say to the people in front of us that if they had anything they wanted him to sign they could leave it on the table and he might get to it, but he couldn’t promise it would be there when they came back to pick it up; to which I said, “I’d love to do that Mr. Gwynn, but this baseball has Bob Feller’s and Brooks Robinson’s signature on it, so I doubt I’ll be leaving it.” He replied, “I don’t blame you. I was in the same room with those guys yesterday [at the Hall of Fame ceremony]. How cool is that?” We took a picture, he took my baseball and signed it, we shook hands, and Cat and I made it to our seats to watch the Bulls beat Syracuse 15-4 I think.


The significance behind this story is that it’s kind of a closure to that baseball. Since the early 90’s that Rawlings Little League baseball has had one spot that hadn’t been signed on it. Well as of Monday, that spot was filled and I will retire the baseball, like the men who have signed their names on it. Maybe one day it'll be something I can pass down to my kids and I'll be able to say I met some of the greatest to play the game.