It's like being 10 again ...
OK, I promised to describe one of the great sporting moments of my life. And believe it or not, this happened BEFORE the brilliant and one of my all-time favorite Web sites Deadspin called me "Estimable." My cup runneth over.
But, with no offense to the great Deadspin folks, this is even bigger to me. This, frankly, is as big as it gets. You know, sometimes when I speak to kids at schools and it becomes apparent that boredom has set in (this often can take as long as 49 seconds), I will throw out a little challenge. I will say, "Name your favorite sports star." And then I tell them if I have interviewed that person.
It's a trick question because, honestly, I've interviewed just about everybody they might mention. This is not bragging (well, OK, yeah it is, but that's not really my point here) ... it's just that when you are in the business or a while, you will one way or another come across most of the the biggest sports stars. I interviewed Michael Jordan when he just got out of college, for instance. I talked to Jeff Gordon as part of some sort of charity event. I sat next to Mickey Mantle at a celebrity baseball game. I went on a Negro Leagues Museum tour with Albert Pujols. I chatted with LeBron James at the Olympics. I have on many occasions stood around in a group and interviewed Tiger Woods. I spent a day with Hank Aaron. And so on.
Anyway, these brushes with greatness impress the kids way out of proportion -- I don't KNOW any of these athletes. The closest I've probably ever come to a truly great athlete involved the weekly chess matches I used to play against Priest Holmes. And I don't know him either ... For instance, I have absolutely no idea what is his motivation to come back to the Chiefs. Apparently he saw it in a dream. I wouldn't have guessed that.
Point is, meeting these great stars SOUNDS better to kids than it really is. I'm not being callous about it -- it still thrills me to watch Peyton Manning throw the football or to watch Barry Bonds hit or to see Roger Federer hit cross court-winners. It's just that meeting these people ... well, it's not bad, but it's just not as cool as I thought it would be when I was 10.
HOWEVER ... I was 10 once. And I had a hero. I have mentioned him on this site before. People sometimes seem to think I'm joking when I say that my hero was Cleveland Indians second baseman Duane Kuiper -- possibly because Kuiper hit only one home run in his career. But I am not joking. Duane Kuiper played second base. I wanted to play second base. Duane Kuiper dove for ground balls. I dove for ground balls. Duane Kuiper tried to bunt and slap his way on base; that's what I did too. I would have had a Kuiper poster on my wall, but they didn't make them. So I cut out pictures from the newspaper, put those on my wall. He was everything. I once tried to rank my all-time sports heroes ... as I do it now I would say the list looks like this:
1. Duane Kuiper
2. Brian Sipe
3. Buddy Bell
4. Ozzie Newsome
5. Earl Campbell (my only true non-Cleveland athlete crush as a kid)
Bernie Kosar and Cory Snyder would be on there too, but by the time I liked Bernie and Cory I was already in high school and college and should have known better.
Anyway, I was aware in a general way that Duane is now an announcer for the San Francisco Giants. But when I actually went to San Francisco to cover this Bonds chase, I never really put it together that I could meet my hero. It just didn't occur to me. At some point, seven or eight days in, my friend Mike Vaccaro said, "You should go over to the booth and meet Duane Kuiper."
And I thought: "Holy shmoly! [I often think using phrases like "Holy Shmoly!" and "Shazam!"] I really should."
And then I got nervous. Crazy, right? But this guy was my hero. This wasn't like going up to Johan Santana and asking him what pitch he threw in the seventh. That's work. This was a whole different thing. This was about meeting a childhood hero (I had the same inhibition when I finally met Ozzie Newsome. I really couldn't allow myself to feel that when Buddy Bell became manager of the Royals). Then I thought, "Hey, maybe I could do a column on Duane Kuiper. You know, here's the opposite of Barry Bonds, the guy who hit only one home run. And he's the one calling the games. That's great. That's how I'll do this."
So, of course, the next day Jayson Stark did that very column. So now I couldn't do that.
Sigh. I left San Francisco without going up to my hero Duane Kuiper. I'm a wimp, OK? I always was a wimp. That's one of the reasons why I got into this crazy journalism racket in the first place -- to give me a REASON to talk to people. I left San Francisco Monday morning, flew all day, landed in New York. I went to my hotel room, and checked my email.
You know what's coming, right? Yeah. There was an email from Duane Kuiper. It read like so (I don't think he'd mind me printing it):
Joe
You spent 9 days following Barry Bonds and not one time did you try to look me up. I have heard thru the grapevine that you were a Duane Kuiper fan growing up as a kid, if that story is really true...I would have loved to have met you. If you are headed to L.A. or San Diego please bother me, there's a short list of kids who idolized me. I'd like to meet them all.
Duane Kuiper
What can I say, folks? My career is made. My time as a sportswriter has not been in vain. Duane Kuiper emailed me. It's like being 10 again ...
30 comments:
What a great story. If Fernando Valenzuela, Pedro Guerrero, Magic Johnson, Nolan Cromwell or Marcus Allen ever email me, I'll know how you feel.
If Freddie Patek emailed me I would print it, laminate it, and hang it above the mantle.
Wow, please let Wayne Garret know he can do the same thing for this 41 year old kid. I tried playing 3B beacuse of #11 (Yup Wayne gets called #11, in spite of the fact that I am a Rangers, Messier, and Giants, Simms, fan). I do have one special Wayne Garret story. As a 7 year old boy, my grandfather, who would die, as it turns out, less then 10 days later, got tickets for he and I to attend game 3 of the '73 World Series at Shea. Well, my Papa was too sick to go with me so it was me and my dad. We took the 7 Train to Shea, you know, the train that John Rocker choose to dis, during his 15 minutes of fame. The game was a Seaver vs. Catfish Hunter matchup, it does not get better then this. Seaver struck out something like 85 A's, incluidng Reggie, about 20 times (okay so there is a little embelishment here, but not much), I still have the scorecard. The game ended in the 11th inning, sometime after I had left, via the 7 train. for me though the highlight of the game came in the first AB of the bottom of the first inning when #11, hit a leadoff HR. Yoru favorite player hitting a HR in yoru first WS game is a thrill of a lifetime. Today, almost 34 years later, i am a married father of 4, but remembering that moment still sends chills down my spine. The only thing close to that, came last October, sitting in the same upper deck at Shea, when siting with my, then 9 year old, son. We saw one of his favorite players, Jose, Jose Jose Reyes hit a lead off HR, in game 6 of the LCS.
Joe, thanks for helping me remember these special moments.
I don't find it even a little strange that Duane Kuiper was your favorite player. I always wanted to play for the Boston Celtics, but I was held back by the fact that I was short and not very good at basketball. Any player who fit that description meant that there was at least a hypothetical chance that I, too, could play in the NBA.
I think this partly explains many people's fascination with David Eckstein. He's a scrawny white guy who isn't very good at baseball. But if I were 12 years old, I would love him. If he can play in the majors, then maybe I could, too.
Buddy Bell #4? Well that explains why our sports media in KC isn't a bit harder on the guy. Of course now he has our health sympathies, so he'll be the manager another 3 years before people get a bit fed up. - TL
when i was 9 my hero was andy stankiewicz. in my backyard my dad would throw me ground balls and i would field them and my dad would say "kelly", and i'd flip it up, run around it, drag my foot across an imaginary base while catching it and he'd say, a little louder, "to stanky" and i'd relay it back to him and he'd exclaim "to mattingly...double play! what a turn by stankiewicz!"
i was waiting on line for andy's autograph at some expo when i heard two facts for the first time: 1) the yankees had traded for paul o'neill and 2) the yankees had drafted some shortstop from michigan in the first round of the amateur draft. soon o'neill became my hero. a few years later that shortstop they drafted turned out to be a decent ballplayer. i'd rather get an email from stanky than either of them.
Joe,
I am a journalist as well and my hero growing up in Kansas City was, as it is for so many others, George Brett.
I have been in many press boxes over the years with Brett just a few steps away and I've never introduced myself to him.
Part of it is the awe. And part of it is this - I think I would start sobbing at that moment and not be able to get a word out.
Life wasn't great at my house growing up and the Royals from 1976-85 were my lifeboat when things were at their worst. I don't want to overstate it, but in some ways, they saved my life.
So, when I see Brett, I see a reason why I'm here today. I don't want to make too much out of sports and the relevance in today's society, but while I was growing up, the Royals kept me going.
I think about that every single time I see Brett. I hope, someday, I have the courage to tell him that.
I wish I was 10 now...David Wright would be the perfect hero...unfortunately now, at 23, when I say he's my favorite player I just get made fun of by my friends and a lot of homophobic remarks. When I was 10 there wasn't much there in terms of hero material...HOJO was my guy, but he was only there a year or two more, I had a little trouble growing a big attachment to Bobby Bonilla. I did meet Mike Piazza once in a Tower Records and pretty much embarrassed myself, but I did talk to him. I think you always have to go for it, even when you are a wuss. They probably won't remember you anyway and you'll always regret it if you don't. I guess things are a little different when he's just sitting down the row from you in the press box...haha.
I actually tried to think of who my top 5 sports heroes were growing up and this is the rather eclectic list I came up with:
1) Tom Watson
2) Nolan Ryan
3) George Brett
4) Chris Evert
5) Melvin Booker
Honorable Mention:
Carl Lewis
Doug Smith
Danny Jackson
Dan Marino
Pete Sampras
John McEnroe
Joe,
I'm surprised that the fact that the Kuiper boys (Duane, as well as A's announcer Glen) grew up on a farm in Wisconsin did not enter into your decision. They're not your "media-centric" types with non-odorous feces. Heck, they shoveled the stuff!
Duane tells a great story about going to the train station in rural Wisconsin, just to see the train with the champion Milwaukee Braves move slowly through town. Ask him about that one. There's a reason for a meeting!
Very cool story, Thanks Joe.
I met my hero John Riggins at a local Virginia bar. Cool guy. He was drunk too.
I never thought I'd be nervous at meeting an athlete because as a kid I never really idolized any.
Then I went to a restaurant a few weeks ago and Mark Teahen sat at the table next to me. He's a nice player, but he's not even my favorite Royal. I told my wife who it was and she said I should tell him "good game" or something. I couldn't even garner the courage to do that. To Mark Teahen. And I'm 28 years old and didn't grow up idolizing him.
I can't even imagine what I would have done had I had an opportunity to actually sit down and talk to a player I grew up idolizing. I'd probably babble incoherently and soil myself.
My 3 Sports Heroes growing up:
Brett Favre
Robin Ventura
Scottie Pippen
My early sports heros:
1) Ron Hunt, second baseman for the Mets, and their only .300 hitter in 1965;
2) Ken Boyer -- who killed the Yankees in the 1964 Series with a grand slam. Back then, I thought a grand slam was an incredible achievement.
3) Joe Namath. Yeah, well, I had to have at least one legitimate hero as a hero. I'm not Charlie Brown.
I so totally get this. I hope you do end up meeting Kuiper, and if you do, please write it up.
I'm 23 and I've been working every day in a major league press box for nearly two years. I've gotten used to the athletes by now, but I still freeze up and get a knot in my stomach every time I run into Peter Gammons.
Although I have made a vow to introduce myself to him next time we cross paths, it's already happened twice. Each time it seemed I'd have to fight through his small throng of disciples to get in a word or a handshake.
Sigh...next time.
1. Bret Saberhagen - I have EVERY baseball card he's been on.
2. Danny Tartabull
3. Bo Jackson
4. Eh... pretty much the 1987 Royals.
5. Rickey Henderson (Pre 1990's)
Andy Van Slyke here. Old Andy actually lived near me. When I was like 12 or so, I had to sell candy bars for my little league team as a fundraiser. I intentionally went into Andy's neighborhood to sell the candy. I knocked on the door and lo and behold, Mrs. Andy Van Slyke answered the door. I forgot to check the darn schedule! The Pirates were out of town. Damnit.
Funny, because looking back, as much as I worshipped Andy, Mrs. Van Slyke might have been the better choice as she was easier on the eyes.
By the way, she bought 3 candy bars. All carmel for those interested.
I think it was Van Slyke when asked if he could be anyone else in the world, replied, his wife. To see how awesome it is to be around him.
I use that answer sometimes too.
I've had run-ins with three relatively popular pro athletes (Barry Zito at a bar and Ty Law and Chris Slade at a place I worked at in high school) and never really went ga-ga over them - in fact, I got along with Slade so well that he gave me tickets to three different Patriots games.
But if Tom Brady walked into my office right now, I'd probably curl into the fetal position and shake violently.
Very cool story Joe. When I was a kid I grew up watching and rooting for Buddy Bell, Larry Parrish, Charlie Hough, etc on the mid 80s Rangers.
Wait a minute ...
One of the great sporting moments of your life is getting a gently chiding e-mail from your hero after you didn't have the cojones to approach him in person?
I'm gonna say that sounds kinda Charlie Brown-ish, on account of that's about the nicest thing I can say.
Not surprising at all to me that others are mentioning George Brett. I, too, idolized him growing up. His posters covered my bedroom walls as a kid. My most memorable birthday present as a kid -- and no doubt the only one I've still got -- was a Brett rookie card. Best trip was to see Game 7 of '85 series. I seriously had dreams (a long time ago) about meeting him. But I lived 200 miles from KC, and the few times I went to an autograph day, his line was way too long.
So I grew up to become a sportswriter. And this spring, I finally had a reason to meet him. I'm never nervous in that situation, but I was almost shaking when I walked up to him on the field before batting practice. Tying to act calm, I asked for a few minutes. He told me we could chat after he took his turn on the mound. OK, fine. And then I got worried that he was going to blow me off and my entire year would be ruined because I had realized George Brett was a jerk after all these years.
Long story short, he didn't blow me off. In fact, he waited for me by the dugout as most of the team exited the field after BP. More than I can say for many of the much less important athletes I've met. He was cordial and joked around; gave me all the time I needed. I thought I held up real well and completely hid my feelings. I was working, after all. But somehow I felt like he knew what was going on inside my head. I had planned, after the interview, to tell him quickly that I grew up watching him and what an honor it was an honor to meet him.
Of course, all I could muster was: "OK, well, thanks for your time. I really appreciate it."
Probably for the best.
I wonder how many people out there feel this way about Brett.
I once met George Brett in Omaha and felt the exact same way. I'm very rarely starstruck, but at that momment, I was instantly taken back to every single backyard wiffleball game where I turned around and batted left handed while wearing a number "5" on my back written in Sharpie.
Excellent stuff as usual.
Joe, you're the greatest, and keep up the good work.
Frank White was my hero. I loved Brett too, but everyone loved Brett. I always thought Frank didn't get the credit he deserved (like all those gold gloves stolen by harold reynolds).
Anyway, Frank as my hero has me terrified about the managerial opening in KC. I hope he gets it, but what if he's no good? Joe, any thoughts on whether Frank would be a good hire?
Where's Bloggy Friday?!?!
I can add to the George Brett fan club. My first glove and cleats were George Brett models - circa 1983.
The glove with the fake signature. My twin brother had a Bobby Gritch model. Yikes!
I also sported the Spot-Bilt #5 cleats with the big flap over the laces. Coolest baseball equip ever. I say that, because my brother and I, had my Mom going to every store in town trying get us flip-top sunglasses. Gotta be like the pros.
So George will always have a soft spot in my heart.
Great to learn he's a nice guy.
Great story, Joe. It has the dramatics of a good movie or something.
Anyways, I guess you've met all of my major sports heroes. It was the Mick as I was growing up (I remember your story about how meeting Mickey Mantle was the day autographs died for you.)
Later, I grew to idolize George Brett (around when he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame), Roger Clemens and Greg Maddux (about when Maddux won his 300th game.)
Haven't had a chance to meet any of them though. :(
This is a great story! It looks like a lot of us "adults" can relate.
I rarely attend sporting events anymore, but I went to a baseball game in Camden Yards a few years back when the Red Sox were in town.
Before the game, I was down by the dugout watching warmups. All the present-day stars were passing by, larger than life... but I didn't think anything of it. My days of idolizing pro athletes are far gone.
Then, batting coach Jim Rice came out the dugout, strolled nearby and starting playing catch with one of the players.
I felt like a kid again and that it was the 1970's. I was totally giddy. It even surprised me, frankly, because I thought I was past all that.
I'm sure the youngsters lining the first row didn't even know who he was. Whereas I am standing there like a idiot, with this giddy smile on my face. I wanted to yell out, "Hey kids, that's Jim Rice!"
I swear he noticed, as I was the only one remotely looking (OK, staring) in his direction. As he'd glance over, I was wondering: "Does he realize my appreciation, or does he think I'm a wierdo?"
Joe,
As a long time and suffering Cleveland Indians fan I truly understand your list. I grew up in the days of Duane Kuiper, Brian Sipe, the Kardiac Kids, Ehlo getting beat by Jordan, you know the drill. I have met Buddy Bell, Ron Pruitt (played for the Tribe), Joe Charboneau, Toby Harrah, most of the Browns (Sipe, Newsome, Logan, Dieken) and Cavs from the day (Daughtery, Nance, price Bingo Smith) but never Duane Kuiper. I listen to him do the Giants games and wish he was here to replace Manning or Hamilton..They both suck.
He is truly a class act and I was so happy to see our post and know I am not alone..
Thanks,
Kev!
uh he's not a nice guy.. GB i mean
Post a Comment