Diamondbacks Bullpen

[consciousq]

I was over at the Gainey Village Complex off of Scottsdale road and Doubletree where I was meeting up with my family for a mid afternoon game of basketball when I see a guy crouched over that looks like that Cy Young pitcher that I always call Simon Gagne, don't ask me why, I like hockey as well obviously, but it was Eric Gagne. I walked right up to him because no one was around him and the funny thing was I go, "your simon gagne, err eric gagne" and I was laughing to myself because I never become star struck or was I embarrassed about calling him Simon off the bat. I talked briefly with him about the FA market, and he kept telling me how its a great year to be a free agent and that his back was completely healed. He stressed that a few times, and I was thinking to myself I wonder if he really is. So I have now seen and talked with Eric Gagne and Conor Jackson within the past month, so I have that going for me, lol, quote from caddyshack I believe. Anyone else have any stories about talking with any professional baseball players. I will post about Conor another time, he actually talked to me for 20 minutes at the grocery store, cool guy.

[tmar]

I've seen Gonzo about a half dozen times as he lives close enough that we go to the same shopping centers <I live on the much poorer side of the shopping centers obviously>. It's always been a distant nod of "wow you're Gonzo" and his every polite wave back <he is really a good guy>.

In six years of owning a bar next to the ballpark I've only every had one player come to the bar and I don't even remember exactly who it was. He came in with a "yes man" and 2 girls and played Golden Tee for an hour and left <only ones in the place>. Whomever he was he was almost as full of himself as his "yes man" was.

I also watched Finding Nemo with RJ and his kids <in the same theater that is>. I used to own a restaurant near that theater and knew a bunch of the kids that worked there and they all said he was a total tool. It's probably rough to be bugged non-stop by everyone you meet, but for 16MM/yr he should have been a tad more accomodating.

[levski]

My baseball player signings:

I was in line behind Derek Jeter at a Dunkin Donuts shop on the upper east side. It was before Game 6 of the 2003 WS (when Beckett shut them down 2-0). Jeter was with a hot chick (his g-friend at the time, the chick from "The fast and the furious"). I said to him "Good luck tomorrow, Jeter". He said "Thanks".

I rode the 7 train to Shea in 2001 (I think) with Randy Wolf. The Phillies were playing the Mets, and he took the train to the park. He seemed like a really nice guy. Maybe that's why I'm biased here.

I also met Al Leiter on another train. It was during one of the Subway series games between the Mets and the Yankees, at Yankee stadium. He was going to pitch for the Mets that day. Most of the train were Yankee fans, and they kept telling him the Yankees were going to kick his ass. He just smiled. He won that day, I think.

I also saw John Franco of the Mets at the Hospital for Special Surgery. He was rehabbing from his TJ surgery there, and I was seeing an orthopedic surgeon to decide if I should have a knee surgery (skiing accident). I just wished him good luck with the rehab.