[Fred]

I didn't exactly meet him but...

At a Padre game, long, long ago... there was a player named Chris Gomez. As most people that attend MLB games know, the players warm up before the ball game and some will sign autographs and toss balls to the kids.

I was with my son, he was fairly young at the time. I was watching Gomez play catch with another player. I always bring a glove to a game (never know when a foul balls coming) and had it with me. Chris Gomez motions to me to raise my glove. He's at least a second to home throw away from the stands (it was just a bit further). I put my glove about head high and about a foot and a half away from my head. He throws a strike into the glove. I didn't have to the glove an inch. Tipped my hat and said thank you and nice throw.

Ok, here's one when I was a teenager. Mid to late 1970's. Dale Murphy is a rookie. Before the game starts, I asked him if he cracked his bat during the game if I could have it and he replied yes. Early in the game he cracked one however he was pulled from the game before the fifth inning. After the game I figured he'd probably headed back to the clubhouse. Instead, he had a bat in his hand and was looking around until he saw me. He then handed me the bat to which I said THANK YOU!. Turned out he was using a Phil Neikro bat that day. In that same series Biff Pocoroba cracked three bats during the series and gave them all to me. Dang, it's not hard to understand how a kid can get hooked on the game and the players.

Last one - Dave Winfield (yeah, he was a Padre at the start). I think I got 4 of his bats (nice black LS with a cork handle) in one season. Before and after games he'd sign. There were times he'd sign anything but then again there were times he was just human and having a bad day and didn't bother and may have seemed like a dick. I think it's timing. Sometimes you find a player in a good mood and at other times maybe the guys wife just let him know she found out about his girlfriend.....

I've got tons of fun stories and memories from when I was a kid going to MLB games.