Nick, Me, and the Bleacher Creatures
Mark introduced me to Nick Johnson while I was at Spring Training in Viera, FL. Before I met any ballplayers I had tried to think of something substantive to say, as opposed to, you know, "I'm a big fan!!" or something equally as vapid. So when Mark introduces me to Nick I ask him, "Do you used left-handed golf clubs?"
For those of you who don't know, I have held a real golf club exactly once in my entire life. That was the night that Mark took me to the driving range and attempted to teach me to play golf. I did okay. I also discovered that I am a left-handed golfer; and that golf-clubs, unlike pool sticks, are not ambidexterous. Nick Johnson is a southpaw (left-handed batter), thus my question to him.
He answers, "No, actually I use right-handed clubs unless I'm with someone who has left-handed clubs and I'm behind a tree or something and need to use one." We then go on to talk about how he used to be a switch hitter when he was younger, but now only bats and throws left. I explain my odd phenomenon of being right-handed, but playing sports left-handed. It's a phenomenon I don't understand either. Nick says he's not really sure which "handed" he is because he writes with his right hand, eats with his left, but kicks with his right foot. I am thoroughly amused.
Then I ask--Nick being a former New York Yankee--if he notices a difference between playing baseball in New York and DC. He kind of shrugs and says, "Well, I mean, Yankee Stadium is Yankee Stadium, but you know..." to which I respond, "Baseball is baseball wherever you play?" and he nods.
A radio announcer, Charlie Slowes, has been sitting next to Nick the whole time we are talking, and he starts talking about Tino Martinez (also a former Yankee) moving to Tampa Bay, and explaining how Tino didn't want to wave to the Bleacher Creatures when the Devil Rays were in New York because now he was a visiting player. At that moment, I made the startling connection between the "celebrity" world of professional baseball and my world of standing there in Florida having a conversation with "this guy" who happens to be Nick Johnson. I'm standing there, not two feet away from, and having a normal, regular conversation about golf clubs with this guy who used to get yelled at by the BLEACHER CREATURES in Yankee Stadium!! How cool did my life just become?
An additional aside: I got Nick to sign a baseball that I am going to give my dad for a birthday present.
For those of you who don't know, I have held a real golf club exactly once in my entire life. That was the night that Mark took me to the driving range and attempted to teach me to play golf. I did okay. I also discovered that I am a left-handed golfer; and that golf-clubs, unlike pool sticks, are not ambidexterous. Nick Johnson is a southpaw (left-handed batter), thus my question to him.
He answers, "No, actually I use right-handed clubs unless I'm with someone who has left-handed clubs and I'm behind a tree or something and need to use one." We then go on to talk about how he used to be a switch hitter when he was younger, but now only bats and throws left. I explain my odd phenomenon of being right-handed, but playing sports left-handed. It's a phenomenon I don't understand either. Nick says he's not really sure which "handed" he is because he writes with his right hand, eats with his left, but kicks with his right foot. I am thoroughly amused.
Then I ask--Nick being a former New York Yankee--if he notices a difference between playing baseball in New York and DC. He kind of shrugs and says, "Well, I mean, Yankee Stadium is Yankee Stadium, but you know..." to which I respond, "Baseball is baseball wherever you play?" and he nods.
A radio announcer, Charlie Slowes, has been sitting next to Nick the whole time we are talking, and he starts talking about Tino Martinez (also a former Yankee) moving to Tampa Bay, and explaining how Tino didn't want to wave to the Bleacher Creatures when the Devil Rays were in New York because now he was a visiting player. At that moment, I made the startling connection between the "celebrity" world of professional baseball and my world of standing there in Florida having a conversation with "this guy" who happens to be Nick Johnson. I'm standing there, not two feet away from, and having a normal, regular conversation about golf clubs with this guy who used to get yelled at by the BLEACHER CREATURES in Yankee Stadium!! How cool did my life just become?
An additional aside: I got Nick to sign a baseball that I am going to give my dad for a birthday present.