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But, on the way, I was stopped. Not by some bouncer or security guard. No, Hall-of-Famer Carl Yastremski stood in my path. For those who don’t know, Yastremski represents the Red Sox more than anyone outside of Ted Williams. He played with the team over three decades, setting most of the team records. During the Red Sox glory years, the mid-1970s, Yaz was the man. On this day, however, Carl Yastremski stood between Jim Rice and me. He looked down at me and said: “Son, Jimmy had a bad game today. It might be best if you didn’t get his autograph today.” My response: “OK.” I then walked away, not asking Carl Yastremski for his signature. After all, I wanted Jim Rice. He was my hero.
Over the years, I’ve created dozens of Spring Training memories that just couldn’t be had any other place in the sporting world. For instance, one time while I was waiting for some friends at Chain of Lakes Park, Pete Rose pulled into his parking spot driving a big red Cadillac. I was standing two feet away from the driver side door. He popped out of the car and I got his autograph. Another time, at Boardwalk and Baseball in Haines City, I sat on a grassy hill a foot from the field and spent 20 minutes talking with Paul Quantrill, a pitcher for the Red Sox. We talked about the previous season. We talked about the upcoming season. We talked about his pitching style and why he was in the bullpen and not a starter. Lately, I’ve been able to share similar experiences with my son, Brandon. While he hasn’t become the baseball fan I was at his age, he still goes to Spring Training with me and enjoys the hot dogs, the peanuts, and meeting the players. It was at a Spring Training game that Brandon got his first autograph. I had bought him a Houston Astros pennant at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee. The small park has a wonderful area for getting autographs and, in the spirit of Spring Training, the players are more than happy to oblige. My son walked up to the fence area where players and fans congregate. He waited his turn, pen and pennant in hand. One of the Astros players walked up and Brandon proceeded to ask: “Can I have my autograph?” The player smiled, handed him the pennant and pen back and said sure, with a chuckle. Researching this book has created dozens of new memories of baseball experienced with my son and my wife, Melissa. For instance, at the first game of the 2003 season, while I was researching the first edition, I caught a foul ball from Hideki “Godzilla” Matsui, the then-rookie right fielder from Japan. I spent several games, including one standing in the rain, trying to get Godzilla to sign the ball. Didn't find what you were looking for? Try a Google search.
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