Do any of you remember Finley's Farmer's Day? I remember as a kid getting
down to the left field foul corner and getting a good grip on the greased
pig (no jokes please).
Camera Day was cool. I have black & white pics of me with Don Mincher,
LaRussa as a player, Campy, Reggie. The camera was one of those you held
down at belt level and snapped away. A couple decades later I took
pictures
of me with Don Sutton as an A's player. He kept saying how I looked like
Curt Young.
Bat Day in the bleachers was amazing with those little league green bats
on
the tin floor. It sounded like a train was going to crash the party.
Beep beep! Roadrunner. Campy steals, and Sal Bando drives him in!
I had front row seats behind the A's bullpen in 1969 I think it was. I had
a
nice talk with Bob Locker, who was coughing and sick that night.
McNamara's Band. get out of the way and go to Shakey's!
Paul Lindblad (RIP) visited me and my family in the left field bleachers
several times, so did Gene Tenace, who once told us his name was actually
pronounced Ten-ah-chi. We were all Italian, so we talked about it. Mudcat
Grant too. These guys would actually walk up the steps to the left field
bleachers and sit and talk with us.
I remember Frank Howard of the Wa****ngton Senators at the time, and
ragging
on him from my LF seat and shouting at him how much he was sweating like a
pig.
I have an autograph from Reggie, signed in 1968 in a green pen. It's says
"Peace and Love, Reggie Jackson".
My mom loved Steve Hovely. She died in 1991 at 54.
Through it all, Roy Steele has been the voice of God for us, since the
early
days. Amazing.
One time Bill King and Lon Simmons let me sit in the radio booth while
they
broadcast a game. Ray Fosse was there too. They were nice, trying to
encourage me to get into broadcasting games. I realized that day NO WAY
could I do that!
I once interviewed Carney Lansford at his locker for a small newspaper,
shortly after he returned to baseball following the death of his son.
Mike Davis was my favorite player for a while and then we became friends
and
went to a couple concerts together in Oakland. One of my favorite memories
was playing some catch with him at his house, after he became a Dodger.
I had Jay Howell sign my Mizuno glove once. He really didn't want to do
it,
and looked at me and said "I still haven't forgiven them for Pearl
Harbor."
He signed it anyhow.
I had a nice talk with Dave Kingman in the dugout on the last day of his
playing career. He really is a nice guy.
I had a not so nice chat with Reggie in the clubhouse on the last day of
his
career. He really isn't a nice guy. But he is my favorite batter to watch
strike out next to Jose Canseco when not in an A's uniform.
Jose is an idiot, but I loved him hitting the hell ot of the ball for the
A's.
Mark McGwire played single A in Modesto where I lived most of my life. I
got
to know him a little during that time. He had a pretty wife, college
sweetheart. I recall talking to McGwire and him telling me that Carney
needed to buy a first baseman's glove.
The only video I have of my late father is from a TV broadcast that shows
me
and him sitting behind the A's bullpen during the ALCH vs. Toronto, 1990.
I feel good about this year, that once again we'll be better than the
Giants. More memories to be made.
Nic
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