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 to by the BLEACHER CREATURES in Yankee Stadium!! How cool did my world just become?
An additional aside: I got Nick to sign a baseball that I am going to give my dad for a birthday present.

Spring Training with the Nats!

I have just returned from Spring Training with the Nationals in sunny Viera, Fla. The team was still doing morning workouts while I was down there, so the fans had incredible access to the players. The guys work out on 4 practice fields and you can, literally, stand right behind the fences like you would for a high school game and watch them practice. They run back and forth between the fields and you can talk to them or get them to sign things. They walk into the complex every morning at 9am and you can just walk right in with them!
I got a chance to chat up John Patterson the starting pitcher who I found out likes techno music. I asked him what kind and he said he likes trance and hard-house. He mentioned Tiesto and I told him about my roommate who moved to Asheville for the trance scene. He thought that was cool.
Pictured below: John Patterson in foreground, with Manny Acta in background at third base.


I talked to Ray King, one of the new relievers briefly, and said good morning to bullpen pitcher/catcher Nilson Robledo every day. Mark said I had a "thing" going on with him and wanted to rough him up. I said I would pay money to see him try.

(#88..my new "friend"...yeah, I'd like to my boyfriend go up against him)

Mark introduced me to Nick Johnson the injured first baseman, and we talked about golf and Yankee Stadium (Nick is a former Yankee). That was very cool. I was also introduced to the GM Jim Bowden and Manny Acta the new manager. They were both very nice and shook my hand and said it was nice to meet me. I met all of the writers and some of the Nats PR guys. I felt very important, as they all had heard about me, including Nick Johnson. How cool is THAT??
I had such a great time watching the practices and just being there amongst the players. I really felt like I was getting to see something that most fans don't. It was a much more intimate setting than I would have found at, say, Yankee camp because there were much fewer fans at Nats Camp. I suspect Yankee camp is probably a mob scene and that security is very tight.

Nats Online!

The Washington Times has a new Nats Weblog that my boyfriend is encouraging everyone to check out. It's pretty cool. He blogs.
Hooray! Baseball's back.