Bucktown
05-22-2002, 04:18 PM
As I had mentioned here earlier, I was scheduled to throw out the first pitch at today's minor league (class A) game between the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers and Peoria.
So I show up and PR woman arranges for me to meet her down at the dugout 20 minutes before game time. Much to my surprise there are a lot of TV cameras and a NY City police officer.
As it turns out, the 9 year old son of this police officer, was also throwing out the first pitch. All of a sudden it is TOTALLY INAPPROPRIATE for me to be there. But at this point there is no backing out.
They tell me to go out there with little Tommy. So here is the son of a real hero who wept because he thought is dad had died and some middle aged di1do that happens to be an executive for a corporate sponsor.
I am trying to stay out of the way from the TV cameras since they clearly aren't there to see me.
Well Tommy throws a strike and the catch begins to walk off. The PR woman grabs him and says you still have to catch one for the corporate di1do standing on the mound looking completely out of place.
I am up there and I am frozen by the awkwardness of the situation. I forgot everything I had practiced (looking at the target, the high leg kick, etc.) and I sail one over the catcher that hits the backstop on one bounce.
Can anybody beat that?
So I show up and PR woman arranges for me to meet her down at the dugout 20 minutes before game time. Much to my surprise there are a lot of TV cameras and a NY City police officer.
As it turns out, the 9 year old son of this police officer, was also throwing out the first pitch. All of a sudden it is TOTALLY INAPPROPRIATE for me to be there. But at this point there is no backing out.
They tell me to go out there with little Tommy. So here is the son of a real hero who wept because he thought is dad had died and some middle aged di1do that happens to be an executive for a corporate sponsor.
I am trying to stay out of the way from the TV cameras since they clearly aren't there to see me.
Well Tommy throws a strike and the catch begins to walk off. The PR woman grabs him and says you still have to catch one for the corporate di1do standing on the mound looking completely out of place.
I am up there and I am frozen by the awkwardness of the situation. I forgot everything I had practiced (looking at the target, the high leg kick, etc.) and I sail one over the catcher that hits the backstop on one bounce.
Can anybody beat that?