ChiSoxGirl
06-26-2012, 10:52 PM
For all the heat Brooks Boyer and the Sox organization have taken around these parts lately, I thought I'd share something positive.
This past Saturday, I had the opportunity and privilege to meet and spend some time with Robin Ventura before the game, courtesy of Brooks. In the SoxFest thread, I referenced (http://www.whitesoxinteractive.com/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=2885425&postcount=326) "some potentially good things for me personally" that could come from the one-on-one conversation I had with Brooks after his seminar.
In a nutshell, here's what happened. Back at SoxFest 1994, I took a picture of Robin Ventura when I was in line to get his autograph. I'd been trying to get that 5x7 of him signed for quite awhile, but had never been successful. After I got up and spoke my mind about SoxFest during Brooks's seminar this past January and we had our one-on-one conversation afterwards, he told me I'd get my picture signed this season. He gave me his card and asked me to e-mail him after the season began with a list of dates I'd be at the ballpark and said we'd set something up. Brooks talked to Robin ahead of time and told him about me and the photo of him I had. He graciously agreed to meet me and sign the picture before a game, which is what led to the events of Saturday.
After two months of e-mailing back and forth, it was finally decided that I'd be meeting Robin and he'd sign my picture before the game on June 23. My boyfriend & I got to the ballpark at 3:30 as asked, and Brooks met us inside at Gate 4. He took us onto the field and we were immediately greeted by the Sox photographer, who had us stand on the field (with Sox BP going on behind us) so he could take a couple pictures of us. Afterwards, we spent quite awhile sitting on the wall by the fungo circle and talking with Brooks about various things, all while watching the Sox take BP.
We'd noticed that Robin, who was standing behind the cage, was working with Beckham on something, so we waited a little while longer. Brooks went back inside for something and told us to wait there for him. By the time he'd come back out to the field, Robin had stepped away from the cage and was talking to the photographer about something. Brooks saw that as our opportunity, so he went over to Robin and pointed in our direction. Robin said, "Sure, great!" and started to make his way over to us.
Robin came over, shook my hand and told me how nice it was to meet me, then he shook my boyfriend's hand. He was extremely gracious and seemed genuinely happy to be doing this for me. As he shook my hand, I just gazed up at him, so excited to finally be meeting my childhood hero and favorite ballplayer of all-time. I managed to get out the words, "I've loved you for 23 years. You're my childhood hero and I love that you're managing the Sox." and he thanked me for that. I showed Robin the picture and he signed the photo, but not before denying it was him. "Nah, that's not me!" he said with that dry sense of humor of his! Brooks told him how I'd been to so many SoxFests and Robin asked how many. I told him I've only missed the inaugural one in 1992 and he was very impressed and thanked me for attending all of those.
My boyfriend thanked him for taking time out of BP to meet with us because he knows we've been struggling offensively, and commented that he saw Robin working with Beckham on something. In his self-deprecating manner, Robin quipped, "Eh, it's OK. Those guys don't listen to me anyway." We all got a good laugh out of that!
Prior to Robin coming over, I asked Brooks if it'd be OK if I got my picture taken with Robin and he said it'd be no problem. After the four of us chatted for awhile, I asked Robin for a picture. "Sure!" he said. Brooks asked for my camera and, standing behind home plate, my boyfriend & I took a handful of pictures with Robin and then I asked Robin for one of just me & him. He happily obliged, but not before making a joke; "Eh, if you two break up, you could just crop him out of the ones we took previously." So dry and so awesome!
With that, Robin had to go. I shook his hand and thanked him once again for making this happen. Brooks also had to go, but said we could hang out and watch BP for however long we wished. All of this made for quite a day on Saturday.
I wanted to share this story for no other reason than to show that there are great things about the Sox, despite the differing opinions of many people. Brooks didn't have to put the offer out there for me five months ago to get that picture of Robin signed, but he did. When I e-mailed him initially in April like he'd asked, he didn't have to keep following up with me, but he did.
Despite being very busy as of late, Brooks made it possible for me to have the single best fan experience of my life, and there is no possible way I could be more appreciative. I'm never, ever going to forget that experience, and the pictures we had taken with Robin on the field are among the most special of the thousands of pictures I have saved. Thank you Brooks Boyer and Robin Ventura for making this longtime Sox fan extremely happy. :smile:
This past Saturday, I had the opportunity and privilege to meet and spend some time with Robin Ventura before the game, courtesy of Brooks. In the SoxFest thread, I referenced (http://www.whitesoxinteractive.com/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=2885425&postcount=326) "some potentially good things for me personally" that could come from the one-on-one conversation I had with Brooks after his seminar.
In a nutshell, here's what happened. Back at SoxFest 1994, I took a picture of Robin Ventura when I was in line to get his autograph. I'd been trying to get that 5x7 of him signed for quite awhile, but had never been successful. After I got up and spoke my mind about SoxFest during Brooks's seminar this past January and we had our one-on-one conversation afterwards, he told me I'd get my picture signed this season. He gave me his card and asked me to e-mail him after the season began with a list of dates I'd be at the ballpark and said we'd set something up. Brooks talked to Robin ahead of time and told him about me and the photo of him I had. He graciously agreed to meet me and sign the picture before a game, which is what led to the events of Saturday.
After two months of e-mailing back and forth, it was finally decided that I'd be meeting Robin and he'd sign my picture before the game on June 23. My boyfriend & I got to the ballpark at 3:30 as asked, and Brooks met us inside at Gate 4. He took us onto the field and we were immediately greeted by the Sox photographer, who had us stand on the field (with Sox BP going on behind us) so he could take a couple pictures of us. Afterwards, we spent quite awhile sitting on the wall by the fungo circle and talking with Brooks about various things, all while watching the Sox take BP.
We'd noticed that Robin, who was standing behind the cage, was working with Beckham on something, so we waited a little while longer. Brooks went back inside for something and told us to wait there for him. By the time he'd come back out to the field, Robin had stepped away from the cage and was talking to the photographer about something. Brooks saw that as our opportunity, so he went over to Robin and pointed in our direction. Robin said, "Sure, great!" and started to make his way over to us.
Robin came over, shook my hand and told me how nice it was to meet me, then he shook my boyfriend's hand. He was extremely gracious and seemed genuinely happy to be doing this for me. As he shook my hand, I just gazed up at him, so excited to finally be meeting my childhood hero and favorite ballplayer of all-time. I managed to get out the words, "I've loved you for 23 years. You're my childhood hero and I love that you're managing the Sox." and he thanked me for that. I showed Robin the picture and he signed the photo, but not before denying it was him. "Nah, that's not me!" he said with that dry sense of humor of his! Brooks told him how I'd been to so many SoxFests and Robin asked how many. I told him I've only missed the inaugural one in 1992 and he was very impressed and thanked me for attending all of those.
My boyfriend thanked him for taking time out of BP to meet with us because he knows we've been struggling offensively, and commented that he saw Robin working with Beckham on something. In his self-deprecating manner, Robin quipped, "Eh, it's OK. Those guys don't listen to me anyway." We all got a good laugh out of that!
Prior to Robin coming over, I asked Brooks if it'd be OK if I got my picture taken with Robin and he said it'd be no problem. After the four of us chatted for awhile, I asked Robin for a picture. "Sure!" he said. Brooks asked for my camera and, standing behind home plate, my boyfriend & I took a handful of pictures with Robin and then I asked Robin for one of just me & him. He happily obliged, but not before making a joke; "Eh, if you two break up, you could just crop him out of the ones we took previously." So dry and so awesome!
With that, Robin had to go. I shook his hand and thanked him once again for making this happen. Brooks also had to go, but said we could hang out and watch BP for however long we wished. All of this made for quite a day on Saturday.
I wanted to share this story for no other reason than to show that there are great things about the Sox, despite the differing opinions of many people. Brooks didn't have to put the offer out there for me five months ago to get that picture of Robin signed, but he did. When I e-mailed him initially in April like he'd asked, he didn't have to keep following up with me, but he did.
Despite being very busy as of late, Brooks made it possible for me to have the single best fan experience of my life, and there is no possible way I could be more appreciative. I'm never, ever going to forget that experience, and the pictures we had taken with Robin on the field are among the most special of the thousands of pictures I have saved. Thank you Brooks Boyer and Robin Ventura for making this longtime Sox fan extremely happy. :smile: