Viva Magglio
02-02-2003, 05:03 PM
Well, that was quite a SoxFest. I just got back home after spending the weekend at the Hyatt for the event. I do not recall ever seeing as many people at a SoxFest as I have seen this year. It was a great event, and I miss it already.
For me, the highlight was a pair of encounters with Mágglio Ordóńez. I went into his autograph line Friday night and had him sign a baseball. For someone who is said to be very shy, Mágglio is very conversational if you talk to him. I said hello to him and asked how his offseason was. He said it was good and made reference to the cold temperatures here. I then thanked Mágglio for signing the baseball and shook his hand. He has quite a firm handshake.
Those of you who were there know that it was quite a scene each of the three times Mágglio arrived and left the autograph area. Upon arriving, he waves at the cheering crowd like he's the President of the United States. The same occurs when he leaves with a mob of fans following him away. The scene today was surreal which I think Mágglio encouraged.
Upon leaving Autograph Booth #1, the players normally go directly to the escalators. Today, Mágglio made a scene upon his exit. As people are waiting for him in the normal pathway to the escalators, he gets up, looks at the crowd, and points the other way. Sox security probably wanted to whisk Mágglio the other way to avoid this crowd, and there he goes telling them where he is going. You could imagine the swarm shift.
This is where my second encounter with him takes place. I happen to be where he is going already. As Mágglio approached, he was high-fiving people around him. He reaches me and we did what I call the "fist-tap" (I don't know what it's really called). He makes his way to the escalator with the mobs of people following him. When they are escorting players, Sox security normally whisks them in a secret hallway around the grand ballroom. Instead of going that way, Mágglio walks right past it and through main entrance with more-and-more people spotting him. He goes down the hallway from the ballroom with a growing army of people following him, as if it were an army of people following Tiger Woods to the 18th green at Dubsdread. Mágglio gets on his cellular phone and goes up the escalator going to the Hyatt lobby. It is there security blocks the escalator from the army of MágglioManiacs, and the scene finally ends.
I shared that story to demonstrate what kind of person I think Mágglio Ordóńez is. For someone said to be very shy, he was very accommodating to the fans this weekend. Now his shyness may explain why he did not show up for a scheduled seminar with Hawk, D.J., and Paul Konerko. Nobody knows why he did not come to it. But he clearly appeared to be very happy being around fans this weekend. His charm was overwhelming and is looking incresingly presidential. There is no doubt that this is the most important player in our franchise, in more ways than one. I cannot fathom how anyone -- even partisan Cub fans -- could dislike him.
For me, the highlight was a pair of encounters with Mágglio Ordóńez. I went into his autograph line Friday night and had him sign a baseball. For someone who is said to be very shy, Mágglio is very conversational if you talk to him. I said hello to him and asked how his offseason was. He said it was good and made reference to the cold temperatures here. I then thanked Mágglio for signing the baseball and shook his hand. He has quite a firm handshake.
Those of you who were there know that it was quite a scene each of the three times Mágglio arrived and left the autograph area. Upon arriving, he waves at the cheering crowd like he's the President of the United States. The same occurs when he leaves with a mob of fans following him away. The scene today was surreal which I think Mágglio encouraged.
Upon leaving Autograph Booth #1, the players normally go directly to the escalators. Today, Mágglio made a scene upon his exit. As people are waiting for him in the normal pathway to the escalators, he gets up, looks at the crowd, and points the other way. Sox security probably wanted to whisk Mágglio the other way to avoid this crowd, and there he goes telling them where he is going. You could imagine the swarm shift.
This is where my second encounter with him takes place. I happen to be where he is going already. As Mágglio approached, he was high-fiving people around him. He reaches me and we did what I call the "fist-tap" (I don't know what it's really called). He makes his way to the escalator with the mobs of people following him. When they are escorting players, Sox security normally whisks them in a secret hallway around the grand ballroom. Instead of going that way, Mágglio walks right past it and through main entrance with more-and-more people spotting him. He goes down the hallway from the ballroom with a growing army of people following him, as if it were an army of people following Tiger Woods to the 18th green at Dubsdread. Mágglio gets on his cellular phone and goes up the escalator going to the Hyatt lobby. It is there security blocks the escalator from the army of MágglioManiacs, and the scene finally ends.
I shared that story to demonstrate what kind of person I think Mágglio Ordóńez is. For someone said to be very shy, he was very accommodating to the fans this weekend. Now his shyness may explain why he did not show up for a scheduled seminar with Hawk, D.J., and Paul Konerko. Nobody knows why he did not come to it. But he clearly appeared to be very happy being around fans this weekend. His charm was overwhelming and is looking incresingly presidential. There is no doubt that this is the most important player in our franchise, in more ways than one. I cannot fathom how anyone -- even partisan Cub fans -- could dislike him.