Spring Training - - off-field highlights

• When the Seattle Mariners walked in from the team bus on Friday, I thought somebody looked familiar. I said, "Jim?" and he turned to me. It was Jim Riggleman, the former Cubs manager who tried to get me to go out with him several years ago. Although I remembered him, I'm quite sure that he had no idea who I was.


• If you didn't already notice the hot car that's pictured somewhere on this blog, check it out! It's a Pontiac Solstice and my choice at the rental facility was either that or - - I'm not kidding - - an SUV! It's probably a good thing that I was traveling alone because there is seriously NO ROOM in that car. I even had to put my 22-inch carry-on in the passenger seat because there wasn't enough room in the itsy-bitsy trunk. And the buttons for the window are perfectly positioned - - if I had fingers attached to my elbow. But it looked good and that's the important thing for a weekend away.


• After Friday's game, I went to Sluggo's, a sports bar about a mile from the ballpark. That's where I met George and the three Joes (no lie, that's how they introduced themselves). George is Nigerian and the Joes were Mexican (and one is a Chicago cop). They were fun to talk to, bought all the beer, and invited me to join them for drinks later that night. All around a good evening that did NOT entail any romantic encounters for me (which was a good thing because I just wasn't feeling it with any of these fellas).


• Saturday's crowd on the hill, at least the crowd in my immediate vicinity, was full of Vancouver boys. The Canadians were in town to golf and hang out, but baseball seemed to be too good a time to pass up. Or maybe it was just the chance to sit on a hill in the sun and drink beer. Oh, did I mention they bought all of my beer that afternoon? It was shaping up to be a pretty budget-friendly weekend, at least where liquor was concerned. Yay me!


• Being the creature of habit that I am, I ended up at Sluggo's again on Saturday and ran into Randy Hundley, the longtime Cubs catcher and father of former Cub Todd Hundley. Somehow I knew he looked familiar and was dressed far too well to be the usual baseball fan, so I asked the waitress to find out his name. I always enjoy talking to former players (I guess I should say former baseball players!)


• I've always felt sorry for people on TV for their lack of anonymity. Everybody knows them, but they don't know everyone back. So I was really embarrassed when "Pat!" came out of my mouth as I recognized Cubs announcer Pat Hughes in the airport bar shortly before my flight home on Sunday. He was kind enough to introduce himself and I did likewise. If the timing had been different (i.e. my flight, actually our flight, was leaving in a few minutes), I would have like nothing more than to talk baseball with Pat. Maybe in Chicago?
• I couldn't go to Spring Training and not stop in Don and Charlies', the Scottsdale restaurant that masquerades as a sports bar. Okay, it has more sports memorabilia either hanging from the ceiling or framed or box on the walls than even Harry Caray's restaurant in Chicago. Anyway, I was sitting in the bar when the (female) bartender said, "You remind me of someone." This happens so often, I'm going to get t-shirt printed up with "I AM NO ONE YOU KNOW" on it. How's this for an obscure moment of glory? I remind her of the actress who played the bride in the Jennifer Lopez/Matthew McConaghey movie "The Wedding Planner." Um, yeah, okay. $10 if you can name her?!