I have no idea what I would write.
Do I slather the player with lavish compliments?
Or do I say "FUCK YOU I KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE NOW SO SIGN THIS OR ELSE!!!!"
If I go with the a fore mentioned I'd feel weird just throwing in that last little "Oh by the way..."
Fortunately, this was not a problem for my grandmother.
Both my dad and his brother/my uncle (the same uncle from "Say Uncle!") are both Mets fans.* I'm not sure if my grandparents were really baseball fans as well, or if they starting following it by default. Either way, my grandmother began and continued to watch the games with only one complaint which I'll get to later. It bothered her enough to where she wrote a letter to one player in particular in the summer of '85 to ask for his assistance. Who was that player you ask?
Keith Hernandez!!!!
Nope
Ron Darling!?!?
Nah B
Doc???
Snore
It was none other than...
Rusty [fucking] Staub!!!!
So cool. I am by far and away the biggest baseball fan in the family, let alone Mets fan, so when my grandmother died I was given just about all of the baseball stuff she kept form when my dad and uncle were kids and anything else my grandparents had gotten, this being one of them. The first thing I noticed was his neat little message to her...
"Hi Mrs. Miench
My best to you"
I thought that was pretty cool, cuz even back then, before coming across the blog scene, I knew that most players signed their name and not too much else.
Then I looked at the back of the frame, to see if it had a hook or if we needed to stop on the way home and get one. (The picture was in frame, laying in a dresser shelf.) That's when I found this little number...
"Dear Mr. Staub:
I am wife and mother to 3 avid Mets baseball fans.
I, myself, do watch the games and enjoy them very much with one exception. I am thoroughly disgusted to see players, managers and umpires alike spitting on the field and in the dugouts.
They always seem to be caught in the 'act' by the TV cameras. I know of no other sport which condones this awful habit.
I admire you as a ballplayer and sportsman because of your playing ability, as well as your clean cut gentlemanly demeanor. I am appealing to you to see if in any way you might influence the 'powers that be' to eliminate this filthy habit.
Good luck to you and your team this year. Hope you go all the way to the World Series.
Sincerely,
(Mrs.) Rudolph E. Miench
PS If there are any autographed photos of you I would appreciate your sending me one. Thank you so much."
At some point in time, I really want to meet Rusty Staub, at a card show, dinner, something... anything and ask him if he somehow remembers this letter. I'm pretty sure not too many people have sent similar ones.
So that's my TTM story. The picture now hangs on the wall above my computer, right next to the door, so if the place catches on fire it's an easy grab and go.
(...Joe)
*- My uncle has since lost interest after the '94 strike. He keeps up with what's going on, but not much more.
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