Guess who I met today

[dr4b]

I have a lot of pictures to go through and a LOT of stuff to write, but here is a few quick pictures to explain my day:



Me with some guy on the field before the baseball game today. I think he's the Chiba Lotte Marines manager or something.

Later:
Deanna says to Sam, "Oh my god, I can't believe I was standing on the field at Chiba Marine Stadium."
Sam says to Deanna, "I can't believe you were just talking to Bobby Valentine like you were old friends or something. You even asked him about his lineup choices!"




Left to right: me, Bobby Valentine, and Sam Maruhashi (who I "dragged" with me to Chiba today..)


Me with Bobby again, a little bit color-adjusted for sunwash.


Me with Larry Rocca, aka the Lotte Marines Mind Control Task Force. It's his fault I was down there in the first place... and I don't know whether to thank him or fear him.


I took many pictures of players today but quickly you must appreciate my HOLY SHIT factor when I realized I was standing about 50 feet away from Sadaharu Oh.


Oh yah, now I have another baseball to keep my Inaba home run ball company ;)

Comments

[proz.livejournal.com]

HOLY SHIT, did you touch Mr. Oh? How close were you able to get to the living legend?

[dr4b]

I was way too fucking terrified to say anything to Oh, didn't even try to go up to him and talk. Mostly I was just like "OMFG". But that was pretty much my reaction to EVERYONE on the field -- you must understand, I was standing in the middle of the media gang during Softbank Hawks batting practice! Larry nearly died laughing when I was even like "Holy shit! That's Tatsuya Ide!" when I saw one of the Hawks coaches walk by, like "How the hell do you know who he is?" and I'm like "uhh... he was the centerfielder for the Fighters back when I started following them in the Dark Ages..."

[cdinwood.livejournal.com]

Dude, why can't you get someone to pay you to do baseball stuff?

[jiggery-pokery.livejournal.com]

*heavenly angelic noise of reflected coolness*

[bzarcher.livejournal.com]

Whoa! That's one hell of a day. :D

Man, I thought I was in good shape for going to the Coop and getting to watch Mike Basich lay down the Charlotte Knights for awhile. :>

[jacquez.livejournal.com]

Hey, I have an idea for a new job in Japan for you! Baseball scout! :p

[sackofbob.livejournal.com]

I got Bobby Valentine's autograph one time when he was managing the Texas Rangers. My family used to go to the games a few times a year.

[dr4b]

But did he write his name in katakana? :)

[dr4b]

I would be a lousy scout for many many reasons. But I would be a great reporter! Well, if I could get over being completely terrified of everyone, of course.

[anukul.livejournal.com]

way cool! he's one of my favorite mets managers! you should've asked if he still carries around his disguise in case he gets ejected?

[shoebox-bird.livejournal.com]

Dee, you're too cool for words!

[sinthrex.livejournal.com]

You seriously need to get a job doing this stuff.

[crackoon.livejournal.com]

God damn I'm jealous, and I'm not even a hardcore baseball fan. You need to take up those not so infrequent chances with making this a job

[the2belo.livejournal.com]

WTF

[nickjong.livejournal.com]

Dude, awesome.

He like, totally managed the Mets for over six years.

Wow. :-)

[mg4h.livejournal.com]

Duuuuude! I remember when he was the Mets' coach, way back. He's a legend in NYC :)

I wish you could get a job doing baseball stuff, so much!

[dklegman.livejournal.com]

SWEET! Well done. :)

[dr4b]

I'm working on it. But like, one issue is that I don't want to be another one of these monkeys who only writes about what the MLB wants to hear about Japanese players. I met a dude from ESPN in the dugout before the game and that's pretty much his job. Larry was all like "hey! you should help Deanna get a job with ESPN!" and I'm like "Uhh... but does ESPN care about anyone who isn't just going to the majors?"

[dr4b]

i told you :)

[dr4b]

In his office he has a whole ton of pictures and stuff from that time actually. And from before. Lots of pictures of himself with various US presidents and other famous baseball people. It's pretty neat.

he has some of his old Mets gang here anyway, like Komiyama and Tachibana and Benny Agbayani and all. And Larry was a writer covering the Mets back in the day, which is how he ended up here with Bobby too.

[ohhim.livejournal.com]

You didn't Shake His Hand now did you?

[dr4b]

I did shake his hand, but I don't smoke and I am not sweaty. Or at least I wasn't at that point (but I was pretty sweaty/sunburnt AFTER the game...)

[nickjong.livejournal.com]

Oh man, I remember hearing that Agbayani went to Japan to play with Bobby Valentine. He was one of my favorite bench players those years with the Mets. Cool. :-)