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Something different !!!

Thunderheads

By Thunderheads
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Thunderheads

Thunderheads

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Ok ...where do I start ?? LONG STORY, but stay with me ..and don't look ...READ THIS FIRST!!!!

I was in Chicago over the weekend with my wife and friends. Friday night, ...we went to dinner, then on the way back to the hotel from dinner, ..we decided to stop in at Smith & Wollensky's for dessert! Well, we walk in and the manager says, ...sorry, ...it's going to be at least a 1/2 hour, but then says,..."do you mind going downstairs?" We said, absolutely not, that's fine with us, and off we went. As we went downstairs, I say, ....go get the table guys, I'll meet you, and went to the bathroom.

I come back, the hostess sees me, and guides me to the table. I sit down and we start chatting. I look around and glance and notice someone at the table to my right. I think ....wow, ...that guy looks familiar. I look again, and it's just not coming to me, but I know I know this person. Then it hits me....OH....that guy looks EXACTLY like Laz Diaz...weird. Then, ....as I glance further to my right (to the person he's talking to) .... I think....holy ****,....is that John Hirschbeck? Then I hear John saying something about my crew, ...I hear Randy Marsh, and Larry Young's name mentioned, and I'm like ...WHOAH!!! IT IS THEM!!

I tell my table what I see. Our friends and my wife start on me right away.....'you have to say something....you have to go up to them and say hi" .... My wife was really insistant! I was hesitant, ...it seemed they were in a pretty deep discussion and I didn't want to interrupt, but ..I knew my wife was right,...I had to do something. But what ...what would a small-town hack like me say?? I knew it didn't matter. So, ...with a deep breath, I stand up, ...and slowly walked over....

Me: Excuse me guys, ...I'm so sorry to interrupt.... Laz looks at me concerned, ..John looks terrified and interrupts me,...puts his hand out on my elbow and says.... " Our we talking bad?? Were we swearing?? Are we being too loud?? Did I offend your children?? I say ... No, no no....it's all good, you're fine, listen: I know this doesn't happen often with you guys, but ......I'm an umpire,...I know who you guys are, and I just wanted to come over and say hello! John says...."whew,...thank God, ....my heart is racing, I thought we were offending someone!! I say "oh no. I said, ...." I just finished a 52 game season, and I have no idea how you guys do what you do day after day for an entire season,...you're a pleasure to watch" Everyone says "wow, thanks" ...John chimes in ...."what's your name?" I tell him, he reaches out his hand, and says "Jeff, ...John Hirschbeck,....I say, I know John, ...it's a pleasure! I then look across the table and look at Laz Diaz, reach out my hand and say ... "Laz Diaz, ...how are you!" His eyes got really big, and says,..."WOW, you do know who we are!!" :) John then says, ....Jeff, ...this is Scott Barry.... ( I did'nt / couldn't see Scott, as his back was too us, and because this is his first season, didn't really recognize him from the back, lol ) ....I then met Scott's wife, and John's son Michael who was with them as well.

A night to remember for sure. Cordial, ...appreciative, ...polite ..... very cool moment.

I get back to the table, ....and my wife says, ....did you ask them for a picture, ...I said, ..."No,..that's enough" ....she says,....ok then, I will and before I had a chance to stop her, she was gone. Well, as soon as she mentioned picture, ... Laz, John, and Scott stood up immediately and said, OF COURSE...come on over here Jeff, let's get a few shots!!!

You guys,...they were so cool about it, I was so impressed .....here's the result ....

What can I say!!! :meditation:

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Thunderheads

Thunderheads

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Im jealous! I would have pulled out the "WE'RE NOT WORTHY"!:notworthy: Such a cool story

I've got to hand a lot of this to my wife, as she just kept pushing me and pushing me ....

It was great, and it's funny you mention the WE'RE NOT WORTHY thing, because I was thinking that!! :)

johnnyg08

johnnyg08

Posted
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I haven't had the pleasure of meeting an entire crew, but I felt the same way when I met Steve Palermo and interrupted him to say hi while he was evaluating Jeff Nelson's crew (or whomever was the crew chief 4 yrs ago) in Kansas City. He didn't have to give me the time of day, but he did, and I was also able to get a picture with him. Thanks for sharing the story! Very nice

Thunderheads

Thunderheads

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Great story!

Like I was told one time by a MLB umpire..... " You are no different than us big league guys. We are all UMPIRES.... some of us just get nicer assignments."

Thanks Fittske .... you know what ....your quote really hits home because that's how it felt!

Thunderheads

Thunderheads

Posted
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I'm jelous! Thats awesome!

Wally Bell wasnt with the crew that evening?

Well ... yes he was, but left before I came upstairs. I asked my wife, where's the 4th member, did you see anyone before I came upstairs? She said, yes, ...big guy, bald ...I said, that's right, Wally Bell :) Anyhow ....long story short, ...I did not meet Wally, but saw him the next night at the same place. As I was told by John, that's their favorite place while in Chicago! ;)

LMSANS

LMSANS

Posted
Posted

I'm jelous! Thats awesome!

Wally Bell wasnt with the crew that evening?

Well ... yes he was, but left before I came upstairs. I asked my wife, where's the 4th member, did you see anyone before I came upstairs? She said, yes, ...big guy, bald ...I said, that's right, Wally Bell :) Anyhow ....long story short, ...I did not meet Wally, but saw him the next night at the same place. As I was told by John, that's their favorite place while in Chicago! ;)

Wow! You ate at Smith & Wolensky's 2 nights in a row!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Were you on an expense account :meditation: !!!!!!!!!!!

Umpfan44

Umpfan44

Posted
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Awesome story!! Thanks for sharing! I got to meet Laz last year in Arlington, he is a stand up guy!! I can see why he has over 500 members in his fan club of facebook.

Thunderheads

Thunderheads

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I'm jelous! Thats awesome!

Wally Bell wasnt with the crew that evening?

Well ... yes he was, but left before I came upstairs. I asked my wife, where's the 4th member, did you see anyone before I came upstairs? She said, yes, ...big guy, bald ...I said, that's right, Wally Bell :) Anyhow ....long story short, ...I did not meet Wally, but saw him the next night at the same place. As I was told by John, that's their favorite place while in Chicago! ;)

Wow! You ate at Smith & Wolensky's 2 nights in a row!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Were you on an expense account :meditation: !!!!!!!!!!!

For dessert .....dessert only!! ;)

mazzamouth

mazzamouth

Posted
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Laz comes to a Local clinic of ours.. and he is very nice.. we went out after at a club and My wife got to meet him.. the other day he was working the game in Chicago and she said he was a nice guy... That is a cool story man.

Thunderheads

Thunderheads

Posted
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Laz comes to a Local clinic of ours.. and he is very nice.. we went out after at a club and My wife got to meet him.. the other day he was working the game in Chicago and she said he was a nice guy... That is a cool story man.

It was a great experience Mike, .... it really was!!

Thunderheads

Thunderheads

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From one Jeff to another, YOU ROCK :notworthy: And of course, Mrs. Jeff rocks too! That is just too awesome. I'd be shaking in my shoes.

It hit me afterwards signing the bill .....everyone was laughing at me as I was trying to sign my name!! LOL :cheers:

UmpJeff

UmpJeff

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Hey, Jeff, that's awesome! I was in Chicago all weekend, too. Wrigley on Saturday afternoon and Sunday evening...Sunday afternoon at U.S. Cellular Field. However, I wasn't lucky enough to run into a crew of MLB umpires! Awesome story!!!!!

Thunderheads

Thunderheads

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Hey, Jeff, that's awesome! I was in Chicago all weekend, too. Wrigley on Saturday afternoon and Sunday evening...Sunday afternoon at U.S. Cellular Field. However, I wasn't lucky enough to run into a crew of MLB umpires! Awesome story!!!!!

Jeff, you're the 4th person I know that was in Chicago this past weekend! I wasn't fortunate enough to grab tickets (reasonably) for the Cubs, ....but as I told my wife, .... Friday night topped all! :yippie:

yawetag

yawetag

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It's my dream to have the ultimate MLB weekend in the Chicago area: A Cubs game, a White Sox game, then travel up to Milwaukee for a Brewers game. I'm not a fan of either team, but that weekend would still rock.

My wife mentioned doing this yearly with my son. Currently, he's not a fan of baseball (he does like hockey, though), but I've already got plans of long weekends filled with traveling to an area and going to all the parks within driving distance.

UmpJeff

UmpJeff

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It was pretty cool. My girlfriend got me the Cubs/Cards tickets for this past Saturday for my 50th birthday (the best part is that the Cubs and Cards are my two favorite NL teams being an AL'er living in Detroit). I bought the Sox tickets for the Sunday afternoon game since we weren't coming home until Monday. At the Sox game in the afternoon we both kind of looked at each other and I said, "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" She nodded and after the Sox game we hopped on the Red Line train straight up to Wrigleyville for the Cubs/Cards night game. Scored some tickets from a scalper and Voila...we're in!!

All in all, it was a superb weekend!!!

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