Posted By:
chrisWorking at Toronto's SkyDome Hotel in the 1990's I was fortunate to meet a lot of players from teh Jays and visiting teams, as well as players from other eras. I got to know the skipper of the Jays in 1998, Tim Johnson and wife and mentioned that I was heading to Cooperstown to watch the HOF game to be contested btw the Jays and the O's.
Tim hooked my buddy up with tix for the game and HOF "team" passes, whcih was amazing! As I waited in the admin office at the HOF I noticed a gent sitting on the bench just down from me. It was Warren Spahn. We had a great chat and he was extrmely interested to talk about hockey - mentioning that he might have got into the game if it weren't for his talents as a picher (I'll say!).
Our discussion ended and he was lead off for a private meeting and I was left to wait for my freebies. About 20 mins later, upon exiting the bbuilding I ran right into an on-air TV interview with Warren as the focus. I acutally stumbled my way through a doorway, bumping into the HOF'er and almost teetering him off the "porch" were he stood. He righted himself, but I had reuined the interview and the camera man, reporter and producer were furious. Spahn was just the opposite - he remarked "it's my Canadian pal!" and went on to introduce me to the group and said jokingly "good thing he wan't Gordie Howe or he would have given me a hockey elbow right there!"
chris