Posted By:
runscottbecause their every move is scrutinized by the public, so it doesn't surprise me that certain players have their bad moments. I just felt that lying to a bunch of little kids and then looking out the window and gloating was a bit much - actually, it horrified me. But that's just me.
I have always heard that Steve Carlton was quite a jerk when it came to the media and the public, but my experience with him was just the opposite - he signed a ball for me, then I asked him to sign a program for my little brother who couldn't make the game, and he didn't hesitate.
Here's one that might surprise you - one of my most pleasant athlete interractions was with a young Bobby Valentine of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Valentine was one of the happiest most interractive ball-players I've ever met - he was always responding to the crowd with a big smile. But you never know, maybe that was the day he found out he was being traded to the Angels.