Sunday, September 11, 2005
The Adventures of Reb & Jere: Hob-Knobbing with Sox... on the Sidewalk
We hadn't been there long before a bus pulled up at the front door. "That can't be them; too much white hair" observes jere. People on the bus are getting up. "Wait a minute, I think that's Timlin!" I looked. And so it was.
Jere gets much better shots with the video camera, generally. My camera, while serviceable, is not really meant for action shots. In other words things come out blurry or strange when the subject is moving. Also, (as if my own reaction time is not bad enough) my camera has a delay between when I press the button, and when the shot actually snaps. It's really only a second or so, but sometimes it seems like a century if you know what I mean, and often it means the difference between a great shot... and crap. Also there's a delay between shots. The camera won't take another picture right away usually. Also it turns off automatically if the camera's not being used a few minutes in a row. (I think I may be able to do something about that one; I should try because it's driving me crazy.) In short, my camera sucks. But it works, and anyway, sometimes I get my subject to stand still for me.
Imagine my surprise: most of the shots off the bus published by jere here are similar to mine. But my shots of Timlin getting off the "family" bus are different, and cute I think.
Well his family's cute, at least. But you can probably see what I mean by the "action shots." Jere's filming all this with a video camera, so action is his game. And he gets to sift through and pick the perfect shot to publish. I am so jeaous.
But I've got other stuff for you people, some of which you may possibly enjoy even more.
For example, After another bus-full of mostly pitchers (whose pics on my camera look pretty much like the ones jere has already posted), a couple of players arrived in private cars. Papi was completely mobbed, and rushed through the scene into the hotel. He didn't give much the time of day to anyone, and with the rush he was getting, I wasn't about to try. But then another car pulled up. Someone in the back seat opened the door and emptied a take-out beverage cup. Weird. I mean, I do that all the time myself, but I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone else do it. Particularly on the curb of a $300/night hotel. The two in back were definitely NOT players, but the front seat passenger I recognized. And other than Jere, I was the only one. I took a deep breath, and did as I was taught (thanks Milan) *tap on shoulder* "Jon?" (sweetly) *smiling as he turns to look* "would you take a picture with me?" (If you ever do this, people: smiling, confident, and unassuming are all KEY.) "Sure." He smiles, stops walking, and turns to face me. I turn and hand Jere the camera. "Thanks," I say, as jere struggles to fit both of our heads in the same frame. "No Problem," he tells me, still smiling, and walks into the hotel. A few autograph seekers nearby approach as he's leaving. "Who was that?" "Was that Papelbon?" someone gets a clue.
I was SO proud of myself. I had not forgotten how to do it. And it was easy. And the rookie little papey was such a perfect warm-up. I was ready for more. But most of the time it's not easy to catch them going in - especially when they arrive together by bus.
You may have noticed in the last picture of Jere's Part One something a little bit unexpectected? Well at least, I did not expect it. It's one thing to be in the presence of famous ballplayers whom you admire and cheer for every day; it's quite a different thing to be in the presence of greatness. I. LOST. MY. MIND. Literally. I was pressing the button like a madwoman, and could not figure out why it was not taking pictures (wrong mode). Tons of cool players came out of that bus, but I barely noticed. All I cared about getting pics of was Theo. And finally I gripped enough faculties to figure out the "problem" with my camera (the nut behind the wheel, as my dad would say) and got a couple action shots as he headed inside:
See those two guys in green in the backround? Well the one in the striped shirt is from RI (the other is his buddy from Boston), and he won some trip to see the sox in NYC - among other things - from Home Depot. The prize included hotel accommodations with the sox players, but curiously no opportunity to meet them. They had been there two days, taken in two games, and dude still had a baseball he was desperate to have signed - by anyone.
Jere has very similar pics to mine from this bus-load, but I do have the woman's eye, and I may be able to offer you something in my editing. I'm sure Jere did not notice this. I'm here to tell you, no matter how much money a man has, most of them still care not about accessorizing. They might have expensive toys in their bags, but apparently Slick (aka KY, aka Kevin Youkilis) uses paper, and Trot prefers plastic.
We had seen almost everyone go in by now, and it was just a matter of time until they came back out. One of the first out was Clement. I remember reading in the off-season a comment that Mattie may not be able to handle Boston's rabid fanbase. Not so. He's quiet, and soft-spoken, but very good natured. He seems to have plenty of time for fans. Here he is signing autographs for kids in the lobby.
Now I already have a photo with Mattie from May, so I would feel foolish asking for another, even though he would not remember such a thing. So instead I got an autograph, on the only thing I really had for such a thing, the Hello Kitty notebook I keep in my purse:
This is not going to help his "tough-guy" reputation, I'm sure. (sorry Mattie; you're a great guy and do not deserve such razzing.)
Keeping my eyes peeled, I soon spotted a new opportunity. Mike Myers, whom we had seen go into the hotel previously... yet curiously, we did not see him exit. He came walking up towards the hotel entrance. Mike was not stopping for anyone when we saw him in May, and he looked like he would pull the same here... but he was not being mobbed quite the same way. It's actually easier for these guys to say no to A LOT of people. *tap* well you know the routine, right? worked like a charm - again - but this time Mike had a few people bugging him when he was done with me. I think he got away fairly unscathed.
Next to come out were Jason and Karen Varitek. I have a hard enough time bothering these guys; I draw the line when they are with family. I don't even crowd them enough to get decent photos. Now do not ask me why Karen is facing the hotel here. I seem to remember her turning around in response to something Jason said, perhaps. Albeit from afar, these two struck me as pretty carefree last night. And I'm not sure if anyone even tried, but they walked quickly and casually by, stopping for no one.
Now is it just me, or does Karen look AMAZING here? Does she look like she gave birth just under three months ago? Here's another (blurry - in motion) look:
Now check this out. Once across the street, the Variteks blend in perfectly. NO ONE IS EVEN LOOKING AT THEM. (But why are they looking back? Jere shows a shot here where she appears to be waving, and I'm guessing their kids are with them, back in the hotel room.) They soon disappear around the corner.
For awhile we were watching Millar in the lobby. He signed some autographs, posed for some pics, talked on his phone a whole bunch, but by the time he left the lobby he was bee-lining it for a waiting car. No one had a chance. Yet somehow the magic worked. Jere had some trouble with my camera that time, and knowing he was dying to get out of there without appeasing the rest of the mob, I apologized. "It's okay, don't worry about it," He said, smiling, and he really sounded like he meant it.
As Jere was snapping the picture, some guy came charging up towards us from his parked Jaguar. Well I'll let Jere tell that story... Next came Tito, speed-walking to cross the street in a different direction. He was not even responding to requests, yet somehow I got him. I couldn't believe it when he came to a stop, turned around, posed for the pic, and as soon as it flashed he gave me a pat on the back "okay?" and he was off.
He was REALLY nice about the whole thing, yet very clearly eager to get out of there, and if any of the vultures had gotten to him because of me, I would have felt terrible.
Shortly after this, I got my first and only refusal of the evening. To be fair, Tony was being completely mobbed, and I try to not do this in those circumstances- people grabbing at him and all. He was giving hard no's until my tap. He was moving fast, but he did glance back at me, and I made my request. "After dinner I will, not now" he said. Jere thought he was saying that to someone else and I really can't be sure. All I know is I didn't get him, and I was pretty disappointed actually. But I also totally understood. And in a way I'm glad he didn't, because he would've been trapped in the swarm, and I would have felt awful about it.
We were hanging out for awhile waiting for more to come out, and I dropped my camera - for no reason. Maybe I AM blonde. So I took this shot of Jere to make sure it was still working. And I'm posting it because it's kinda cool... and also a little funny, because Jere's eyes popped out in surprise like that when he realized I was taking a picture of him.
At this point Jonathon Papelbon came out with his fiancée, so of course we don't bug him because we already have his picture, but I smile at her as they pass by. They were trying to catch a cab, and after a couple of false attempts, one of the doormen walk past, right between Papelbon & his girlfriend and me, so I said to the doorman "excuse me- you might want to get him a cab" The man gave me the look of death. A look so nasty that when he said "what did you just say?" In that way of saying he knows perfectly well what I just said. I was quite speechless, and apologized, and he glared at me some more before he stalked away. "What did you say?" Jonathon's girlfriend asks me. By this time I'm pretty embarrassed to say the least. But I smile weakly as I tell her. "Yeah," she said to me, "because we suck." I told her not to worry about it, and we saw Clement try for five minutes back in May. I walked back over to Jere. A few minutes later she motions us over, and thanks me again. "You did good, you were just trying to help," she says to me. We end up chatting with them for a few minutes until they finally get a cab, and she waves goodbye, smiling at us.
Next came Bronson and I already have a picture of me with him... but his head was cut off. So I thought I ought to get one with his whole head.
I had noticed KY in the lobby, and for awhile I kept track of him hanging out, sitting in one of the lounge chairs. Another guy was sitting across from him, back toward me. Foulke showed up. He was talking to the other two, standing up for awhile, cell in hand. He saw us out the window pretty much right away, smiled and waved at us. What a card. We laughed and waved back. The third guy got up after awhile and went up to the desk. Jere saw his face, couldn't figure out who it was. I knew the face. "shoppach." it hit me. And it was so. I can't pat myself on the back too much, because I totally missed some others somehow, as you will see... anyway, after awhile they got up to talk to the desk, and ended up standing around in the seating area next to it (where Edgah was hiding last time.) Then Keith and Kelly were walking over to the side door. Going out, then in again immediately. Walking over to the door, then turning. Laughing at us through the glass as we reacted to their moves. They were messing with us. Quite possibly US as in ME & JERE specifically, since we were the closest to the glass. I had given Jere my Hello Kitty notebook and pen so he could write notes to amuse the guys through the glass. Maybe I should let him write about that, though. Anyway, with all their milling around, I suspect they were running interference for some of their shier teammates. If they were, I hope they succeeded. I can think of several times when all the vultures were definitely distracted at the far corner, and someone could have easily snuck right out the front. Someone like Edgah, who really can't hack... read Beth's comment on this post; that's how Edgah seems to feel about fan attention.
Finally, after several teases, Keith Foulke walks right out the side door, drawing the crowd in a spot near the street on the far corner. (this would have been a prime opportunity for anyone needing to get out the front.) Of course, I walked out to get my pic (I knew it was a ruse, but I really HAD to have Foulkie anyway). Keith's ready for the pic, I turn around to hand Jere the camera - no jere. "Jere" I call. "Jere!" Keith yells. "Jere!" cries the crowd around us. Then someone in the crowd takes the camera. Jere, who was deep in conversation with Adam Stern at the time about their alma mater, University of Nebraska (how did I not notice; I know what Adam Stern looks like) mortified, has to apologize to Adam, and rushes over. Well some other dude had the camera, so Keith tells Jere to get in the picture.
As you can see, Jere and I are both laughing uncontrollably as the picture is snapped. Look for more on this whole scenario at Jere's, who has described this whole time pretty well, where we are just hanging with these guys for awhile. Here's Jere with Adam Stern.
Here's me and Kelly Shoppach.
Here's me and Adam Stern.
And here's the part when I walk over to KY and Gabe and somehow *I am beating myself up over this, just writing it* miss Billy, and if you look at the shot over at Jere's, Billy actually looks irritated about this. *I. WANT. TO. DIE.* And here I am with Youk:
Slick was the most reluctant of all posing players the entire evening. I really have to wonder if this is because his dad finds all this stuff on the internet. Mr. Youkilis, do you tease your son terribly or what? Give him a break; he's had a rough year, having to commute to RI all the time.
And here, my final pic of the adventure, Gabe Kaplar and myself.
You will not believe this, as I barely can myself, but Gabe thanked ME. Meanwhile, the very sexy Billy Mueller was likely glaring and muttering and hates my guts.
I've linked to these throughout the post, but I think it might be helpful to people at the end here. Jere told his side of the story (with fabulous photo evidence; don't miss it!) in three different posts. Also, we did this for the first time back in May.
:D
The Timlin shots are nice, but please tell me that's a nanny or something in the pink shirt. Because she looks young enough to be his daughter.
Re: the camera, some of that there's not much you can do about. Pretty much all digital cameras are going to have SOME delay between shots, although depending on how much you're willing to pay you can get one with a reduced wait; my new camera is a lot better about that than my old one. And almost all have a delay on the actual shot although, again, if you're willing to pay for it you can get around that. Mine has an 'action shot' mode with a faster shutter speed that both reduces that delay and takes action shots that are much less blurry.
The turning off automatically thing is to save battery power. Usually you can set it to not do that, or to do it at longer intervals, but then again you're going to eat into battery faster.
the camera thing, yeah, I realize the auto-turnoff is a battery saving feature which I can adjust. And one great thing about my camera is it takes several different types of batteries, including simple AA, so I don't get totally screwed that often with power 'cause I also never use the view-screen feature. Now that I've found these energizer lithiums which really do last a long time, I think I can afford to waste a lttle energy, just on special occasions eh?
: 9:16 PM (Was it bad form to just invite myself like that?)
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