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‘Lotta Happenings – Chatting with Fellow New Englander Tom Grieve
Posted by 'lottasports in Baseball, Exclusives, Hill Country Happenings Articles on November 1, 2013
‘Lotta Happenings — Chatting with Tom Grieve
Flying for Delta Air Lines provided me numerous opportunities to meet and interact with sports personalities throughout the years. One of my favorites was Tom Grieve, former baseball player as well as General Manager of the Texas Rangers and now TV Analyst for Fox Southwest Sports. Tom and I reconnected during the playoffs last month and chatted about the good ‘ole days.
Tom is from Pittsfield, Massachusetts, which is only twenty-one miles from my hometown, Williamstown. During one of our annual trips back there, Rick & I were watching the Texas Rangers on TV at a pub. I was telling one of my childhood friends, Mike Haddad, how I worked the Rangers charters. Mike was all excited. “You must know Tommy Grieve then!” he responded in that distinct Yankee accent. Rick and I snickered as we never heard Tom referred to as Tommy, but we quickly found that not only was he known as Tommy, but also thought of as a local hero! Tom’s father passed away at the age of ninety-five this year. My dad, a Vermonter, lived to the same age. I told Tom both men had those hardy New England genes. Tom’s mother, in her nineties, still resides in the same house that he grew up in. Our hometowns are almost the same distance to both New York City and Boston. Because of this, fans in the area are split between the Yankees and the Red Sox. Tom remembers at the age of five while “helping” paint the house, a man said to him, “I’ll bet you’re a Red Sox fan.” Being at that age of doing the opposite, Tom thought a moment and then said, “No, I’m not.” The only other team he knew of was the Yankees so he told the man he was a Yankees fan. His favorite player in baseball …. Mickey Mantle, of course.
What did Tommy want to be when he grew up? Not a doctor… not a fireman…not a policeman. He wanted to be a baseball player, just like his idol, Mickey Mantle. He was one of the kids gifted with the ability to hit the ball and was a star at Pittsfield High School. Upon graduation, he was drafted by the Washington Senators, the sixth pick of the first round. His parents were cautiously supportive of his career choice – his mother giving him sage advice “while it’s a nice dream to have, think of other things to do just in case things don’t work out. “ After playing a few years in the minor leagues, Tommy’s dream came true – the call to the majors – July 5th, 1970. When the franchise was moved to Arlington, Texas the following year and became the Texas Rangers, Grieve was the outfielder. The transition from Tommy to Tom occurred. He also picked up another nickname, TAG, his initials. Many ballplayers are known for their superstitions like stepping on one of the bases before running off the field at the end of an inning or spitting into one’s hand before picking up the bat. Tom limited his to if he had a great game, he would wear the same shirt the next outing. Off the field, he kept (and still does) his bills in descending order facing the same way. In 1976, he was Rangers Player of the Year thanks to an abundance of doubles, homers and RBIs. He was injury free except for getting hit by a pitch and being out with a broken wrist for one month in 1977. In addition to the Rangers, he played with the Mets one year followed by the Cardinals.
Charity Golf Tournament
Tom was lucky that his dream for a career in baseball continued with the Rangers even after his playing days ended. His stints included Group Ticket Sales and General Manager. It was in 1986 that I met Tom while working the Texas Rangers Charters. Our paths also crossed at several of the charity golf tournaments as well as at spring training at Port Charlotte, Florida. One spring I took my mom, in her early seventies, and she was so excited with our seats right off the first base line. As I was introducing mom to Tom, he diplomatically explained that the location of our seats was a pretty popular area for line drives and then relocated us to seats behind home plate. Sure enough, several hard hits were driven toward our previous seats. One year, three of my friends and I were scheduled with the charters taking the team to Milwaukee and bringing them back, so we stayed there at our own expense for that series. Tom let us sit with him in his box at the games. I was thrilled to be talking the mechanics of pitching with him while the other gals shivered in chilly fall temperatures. 
After Grieve’s stint as GM, he went on to become a TV analyst for the Rangers and has been in that capacity for nineteen years. He watched his boys also follow a path through baseball. Older son Tim pitched in AA ball and has been a scout for the Detroit Tigers several years and Ben was Rookie of the Year for the Oakland Athletics as well as spent nine seasons in the majors. What was his advice to his sons and others who yearn for a life in the “national pastime”? It’s very similar to what his mother gave him; “Pursue it with all your heart, cover the academic side and don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”
‘Lotta Happenings — Take Me Out to the Ball Game woof woof
Posted by 'lottasports in Baseball, Hill Country Happenings Articles on June 3, 2013
My article below appeared in the June issue of Hill Country Happenings.. Click here for more articles and information about happenings in the Texas Hill Country.
What better way to bond with one’s dog than at a Major League Baseball game and that’s exactly what we did last month! While watching one of the Rangers games, I just happened to catch the promo for their annual Bark in the Park and the next thing I knew I had tickets for my husband Rick and me, along with our two Boxers, Roxie and Rex. The itinerary showed a starting check-in time of 4:00PM. “The game doesn’t start until 7:05PM!” pointed out Rick. “Well, we can’t miss the costume parade and the pre-game ceremonies,” I replied as the dogs looked back and forth at us. The next thing Rick knew, he was hand-stitching a blue and red tutu for Roxie and I was ordering Rex a Ranger bandana. “Seize the moment…” I always say.
Roxie and her tutu
Now you’d think a game in May would be a “safe” weather time. Not this year. It just happened to be one of the coldest and there we were at an outdoor baseball game! When we got to the stadium, an orderly line of owners and dogs was already forming at a white canopy at one of the entrances. Being with Rex in public can be like holding a three year old at a funeral. For Roxie & me, it seemed like an eternity to get from the parking lot only a block away. Rex was pulling Rick and being a good “parent,” Rick was patiently correcting him and doing circles to get him in control. Once at the ticket pick-up, I was handed six tickets and two goodie bags each containing dog food samples, a bowl, a blue bandana, coupons for dog food/ treats and a cardboard fan. We didn’t get a whole lot of use out the fans what with temperatures in the low forties with a thirty mile an hour wind.
We were directed to an inside ramp which became our “home” for the next hour and a half. We camped out on the second level in a formed line which turned out to be multitudes of levels of owners and dogs! Rex proved to be a “chick magnet”, especially when the Rangers’ wives came by as they pre-judged the costumes for the parade. Roxie is so calm she’s almost boring and she found a friend in a cute young English bulldog next to us. I was glad to be on the second level as we got to see almost all the creative costumes as the dogs headed to the higher levels and more importantly, it was close to the ladies’ room.
Just before six o’clock the line was escorted down through the bowels of the stadium. The smell of ballpark food wafted through the air and Rex began to drool. Every time the line paused, he left a puddle of slobber. Meanwhile Roxie checked out all the other dogs decked out in tutus, but she knew hers was the best because it was made by “Dad” with love! Within a short time we emerged on the perimeter of the ball field. As we approached home plate, Rick and I privately placed bets on which one of our dogs would choose to potty in front of the Rangers crowd and TV viewers. It was
almost a letdown when neither dog did anything. And according to #Rangers Ballpark on Twitter, of the six hundred and eighty-nine dogs at Bark in the Park, only one soiled left field. Actually, we were already at our seats and it was a mixed lab that had slipped its collar and must have felt that center field was a perfect place to relieve itself. Within moments, several pooper scoopers and the mortified owner surrounded the dog. Needless to say, it was a Kodak moment for the Jumbotron as well as my camera!
Oopsie!!! Clean Up!! Center Field!!!
Is he going to throw me the ball?
Rick and I took a seat at each end of our block of seats leaving the area under the four folded-seats open for the dogs. Rex and timid Roxie joined in barking with other dogs in the area as the crowd cheered. As the Rangers pitcher was being announced, the hotdog man proceeded down our aisle. When he chanted, “Hotdogs! Get your hotdogs!” Rex’s short yaps changed into a gurgling howl. Everyone burst out laughing and as the vendor passed our row, he looked back at Rex and sang, “There’s none for you man…” A dejected Rex sighed and sat down.
Roxie studies the players.
Is the hotdog man returning?
Our seats were on the third row and Rex quickly discovered the Rangers left fielder who was in close proximity to us. Rex barked and barked! I explained to him that he needed to wait until the guy in the Chicago White Sox black shirt came out and then distract him instead! The first four innings zoomed by and despite the chilly temperatures, we were having fun. We had several foul balls hit near us and each time we protected the dogs. There were also the fireworks and crowd cheers when the Rangers hit a home run which would get Rex revved up again while Roxie curled up and slept. Rick was ready to leave by the end of the fifth inning and as we packed up our belongings, Chicago scored three runs. “We’re ‘outta here!” says my hubby. Rex and I clearly weren’t ready to leave but we accommodated the other two. Minutes later we were back in our warm car getting lost in the labyrinth of streets surrounding the ballpark while the dogs snored in the back seat.
Would I do it again? Yes…..I assure you……We’ll be back next year!
Bark in the Park 2013
‘Lotta Happenings – Nolan and Mom
Posted by 'lottasports in Baseball, Exclusives, Hill Country Happenings Articles on September 10, 2012
As the baseball season approaches its conclusion I look back on some of my fondest memories. It actually started back in the 60s in New England. I was raised in a neighborhood consisting primarily of boys my age so I quickly learned what baseball cards were used for. I exceled in a game where you flipped a card against another person and the best combination flip would get to keep both cards. I had some great cards and I kept them in one of my Dad’s cigar boxes … Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, Brooks Robinson, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Harmon Killebrew. In the late 60s, we moved to Houston as the “Eighth Wonder of the World,” the Astrodome, finished completion. I became an Astros’ fan and revered legends such as Rusty Staub, Jim Wynn, Joe Morgan, Bob Aspromonte and Larry Dierker. Dad and I attended several games and even sat through the longest shutout ever played. The Astros beat the Mets as Houston scored the only run in the twenty-fourth inning at one-thirty in the morning!
Fast-forward to the fall of 1986 when I moved to the DFW area and started working the Texas Rangers’ baseball charters for Delta. Needless to say for this sports nut, it was fun being around players who shared my passion of sports. Rick, my husband of less than a year then, would rather have cooked his latest creation or garden over my watching ESPN. The following spring found me talking Rick into replacing our ski vacation with spring training in Port Charlotte, Florida. Spring training used to provide a more relaxed atmosphere and you would get to meet the players. Rick surprised me and actually enjoyed the experience so much that we returned every year until their move to the Cactus League in Arizona.
In late 1988, to the thrill of Ranger fans and to the dismay of Astros fans — especially my Mom — Nolan Ryan signed on with Texas. That man’s arrival created almost as much excitement as winning the lottery. The Rangers’ charters became “prime real estate” on the bid sheet and flight attendants senior to me who didn’t even care about baseball were infiltrating my turf! Fortunately I flew “In Charge” (a position many avoided) so I was able to keep my foot in the door.
Nolan was embarrassed with all the attention coming from the media and fans. I felt sorry for him, as one night we witnessed a fan interrupting his family meal to ask for an autograph. That same year, Mom, who was in her late seventies, asked me to take her to spring training. We flew into Sarasota-Bradenton. Without Rick with us, I got goofed up leaving the airport and after some time, I discovered we were heading south toward Naples instead of north to Port Charlotte! By the time I got turned around, we had reached the city limits just before nine pm. The restaurant on the wharf that I had bragged about to Mom wouldn’t seat us, as they were trying to close. Needless to say, we were now pretty hungry even by central time standards! A good flight attendant (as well as former Brownie/Girl Scout) always has a Plan B to put in place. There was a small restaurant that the players frequented and stayed open late. As we perused the menu, Mom excitedly told the waiter how I worked the Rangers’ charters for Delta. He smiled and told us that one of the players was there — Nolan Ryan. I quickly scribbled a note and gave it to the waiter to give Nolan. A few minutes later the waiter returned and said Nolan wanted to meet Mom. He then escorted us back to a banquet room. Mom was finally going to get to meet Nolan Ryan! She was beside herself! There stood Nolan and another gentleman. I introduced Nolan to my mom. He, in turn, introduced us to Craig Reynolds, a former shortstop for the Astros. Mom immediately dropped Nolan’s hand and threw her hands up to her face. “Oh, my! Craig Reynolds! I can’t believe it!”
According to Nolan, Craig never let him forget that moment — a fan getting more excited over Craig than Nolan! Later that year Mom had knee replacement surgery. When Mom died and I went through her things I found in her mementos a Get Well card Nolan signed for her. Yep… Mom dumping Nolan was just a momentary lapse in judgment.
‘Lotta Briefs — The Road to October
Posted by 'lottasports in Baseball on July 25, 2012
Baseball fans, the All-Star Break is behind us and now begins the race to October. What Texas Rangers Team will show up for the stretch? Will it be the team Nolan Ryan breathed new life into and helped orchestrate back to back World Series appearances or will it be the team many fans (myself included) referred to as the Strangers who fade away on the stretch? Last night, Texas continued their spiral down. Caught trying to steal, Kinsler was ejected in the first inning for mouthing off to the umpire, Michael Young went 0-4, they left runners in scoring position in five innings and closer Joe Nathan did the unthinkable! He walked two batters (note: the last time April 16, 2011) and then gave up a single. Game over 2-1. In addition, their West Coast Series last week was struggle. They limped home with one of their games an ugly shutout by a struggling Seattle team 7-0 and lost the series to the Angels who are now focusing on the division title rather than a wild-card placement. It’s a critical home stand where Friday they host the red-hot Chicago White Sox three games followed by four games with the Angels!
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