If you missed Doug Haller’s story about Ted Williams’ appearance at the 1999 All-Star Game, make sure you go read it.
Alex Rodriguez was just talking on the FOX pregame show about it. I was working at the Athens Banner-Herald in Georgia in my first job out of college in 1999 and our editor put in a credential request for me on a lark.
It was approved for some reason and I got a seat in the auxiliary press box in right field, so that’s where I was when I saw Williams in the golf cart getting ready to go out on the field. We could see it before almost everyone else and it was an odd bit of anticipation watching it.
As cool as that was, it paled in comparison to earlier in the day when MLB had the press conference for the All Century. Most of the living nominees were on a dais and there was zero chance I was going to ask it, I was just in awe. As special as that was, after the press conference, they took all the players into a room where you could do one-on-one interviews.
For me, it was unreal. I was in a room and there was Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Johnny Bench, Mike Schmidt and on and on and on. It was unreal.
I remember just listening. I asked a couple of questions, but more than anything, I just listened. As everyone made their way to the game, at one point it was pretty much just me, one MLB staffer and Warren Spahn. Spahn was just telling stories and I sat there listening.
I don’t know if I ever asked a question, but the MLB staffer eventually told him it was time to go. He left and I just sat in that room, alone, looking at where all the legends of the game I’d grown up reading about had just left, not believing my luck.
That was the moment I knew that I’d try to follow my dream to becoming a baseball writer until I exhausted all possibilities. I’m glad I did, I’ve had a wonderful career, but it’ll always be tough to top that day.
GO FURTHER
Ted Williams created an MLB All-Star Game moment for the ages 25 years ago
