Growing up, what kid didn’t have aspirations about becoming a professional baseball player? I know I did. I grew up around the game – my father loved it, my cousins and uncles played it, and fortunately I had the opportunity to play it myself. As I got older, however, the skill level of my competition continued to increase and I faced the realization that my dream would likely never come true.
Last season, I was able to experience a little taste of that childhood dream when my cousin, Andre Ethier, was called up to the Los Angeles Dodgers from Triple-A Las Vegas. Ethier was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2003 draft by the Oakland Athletics He was named 2005 Texas League Most Valuable Player, Oakland Athletics Minor League Player of the Year, and Texas League All-Star Game MVP. During the winter of 2005, Ethier was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for disgruntled outfielder, Milton Bradley, and utility infielder, Antonio Perez.
My family and I instantaneously became avid Dodgers fans and we would watch Andre whenever the opportunity arose (we had the MLB TV package so we were able to catch most of the games). While watching Andre on TV was exciting enough, it was nothing compared to going to see him in person. My family and I scheduled a mini-vacation in early September, along with other family members, to go see Andre when the Dodgers came to New York to play the Mets. Here are some highlights from the trip:
Entering Flushing, New York, my family and I get a little lost. We pull over and ask a police officer for directions and his response was “Learn how to read a damn sign!” And that is reason #126 why I hate New York.
We were fortunate to see the Dodgers take 2 out of 3 games verses the Mets – L.A. winning 5-0 on Friday night, losing 3-2 on Saturday, and throttling N.Y. Sunday 9-1.
Andre was gracious enough to leave our family a set of four tickets to each one of the games. The seats we sat in were amazing – directly behind home plate, about ten rows up. I couldn’t ask for better seats. I am used to sitting in the upper bleachers at Fenway Park, so far away that there is actually a delay between when you see the batter make contact with the ball and when you actually hear the crack of the bat.
With the great seats, we had the opportunity to sit in the vicinity of some celebrities. We sat about three rows behind Mia Hamm, who was with a girlfriend and a man with biceps as big as my head. I assumed he was Mia’s bodyguard, but others thought he may have been just a friend or brother. Tommy Lasorda was at the ballpark for the Saturday game. He sat a few sections over, but close enough to tell my friends that “I sat next to Tommy Lasorda.” We also saw Steve “Psycho” Lyons who is a former player and now former FOX broadcaster. Finally, we saw Larry King, who came to throw out the first pitch for Saturday’s game.
After Friday’s game, Andre told all of us to meet him outside of the stadium. We were hoping that he would have a minute or two to talk to us and take some pictures. Little did we know that Andre would spend two hours talking to all of us, answering any questions that we had? I talked to Andre about everything from baseball to music to Xbox games. I learned that his favorite rapper is Lil’ Wayne, his favorite Xbox Game is Dead Rising, and that he is good friends with teammate, Russell Martin.
I can honestly say that Andre was the nicest individual I have ever met. He was so grounded, level-headed, and family oriented – his mom even told us that he is a complete “mamas boy.” I mistakenly came to the assumption that being a pro ballplayer, he would not have time for distant relatives like us (he lives in Arizona and we all live in Massachusetts so we don’t get to see him often). He embraced us as though we were brothers or sisters and he embraced fans as if they were family. After about two hours of talking, Andre finally had to get going. Where to you ask? He had bought tickets for him and his mom to take in a Broadway show in New York City.
I left New York amazed that there are still some athletes out there who have not let success go to their heads. I was so impressed at his character and I just hope that he continues to stay so grounded with the amount of success and fame that lies ahead for him.
Andre’s final stats for 2006
Andre batted .308 in 126 games, with 11 home runs, 55 RBI, and a .477 slugging percentage. Just recently, he finished 6th in voting for the National League Rookie of the Year Award.
