What Are The Odds? Ziggy Shows Up At My School!
by Nico on May 4, 2011 12:00 PM PDT
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PrintSeriously, the odds of Landon Powell winning two games in a row with an inside-the-park homerun and a steal of home were probably better than the odds that my two careers would collide the way they did yesterday afternoon.
Black Pine Circle is a small, unassuming K-8 school nestled so snugly in the middle of a residential block that many people drive by not realizing there's a school there. It has been around for 38 years and is well known in the East Bay "private school circuit," but if you're not in that network it's quite possible you live in Berkeley yet have never heard of the school.
And while I've been lucky enough to get to know a few of the A's players over time, most of them I have never met. So the odds of a player I knew, coming to the school where I teach, were already quite low.
Now let's add the fact that Ziggy's appearance at my school had absolutely nothing to do with me. In fact, when I heard the news it was from one of the many teachers at my school who had no idea that I write for, and manage, a popular A's fan site.
What happened was that our 3rd grade teacher organized for our 2nd and 3rd grade students to participate in the Homerun Reading Program, where students commit to a reading program and earn two tickets to an A's game. 4 schools out of the 100+ who participate were randomly selected to have an A's player or coach come to the school to read to the kids.
Our school was randomly selected to be one of those four schools, and Brad Ziegler was the player assigned to come to our school. And it was cuuuuuuuuuute!
First of all, Ziggy is the perfect ambassador, as he is utterly at home in front of a group of kids and quite engaging. And let me tell you, these were some excited children. "Is he here yet?" they kept asking until he arrived -- even though he hadn't been here 30 seconds ago and it was unlikely he would arrive and no one would tell the kids. "That could be him!" they proclaimed at every passing car. Yet it turned out that many people who were not Brad Ziegler had decided to drive past our school yesterday.
Then suddenly one time is was him, and the transfixed children lined up (straighter than I've ever seen them line up -- what is it with the kids at our school, who can write evocative poetry and solve complex algebraic equations, but can't stand in a straight line?) to greet their new favorite player.
Once in the library, Ziggy was presented with a book called Bats At The Ballgame, but said he would take a couple questions before reading and then a bunch of questions after. About 18 hands immediately shot up from among the 40 children assembled. I wondered what kids this young wanted to know from a major league ballplayer, and as he called on a 2nd grade girl, immediately I found out. "Has your team ever lost a game?" she wanted to know. (I think you know the answer to that one.)
One child wanted to know if he threw a lot of curves, and another was curious if it was hard to throw underhand -- these were the die-hard baseball fans. Meanwhile, one chlld wanted to know if the team had a party after they won, and another asked whether they had a party even after they lost. Conclusion: If you're 7 or 8 years old, your main concern in life revolves around parties: When is it time for ice-cream?
Anyway, Ziggy was awesome and it was a good time. Hopefully tonight will also be a good time, as the A's host the Indians at 7:05pm. Baseballgirl will see you then!
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Very cool
And here’s a tweet from him yesterday:
http://twitter.com//bradziegler/status/65517746284273664
Just finished reading with a bunch of 2nd/3rd graders from Black Pine Circle School in Berkeley! #HomeRunReaders http://twitpic.com/4sxohr
Last of the Ninth - Photography
was he describing Nico in that tweet?
I got nothin'
by OptimistPrime on May 4, 2011 12:21 PM PDT up reply actions
I think his attorney said it was best not to discuss his interactions with Nico until the impending court case.
"Nah, you look like Elijah Wood." - danmerqury
I have no comment on this.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
When worlds collide!
How fun, Nico!
Conclusion: If you’re 7 or 8 years old, your main concern in life revolves around parties: When is it time for ice-cream?
For some of us this does not change. :)
tailgates!
Save it for the fast money round, Paddy.
by Leopold Bloom on May 4, 2011 12:16 PM PDT up reply actions
Time for ice cream?
As soon as I wake up, and it lasts all day.
Life insurance s..cks. I'm now worth more dead than alive.
Sweet.
Between this and his ERA, what’s not to like about this guy? I’ll bet he was way more pleasant than Don Newcombe, who visited my High School and scared the crap out of all of us with his drunk driving horror stories- come to think of it, he was quite the public speaker. Very effective.
"Only one girl ever fell in love with me, and she was nuts."
-Eddie Waitkus
That's great stuff.
When I was in the sixth grade, all we received a visit from was that darn Bobby Crosby.
"You're all like big, fat failure turtles." - Edge
by Rated-R Superstar on May 4, 2011 12:37 PM PDT reply actions
EWWWW!!!!!
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
when I was a kid
I got to meet Tony Phillips. It was awesome. I remember it to this day and I have rooted for him since.
Later I got to meet Reggie Harris and Rene LAchmann.
Jack Cust: Nothing but true results…. Sac OPS: .964
by Athletics fan and runner on May 4, 2011 1:04 PM PDT reply actions
How come cool people never came to my school when I was 7?
"Hey anyone can join in...as long as they talk about me." - Mr. Bed
"So you're saying we should skin the Rangers and wear them as uniforms? I’m down." - Kyli
I had Tom Hanks come come to my school once
Sure, it was High School.
And it was the graduation.
And he graduated from that school N year prior.
And he just yacked.
But whatever!
hey, check your email
"Hey anyone can join in...as long as they talk about me." - Mr. Bed
"So you're saying we should skin the Rangers and wear them as uniforms? I’m down." - Kyli
by cuppingmaster on May 4, 2011 2:19 PM PDT up reply actions
Sigh. For the last time, you're not a baseball player!
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
If Tim Collins can do it, so can I!
"Hey anyone can join in...as long as they talk about me." - Mr. Bed
"So you're saying we should skin the Rangers and wear them as uniforms? I’m down." - Kyli
by cuppingmaster on May 4, 2011 2:39 PM PDT up reply actions
Go to the ballpark in a short skirt. You might get lucky.
"Nah, you look like Elijah Wood." - danmerqury
Or at least maybe Kevin the ball boy
will come to your office.
Sweet is the lore which Nature brings; / Our meddling intellect
Mis-shapes the beauteous forms of things:— / We murder to dissect.
Did you get to talk to him, Nico?
If so, was he almost as surprised by the intersection of your lives as you were?
Well, I said "The odds of YOU happening to come to MY school had to be less than 1 in a million,"
and he laughed. Then he threw coffee in my face and brushed me back with a frisbee slider. I might be making part of this up.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
did you make up the talking part and the reality is
he just threw the coffee at you?
Andy Bernard does not lose contests. He wins them. Or he quits them. Because they're unfair.
Exactly, Ziggy hasn't brushed anyone back in his life.
"Nah, you look like Elijah Wood." - danmerqury
Yes. He just walked in, threw coffee at me,
staged a group photo, and left. There was no reading.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
Ziggy's branching out into performance art
"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s
you didn't have him warm up in an adjacent room several times
before you finally put him in to see the kids? Because he’s used to this.
"If we start getting into that sh*t, we might as well get out the plastic sheeting and have an orgy." --Gaijin Suketto
They must have all been right-handed
"Hey anyone can join in...as long as they talk about me." - Mr. Bed
"So you're saying we should skin the Rangers and wear them as uniforms? I’m down." - Kyli
by cuppingmaster on May 4, 2011 2:48 PM PDT up reply actions
When I was a kid, all we got were field trips to the sewage treatment plant. D:
Dude, this is AWESOME. Awww, Ziggy. <3 And asking about ice cream after a loss is highly important and relevant, because yes.
"This must be heaven," he says.
"No. It's Oakland."
Fantastic. Much applause to Ziggy and other players who make these appearances
FWIW One hot summer day when I was — I don’t know, 7, 8 years old? — my father took me to a track meet, where Jesse Owens was signing autographs. Dad had me get in line to get his autograph, but I had no idea who he was. When I got to the front of the line, I just stared at him like a baffled dummy, and Jesse Owens, who was pretty old by then and had been sitting in the hot sun for for who knows how many hours, stared back at me. To this day, I can only imagine he was thinking something like, “This is what I have to put up with now, after all I did?” I really wish I knew then just how profoundly important he was, esp. after seeing various documentaries about the 1936 Olympics.
There is an evening coming in/Across the fields, one never seen before,/That lights no lamps. -- Philip Larkin, from "Going"
my dad once sent me to get Joe Louis' autograph
and yes, I actually knew who he was, as my father was a former golden glove fighter.
That was the only time I’ve been to Yankee Stadium. My dad was intimidated by the “Brown Bomber”, so he sent me – a little kid – to get the autograph. and Mr. Louis very kindly obliged.
Great post
I’m sure it meant a lot to the kids to meet Ziegler. I still remember meeting Willie McCovey when I was in junior high, at a baseball card show. Definitely the highlight of a rough year.
I met McCovey at a shopping mall appearance when I was
7 or 8. Had no idea who he was then. Too bad, that.
by PDXAthleticsfan on May 4, 2011 3:38 PM PDT up reply actions
Adorable.
I’m not jealous. Nope, not at all.
"You ain't got nothin to say, it was perfect" -Dallas Braden, 05/09/10
hell hath no fury like a Cowboys fan scorned. -Leopold Bloom
How cool!
"You may glory in a team triumphant, but you fall in love with a team in defeat."--The Boys of Summer
After Ziggy left, Brian Fuentes came in and ruined the day
There is an evening coming in/Across the fields, one never seen before,/That lights no lamps. -- Philip Larkin, from "Going"
by Ray of Lite on May 4, 2011 3:59 PM PDT reply actions 3 recs
HA!
rec’d
"You ain't got nothin to say, it was perfect" -Dallas Braden, 05/09/10
hell hath no fury like a Cowboys fan scorned. -Leopold Bloom
Well the worst part was that it was really hot in there and we all wanted to leave,
but once Fuentes arrived nobody got out.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
Heh.
"You ain't got nothin to say, it was perfect" -Dallas Braden, 05/09/10
hell hath no fury like a Cowboys fan scorned. -Leopold Bloom
How serendipitous.
"I thought it was going in," Warriors center Chris Hunter said. "It looked like the invisible man tipped it away at the last second."
"He's chicken curry right now. He'll become beef curry a little later on."
-Keith Smart
You mean he didn't read The Turnip??!
"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s
Probably too advanced for the kids.
So much nuance.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
And at least My Pet Goat didn't meet
"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s
Sigh. So sad when bad things happen to good goats.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
Nice and Cute and Funny
Random Ziggy appearances are a sign. Soon, Gozer the Traveller will appear in one of the pre-chosen forms…
Being called a poet as a rock ’n’ roll musician is like being called a physicist as a baseball player. It might have some application but it’s pretty remote. - Richard Hell
You're confused
That’s not until after the rectification of the Vuldronii.
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