Volunteering at the Think Cure telethon

The Think Cure suite

Al Downing talking with Tommy Davis

Ethier's wife in on the left and Martin's girlfriend is on the right

Me with Al Downing

Me with Tommy Davis

Last week Bob received an email from the Dodgers looking for volunteers for the Think Cure telethon.  They needed people at the stadium doing different tasks on Friday and Saturday.  I was already going to the game Friday night so I sent off an email offering to help on Saturday.  I had no idea what to expect and really I thought we would be stuck in a room with maybe a tv to watch some of the game.  Well, I could not have been more wrong.  I was in a suite with a handful of former Dodgers and some of the Dodger's wives.  I was phone captain and was assigned to Tommy Davis.  Dodger owner, Frank McCourt, came in for about 30 minutes and he took Tommy's place.  What I was doing was calling people who had already donated and told them to please hold for Dodger Legend Tommy Davis, or Dodger owner, Frank McCourt, and that they wanted to personally thank them for their donation.  It sure was right up my alley.  We got to be in the air conditioned suite, watch the game and hang out with Al Downing, Kenny Landreaux, Sweet Lou Johnson, Jimmy Campanis, Tommy Davis, and Frank McCourt.  The wives of Mariano Duncan, Jeff Weaver, Andre Ethier, and Russell Martins girlfriend were there also.  I of course asked Maggie Ethier how the baby was doing.  She was very talkative and was telling me that just that day the baby who is almost one, had taken 5 steps, the most he had ever taken and that she was bummed because Andre had missed it.  

The best part of the day was just sitting next to the former ball players and listening to them talk about the players and the game now as opposed to when they played.  

Here is some of what I got to listen in on- "Did you ever get that much batting practice when you played?"  "I saw Manny take like 25 swings, and then he got back in line to do it again".  "I was lucky to get 10 swings".  "Why do all those guys wear such long pants?"  "They look silly"  "What pitch would you throw this guy now?"  "Now why did he swing at that pitch?"  "What was he thinking"  "Manny swings too hard.  You should swing fast but not hard.  He swings too hard"  When Matt Kemp hit his monster home run all of them were impressed!!  "Did you ever see a home run hit that far?"  "Man, that hit where those people are walking".  

At the end of the game Al, and Tommy were saying that they needed naps before they drove home.  Funny.