Our family was at spring training a long time ago in Arizona.

We went to Diablo Stadium in Tempe to watch the Seattle Mariners work out,

just because it was close to our hotel. I knew nothing about the Mariners, wrong league, wrong team.

We walked in and I watched some big guy club homer after homer.

I turned to guy next to me and asked who the slugger was.

He looked at me, measuring the ignorance. That’s Jay Buhner.

After a few more whacks and noticing my son with me, he turns again

and says. “Your kid wants an autograph he ought to walk over there,” motioning to the concourse behind us. “That rookie is going to be something.”

Some incredibly trim, handsome and very young player was signing an autograph for a fan.

Paul went over, got the signature and came back.

“Who was it? I asked.

And that was our introduction to Ken Griffey Jr.