Richie Lentz

so i'm on a time crunch again, but here it is:
My friend Victor is still laughing about this moment in time. Victor, Roshan, and I had made the trek up to Manchester to see the Fishercats take on the visiting Sea Dogs (my home team... Maine will always be home). John Smoltz was making a rehab start for Portland that night and the three of us decided we had to be there. We get to the park and scalp some $5 tickets which end up being wayyyyyy out in left field. I dont know if i have ever felt farther from home plate in my life, save for during the offseason. We're about 8 rows back from the field and the visiting bullpen is right there, one of those open spaces that's simply a mound and a plate in foul territory. The guys are all sitting on a bench 2 feet in front of the first row of seats. Smoltz pitches about 4 innings that night, then hits the showers... the entire stadium clears out. Especially our section as it's so far from the action. The three of us decide to move down into the first row because we're all experiencing varying amounts of intrigue at the relievers being right there.
We sit down right behind the guys. Can hear them talking and no doubt they can hear us talking even better. I notice pretty quickly that Richie Lentz and Dustin Richardson are among the relievers, both of whom I had seen during a Jimmy Fund event this past winter. Roshan had gotten his pic taken with Dustin; I had spoken like a chatterbox with Richie, fast and furious. The other guys, I was struggling to recognize and cant remember who else I noticed there.
Before I went to the Jimmy Fund event, which was based around bowling and meet'n'greet prospects-style, I had looked up all the guys I was going to be coming into contact with. As I researched Richie a bit, I found his personal site and noticed that the song playing on his page was by a Christian worship/rock bank called Hillsong. Huh, pretty random, kind of obscure, definitely not what I expected to find on this minor leaguer's homepage. When I met him, I mentioned that we had a shared favorite band... especially at the time, Hillsong was really all that I was listening to. Hillsong and whatever they decided to play at Fenway. He was just as surprised at my mentioning it as I was to have discovered the common ground in the first place, and told me he'd never heard that one before.

yadda yadda yadda, skip to the game in Manchester... there he is, and I know that every guy I met at that Jimmy Fund event has remembered me from then on (Bard, Masterson, Bowden, Reddick, Anderson, Kottaras, Carter, etc) but still dont presume that this will be the case when I come upon most of them. So I dont say anything, and after all, it's the middle of a game, definitely not the time to be starting up a conversation. These little kids next to us are being really rambunctious, talking serious smack to Roshan especially for whatever reason and he is responding... well, one of the little guys directs his attention at me: "Hey, how'd you get these seats anyhow?" ...as if they were great seats, which I dont consider them to be. I laugh a little, and he goes on, "Do you know the players or something?" And I laugh a little more. I had told Victor (roshan knew as he was with me at the Jimmy Fund event) about when I had met Richie once I noticed him sitting in the bullpen. Very amused at this point, I dont really respond to the kid because of the way he's saying the things he's saying- he's clearly just being fresh. Victor shoots back at the kid with, "Yeah, she does actually" and I just have to roll my eyes... Roshan is 30, Victor is 21, and they are baiting 10 year old boys. The boy looks at me unbelievingly, of course, and says "No you dont"... then, "Who (of the players) gave you the tickets?" I smile, and before I can say anything the boy adds, "Who's that?" and he points directly at Richie. HAH! I tell him it's Richie Lentz... and it's a little awkward, as Richie is essentially a part of the conversation, he's sitting so close. I can all but see his ears perk up as his name is mentioned. The kid is not buying it, and presses for further information. I'm trying not to crack up at this point because i feel stuck between this kid (who is comically aggressive) and richie (who is surely listening to me talk about him), with my 2 friends watching from the sidelines. I tell the kid that I know that Richie likes Hillsong, and immediately Richie cranes his head around to face me, an unforgettable wide smile spread wide across his face. "I knew I recognized you." A little bit of chat, some laughter, and to be honest I figured he'd at least recognize my face but I know that my friends were impressed or surprised. AND, haha, the kids were dumbstruck. That was by far the best part. The silence that ensued.

So thanks Richie. You made my day. My friends still laugh about that incident. Good to literally just see you last night, glad your rehab stint is coming to an end, and maybe I'll see you in Portland on Wednesday!