I had just landed from a flight from Los Angeles and was awaiting for an Uber. Next to me was a young, athletic looking guy with a huge Cardinals duffle bag. It wasn't the kind of bag an everyday fan would be carrying. It looked like it had to be something team-issued.
Standing next to the guy, I asked if was with the team and he said "yeah." I asked him is name and simply said "Alex." Knowing a bit about top prospects, it then struck me and I said "Reyes?" He looked surprised to be recognized in NY in an airport, but then he said "yes!"
After briefly chatting, he disclosed he had had TJ surgery just a few weeks back, which I remember hearing about. So he was about 6-weeks post-recovery at that time.
He was very pleasant to chat with when he didn't need to be, and I certainly took a liking to him. I hope he comes back in 2018 unfazed by the surgery. He's one of the top prospects in the game - still #1 for the Cardinals and #15 overall by MLB.com - so the talent is certainly there.
I made a deal with myself to pick up an autograph of his, especially since prices had cooled following the injury. I waited until COMC Black Friday and got the one above for just a few bucks.
I'll certainly be keeping an eye on his career, and I hope he's 100% healthy in 2018.
That's a great story. I'm so bad at recognizing athletes off the field/court/ice, but good on you for picking up the clue and engaging in a quick convo with him.
ReplyDeleteThat's awesome! Depending on how ballsy I was feeling, I probably would've asked for an autograph or selfie with the guy.
ReplyDeleteI don't have any similar stories other than once there was a basketball player at the airport that some other guys seemed to recognize, but I was clueless who he was.
Great story, thanks for sharing. Really cool.
ReplyDeleteWhat a small world we live in!
ReplyDeleteYeah, he has top shelf stuff and I have a feeling he'll be a thorn in the Cubs' sides for many a season in the future. I'm sure it'll take a season or so to knock the rust off from TJS, but I really like his ceiling.
ReplyDeleteThat's pretty cool. If I were in your shoes, I would have had no idea who he was.
ReplyDeleteI remember reading about your encounter on PTT's posts where he pulled Reyes autos (twice lol).
ReplyDeleteNice to see you get a certified auto for your collection. 2017 was definitely the year to do it.