Hey Larry

Tonight it was Tiffany's turn to go to the game. I have to admit, she is the most fun to take to the ballpark. I think it is because she genuinely loves the game of baseball and is interested in understanding all of the nuances of the game. Of course it doesn't hurt that she is an autograph magnet. She can get players to come over that no one else can get. I am fascinated and mildly impressed at her abilities. She is never pushy and she is always polite with the players. She does demand for them to act the same way. Tiffany will not put up with players who are prima donnas or who cop an attitude. Tonight was proof of that. We were at the ballpark in time to watch batting practice. There we watched as Alex Cabrera did his nightly impression of Mark McGwire hitting balls to areas where you generally need a very tall ladder. While I was watching the hitters, Tiffany was yelling to Johnny Ruffin. He immediately acknowledged her presence and when he was done with his warm-ups, he came over and autographed Tiffany's ball. She and he spoke for a few minutes and she politely thanked him for his time. You could tell she admired him and his behavior towards the fans. When the Diamondbacks finished their batting practice, we went out into the left field stands to watch the Braves hit. When we got there, Chipper Jones was standing in the field doing his best to ignore the fans. Tiffany attempted several times to get his attention by calling out his name. Finally, he acknowledged her presence and stated abruptly that he didn't sign autographs for fans, especially on the road. His response and attitude surprised me as it did others in the stands. Tiffany was somewhat put out that he thought he was better than the game and could care less about the fans. From that point forward, she did her best to get everyone in the bleachers to begin to heckle Chipper Jones. Knowing that he doesn't really like his given name, she began to chant, "Larry Wayne Jones". After a few minutes of this, it was obvious that "Larry" had enough and headed for the dugout. All the while that he jogged in, he was greeted with a chorus of boo's and chants of "Lar-ry". Never has a father been this proud of his little girl. She dissed a millionaire and taught him that the fans do account for something in baseball.