Tommy LaSorda

It was off to Barnes & Noble again today to get an autographed copy of Tommy LaSorda's book - I Live for This! Baseball's Last True Believer.

Although I know of Tommy LaSorda thru sports and SlimFast commercials I wasn't a fanatic. My quest was on behalf of a friend who wanted it for a Xmas gift! :)

This time around no pics could be taken and the line seemed to be moving at a snail's pace. If no pics were being taken, what was the hold up?! Well, Tommy showed up a bit late and then Tommy talked. Which is generally fine, cause that's what Tommy does, but since I was on my lunch I was kinda hoping Tommy would be a tad less social...

As I waited, two autograph hounds behind me lamented that they had to get the books personalized and that they should have told the B&N worker (a person goes around with sticky notes to put the person's name on it and then put it on the title page of the book to be autographed) to something generic like, "Dad" - making it easier to sell. They didn't seem to have much good to say about LaSorda - just wanted his autograph so they could benefit.

I started to read bits and pieces of his book as I waited. I flipped thru and read a bit about him coaching the 2000 Olympic Team. I had forgotten how hell bent he was about beating the Cubans! I also found out that coaches of teams don't get medals.

I started to get a little nervous as the time continued to tick away and progress continued to be slow. As luck would have it a coworker was in the store trying to see what the line was for, I waved and he said he'd let others know I may run late because I was getting a LaSorda autograph. Thanks? (I wasn't totally sure how well that would go over...)

As I got within actual sight of the now 80 year old, Tommy LaSorda, I could actually enjoy his banter with people. He told a guy wearing a Yankees cap - "You know what they say...Only Dodger Fans got to Heaven." He told another guy who brought his preschool aged daughter - "She must look like her mother." And asked the daughter if she'd written Santa yet. In fact, he talked more to her than to the father! Lol!

When I got up there I really didn't have anything spectacular to say and I was already running late so I just smiled and said hi. He signed and that was that.

Once I got back to the office, I was surprised that a few coworkers who had heard about where I was asked to see the autograph. So...I guess it was okay I was late because of LaSorda! :)