Well, I finally got to meet him.
It was great. We hung out and chatted about Ken Roll (my physical therapist and the PT for the Mariners for years), Tommy John surgery and pitching. It was awesome. I was so thrilled. It was really one of the best baseball experiences I've ever had.
So, here's the rundown:
-They always called Ken "The Claw" because Ken has gigantic paw like hands.
-Jamie is ready to pitch this year if anyone calls. Unfortunately, my Padres aren't interested due to the "youth movement" which, as Jamie put it, "Always works so well."
-I told him how much I admired him and looked up to him especially being able to come back from surgery like he did. He appreciated it.
-Jamie took no painkillers after surgery.
-We shared stories of having to sleep in the weird positions with that crazy half cast
-We both agreed that the big wrap/cast thing was the worst part of the surgery.
-He only wore the brace for a few weeks. Said he couldn't stand it and just gave up. Meanwhile, I told him that I would look at it wrong out of the brace and it would hurt like hell.
-He was lifting boxes 6 weeks out of surgery.
-He signed a ball and a couple of cards for me.
This was just such a neat experience for me I can't even explain. I have a whole new respect for Jamie. I mean, he is an iron man. He truly is a wonder. How he can come back strong from that surgery at his age is amazing. I admire him more now than I did before.
He's great. He's just a fantastic person and I'm thrilled to have met him.
