Mike Hardin-Owner of Hodads April 26th 2012

Over the last couple of years, one of the highlights of going to Padres games was eating and drinking at the Baja Bistro.  Located in the Toyota Terrace area of Petco Park, it's a good restaurant with great service that we have enjoyed going to.  The day before the first Padres home game (an exhibition game with the Kansas City Royals) we found out from Jay, one of the servers at the restaurant, that the Bistro was gone and replaced by Hodads.  My first reaction was anger!  Replacing the Bistro with a place called Hodads!?!  What the heck! I was not a happy camper at all.  After researching the restaurant online, I found out that Hodads is a local hamburger place that has a reputation as being one of the top 5 burger joints in the country.  We decided we would head up there to see all of our friends that work there and give it a try.  We walked in and sat down and were greeted by Mike Hardin, the owner of the restaurant.  He was extremely nice and has a passion for people pleasing which means great food with a smile.  We ordered our food and I had to admit that they're burger is the best I have had.  Better than the best burger though is Mike, and as you get to know him and the restaurant, you find out it's a family business.  His parents started it and now he runs it with his girlfriend.  Every time we have been there, he has greeted us and he remembers us by our first names.  Last night, I gave him a business card with info about my blog, and asked Mike who his favorite player was.  He told me about how his son played Little League, but struggled being a good player and how he told his son to watch Tim Flannery.  He loved how Tim would, "run to first base with a passion" and how much you could tell that Tim loved playing the game.

If you're at Petco Park for a game, go to Hodads and get a burger.  Heck, even the dreaded veggieburger tastes great!  When you see Mike, he'll shake your hand and make you feel at home.

Update:  On April 26, I went to the Giants vs. Padres game at Petco Park.  I brought a baseball with me hoping I would be able to track down Tim Flannery and have him sign the ball for Mike. Tim was getting ready to hit some grounders to the infielders. I called out to him and held up the ball.  He asked me to toss it to him and I requested he sign the ball to Mike.  Tim signed the ball, "To Mike Friends Tim Flannery" and tossed the ball back to me.  I went up to Hodad's with my friend Rebecca Herman and we presented the ball to Mike.  He was thrilled and gave both of us a big hug.  I have included the pictures below.

From this point on, I will ask the players that I get a chance to talk to if they have ever met their favorite players in person and what was it like for them to meet their hero.

Randy Jones Former SP San Diego Padres 1976 NL Cy Young Winner April 26th 2012

Growing up in San Diego, one of my favorite players was Randy Jones.  He was a left-hander with a huge afro and a devastating sinker, a pitch that drove hitters nuts.  In 1976, he won the National League Cy Young awards winning 22 games and pitching a staggering 25 complete games!  Due to an arm injury, he was forced to retire in 1980, but Randy Jones will always hold a special place in my heart as my first favorite Padre.  Last night, I went to Lolita's after the ballgame to listen to the post-game show in person and Randy was there broadcasting with Ted Mendenhall.  I waited until they went to commercial and walked up to Randy and asked him to sign my ball and asked him who his favorite player was and why. Randy responded, "Sandy Koufax, enough said," and he started to sign my ball.  I told him how I was one of those kids who watched him pitch the year he won the CY Young Award. He continued to sign my ball and handed it back to me and shook my hand.  He added to his signature 1976 N.L. Cy.  I will always keep this ball.

Tom Garfinkel-CEO-San Diego Padres 4/22/2012

I have had the pleasure of meeting Tom Garfinkel on at least 3 different occasions, but this morning was the first time I ever had a serious chat with him.  I introduced myself and told him I was a blogger who was asking people who their favorite baseball player was and why and would he answer my question.  He said that, “it was a difficult question because there were so many players,” but he said George Brett, because Tom grew up a Kansas City Royals fan and watched George play with them.  He mentioned Roberto Clemente and Mickey Mantle as 2 players he read books about when he was a kid, but he never saw either player in person.  After a couple of minutes, Tom said, “you know, after thinking about it, I would have to pick Dave Parker as my favorite player.”   I thanked him so much for taking time with me and to answer my question.

Matt Balough - Asst Head Groundskeeper-San Diego Padres 4/22/2012

What does a groundskeeper know about baseball?  Quite a bit and that’s what I found out when I chatted with Matt Balough before the game.  We got to the ballpark early to have breakfast on the field and had the opportunity to see the work the grounds crew does to get the field ready for a game.  We saw a lone gentleman walking in the outfield checking the grass and pulling small weeds from the turf.  As he finished up, he walked by our table and we started to chat with him about his job.  He’s worked for 23 years for the Padres at Qualcomm and  Petco Park.  I asked him who his favorite player was and why and he said, “Tony Gwynn.”  He talked about how Tony has kept in touch with him over the years.  We chatted about baseball and how different it is now as compared to when we were young.  It was a wonderful conversation.

Matt is a man who lives daily between the blades of grass.  I will never look at Petco Park the same way again.  Thank you Matt.

Clayton Richard SP San Diego Padres 4/22/2012

Clayton Richard has just finished up his throwing session in between starts and was walking back to the field.  I walked up and asked him to sign my ball.  As he was signing, he answered my question with a simple answer, “Babe Ruth, because he was the best.” Babe Ruth was a pitcher who was converted to an outfielder because he was such a good hitter, and Clayton himself can swing a mean stick.

Great smile, great guy and a class act.

Carlos Quentin OF San Diego Padres 4/21/2012

My original plan was to try to get a player from the Philadelphia Phillies, but as we walked in we saw Carlos Quentin standing near the bullpen down the right field line.  Carlos has been on the DL since spring training and has started to take BP with the team as part of his rehab from knee surgery.  We walked down and sat near the bullpen and waited to see if he would walk over.  3 or 4 kids came down and started calling out his name hoping to get his attention so he would sign an autograph.  Carlos turned around and yelled at the kids saying, "I can hear you but I'm busy right now." The kids ended up leaving after that, but I decided to wait and see if he would come over when he was done.  Batting practice ended and he walked off, but I called out to him and held up a ball.  He walked over and said to toss the ball to him.  I then asked him who his favorite player was and why.  He said, "that’s a really good question." "I don't know and I'll have to get back to you."  He tossed me the ball and walked off.  He seemed thoroughly disgusted that I asked him the question, but since Carlos said he would get back to me, I will keep asking him when I see him.  

Overall, I was not impressed with Carlos.  I don't mind not getting an answer, but to yell at 3 kids asking for your autograph while you're standing there doing nothing?  I hope he was having a bad day and that this isn't an example of how he is.

J.J. Putz-Relief Pitcher-Arizona Diamondbacks 4/11/2012

It was a cold, rainy day, and we arrived at the ballpark as the weather finally started to get better.  The field crew had put a tarp over the field the night before to keep the field from getting soaked, so only a couple of players were out stretching when we arrived.  We walked to the Diamondbacks dugout, and waited to see if anyone would come out.  Out of the dugout came J.J. Putz, the Diamondbacks All-Star closer, looking for his family in the stands.  He brought his family on the field and chatted with them.  He also took the time to show his nephew how to grip a baseball to throw a change-up.  He finally hugged them goodbye and walked to the dugout where I was standing.  He signed an autograph for a fan and when he was done, I asked him who his favorite baseball player was and why.  He looked up at me and said, "Kirk Gibson, because he's my manager" and then he motioned for me to toss him the ball I was holding.  I hadn't planned on asking him for an autograph, but how do you turn down an All-Star closer?  I tossed him the ball and a pen and he said, "was that answer good enough for you?" and he laughed.  I told him it was and he tossed the ball back and I thanked him for his time.

He cracked me up with his answer and I believe he meant when he said.

Opening Day 2012

Of all the sports that I have watched, nothing matches the excitement of Opening Day in Baseball.  The smell of hot dogs in the air, fans dressed wearing jerseys of their favorite team, and the renewed optimism that this could be the year your team wins the World Series.  We sat in the parking lot before the game eating breakfast burritos, pancakes and sipping on some almond champagne and talked about the new season. 2PM arrived and it was time to enter inside and see what the ballpark looked like, if there are any changes that have been made and would our friends be there. We walked through the gates of Petco Park and saw many familiar faces we have missed over the last few months.  Luigi, wearing his Bring Back The Brown t-shirt and shaking hands with his friends.  Yolen, our usher, who is kind and sweet and is always there to help us.  Andrew, our in seat service waiter, who loves baseball, loves the fans and always has a smile on his face.  Yes, it was time once again to cheer for our Padres, win or lose.

Ah, yes, the baseball season is back!

Mike Moustakas-3B Kansas City Royals 4/3/2012

A few minutes after Jeff walked off, Mike came over and started signing for a group of kids there wearing Royals shirts.  I walked over and waited and asked Mike if he would please sign my shirt.  He said, "sure," and then I asked him about his favorite player.  His answer was great and really touched my heart.  He said, "Mickey Mantle, because he was my dads favorite player."  I was really NOT expecting to hear a player say that.  As a father, it really touched my heart to hear a grown man say his dad's favorite player was his favorite player.  Even as I typed this, I still feel a lump in my throat and fight back a tear.

Classy, just classy.  The Royals organization is very classy.

Jeff Francoeur-Right Fielder Kansas City Royals 4/3/2012

A couple of days before the start of the 2012 regular season, The Kansas City Royals came to town for an exhibition game against The San Diego Padres.  I decided to wear my Kansas City Royals St. Patrick Day's shirt that I got at spring training and see if I could get any players to sign it.  As I sat in the stands near the left field line, Jeff Francoeur came walking up and started signing for the fans.  I walked over and asked him to sign my shirt and then asked him, "Who is your favorite player was and why."  He wasted no time saying, "Dale Murphy, because I grew up in Atlanta."  I thanked him for his time and then watched as he signed for every kid that was there.

All I can say is Jeff is a class act!