"Golden Girls"

I was listening to an interview with Mickey Mantle today on "Fresh Air" from, I think, 1985. I liked the honesty of him and how he talked about getting upset after strike outs and throwing the water cooler and how once he threw it onto the field and he got fined $150 but it's worth it to throw the water cooler. His demeanor was so different than that of what I believed it to be by the way that he is portrayed in history and more in particular the Joe Namath biography.

Anyway, the thing I liked best was when Terri asked about when he hit homeruns if he would stand there and watch it sail over (Ken Griffey Jr.) or celebrate or things like that. It made me think of all the arrogance of those pricks like Sammy Sosa, Mark McGuire, Barry Bonds...when they hit a home run they all do shit like that. Mantle's response was no he didn't. He knew what it felt like to strike out and felt for the pitcher who gave up the run. When he strikes out the pitcher doesn't jump up and down and throw his hat in the air or things like that.

So anyway, after work I was hanging out with one of the regulars there. He's a really great guy and knows everybody there and gets along well with everyone and everyone in the community. i found out, through talking with him, that he has a wife and a daughter. This guy's in here every night from like eight till closing. He left early the other night because he had to get up early. Not because maybe he was going home to spend time with the family or anything like that. Because he had to get up early. I don't understand this kind of mentality. He seems to have the sort of care towards people in the loving camaradarie sort of way like you do anything for your friends, but I don't see why his family doesn't come into play in his everyday life.

Off to listen to tonight's "Weasel Radio" show.