INTERNATIONAL FLAIR FOR THE GAME

             

           Just the other day I was looking at my 1996 Pinnacle baseball set remembering when I put this set together back in September 13th 1997.  The reason I remember that date is cause I just finished working the Michigan State University football game they played Memphis University beating them 51-21, & I asked my mother if she wouldn't mind taking my new friend from Austria to show him 1 of my favorite stores to get some cards. Your wondering how I became friends with a guy in Austria & what does it have to deal with cards simple earlier that year just as spring training was wrapping up I was online in a baseball chatroom when I was doing my yearly predictions for the upcoming season when a question popped up on my screen saying, "I think Tino Martinez should be MVP do you agree?" I had to chuckle myself what does this guy think Tino Martinez is not MVP material maybe if the Yankees were to make the playoffs again he could if he has a good series maybe MVP of the ALCS or the World Series should they get that far. So I gave my explanation to this Yankees fan little did I know that my argument was being read by some baseball fan in Austria. We struck up a conversation next thing I know he was wondering if anyone in the chatroom would be a host for his vacation in September for he wanted to see USA more than just New York where he had family at. So I proposed that he should spend a week in Michigan with my family he wondered if we could go to Chicago cause how close it was to Michigan cause he read about exploits of Alphonse Capone & his Bootlegging during Prohibition.

            Well I told him that we might not be able to but I knew of a cottage near my folks cottage where Capone had one his hideouts so he made plans to spend the week with me & my family. My parents were said he was welcomed to visit & we try to find the cottage little did I know it was about a 5 minute drive from my folks cottage. Stefan arrived on September 12th my mother & I made the trip down to Detroit to pick him up from the airport then drive back to my grandmothers house where he was staying during his stay. Stefan was surprised how many baseball cards I had & how crazy of a baseball fan I was also he was hoping to catch a Tigers game but they were in the midst of a road trip so he couldn't see them at Tigers Stadium & my local minor League team was all done with their season so we instead told him we take him to his 1st & only American Football game even if it was a college game. So after the game we went to the card shop where I purchased both series 1 & 2 of the Pinnacle & in 1 of my Series I packs I was lucky to pull the card show on top of this post (More about my detective work later about that card). We eventually got to my folks cottage as well located where Capone stayed & learned that he had a swimming pool that you could see underwater with his 2 way mirrors so he could watch the ladies swim without them knowing he was watching them especially if they were in their birthday suits. 

       

        Stefan had a great time with my family during his time by going to the mall buying a lot of blue jeans to take back to Austria as well a Varsity Jacket like of Ohio State that I was so jealous he bought just make me envy him. He even told us more about Austria, all I knew prior to meeting him was that Arnold Schwarzenegger was from there as well Vienna was the capital city & finally that it once was part of Germany before WWII. I later found out he was a hockey fan as well he's a devoted Boston Bruins fan. Plus he share with me that his visit wasn't the first time he came to the USA. He arrived 1 year earlier became a Yankees fan after going to his first game at Yankee Stadium unfortunately his first time was a memory he can't forget. He entered the stadium wearing of all things a Boston Red Sox cap. He thought about being a Red Sox fan at first cause Afterall like I mentioned before he likes the Bruins but it all changed after hearing how bad at the time Boston was cause of the "Curse of the Bambino".

This is Stefan now waiting for his American friend to visit his country.

Upon returning to Austria after making stops in Louisana as well Cleveland (Yes he visited the Rock n Roll HoF as well took in an Indians game.) Stefan & I stayed in touch to talk baseball as well hockey 

 The Team logo for his local team in Villach, Austria.

                 Fast forward to this year I recently reach out to him to ask if it was alright to talk about his journey to Michigan & other places he went on his vacation back in 1997. I asked him out of all the people whom he met how many are still in contact with the crazy Yankees fan from Austria. His answer might be surprising to some but he plainly said "Just that crazy Ohio State fan who is lost in the state of Michigan & his family." Friends like him why start WWIII right. 

         Now I suppose you are curious what type of detective thing I was referring about earlier. Simple if you look closely at the back of the card where Cal is thanking the fans during the game in which he broke the consecutive game streak held by Lou Gehrig on September 6,1996. I being from Michigan noticed the car he was riding in had a Michigan Licence plate I quickly have been talking to a some private investigators who might be able to help me track down a rare piece of Cal Ripken Jr. Memorabilia. You see I would love to find that actual licence plate for the following reasons. #1. Its a Game Used piece cause Cal Rode in it the day of the game. #2. How many others noticed this back in 1996. #3. It would be the ultimate find from that game besides the baseball he hit for a Home Run in that game. It's something to think about.  Well thanks for reading about the international flair for the game of baseball it just goes to show ya the next time the WBC comes around just know there's a guy in Austria watching the games with ya until then I am reminded by the quote Roger Hornsby once said about signing autographs for little kids. "Any Ballplayer who doesn't sign autographs for a little kid ain't an American, He's a Communist."