My New Best Bud

I was walking hand in hand with my mother, a cancer survivor. We were about to complete the second official lap of the 2011 Downtown San Diego Relay For Life when my mom motions to a familiar looking man walking towards the event. I quickly realized who it was and we did a U-turn and made a bee line for him.

"Hey coach!" I said to him, "You think I can get a photo of you and my mother?"

"Let's do it!" He replied, emphatically. Adding, "Do you wanna get in the photograph?"

Who says no to that?



Bud Black, manager of the Major League Baseball San Diego Padres (for my out of country friends and non sports enthusiast friends) proceeded to talk with my mother for a few minutes. Never indicating he was in a hurry to get anywhere but right where he was. I won't share what it is he said as it seemed to be personal to him. We thanked him for being at the event and for the picture and he thanked us for what we were embarking upon for the next 24 hours.

In the next couple of hours, we noticed the coach walking with various peoples of all ages and talking with them and posing for pictures. He is a public figure that could've easily made an online donation, not dealt with people and went about his day. But he came out, in person, hung out with the 1500+ people that were there on the Embarcadero North Marina Park on this overcast morning and he made me a fan of my new best bud, Bud Black.

Thanks, coach. Now, hit 'em where they ain't!