02-11-2016, 11:40 AM
(This post was last modified: 02-13-2016, 08:56 PM by once78.)
My Best and Worst recollection of Donnie Baseball
My Best and Worst recollection of Donnie Baseball
This is a childhood memory that I was thinking about today. When I was a kid I lived about 45 minutes from Evansville, Indiana, home of Donnie B. In the 80's and 90's he was the biggest and had his own restaurant there in Evansville.
So it came time for my birthday and mom and dad asked me what I wanted to do for it and of course I said I want to eat the restaurant. Mom and dad went to a lot of effort to find out when Mattingly would be and so we all loaded up in the ole station wagon.
I was so so so excited, every inch closer was an inch closer to one of my heroes. My mind was racing as to what I would say to him as I got to the eating joint. Finally after what felt like an eternity we pull in and I can't get out of the car fast enough. Finally after dragging everyone to the door I was in but not seated yet.
While we waited my stomach didn't feel so well. It felt like a rollercoaster swerving around in my gut. And then the unthinkable happened, I star throwing up all over the place, it was bad, it was like watch the kid son the tilt-a-whirl in the movie Sandlot. I am sure I got it on at least 2 or 3 people let alone the people in my family.
Needless to say I didn't get to eat at the restaurant that night. So fast forward about 4 months and my mom and dad were telling one of our salesmen (mom and dad owned a lumberyard) the story of my barf fest and he says that he knows Don personally and he would see if he could contact him. I knew nothing of this conversation till later.
Fast forward again and the salesman comes in smiling from eye to eye. I have something for your son, call him the salesman (who we called Slick 50) said. I ride my bike down and from behind his back he pulls out a ball with Donnie B's face on it and on the other side is an autograph. I was freaking out, I bet I jumped 20 feet!!!
I still have the ball and if you're out there Slick thanks! Hope you enjoyed the read. Thanks for reading and sharing.
So it came time for my birthday and mom and dad asked me what I wanted to do for it and of course I said I want to eat the restaurant. Mom and dad went to a lot of effort to find out when Mattingly would be and so we all loaded up in the ole station wagon.
I was so so so excited, every inch closer was an inch closer to one of my heroes. My mind was racing as to what I would say to him as I got to the eating joint. Finally after what felt like an eternity we pull in and I can't get out of the car fast enough. Finally after dragging everyone to the door I was in but not seated yet.
While we waited my stomach didn't feel so well. It felt like a rollercoaster swerving around in my gut. And then the unthinkable happened, I star throwing up all over the place, it was bad, it was like watch the kid son the tilt-a-whirl in the movie Sandlot. I am sure I got it on at least 2 or 3 people let alone the people in my family.
Needless to say I didn't get to eat at the restaurant that night. So fast forward about 4 months and my mom and dad were telling one of our salesmen (mom and dad owned a lumberyard) the story of my barf fest and he says that he knows Don personally and he would see if he could contact him. I knew nothing of this conversation till later.
Fast forward again and the salesman comes in smiling from eye to eye. I have something for your son, call him the salesman (who we called Slick 50) said. I ride my bike down and from behind his back he pulls out a ball with Donnie B's face on it and on the other side is an autograph. I was freaking out, I bet I jumped 20 feet!!!
I still have the ball and if you're out there Slick thanks! Hope you enjoyed the read. Thanks for reading and sharing.