"It's gotta be the shoes"

I recently purchased two copies of the above 8x10 from a seller on ebay.  I don't consider myself a photo collector, however I've slowly amassed the beginnings of a "collection" over the last few years.  This shot is obviously of Tim Raines and Tim Wallach taking infield at Wrigley Field.  There were a lot of things for me to like about it, which ultimately is why I decided to purchase an 8x10 for the first time in my life on ebay.

However when the photos arrived I was pretty bummed out.  Take a look at the screen grab below of the original ebay listing:

When the print was cropped to 8x10 size, it cut off the shoes.  And the shoes were what made me pull the the trigger and buy the prints.  Wallach appears to be wearing running shoes instead of cleats.  I'm sure was pretty common back then, but I had never seen it before.  As you can see in the scan up top of the 8x10's that arrived, the shoes were cropped out.  I left positive feedback for the seller, but wrote a separate note expressing my disappointment.  I let him know that I had left positive feedback because it was deserved, and that I understood that I was just a weirdo by being upset about it. I was hoping he would offer to email me a JPEG of the picture so I could crop and print it myself.  The seller did one better.  He mailed me an 12x8 of the print, check it out:

And in the 12x8, the shoes are clearly visible.

Autographed 1982 Expos Jersey

I met Tim Wallach in person for the first time this week at a Dodger's Spring Training game at the new Salt River Fields Rockies/Diamondbacks complex in Scottsdale.  I've had this jersey for years and never worn it, debating whether to use it or frame it.  Now it's getting framed.

I tracked down front row tickets third base line on stubhub and made my wife and two brother in-laws get to the game ridiculously early to give myself every chance to meet Wallach.

The Dodgers bus parked in a tunnel in center field and the players walk in from there.  Tim spotted my jersey from about 2nd base (I didn't have to yell at him like a 9yr old kid) and motioned that he'd be over in a second.  He put his coffee in the dugout and came right over.  He said "nice uni" as he walked up, shook my hand, and signed my jersey. I told him it was a real thrill for me to meet him and that he had been my childhood hero.  He was very nice and accommodating.

Growing up in Cooperstown, I had the opportunity to meet a lot of Hall of Famers in person.  Everyone from Ted Williams, Stan Musial, to Reggie Jackson, and non-famers like Pete Rose and Clete Boyer.  I've met a handful of rock stars, and more than a few Syracuse legends such as Boeheim and McNabb.  This was far and away the greatest fanboy experience I've ever had.  Thanks Tim.