Hall Of Famer Signs At ABC By Gary Nager Although I’m currently a Tampa Bay Rays fan, I have reported many times that I also have been a fan of the San Francisco Giants since I was about 7 years old. In the late 1960s, the Giants finished second a bunch of times, including in 1969, when Hall of Fame first baseman Willie McCovey (who shares a birthday with yours truly) was named the National League MVP. The Giants only made it to the playoffs one time in the ‘70s, and many of those years, they were looking up at the Cincinnati Reds, aka “The Big Red Machine,” who made it to the postseason six times that decade and won back-to-back World Series titles in 1975-76. As a huge baseball fan whose team wasn’t winning, it was easy for me to pick up the Reds as my second favorite team (even though they played in the same National League West as my beloved Giants, despite the fact the “Redlegs” were based in Ohio). Cincy was led by Hall of Famers Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, Pete Rose (who’s never made it to the Hall, despite being the game’s all-time hits leader, because he bet on baseball when he was still in the game as a manager)
and the team’s most recent inductee, first baseman Tony Perez. Perez, who recently visited the ABC Fine Wine & Spirits store on Bruce B, Downs Blvd. in Wesley Chapel to sign autographs during an outstanding wine tasting event, was a line-drive RBI (runs batted in) machine during his career. Although not as big a home run threat as my beloved “Big Mac,” Perez hit most of his 379 career HRs and drove in the bulk of his 1,652 RBIs in his 16 years with Cincy in an incredible 23-year MLB career. With his plane arriving late and rush-hour traffic causing him to be almost two hours late for the signing, the crowd wasn’t as big to meet Perez as I had expected. But, most of those who did show for the event (including our office manager Julie Rinaldi, who is from Indiana, but rooted for the Reds) were big Cincy and/or Perez fans who were happy to wait a few minutes to take a pic with the seven-time All-Star, get some baseball memorabilia signed and talk a little “old school” baseball. Even those of us who rooted for another team. ABC Fine Wine & Spirits is located at 1845 BBD Blvd., next to CVS and across from Publix. Call 907-2647 and tell ‘em we sent you!
Baseball Hall of Famer Tony Perez (left) recently signed autographs for two hours at the ABC Fine Wine & Spirits store on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. in Wesley Chapel.
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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 17, Issue 18 • September 4, 2009 • www.WCNeighborhoodNews.com
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