The Pecan Park Eagle

"When you're smiling, the whole world smiles at you!"

Yesterday, Saturday, August 6th, Carlos Lee of the Houston Astros made a personal autograph-signing appearance at the new Sony store next to Macy’s in the Galleria from 11 AM to 1 PM. Carlos was there to demonstrate and help promote the sale of an interactive baseball game that allows players to play the game of baseball and actually bat by simulated arm moves at the screen in reaction to a digital pitch is authentic big league parks. – What do you know? Yesterday’s game was set up outside Sony”s to be played at Minute Maid Park. For demo purposes, Lee batted for his electronic self in competition with an adolescent who appeared to have been the store manager’s son in a home run hitting contest. Some things need to be update. The kid played as Astros outfielder Hunter Pence.

I went for the most banal, compulsive, collection-dictated reason in the world. I wanted Carlos Lee to sign that first and only game souvenir ball  in 64 years of watching baseball games that I ended up with it this past Monday night, August 1st, and to have the bane “Carlos Lee” inscribed on its sweet spot. After all, it was Carlos Lee who had nubbed the 2 balls, 1 strike pitch from Bronson Arroyo of the Reds foul down the third base line  just in time for Reds 3rd sacker Miguel Cairo to pick it up and toss it to Mike McCroskey who then gave it to me.

(I mention all these names because I always like to give credit where credit is due, when I know where the credit should go. If I ever fail to give you credit in a column for something you’ve done, please let me know directly and I will promptly correct it. I don’t have time in an everyday column to do doctoral research quality due diligence checking on every subject that floats through my mind or comes to my attention.)

Holding his short digital bat, Carlos Lee did get some coaching from Junction Jack, the Astros club mascot who accompanied the first sacker to the Sony event.

Carlos Lee didn't feel good about striking out.

But Carlos and Jack celebrated his simulated homers with great vigor.

In the end, Carlos Lee celebrated his victory over the Pence kid in this simulated All Star Game Home Run Contest.

As Carlos got cranked up on that running homer total, one of the fans of about fifty in line yelled out, “Hey, Carlos! Save one for tonight, OK!” As we now know, of course, he apparently did, getting a solo shot against the Brewers in last night’s 7-5 loss to Milwaukee. That’s pretty darn good delivery on a request, don’t you think?

The main point of this article is to highlight the public personality of Carlos Lee that we fans don’t  really get to see from watching the games at the ballpark – or at home on TV. The man is a thousand genuine smiles an hour, not phony ones, but joyful looks of pleasure in the company of others, doing fun stuff. He was great with kids and adults alike.

When I approached him as one of the slightly very old kids for a signature, I quickly explained that I was asking him to sign the only ball that I’ve ever gotten from a game, and that it was the one he fouled off Bronson Arroyo in the 2nd inning of the opening game of the Reds series last Monday night. Lee’s eyes could’ve crossed over on that one, but they did not. Carlos just smiled broadly and said, “Is that right? Well, let me take care of signing that ball for you!”

I was delighted. I walked away with a signature on my special baseball that I would regret not having this morning – had I not trudged on out to the Sony store yesterday. I also walked away with a deeper appreciation for the value of Carlos Lee as a happy mature figure to have on an Astros team now loaded with rookies. J.D. Martinez may learn a lot from his daily time with Carlos Lee – both as a quiet inspiration – and as a hitting mentor who would be more inclined to give away what he knows rather than keep it to himself.

THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES, CARLOS LEE!