April 19, 2008
Steve the Ferret, as anyone reading this may know, is my travel mascot, occasional photo subject, and the unofficial mascot of the Surviving Grady comments section. He has posed with a cookie featuring the face of Mariano Rivera, with a bronze bust of Hank Aaron, with the 2004 and 2007 World Series trophies, and perhaps most notably with Kyle Snyder.
To get Steve ready for 2008, I (we?) decided he needed a jersey. A Kyle Snyder road jersey, to be specific. I didn't let my lack of crafty-ness stand in the way!
Much to Steve's and my disappointment, we didn't see Kyle get his ring on Opening Day at Fenway; caught in the numbers crunch, he was DFA'd, but made it through waivers and accepted assignment to Pawtucket. The Red Sox Chick suggested we go on Saturday, April 19--which turned out to be Ring Day for the World Series Champions currently playing with the PawSox!
Could we get Steve's jersey signed? Well, as everyone knows, autographs in Pawtucket are a special part of the McCoy experience. And I'd already left Steve with a bunch of miscreants in a bar in recent memory... why not suspend him in a fragile and precarious carrier and drop him over a concrete wall?
Steve takes his place in the lineup. Note that I only realized after lowering him that pulling him up past the lip of the concrete could be a problem!
Not Kyle. :sigh:
Cyn got this one of Keith Ginter.
Cyn's photo again: Craig Hansen was amused, and gave Steve a little push.
(And, I imagine, tipped Kyle off.
"Dude! There's like, a rodent hanging out there with your jersey...")
Kyle was actually in the dugout in Steve's presence for a while before he started signing, and we feared he was not amused.
As it turns out, however, I think he just wasn't ready to start signing yet.
As he started he looked up; I believe this is the "You are so busted..." look. ^_^
... and Kyle releases Steve, mission accomplished!
I ran over and thanked Kyle, of course, and I'm certain his "You're welcome!" was both genuine and amused. I'm sorry Kyle's not pitching in the majors right now, but I'm very glad to have him in the Red Sox organization, and I wouldn't be surprised if we see him at Fenway again before long!