I'm sure thousands of stories have poured in of adoring fans catching a glimpse of their baseball hero or a chance meeting at a fancy restaurant or hotel. For me, my opportunity to fulfill a childhood fantasy came at the expense of one of the greatest and respected players ever to lace up a pair of spikes. In the summer of 1995, my childhood idol Ken Griffey Jr. slammed into the centerfield wall at the Kingdome making a spectacular catch. As a result, he was sidelined for nearly 3 months, but towards the end of his recovery I had a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet and spend time with Griffey. From 1994-1997 I was a bat boy with the Tacoma Rainiers, and when Griffey came to Tacoma for a rehab assignment I did everything in my power to make sure I was his shadow, if only for a little while. Griffey showed up to the ballpark earlier than all the other players in his Seline Mustang with his bodyguard and 12 dozen brand new baseballs. I was a bit shy at first to introduce myself but what kid doesn't eventually overcome that when they're standing next to their hero. Griffey put on his uniform and went out to the field for private batting practice with his brand new baseballs before all the other players had even arrived. I was asked, along with the other batboy that day, to go out and shag flyballs. This is my sappy "Field of Dreams" moment, but honestly, it could never get any better for me than chasing down line drives hit in the gap by a person I consider to be one of the best to ever play the game. I wish I could freeze time and relive that 15 minutes over and over. After batting practice for Griffey he came back in the clubhouse to ice down his wrist. I sat at the table in the clubhouse watching TV with Griff, and attempted to start a conversation. I think he was a bit startled by what I said because my mother and his mother-in law had both been at the same hair salon a few days prior in Gig Harbor, and his mother in law had said that Griffey and his wife had another child on the way, but it was not yet public knowledge. I sheepishly told him I heard that he had another little one on the way, and that seemed to get his attention pretty good. I talked with Griffey for the next few minutes before the other players arrived and promised not to mention our conversation. I'm glad I was a selfish 17 year old at the time because I even had the nerve to ask Griff if I could have two of the baseballs he hadn't used and have him autograph them. I still have them today, along with a great story and a memory that will make my kids very jealous someday.