Casey on TV at Padres Park in very Social Hour

I visited something called the Social Hour last night on San Diego television for Fox Sports.

They have a neat ballpark in San Diego. They call it Petco named after a company which has to do with dogs.

They never could get away with that in Mudville. Dogs would have to pay to get into our tiny ball field.

Anyway, there was this fella Jesse Agler, who runs the show over there.

He is a sharp lad who has a passion for baseball, right down for being a stickler for the uniform.

Agler is going to go far in the game of baseball. He has both ears and eyes for the game.

He loved that I wore spikes on the set. He asked me why a 154 year old ballplayer would do such a thing. What a question! Supposed I had to take him out on the double play?

He asked me about Mickey Mantle and seemed fascinated that I had met the Mick some years back and that Mick had given me one of his bats.

Mick was plagued all his life with something I have had to deal with.

Autographs.

Some players have a gift for communicating with the public. It took Mick forever to reconcile with the fact that people were fascinated with him and grew up idolizing his every move.

Story goes that Mick was so bugged out about this--that he visualized meeting God at the pearly gates upon his arrival to the afterlife.

God was happy to see The Mick, but he reasoned with Mick that heaven was not going to be his final destination.

Mick grew sullen.

He started to turn away, realizing that a life of partying and alcohol had ultimately cost him his legacy.

God called after him.

A second thought?

"Mick, before you leave. Could you sign a few dozen baseballs?"

So, back to this talented guy Agler.

He is a maestro without the bat.

He had me tell my little poem which you can catch by going to something that they call You Tube and type in Casey At the Bat Steve Tarde.

And if you get the chance, check out this dude Jesse Agler and his sidekick Bill Center and a whole mess of characters.

They talk baseball before Padres games all season long.

What can be better than that?