[mack]

Billy Williams had a sweet swing nose, I know Clemente had a temper so let's blame him for the fight and not your favorite Mr. Williams.

My all-time favorite growing up in Oakland for the first 8 years of life was Willie Mays, the Say Hey Kid. The Giants moved to S.F. the year our family moved to the San Joaquin Valley but we stayed through the 1st summer the Giants were there, when they played at Seal Stadium before the Stick was finished. Then after that summer my dad would drive the 3 or so hours to see them play at Candlestick.

My father knew Bill Thompson very well, who was an announcer for a few years on the radio with his friend Lon Simmons who you will remember nose. Thompson played catcher for Simmons when they both played in the minors.

So anyway, due to that connection Lon Simmons took me as a 12 year old down to the field at the Stick to meet some of the players before a Giants-Cubs game. Nose, I was way into baseball, playing on teams and following the players, collecting cards, etc. so I was walking on air! Got to shake hands with most all the Giants...all three of the Alou brothers, Orlando Cepada who was a big fucker, and also Willie Mays who was my favorite player still to this day, although his "people skills" weren't so great since he gave me a limp hand and stared off into the distance without saying anything or making eye contact with little mack. Went into the clubhouse where a sleepy and relaxed Juan Marichal, the Dominican Dandy, was on his stomach getting a rub down from a trainer (I didn't see a happy ending thank God!) and he was very pleasant and chatted a bit and smiled.

But the topper was going behind the batting cage when the Cubs were hitting, and waiting for his turn was Ernie Banks, who was also one of my favorites. He was so personable, asking me questions, "So what position do you play...who's your favorite team, etc.?" and when I told him the Giants were my favorite he started kidding and joking around saying how I should follow the Cubs instead...just a super-nice guy who had either a pleasant personality to begin with or who understood that it really takes very little effort to make a little kid feel good. Jeez a trip down memory lane...