My Lunch with The Chief

Nats uber-closer Chad Cordero was at ESPN Zone for a Q&A/autograph session. (Apparently this is a regular, bi-weekly thing that we could start scheduling our afternoons around, were we so inclined.) Since I'm not tethered to The Man's timeclock like Watson and Dave, I decided to drop by and say howdy to The Chief.

First thought upon leaving my apartment: "Damn, it's hot out here."
Second thought: "Mmmm, that breeze feels good."
Third thought: "Damn, it's hot out here."
And so on.

Anyhoo, after a sweltering six block stroll down 11th Street, I joined the end of a line of red-clad Nats fans stretching out the door and around the corner.

Question to the guy in front of me: "Is this the Chad Cordero line?"
Response: "Ummm, I think so."
Question from the guy who got in line behind me: "Is this the line to see Cordero?"
My response: "Ummm, I think so."
Thought for the Day: Maybe this is how the lemmings got started.

After 20 minutes of standing in line for what thankfully was the Cordero meet and greet, and not the latest Liza Minelli comeback tour, I made it into the air-conditioning, a ridiculously underrated human technological achievement. The Q&A was already under way, and was actually fairly interesting, covering topics from the genesis of the flat hat to his thoughts on the Stanton balk call in Milwaukee.

Afterwards, standing in the sweaty, panting, autograph-hound line I met Nats radio guy Charlie Slowes' kids, who notwithstanding their last name, are actually fairly bright, if a little annoying. Chad looks smaller in person, though maybe that was because he was sitting down. And, as a courtesy to the people who were trying to talk to him, he didn't have his cap pulled all the way down to the bridge of his nose. He was polite, and actually seemed to enjoy interacting with all the middle-aged businessmen skipping out of work.

I fully expect to be back in two weeks, when hopefully Carlos Baerga will be the guest of honor, and I'll be the only one there.