The Kind of Man That They, Too, Admire

Many people outside of California consider the major sports teams of California to be composed of arrogant egomaniacs or evasive, narcissistic Hollywood types. Well, imagine our surprise to meet a player from the Dodgers who was none of these things.

When our 15-year-old daughter, Nikki, became interested in baseball four years ago, she began following Steve Sax’s career. It takes real dedication to be a Dodger-Sax fan when you live in Louisville, Ky. Nikki was persistent, ordering his poster, the Dodger Blue magazine, looking for Sax baseball cards at flea markets, framing a newspaper story about his grand slam, and buying buttons, stickers, his book, and Dodger shirts with his name and number on the back.

Finally, last year we were able to take Nikki to Cincinnati twice to see the Dodgers play. We stayed at the same hotel as the Dodgers and Nikki stood awe-struck as the players walked by her in the lobby. When she saw Steve Sax for the first time, he was hurrying to the team bus. He could easily have rushed by her when she finally got the nerve to ask for his autograph, but he stopped to write his name on the baseball card she held. The next time we saw him in the lobby, he autographed his book and was very gracious in posing for a picture with Nikki.

We saw him again in Cincinnati the other day, and he talked to us as if he remembered us and treated us like friends. He even gave us tickets to a game. He’s a wonderful role model for kids and today they’re difficult to find. We’re proud our daughter chose Steve Sax to admire.

PEGGY and JACK HEDGES

Louisville, Ky.