(In Photo: (left to right) Jeana, Ivan Nova and friend Erica)It is not easy being a transplanted Yankee fan in Arizona. I always find myself wishing the Diamondbacks would turn into an American League team just so I could see the Yankees in person every year. Watching my favorite team on TV just isn’t the same, but I will take what I can get. I have heard so many other fans share their stories, and I have always dreamed that someday I would have my own story to share. That someday finally came for me last September and it turned into an even bigger fan…although I don’t even know how that's possible!
I travel to New York every year to visit friends and family, this trip had an added bonus….a trip to what I call the happiest place on earth, Yankee Stadium. This was going to be my first trip to Yankee Stadium and I was counting down the days in advance. I was also going to meet two fellow Yankee fans that I met through Facebook for the first time, Erica and Doctor Thomas Haveron. I knew I was in for the ultimate fan experience sitting in Legends seats, but what I didn’t know was that I was going to be up close and personal with some legends, and even meet one. Let's just say, Doc Haveron hooked us up! I felt like I won the lottery just because of the seats alone…but add being down by the field for batting practice with the players and I felt like I was dreaming!
(In Photo: Jeana with Johnny Damon)Just a few feet from us was former Yankee Johnny Damon, Nick Swisher, and Ivan Nova and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t having a "fan girl" moment. You can’t compare watching your favorite players on TV to actually seeing them in person when the cameras are off. It’s a completely different feel, and it is an experience that any fan would be lucky to see. You get to see them as more than just an athlete, and I gained a new appreciation for them.
As we walked around the dugout we watched Nick Swisher take pictures with a big group of kids on the field. I’m so used to seeing Swisher on camera, and how charismatic he is but watching him interact with those kids made me admire him even more.
The next thing I saw was Ivan Nova walking over to us. The closer he got, the shorter I felt. I have never noticed just how tall Nova is, trust me, he's tall. Nova was very personable; the focus and intense pitcher we see on the mound was so warm and welcoming. He was nice enough to take pictures with us, and the thing that I remember best was how funny Nova was. As our photographer was trying to operate both of our cameras, Nova was cracking jokes in Spanish. As he was talking about not breaking the buttons or dropping the camera, I was trying not to laugh so that the camera would catch me in an embarrassing moment. Sure, it was a brief two minute interaction….but it is one that I will never forget.I don’t know how I got so lucky to have this experience, but there isn’t a day that goes by that I don't think about it. I have a story to tell now, and it involves so many great people, both athletes and good friends alike. I had a chance encounter with Ivan Nova, and I will definitely share it for years to come with my own kids and to anyone that wants to hear it.
Thank you Doc for such a great experience. Lou Gehrig said he was the luckiest man on the face of the earth, but I'll tell you what... I feel like the luckiest Yankee fan on the face of the earth... even from 3000 miles away.
--Jeana Bellezza --BYB Writer and Editor
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for commenting on Bleeding Yankee Blue.