The Last Days of the Diamond and the Plane Ride Home with Dale Murphy
by gondeee on Sep 5, 2008 7:00 AM EDT
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PrintI attended the last two games of the 'Richmond' Braves at The Diamond last weekend. The Diamond is like a south-central high school stadium with lots of concrete and bleachers with chair backs almost as an afterthought. There is, though, a kind of intimacy to the stadium. Perhaps it's the ridiculously high stands reaching behind you and the clamshell of a roof over your head that makes it seem like you are nestled in a big cozy arm chair... and then the late innings roll around and your rump tells a different story.
The view behind the outfielders is the instantly recognizable double stack of ads so overdone it has become the campy familiarity of all minor league parks. In the moments just before the team takes the field the home team's players pop up from behind the dugout and hurl batting gloves, balls, and fitted hats in the stands (tip: make sure you use two hands to catch any of these items).
The local sausages at the stand under the first base bleachers are the food to be had, though if the line at the funnel cake stand was half its length I would have indulged in one of those. The other food seemed to hold its own in smell and appearance against any major league stadium. I definitely think the team that takes over in Richmond next year will find a supportive and energetic fan base ready and willing to get behind a new baseball club.
The final game was a nice sendoff by the Richmond fans, aided by many former Richmond Braves like Javy Lopez and Dale Murphy. My flight back to Atlanta was the last plane out of Richmond on Monday night, and apparently Lopez and Murph had the same idea.
As I approached the gate of the ASA plane I first noticed Javy, talking to Jorge Julio, who I had recognized earlier at the check in kiosk. I then recognized an older man slumped in his waiting area seat working a crossword puzzle on his computer -- Dale Murphy. I didn't go up to either of them and say hi or anything, I guess it was one of those 'respect personal boundaries' moments.
My friend and I boarded the plane, sitting in seats 15 D and C, and moments later, walking down the aisle with their heads half cocked to avoid dragging on the ceiling were Javy and Murphy; they sat right next to me in 15 A and B. My friend quipped, 'this is like a baseball wet dream for you, isn't it?' Well duh!
Javy moved back a few aisles to sit with Jorge Julio and chat in Spanish the entire flight, and poor Murphy stayed in his coach seat, maxing out every inch of space between seat back and bulkhead which was clearly not designed for his long legs and longer torso.
Murph took a nap for much of the flight. I had a baseball I bought in Richmond and towards the end of the flight I walked back for Javy to sign it -- which he did with a big smile. Murphy eventually woke up and I got him to sign the baseball as well. We struck up a conversation for the last few mintues of the flight, talking about the triple-A team's move to Gwinett, and about Murphy's sons and what they were up to. He seemed especially proud of his son, Shawn, who is a rookie with the Miami Dolphins this year. "He's a linebacker," Murphy said of his son with a proud tone.
I bring up this story about Murph and Javy, in part because, well, I have a blog and I can, but also becuase both of these guys, especially Murphy were such down to Earth fellows. When it came down to it, Murphy was just like any other guy on a plane trying to make it home. And for me, what a ridiculously fitting end to a baseball trip -- flying home with Dale Murphy.
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i hate you.
I think if i were in your shoes i would have set a World Record for voice cracking for a grown man and trembling. Thats assuming i even had the balls to talk to them.
I'm going to miss
The Diamond. Yeah, it was campy, gaudy outfield wall, and the clang of the metal when foul balls went into the upper outfield seats, with kids scrambling maniacally to get them, but it was home. The giant politically correct Indian rising its head like a zombie coming out of a grave, and all the corny paintings of guys from Chipper, Smoltz, to Javy and the Murph. For a baseball fan that grew up outside of Atlanta, it was the closest thing to seeing the real Braves without having to go to Atlanta, and now it’s all gone.
No wonder nobody likes you, Tuttle... everything's a (Pujols) damn debate.
Classic Gondee...
…I never expected to read a story on here about Dale Murphy taking a nap. My Friday is complete!
Kidding, of course.
I guess I should be one to talk.
There's nights that I can't even walk.
There's days I couldn't give a fuck.
And in between is where I'm stuck.
That’s awesome man. What a crazy story. It’s also cool to see how even though Javy and Murph were crowded by 300 people any time they showed themselves during the game, they can just go through the airport and nap and fill out crosswords, cause they’re just regular guys.
I had gotten Javy’s autograph in spring training for the first time, and he was just as cool that last day in Richmond. You can tell he’s just a nice guy because he wanted to stop signing about five times but people kept putting stuff in front of him and he couldn’t help himself.
And getting Murphy was about as cool as any autograph I’d ever gotten. I’ve got around thirty thousand baseball cards signed and I never get really nervous or excited around players, but I was with him. I did some autograph ninja work to get him the first time, when he was entering the stadium. This cop was trying to push us away and I was like, “Don’t touch me. Do not touch me.” I gotta get Dale freakin Murphy’s autograph. I got him to sign another card inside and that was just a case of camping out for the whole game to be in the right spot. Murph is definitely as much of a class act as any player I’ve come across.
Managed to get all the other guys there that day to sign some cards too, though I had to do some more ninja stuff to get Ralph Garr. Tommy Greene and Johnny Grubb signed anything anybody handed them, and they handed them a lot. And it was cool to see Tommy Harrison and Mike Hubbard, and even cooler that they remembered me after eight or more years.
The last couple days in Richmond were a fun time, despite the ineptitude of their front office to make it really good for the fans. I’m gonna miss being able to drive an hour and a half to see my Braves, but I’m excited about them getting a state of the art facility that won’t flood or break anyone’s butt.
Oh, my two (main) baseball boyfriends for the first 23 years of my life! How lucky are you, to have gotten to sit by them!!
I’ve met Murph a few times through churchy stuff, but I never met Javy until a couple of weeks ago. He is so handsome up close, I couldn’t breathe. I’ve never gotten that way over a ballplayer or celebrity, but he’s so handsome!
Oh, wow...just wow
What an amazing stroke of good fortune! Thanks for sharing the story and the picture. Sigh. My very first sports “hero” (and crush)…Dale Murphy. And sweet Javy. Two of the nicest guys on the planet. I’ve got that same ‘respect personal boundaries’ ideal, too – I hope it’s appreciated, but I hope it doesn’t cause me (us) to miss out, either. But it sounds like you were ultimately rewarded by the seating arragement!
I have been so in love with Dale Murphy since, well, since a long time ago. Mostly as a baseball player, but also as a guy. My greatest accomplishment as a writer was getting a letter to the editor published concerning an article about him in the now defunct Sport magazine. I would love to meet him.
Also, I agree that Javy is handsome. Okay, I agree, make that FREAKIN HOT.
That's awesome
I have been a Dale Murphy fan for 26 years…even had his picture on my birthday cake when I was 12. He was a great player, but what was even better is that he was (and is) one of the good guys in the game. He signed a baseball for me in Pittsburgh in 1983. Didn’t realize that the Shawn Murphy that was playing for the Dolphins was THAT Shawn Murphy. I must be old…I remember when Shawn was born. Javy is a great guy too…I think meeting both of them would be the greatest thing ever. I am jealous.
Likely story...
gondeee, lay off the Mickey’s and stop posting stories that you dream up during your 12-day malt liquor binges.
…just kidding (don’t ban me). Actually, very cool story and nice post.
"Have you ever had your heart broken?"
"Yeah, when we lost the pennant in '87."
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