9/16/06

The First Semi-investigative Reporting This Site Has Ever Done.

You win some, you lose some...
on a night where the Mets lose to the Pirates and Pedro only goes 3 innings and almost cries.
and the Phillies win, so the number stays at 1.

...this site gets the crack of it short life....

Remember Ryan Leli? this kid?!?!
The one that snuck into Shea's Visiting Clubhouse to talk to Mike Piazza...
well i met him!

By sheer luck, on a night of poker with the guys, one of my friends roommates brings in a friend who is staying the weekend.
Im wearing my black Mets shirt with the #15 and my kick ass Mets Plastic Helmet.

The kid goes "Hey! you guys mets fans?"
Me and my good friend Jamie, who is also wearing a Beltran shirt (we did not plan that) of course answer "Yep"
He says "Well, then you probably know me...I'm the kid that snuck into Shea with the fake media pass..."

At this point, Jamie and I look at each other, in shock...and awe.
This kid is my hero!
First off he has the balls to do all this...a fake press pass, sneak into the stadium, watch the game, go into the visiting clubhouse, go to the post game manager press conference, and attempt a picture with Mike Piazza.

He said this was all pretty much for a picture with Mike. Apparently its a unwritten rule that the press wont ask for personal pictures. Well, at the end of the night, as Piazza was leaving, this kid asks for a picture. Piazza, being a great guy, obliges, and throws his arm around him. Right before a press guy, who was being nice and taking a picture, could get the shot off, a Equipment Manager for the Padres jumped in and said no pictures in the clubhouse. He was outraged that someone from the media would try to take a picture. He took the kids fake credentials and gave them to security.

Bummer.
This kid was living the dream for a night. He got to see things us fans only dream of. He almost had the shot with Mikey Piazza...and it all came apart becuase of an equipment manager...
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It was pure chance that i met him, and he was a really cool kid. He just seemed to take this all as just another little story, something that could happen any day and he just shrug it off.
Lucky.

Here's to you Ryan Leli!