Santana

There was only a brief period of my life where I didn't enjoy baseball, and looking back I can't clearly see it in my head. By the time I was in junior high I was well back into it, and I went to every game I could. 2002 was the first time the Twins had won the division since the 1991 World Series win (and the first since it had become the A.L. Central) but even before that when they were doing very horribly I still enjoyed the games.

On Sundays before the game they always have an autograph signing for kids 14 and under, usually with lesser known or newer players. 2001 was the last summer I was able to go, turning 15 in the fall. So before the game one Sunday, my sister and I were hanging out before the game, totally mastering the trivia, and finally lining up to get autographs from two Twins pitchers – Juan Rincon and Johan Santana.

Of course, at the time Santana was a new player, and I had no idea he'd go on to win the Cy Young award twice and be considered one of the best in the league. I was just happy to get the autograph of anyone even remotely famous. I used to do it all the time with local TV anchors at the state fair. I'm pretty sure I still have it in my little notebook of autographs, along with a few other Twins players I'd gotten on other occasions.

Good times.