DAY 6: A STRANGER

This letter kind of made me think. Who, to me, is a stranger? I'm not the type of person that strays away from people, and I definitely don't have any problems with going up to someone and saying hi (believe me, having grown up with the same people from kindergarten-12th grade, college would have been extremely hard for me if I was shy), so it is hard for me to understand just what a stranger is.

Because of my personality, I couldn't think of anyone to write to at first. Then only person I could think of to write this to isn't even a "stranger" at all. I have heard his name many times, and I think it would be fitting to say I'm more of a stranger to him, than the other way around. To him, I was a face in the crowd, literally.

Jeff Suppan,

You don't know me, but you made my day when I was 11. It was just another Tuesday, we were just at another Rangers game, sitting in our section 12 seats. My sister was asking anyone and everyone for an autograph, including the hotdog vendors. I guess you could say it was a pretty normal game day. We had gotten to the game early because I had wanted to watch the Rangers warm up.

I was sitting back in our seats while the Royals were warming up, not really watching, concentrating too much on whatever we had decided would be for dinner that night, nachos or hotdogs or the like. I remember watching you warm up with a few balls, and you always threw them into the stands after a few pitches. By the time the team was done warming up, you had accrued quite a crowd of kids of all ages screaming for you to toss them a ball.

I wanted a ball, but I knew that there were way too many people down there. I had pretty much resigned to the fact that I would never be one of those people who leaves the ballpark with a game ball when you changed all that. You looked right at me, through the dozens of kids down grabbing for it and told them to move. I could not believe this was happening. You asked me my name and then said what I still cannot believe you told me.

"Alright, Marybeth, do you want a ball? Are you ready?"

And you threw it to me. Out of all of the people from section 12 (and 10. and 11. and 13. Everyone came over when they saw we were getting balls) you chose me to give one to.

This may not have seemed like a big deal to you, but thank you for making a little girl's day. Believe me, you did.

Love, Mb

"A stranger is just a friend you haven't met yet."

-Will Rodgers