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Fourth Annual Jack and Julie Wilson Bowling with the Bucs for Charity took place in Crafton on June 9, 2008
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Specific donations to Pirate Charities got fans a chance to bowl with the Bucs or spectate.
Forget $4 gas, forget travel - it was well worth a vacation day from work to be there, with my kindred spirit in
Bucco insanity, Connie, to be around the team and have that kind of fun. The guys were fantastic - from Frank Coonelly to
Paul Maholm, Freddy Sanchez to yes, Superman himself, Ryan Doumit. They bowl, they sign autographs, they chat. They bring
their wives and their kids and it just gives you that "I am so glad these are our Pirates" feeling.
I'm going to bore you with the kind of goodies you can only get from Bowling with the Bucs:
- If you ask real nice, Bob Walk will let you hug the stuffing out of him and then reminisce about a late night Houston
extra innings game last year and his near obsession with the pigeon behind home plate - and what the Astros did
to that pigeon that turned the baseball gods' favor toward the Bucs. Hardest I'd ever laughed after midnight during a ball
game.
- If you're thinking of baking for Matt Capps, don't. That's my job and I was busted by his so very nice fiance
- something about a conditioning regimen and maybe a tux he's supposed to be wearing in November.
- Tyler Yates is totally cool. You absolutely have to respect the major league mentality he has when all of a sudden he's
tagged by Connie and I who have to expound on his 96 mph fastball and hear that we think he's hot and he just rolls with it.
- Lose your celebrity bowler for any reason? Paul Maholm will pinch bowl and get a strike. Knuckle knocks and he's gone
again. Off to bowl somewhere else.
- Present John Russell a picture for his signature that was taken of you and him back in January when you TOLD
him to start Nate in center and now you tell him the little "see I was right" and he just gives you that calm dugout
look he has. Is kind enough not to roll his eyes.
- Hold that camera steady when Connie plunks down between Freddy Sanchez and Jose Bautista with her "Nady Lady 22" t-shirt
on and Jose says "no picture with THAT shirt on." So she takes it off. If only I had a video camera for Freddy's face for
just that moment - even I didn't know she had another top on under that.
| Introduction of the bowlers |
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| Chris Gomez, Jason Michaels, Brian Bullington, Xavier Nady, John Grabow, Tyler Yates |
| Skipper's in the house |
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| John Russell and his son, Stone. That's Mrs. Russell on right and Alyssa Sanchez with their oldest. |
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| Ryan and John Grabow (with a bit of Joey Bats at left) |
| Nate the Great shows up |
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| After another scheduled appearance, Nate joined the bowlers. |
| A little inspiration |
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| President Frank Coonelly talked of the inspiring, charitable work of Jack and Julie Wilson. |
| The Xman bowleth |
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| Seriously, there were a lot of rowdy women around me when they learned we'd be bowling next to Xman. |
| How nice is he? |
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| Ryan is a fan favorite - he had a steady stream of fans most of the night to mingle with. |
| Xavier Nady with Ryan |
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| photo courtesy of www.Xavier-Nady.com |
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| Superman meets Webgirl |
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| Ryan was very kind when I, keeper of his fansite, approached him at the bowling alley, |
Didn't see that coming!
As you may have read elsewhere on this site, I may have missed a pretty solid opportunity to talk to Ryan
Doumit in Bradenton - I passed of my own choosing.
I was reminded by my dear friend, bowling partner and general Pittsburgh sports lunatic friend Connie that
opportunities don't knock a whole lot.
That's how she talked me into going over to Ryan during the bowling event.
This is all I'm going to say: I know he's an incredible baseball player. I know he's worked tremendously
hard this past offseason because I've read about it and shared that info on this site. He earned his starting spot, he earns
his team's respect, and hey - wasn't it just earlier that day that he spoke up in defense of Doug Mientkiewicz and the near
brawl on the mound about defending their house at PNC? So really, in all fairness, how much more was I supposed to expect
of him in terms of the kind of guy he'd be in a bowling alley?
He was absolutely charming, he was very kind, and he was as wonderful as all of you who have emailed me
about him professed him to be. His parents did a hell of a job raising him, apparently, and he's handled it well from there.
He is unbelievably humble. Unbelievably so.
(OK Superman, only because you made me promise to post this pic is it even out there.)
A special shout out to JoJo and her husband, Greg Brown, Xavier Nady, Ryan Doumit, Matt Capps and his Jenn and
my partner in crime, Connie, for a wonderful evening at the lanes.
To contact Andrea, the owner, email administrator@ryandoumit.com You should immediately receive an auto response, followed in the next day or two by an original response. Again, requests
for anything from or about Ryan can't be honored because this is an unofficial site.
An unofficial fansite.
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