I was standing in line at Remdawg's at Saturday night's game at around 5:55 while Tom Caron and Dennis Eckersly were getting mic'd up for the NESN Red Sox Pre Game show. Some asshole standing directly behind me in line yells out "Hey Eck, have a beer!" Eck glares over in our direction, trying to see who said it. At 6'5", and with a build like John Kruk, I kind of, uh... stick out. Of course, I know Eck is a recovering alcoholic and I'm kind of transfixed by what's happening -- I can't take my eyes off him. I give the head tilt/eye direction towards the guy who said and mouthed "idiot" and Eck seemed to acknowledge it, but I don't know what he meant by it.

I told the guy Eckersly was a recovering alcholic and that that was a pretty classless and stupid thing to say. He said he didn't know and felt awful but then he and his buddies started sniggering about the 1st amendment.

Since Eck was inducted into the Hall, I've really wanted to get his autograph on a ball. So, I go over to Twins Souviners, plunk down $20 for a Rawlings MLB game ball and $2 for a pen and head back over to Remdawgs.

At around 6:50, there are only about 5 people waiting to get autographs. When the show ends, Eck leans over the railing and starts signing autographs and people swarm. He spends probably 5 to 7 minutes working his way around the perimeter of the stage signing each hat, pennant, ticket, WEEI placard, ball, baseball card, etc. Then he passes right by me and signs the next few people who were the remaining autograph seekers.

I did have kind of a sinking feeling as I was waiting that he thought I was with the guy or group of people, or even worse, was the guy himself, who yelled out at him. He signed a few more autographs, again passing me by, clearly snubbing me.

So I said (to myself) "F*ck it." Right before he got to the elevator at Fenway with his cop escort, I walked up to him and said, loud enough to get his attention, "Eck, look, you don't have to sign my ball, but I want you to know I wasn't the person who said that to you and I went up the to guy who did and got in his face and gave him shit." Eck paused and looked me in the eye and said, "Thanks, I appreciate that." And with that, he walked off, without signing my ball.