The Doug Report: Back from Toronto Edition
By Doug Hill in Featured,The Doug Report | 2 comments
Hello Everyone,
Did you miss me?
The Family Hill is fresh off a Toronto vacay where we were able to catch the Tigers-Jays on Saturday. Suffice to say it wasn’t the best of the four days to be in attendance at the Rogers Centre, what with Miguel Cabrera kicking the game away on what should be an otherwise routine grounder.
The highlight of Saturday for us was the discovery that the Westin Harbour Castle (our weekend digs) was the Tigers’ team hotel. Imagine our surprise at dinner when my son Jake and I bumped into Rod Allen, Dan Dickerson, and Trevor Thompson and chatted them up about the unseasonably warm Toronto weather and Jake’s “fish-like” (Allen’s words) handshake (we’re already hard at work on improving this). Then, at the corner market looking for a Sunday morning muffin, there was a Jim Price sighting. Before you new it, we were in the hotel lobby seeing Jason Grilli holding an (his?) infant child. I’m pretty sure by bedtime my daughter Helena was convinced Magglio Ordonez (he’s her Tiger) was sleeping on the other side of our wall.
And then, on our way to checking out Sunday morning, my wife Carol spotted Mario Impemba (she couldn’t tell if he was wearing his Daily Fungo t-shirt) and Edgar Renteria hailing a cab while I was retrieving the car. (Quick aside, the Westin Harbour Castle charges $30 a day for valet parking or $17 for self-parking. The self-parking is two blocks away!)
Finally, as we loaded the car, Denny Bautista and Ramon Santiago emerged through the revolving doors to flag a cab and they received Helena and Jake quite warmly. Santiago even showed Helena his 2006 ALCS ring (pretty neat stuff) and we noticed Bautista had a similar ring (no doubt his Rockies’ 2007 NLCS version) before signing her autograph book and shaking hands with Jake.
Then, as we pulled out of the front lobby, we noticed Jeremy Bonderman (Saturday’s six-walk loser) climbing into the taxi with Bautista and Santiago.
So, despite the loss, and having to listen to the Sunday setback on the way out of town, it was a memorable weekend. As a matter of fact, the Hill kids are already plotting next year’s Tigers-Blue Jays roadie. Perhaps we’ll plot our course for adventure so it coincides with an Armando Galarraga start?
Until next time,
Doug
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Ian C. | Apr 21, 2008 | Reply
That is some serious serendipity, Mr. Hill. I hope the rest of your Toronto trip went well. I love that city.
You’re not holding back any stories about you and Leyland hanging out in the hotel bar, are you?
Doug Hill | Apr 22, 2008 | Reply
Funny you should mention that Ian. My wife commented when we looked around our room that there was a $200 charge if there was any signs you had smoked in your room.
Was Jimbo down on the loading dock mashing out butts with the late-night cleaning crew I wonder?