Thanks to Les Carpenter of The Seattle Times for a nice mention in his March 26 article about the Pilots' 1970 spring training!

I was at the second game of the Mariners/Red Sox series this month and was surprised to see Tommy Harper coaching first for Boston. I'm pleased to report that he looked like he could still steal second, but was disappointed that there was no mention by the public address announcer that the prodigal Pilot had come home (perhaps there was at the opener). Here are the letters, please don't over look page two.

Attending batting practice was the only way I was going to go away from a Pilots game with a souvenir. We would run through the stands trying to beat out the other kids to balls left up in the bleachers from errant throws or whatever.

Oakland was in town and after making the rounds, a group of local kids were yelling down to the A's warming up in the outfield. "Sal, Sal, Sal! You're my favorite Sal, throw me the ball! Sal, hey, Sal" One kid just kept yelling this till Sal Bando turned and flipped a ball over the wall. It was like a jump ball with 10 centers. We all were trying for this ball and, I caught it! The kid that was doing the yelling was on me, like right now. "Hey, that's my ball, Sal threw that to me." "Give it here!" Well, no way was I going to let go of that ball, so I took off running. I didn't stop till I was over by the Pilot pitchers warming up. No one was coming after me, so I went over to the fence.

A few pitchers were getting a little work in, or warming up and I asked if they would sign the ball for me. Only one came over and neatly signed my ball. Miguel Fuentes. I had a ball, a signed ball, with a big league pitcher on it! I was so happy I floated around walking aimlessly, occasionally looking around for " Sal's biggest fan" and wandered over by the Oakland dugout. I saw a coach barely in the dugout and immediately recognized Joe DiMaggio! "Mr. DiMaggio, will you sign this for me"? Sure, he reached out and took the ball, then using his own pen found the sweet spot with his signature. In a blink, there appeared from nowhere, every kid that was roaming the stadium as I was. A policeman appeared and said in a loud voice, the "Mr. DiMaggio won't be signin' no autographs today" The crowd pushed me back as I was reaching out asking Mr. DiMaggio for my ball back. I'd like to tell you that when he flipped it back there was another jump ball, and maybe even the kid, "Sal's kid" dueled me for one more unforgettable moment, but in reality he handed it to me, and I slunk away trying to not get noticed again.

I'm looking at that ball this very moment. Miguel's signature is still blue and crisp and confident, as a young man in his prime would be. He was not so savvy as to know, or was too modest to sign the sweet spot. Joe's signature has faded a little, but his script is carefully laid down, clear and proud, even on this rubbed up slightly scuffed batting practice ball. We couldn't afford too many games when I was growing up, and balls were for playing catch. This ball was different, and I knew it. I have taken it out, handled it a little bit, and put it back for safe keeping. I finally got a small Plexiglas cube to protect it, and keep it where I can enjoy it all the time. Occasionally I'll be talking with someone that enjoys baseball and if they say anything about the Pilots or Mr. DiMaggio, I tell my story. I never bring the ball out unless they ask if I still have it. It's just too much fun waiting for the question. I have enjoyed that ball for more than 30 years now. Miguel Fuentes was killed in Winter of 1970. He went from "Hot prospect" to "Violence Statistic" that year. I hope that someone that knew him knows that he is my favorite Pilot for all time, and he lives in my most memorable baseball day with Mr. DiMaggio.
—res02n37

I just got back from spring training in Arizona and during a game in Scottsdale between the Giants & Brewers, I remembered that the 30th anniversary of the Pilots demise is coming up. As mentioned in the History section & a previous e-mail from me is that the team pretty much spent the 1970 spring as the Seattle Pilots but left Tempe as the Milwaukee Brewers. By the way, I hope you caught last Sunday's ESPN Classic's show on the Kingdome implosion hosted by Kenny Mayne. Kenny and some friends were shown at the Eagle store built on the site of Sicks Stadium as well as footage from 1969 Seattle Pilots--you even heard "Go Go You Pilots". They mentioned that Sicks was torn down 24 years ago & the Kingdome came down one day shy of its 24th anniversary. Good luck with the new football stadium & bundle up for Seahawks games the next two years at Husky.
—GeoffThatcher

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