Phares O’Daffer

What a day! Wrigley Field, July 24, 2011. My wife Harriet, all my kids and grandkids, and several relatives and friends were there.

As the stadium announcer said, “Phares O’Daffer will throw out the first pitch,” my name appeared on the marquee.

A sign, “My grandpa only pitches strikes,” appeared in the section where my grandkids were sitting, and I heard someone ask, “Who is that guy?”

It seemed like 40,000 people waited in anticipation as Cubs rookie Tony Campana prepared to catch my pitch. At that moment, I wasn’t 77-year-old senior Phares, but, rather, 18-year-old Ike, pitching for the Cubs.

I threw that ball about as hard as I could, and it went to Tony on the fly. The crowd said “Oooh,” and so did I, as he had to make a quick leap to the right and reach high to catch it.  

Good old Tony. The deed was done, and I didn’t roll it in there.

Tony shook my hand and autographed the ball I had thrown. At 5’8”, one of the shortest players in baseball, he had performed an amazing feat to catch my ball. I will be eternally grateful.

As I walked back to my seat, a lady said, “You must be somebody important to throw out the first pitch. Would you autograph my daughter’s baseball?”

Knowing full well that all it took was several bucks at an auction to get to throw that pitch, I signed her ball “Ike Lefty O’Daffer,” and smiled like a pro.