Spring Break 2011, I took a road trip to Pittsburgh with my dad to see the Nationals play two games at PNC Park. Before the second game, I had my best experience ever with a player. That Player Was Drew Storen.
My dad and I got to the stadium early to watch players warm up and get autographs--we were in the stands down the right field line. It was drizzly... There were almost zero fans in there at the time. It had rained the night before, but neither team was outstanding by any means, so attendance was low as a result. I got the full attention of the players.
The Nationals players were not wearing their jerseys with names on the back at that time; however, I was studying the 2011 edition of a book that I believe was called "who's who in baseball," which had pictures of every player as well as their career statistics. I was studying their faces to know who I was asking for autographs from, which paid off big time.
I was getting autographs from Tyler Clippard, Alex Cora, Jerry Hairston Jr., and so many more. The one player who stands out the most to me is Drew Storen.
I saw him warming up... and I said in my pre-pubescent voice, "Hey Drew, can I have your autograph?" He came over and signed for me. We were talking for a few minutes. 14 years later, I forget what the subject was we were talking about, but as the conversation was nearing its end, I asked for his hat. He told me that he "only has one hat on roadtrips, but see me at a home game, and I'll give you my hat."
I think my dad and I had our doubts on whether or not he'd remember--but a few weeks later, we attended a game against the then-Florida Marlins. We saw Drew warming up and came over to us. He did, in fact, remember me. That made me feel so special; however, he was on a really good streak at the time--so he wanted to keep his hat. Instead, he went into the clubhouse and got his Phiten Necklace for me, something I still own to this day.
I am a collector of Drew Storen baseball cards because he was kind to me and showed me that baseball players are more than just people we idolize for what they do on the field. They can also be idolized for how they treat the fans off the field. I do not collect his cards for value, because there isn't any. I collect his cards to remember how kind he was to me.
Drew and I reconnected through social media a few years back, and that was special for me. He might not have ever been an All-Star, and yes, he let many Nationals fans down in 2012. But Drew Storen, the person, shines through for me more than Drew Storen the player. Being a great ball player is one thing, but being a great person will get you far in life.
Drew, along with some former MLB players, founded a baseball-themed Whiskey company, called Field of Dreams Whiskey, that is made with corn from the same location where the iconic movie, Field of Dreams, was filmed. Drew took his passion for baseball and made a product that fans of both America's Pastime and whiskey will go nuts for.