David Pauley the individual.

by Aussie Mariner on Jul 31, 2011 4:53 AM PDT

I'm not going to talk about Pauley the player. I'm so un-qualified to do that that it's laughable.

What I want to share though, is a small insight into Pauley as a person. Small sample size and all that, but it's the only one I've got and it's positive. He did things he didn't have to do, and I think he deserves to be remembered for more than being a reliever for half of the 2011 season. At least, I hope he is.

On June 29, I took my eleven year old son to his (and my) first Mariners game. We got there just as the gates opened, found our seats, grabbed and donned our King's Court t-shirts and set off in search of autographs.

Our search took us, naturally, to the Mariners dugout. We just missed David Aardsma but there were plenty of other players drifting around, stretching, playing catch. Surely there would be more that would come towards the masses of fans to give up the indecipherable squiggles we so desired?

And there were. Enter Jason Vargas, Brandon League and David Pauley.

Pauley spent a lot of time signing. While he was signing for my son, I told him I was his biggest fan in Australia. To this he laughed, and said "Hey, that's really cool." He then asked my step-son if he was looking forward to the game, listened patiently and intently to my very, very ADHD eleven year old son give his usual "OHMYGODTHISISSOCOOL wheeeeeeeee!!!" response, smiled and told him to enjoy the game.

All in all, we had maybe a sixty second conversation. Not just a polite hello, thank you, you're welcome or any of a thousand things he could have said but a conversation, short as it was. It took longer for him to have that brief chat than it did to sign the two autographs for us, yet he seemed happy to do it. Both before and after this I heard him have a couple of similar short exchanges with other kids, so it wasn't just an isolated act.

He wouldn't pitch in the game. The Mariners would lose to the Braves despite a Felix start and an Ackley two run shot. But what does my very, very ADHD son remember from his first baseball game? The King's Court, Ackley's homer...

And the third thing, in his own words: "Talking to David Pauley. That guy was AWESOME!"

Good luck, David. No matter what else you do in your career you will be forever endeared to me for the memory you have given to my boy.

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This reminds me of a similar story

Must’ve been ’91 or somewhere thereabouts, my brother and I were getting autographs in Kingdome by the bullpen down the LF line. The player? Bill Swift. My brother, clever as he was, shouts, “Can you go get Griffey to sign for us?”

To which Bill Swift politely replied, “Get him your goddamn self.”

I’m glad Pauley was much classier.

by Jackington on Jul 31, 2011 10:10 AM PDT reply actions

I always hated Bill Swift

He seemed like a tool, he had a weird delivery, and he had no idea how to wear his hat. This just confirms it to me.

by Matt Erickson on Jul 31, 2011 12:50 PM PDT up reply actions

You remember stuff like this forever

My mom took me to a game when I was five or six, and it was photo day. The players came out and had their pictures taken by a ton of fans. Shane Rawlings picked me up and Mom took a pic of us. Mom had it blown up to poster size and got Rawlings to sign it later in the season.

I remember Shane Rawlings as a cool dude. I could probably go back and see if his career was anything, but that’d ruin it. Right?

by robbbbbb on Jul 31, 2011 1:12 PM PDT reply actions

Scott Brosius signed my mitt and gave me a baseball after a game when he was playing for the Tacoma out of a huge crowd of kids.

I’ll never forget it.

How come you can do all this other great shit, but you can't lie the fuck down and sleep?

by JAH on Jul 31, 2011 6:28 PM PDT up reply actions

Good for you treating your stepson as if he's your real child.

Enough parents don’t do this, and it’s refreshing to see. You earned this memory.

I write for Stumptown Footy, SB Nation's Portland Timbers blog.

by thehemogoblin on Jul 31, 2011 5:34 PM PDT reply actions

I love stories like this, thank you for sharing.

by EnglishMariner on Aug 1, 2011 5:27 AM PDT reply actions

So many stories...

Like the time I was in Anaheim and Felix stopped what he was doing in the BP before gametime and signed a ton of balls for the kids.

One time my wife and I were sitting behind the bullpen in Anaheim and she started conversing with John Wetteland who saw some kids and tested their knowledge of astrology and physics. LOL. He gave the kids a lot of chances to answer.

Another time I saw Eddie Guardado walk by us in Peoria. He saw two little kids and came back moments later to give them some baseballs.

RRS was always cool to anybody and everybody. I’d love to see him come back as an announcer when his playing days are over.

Jarrod Washburn was at some restaurant/ESPN interview thing. He started talking to us and when my wife gave him a ball (which has Jack Z’s autograph on it…why not right?) he joked about not wanting to sign near the boss’ signature. He then saw a mustard stain and told her he’d sign that. Another time we saw him shagging balls in LF in San Diego and told him he was pitching well (right before he was traded that year). Not only did he stop, look over and he said “thanks, that’s real nice of you”. Another time he was hanging by the fences in Peoria and was joking with everybody standing there.

One time Mike Sweeney’s infant puked up on a teen age boy sitting below his wife. Mike said something funny and gave the kid something to make up for it.

So many memories.

by beadyeyes123 on Aug 1, 2011 4:52 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs

RRS is Australian.

We’re all awesome.

by Aussie Mariner on Aug 1, 2011 8:51 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

I have a story like this about Pauley...

I met him in Baltimore before a game, walking in to the stadium. He stopped, signed a baseball, talked to us for a few minutes. Real nice guy. What makes it set out is that he pitched that day. Most guys won’t do that kind of stuff if it’s their turn, as they’re focused on their job at hand.

Pauley took the time to stop and thank us for coming, then when out and pitched a really terrific game. He seemed like a great guy, as most of the guys we saw that day did. Good luck David!

by dkulich on Aug 6, 2011 3:41 PM PDT reply actions