On Your Toes

You learn a lot by listening.

Actually, you learn everything by listening.

I learned that from an old newspaper editor.

“Nobody gives a damn what you think,” he’d bellow. “Listen to people and tell me what they think. The story is always about the people.”

There were plenty of people in line for tickets at Yankee Stadium, yesterday.

“I didn’t get all my games,” Raymond says. “I think people on the Internet beat me.”

He came out before dawn.

“Like rich people with computers don’t have enough over us.” Raymond shrugs. “We should get a head start. They’re all snug and warm and I won’t be able to feel my toes until Opening Day.”

Standing on frozen concrete for five hours is the equivalent to getting bowled over at home plate by Mark Teixeira.

“I’ll be sore tomorrow,” Raymond says. “But I’ve got some tickets so I guess it ain’t so bad.”

Opening Day?

“Yeah,” Raymond smiles. “Chien-Ming Wang versus Scott Kazmir. I don’t know how many days, but when I start to feel my toes I’ll know it’s getting close.”