Colin...speechless?

Jason writes:

Colin and I were in Lake Havasu, Ariz., for a baseball tournament this weekend with Colin's teams, the Las Vegas Hawks.

During their first game Colin pitched two innings, giving up just two earned runs against a very good Las Vegas Baseball Academy team.

While taking photos, I noticed that Greg Maddux, the future Hall of Fame pitcher from Las Vegas who just wrapped up a brilliant career that included 355 major league wins with the Cubs, Braves, Padres, and Dodgers, was watching the game along with our opponents' parents. I couldn't wait to tell Colin that Greg Maddux watched him pitch, because Maddux is one of his role models. Colin has read the book "Pitch Like A Pro" by Maddux's long-time pitching coach, and he strives to be Maddux-like -- hit your spots, change speeds, and trust your defense. Needless to say, Colin was thrilled to hear Maddux had been there, and a touch disappointed that he didn't get to meet him.



That night, we went to Mudshark Pizza, a local Havasu pizza joint, for dinner. As we left, I grabbed one of their promotional magnets as a souvenir, which Colin carried along with a pizza box of leftover pizza. As we entered our hotel lobby, a man stopped Colin and asked if he had a number for the pizza place -- it was Greg Maddux! Maddux asked him if the pizza was any good, and Colin was really cool, telling him the pizza was good and giving him the magnet so Maddux could enter it into his cell phone. I was impressed that Colin was so composed -- and then I realized that Colin didn't realize who it was. So I told him.

Colin's jaw dropped, and he was truly speechless -- a situation none of us can recall seeing since he's learned how to talk. Maddux was very cool, smiling at Colin's awe, thanking him for the number, and telling Colin he was glad to meet him.

The chance encounter was the highlight of the weekend (even above playing very well), and the Mudshark magnet is now one of Colin's prized possessions.