I used to own a card shop here in Austin. I sold it to a friend who moved it to North Carolina. He invited me up to check it out 6 months later and at the end of the day we were back at his place drinking on the back porch when I saw some bright lights in the distance. I asked what that and he replied it's garbage. Said it was minor league baseball. I insisted we go check it out. Turned out to be the Piedmont Bollweevils. They had a guy in left field named Ricky Williams. I as always was wearing my UT hat. I got to talk to him in the parking lot and he signed as much stuff as I gave him. We told him about the shop and talked sports, mostly Texas football and the Hawaii game.
In the third inning of that game Ricky fouled a pitch some 30 feet high into the fence right behind the catcher. I was eyeballing it all game long and even went right up to it after the game. I just didn't know how I was going to get it. At that moment some little 12 gear old Forrest Gump clone offered to climb up there and get it for a few bucks. Best money I ever spent. That night my friend and I got drunk in celebration. We arrived late to his shop the next day. There was a note from Ricky Williams. He came by to check it out and sign more stuff. We blew it. I went from cloud nine to crash and burn in mere seconds. That day was rough. I did go back to the stadium and buy every Piedmont team set they had thinking I would see Ricky one more time but I did not. Turns out those team sets had 2 Ricky cards. The regular card of Ricky and the Heisman trophy pose card. I was happy again. Ricky has been my favorite horn ever since.