Sabes on a Plane!
by southcitysteve on May 27, 2008 10:24 PM PDT
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PrintI haven't posted here inna while but thought yall would appreciate this story.
So this past Friday I was at an SFO bar waiting for my flight to San Diego and started chatting it up with a really nice dude, Ben, that had just gotten back from Iraq.
He was telling me about his flight from SD up to the Bay and how he got moved to first class because he was late for his plane. Then he starts telling me about this older guy he sat next to in first class who said he was the General Manager of the Giants.
Of course after he said this I was like "You sat next to Brian Fking Sabean??!!!" Ben had never heard of him and had no idea he was such a big deal, but apparently our Sabes was on his way back from Alabama scouting for the upcoming draft. I tried to see if he had hinted to Ben on who he was looking at for the draft but apparently Sabes didn't want to talk to much about the GIants.
So anyway, Sabes and Ben are drinkin' up a storm and sharing stories. According to Ben, Sabes said a couple times "Fuck work! Lets drink! Its free fuck it!" (Sabean drinks cranberry and vodkas)
At the end of the flight Sabean offers Ben $200 and a bracelet blessed by the pope. Ben refused but Sabes told him to "Fuckin take it!" Ben indeed had two Benjamins and a bracelet at the bar.
It must have been nice for Sabean to talk to some young kid who had no idea who he was or what he did. But damn, $200 for good conversation, Sabes must be really lonely.
Comment starter: If you sat next to Brian Sabean on a plane, what would be the first thing you said to him?
My Answer: Free Nate!
This FanPost is reader-generated, and it does not necessarily reflect the views of McCovey Chronicles. If the author uses filler to achieve the minimum word requirement, a moderator may edit the FanPost for his or her own amusement.
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hmmmm...
you are supposed to eat the little packet at the bottom of your beef jerkey
waiting for 2011....
That's where all the flavoring is stored!
The Basil Fawlty Moderating Strategy:
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Freezing Giants Blog
“So Nate Schierholtz is a pretty good third baseman, right?”
If you like things that are funny, perhaps you will enjoy ChatterBalks Dot Com?
I like that story
I like to think of Brian Sabean as a nice, fun guy. It really offsets the amount of time I spend thinking about how much he annoys me.
Proud member of the Adopt-a-Giant program (Aaron Rowand)
First thing I'd ask is whether that $200 offer is still good.
I can be damn charming for $200. Insightful would run more like $350 an hour, and worth it.
If I were able to chat with him, I really would want to ask stuff rather than suggest to him. He wouldn’t listen to me nor hear anything he hadn’t already heard, but I could learn from him, so I would ask:
What is the most challenging thing about your job?
What do you like most about your job and what do you fear most about it?
What are 3 things about your job that you wish all knowledgeable fans understood?
What are 3 things about big league baseball that you wish all knowledgeable fans understood?
Then I would follow up on each one of these, depending on his answers.
DFA all Giants over 34 years old.
I actually have a Brian Sabean at the bar story myself
My 2nd grade teacher/longtime friend/giants season ticket holder chit chatted with Sabes at a bar during spring training like 6 years ago. He talked passionately about his hate for all the orange wristbands being sold in honor of the (not so) great Shinjo.
I thought that was mildly interesting
waiting for 2011....
Fantastic Story
I’d wait until he got about a half dozen vodka and cranberries in him then tell him how much I enjoy the insight and intellect of Ralph Barbierri.
I HAVE HAD IT UP TO HERE WITH THIS COTTONPICKING SABES I FOUND ON THIS COTTONPICKING AIRPLANE
Sorry, just reminded me of one of my favorite Dugouts ever.
All-Father Watch: 1.07 ERA, 4 saves, 0.95 WHIP, 24 Ks in 25 1/3 IP
The two Negro League Draft ones were really good, I thought.
If you like things that are funny, perhaps you will enjoy ChatterBalks Dot Com?
The death of pr0FF3ss0r_F4rnsw0rth left a gaping pr0FF3ss0r_F4rnsw0rth shaped hole in the strip that only pr0FF3ss0r_F4rnsw0rth could ever fill.
All-Father Watch: 1.37 ERA, 5 saves, 0.99 WHIP, 24 Ks in 26 1/3 IP
by EliminateMe on May 28, 2008 11:11 PM PDT up reply actions
This time of year....
Breeds all kinds of paranoia for GM’s and others in the know because loose lips could mangle draft plans. These people think the next person who they don’t know has a recorder or the info they share will hit the airwaves, be in print or be in the latest blog for untold numbers to see. If these guys aren’t clustered tight in a closed room while knowing everyone inside, good luck prying those gold nuggets without more than one ultra hot stripper in the room with a free flowing amount of booze.
it's always noonan somewhere
I’m annoyed that he drinks my drink.
Anyway if I sat next to him on a plane I’d ask why I wasn’t worth not even five minutes of his time to ask a few baseball questions, completely related to minor league stuff. Then I guess he’d have no excuses or ability to get away.
"While conservatives tell you 'leave things alone and no one will lose,' and liberals tell you 'interfere a lot and no one will lose,' baseball says 'someone will lose.' Not only says it - but insists upon it! ... Democracy is lovely, but baseball's more mature." BVCE supports SF Dugout and Manny Burriss.
by BaronVonCurrentEvents on May 28, 2008 7:01 AM PDT reply actions
Cranberry Juice
Don't believe the lies Bill!!!! look at the sparkly ERA!!! Sparkly, Sparkly!!! - McCovey Chronicles
So how did Sabes get a bracelet blessed by the Vicar of Christ himself? And does he always carry it around with him?
Yeah, Talk about Random.
This didn’t happen right before the Astro’s series did it?
Fucked us. Get that bracelet back.
Eugeniooooooo!!!!
by FairweatherFan on May 28, 2008 9:10 AM PDT up reply actions
I didn’t hear how he got it, but I don’t think it was too much luck considering the season so far.
Thank God that's over.
by southcitysteve on May 28, 2008 10:21 PM PDT up reply actions
I discovered long ago I have nothing interesting to say to famous people, unless they’re pretty chill. I’ve met a few of your San Francisco Giants over the years, and could only ever talk to Chad Zerbe (great guy). Ned Colletti was also a real good guy, and fairly easy to talk to. Also met Woody Harrelson, who had nothing to say to me, and I never knew what on earth to say to him. Then I met Josh Radnor, star of How I Met Your Mother, and was kind of able to chat him up. Real good guy, but seemed a little sad. So what would I say to Sabean? “How’s it going?” I think after that, I’d start grasping at straws for things to say that wouldn’t make me look like a douche, and I’d just come across like a bigger douche.
"He called the sh** POOP!" -- Adam Sandler
Yeah, I'd do about the same.
I got my 45 seconds with Neil Gaiman as he was doodling all over my books (it’s really cool that he actually draws stuff instead of just throwing his name on there), and the best I could do was “Hi… umblblb… thanks,” while my friend took some pictures.
And he’s a minor celebrity.
For me, at least, this isn’t just a celebrity thing though. I’m pretty slow to be able to speak comfortable with anybody, so being put in a time limited situation really compounds the issue.
My Dave Righetti is better than your Dave Righetti.
by howtheyscored on May 28, 2008 11:08 AM PDT up reply actions
gaiman aint no minor celeb
you should see the lines for him at comic con…met neil a few times….totally nice guy
first time i had a real chance to talk to him, was at a book store in pasadena….so i asked him…when are you gonna have a signing in los angeles, cuz i fuckin hate having to drive so far…he gave me this dumbfounded look and then signed my book
and im telling you…gaiman has a portrait of himself stashed in the actic that doesnt age, cuz that dude hasnt changed in 20 years
cool that he doodled for ya….i have a frank miller doodle in my copy of the dark knight…now there was a time when i absolutely couldnt say anything, cuz that dude is so intense
Now, I could be wrong since I’ve never actually read Dorian Gray… but wouldn’t the portrait, in fact, be aging, while the man alternately stays the same age?
Neil Gaiman is fairly cool all around. He gardens and he keeps bees, and he’s extremely gracious to his fans, and he’s a pretty darn decent doodler.
On a semi-related note, does anybody else think that Frank Miller’s long since lost his mind with (creative) power? I’d really like to read more from the Vintage Miller Years.. I’m actually fairly under-read when it comes to that guy.
My Dave Righetti is better than your Dave Righetti.
by howtheyscored on May 29, 2008 2:36 AM PDT up reply actions
what i hope i'd say:
Nathan and Liriano? Really?
126 million? Really?
Vodka and cranberry? Really? Really??
"he walked 18; new league record! Struck out 18, another new league record! He also hit the sportswriter, the PA announcer, the bull mascot twice..."
My Questions
Sheboygan or Cha-Cha Bowl?
And what would it take for the Brewers to part with Bill Hall?
Both
Finally had each for the first time at a recent game that I’d prefer to forget (Sanchez on the mound, lost 2-0)
The Cha-Cha and Sheboygan make the garlic fries look completely lame.
¿Julio is tourist in San Francisco? Harper's Bizarre!
"Fuck work"?
Great. He’s coming back from scouting for the draft. That can’t be a good omen.
Less arm, more talk. Raisingcain is a GAMER.
Adopted Giant: Henry Sosa
The second-hand impression I got from Ben was that Sabes seemed pretty fed up with his job and was pretty stressed. Which would probably explain the excessive drinking. I wouldn’t be surprised if he resigns after the season along with Magowan if this season ends in another losing season.
Thank God that's over.
by southcitysteve on May 28, 2008 10:24 PM PDT up reply actions
I’d keep plying him with drinks for the entire flight until he got so drunk that he did something highly inappropriate in front of other passengers, thus embarrassing the Giants organization and forcing them to terminate his employment.
Either that or I’d attempt to get him to use the phrases “at the end of the day” and “kick the tires” in a non-baseball context.
Eagerly awaiting Crazy Crab Bobblehead Night on 7/18.
Scene: Giants front office
Agent: ... and he’s a proven winner, don’t you know.
Sabean: Anybody want a beer? Or a cocktail? I could use a cocktail.
Colletti: Not yet, Sabes. This nice man wants to tell us about his player.
Agent: So as I was saying, he doesn’t throw real hard, and his best years are behind him, and a lot of those other GMs don’t like him because he doesn’t strike guys out. And I know your budget is tight, but I’m jut asking you to give my client a chance. So what’ll you say? Would you like to sign Matt Morris/Brett Tomko/Barry Zito?
Colletti: To be honest, we’re not looking for a guy like—
Sabean: Fuck it, it’s free!
Saving countless runs with my Brian Horwitz
Or just a bracelet with a compulsive lie attached.
My Dave Righetti is better than your Dave Righetti.
by howtheyscored on May 29, 2008 2:39 AM PDT up reply actions
Hmmm
That came off more cynical than comical, but my intent was the opposite. If only there was some way to make that clear…
My Dave Righetti is better than your Dave Righetti.
by howtheyscored on May 29, 2008 2:40 AM PDT up reply actions
Couple more things...
A big part of Sabes givin Ben $200 and a pope-blessed-bracelet that I didn’t really emphasize was that Ben was a 21-yr old who has been in Iraq for 3 years and is going back for 2 more years in June (like wilriv mentioned above, Sabes was appreaciative). A lot of people at the bar were appreaciative of his service as Ben was getting a lot of drinks bought for him (he was really just a stellar individual).
Ben told me Sabean also mentioned that his mentor was an ex-Marine who lived til he was 95. Anyone have a clue who it could be?
Sabes also talked about his time as a scout with the Yankees, his home in Arizona and he was talking to some guy on his cell phone and said,”If he wants to buy the whole factory then fuckin sell it to him.” I have no idea what the factory is but just another funny bit I remembered.
Thank God that's over.
by southcitysteve on May 28, 2008 10:19 PM PDT reply actions
"If he wants to buy the whole factory.."
Perhaps a ‘factory’ of saavy veteran goodness?
I’m pretty sure he was talking about a condemned, abandoned factory. And I’m pretty sure the “him” he refers to is a ten year old kid with a dollar at an auction.
My Dave Righetti is better than your Dave Righetti.
by howtheyscored on May 29, 2008 2:43 AM PDT up reply actions
Not really
If I sat next to Brian Sabean on a plane, my first question would be: “One way ticket, Brian?”
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