Growing up, I was lucky enough to live in a gated community called “Cheval.” It’s located in Lutz, Florida, and off North Dale Mabry (if you know Tampa at all). This neighborhood has two golf courses, and one of them is TPC of Tampa Bay. Back when I was a kid, I mainly played at Cheval Country Club and rode by TPC of Tampa Bay on my bike…on the way to my friend Ryan’s house. When I go back to visit my parents, I always take a step back and realize how lucky I was to live there. It’s gorgeous…and it’s easy to see why my Dad can go on his daily 3 mile walks in this neighborhood. When I was growing up, TPC Tampa Bay was home to the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am. This was a tournament on the Champions tour, which is the tour for those 50+ on the PGA. 

Even outside of this event, TPC of Tampa Bay would attract celebrities for big events in the area. This led to some pretty cool stories growing up, and since I saw the Rocket joined twitter the other day, I decided to write about some of my stories with the neighborhood and golf course. 

I don’t remember what year this story takes place, but I think I was either in 5th or 6th grade. This is the stage where my parents and I lost over 100 pounds together. My Dad and I would ride our bikes around the neighborhood after school to get some activity in. It was the week of the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am and we forgot that it was the practice round. These were the days when security wasn’t so crazy for events like this. Around this time, I remember the access I used to get to spring training. I have hundreds of autographs from this time in my life and can’t imagine what that experience is like now for kids. During the practice round they didn’t even have ropes up. If there wasn’t signage and stands around the course you would have no idea what was going on. 

Growing up, I lived about half a mile from the 17th hole on TPC of Tampa Bay (pictured above). We went out on our bike ride and while passing this hole I stopped because I saw who was driving past us on their golf carts. I screamed while whispering at the same time to my Dad, “THAT’S ROGER CLEMENS!” He looks at the hole and tells me that it’s not him. We went back and forth because I knew it was Roger Clemens. He told me that he bet me $10 that it wasn’t him, and to walk down there and see. I wasn’t the most courageous kid growing up so I’m still not sure how I had the guts to go down there by myself. I walked down there and it was actually him. His foursome finished their tee shots and I waited to say hello and ask for an autograph. All I had was a piece of paper and pen in my pocket left over from school. He was super nice and signed it. What happened next was so cool and I can still feel the moment to this day. For those of you that don’t know about the mean Joe Greene commercial please watch thai first. 

I was walking away and from my memory he said, “Hey kid, come here.” He then proceeds to reach into his golf bag to get his own sharpie, sign the golf glove that he was wearing, and gives it to me. That was the most excited I had ever been in my life up until that point. The Rocket was bigger than life and for him to do something as generous as that blew my mind. That golf glove will be my favorite piece of memorabilia for the rest of my life. If Roger somehow comes across this blog: Thank you for making a young kid’s life and helping grow this love of baseball to what it has become today!