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I've been covering baseball for 25 years and have known Gary Lippencott for 10 of those. We used to always meet at this little restaurant just outside of Los Lunas a few times a season when he played for the Javelinas. Simply put, I know Gary and he knows me. So when I saw him drive by that same diner twice that day, each time peering inside like he was a serial killer, I knew the rumors were true.
About a month ago I had a friend call me and say that Gary seemed to be having a nervous breakdown. He wouldn't return calls, he wouldn't meet with anyone, he would hardly leave the house. He had fired his agent and basically shut off all contact from the outside world. After I hung-up it didn't take me long to figure out why. A quick look over the transaction log in the BLB confirmed my suspicions. Gary had been stood-up...badly...twice.
<table class="lposhadow" style="margin-bottom: 18px; width: 681px; height: 52px;" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td class="sl" width="80">02-02-1990</td><td class="sl" width="831">Signed a 1-year contract worth a total of $1,910,000 with the Los Alamos Bandits organization.
</td></tr> <tr><td class="slg" width="80">02-18-1990</td><td class="slg" width="831">Released by the Los Alamos Bandits.
</td></tr> <tr><td class="sl" width="80">04-10-1990</td><td class="sl" width="831">Signed a 1-year contract worth a total of $1,400,000 with the Los Alamos Bandits organization.
</td></tr> <tr><td class="slg" width="80">04-30-1990</td><td class="slg" width="831">Released by the Los Alamos Bandits.</td></tr></tbody></table>I called him several times that week before I finally got a response. Since we both still lived in the area he said he would meet me at the usual spot. Over the next five days he then proceeded to call me several times to confirm the meeting. When the 'big' day finally came he called me twice on the way there just to make sure I was going to make it. By the second time I wanted to laugh, but I made sure to hold it in until after he hung up.
When he finally sauntered into the diner he was wearing a blue "FU-LA" shirt and peering around like a hawk. This time I did laugh out loud and when he saw me he made a bee line over to the table and grabbed a chair. We exchanged pleasantries and got our order in to the busy waitress.
I asked him about the wife and kids and he said all parties were doing well. The boy was 12 now and loved to play soccer which Gary couldn't understand. He didn't think it was a manly sport but said as long as he was having fun...and didn't turn out like "Woodbury and Nino"...he wouldn't mind. Our conversation then briefly touched on the two unmarried Virginia superstars who recently bought a mansion together outside of Richmond. After an awkward silence I decided to get back on track.
"What in the hell happened this off-season?" I finally blurted out.
After thirty seconds ticked by Gary finally sighed and just said, "I don't know." There was a look of sadness in his eyes. After another pause he continued.
"Have you ever heard the phrase 'trick me once, shame on you...trick me twice, shame on me." I nodded. "Well shame on me. I worked hard this off-season, as hard as I've ever worked. I know I'm getting older...shoot I'm almost closer to 40 than 30 now...but I can still play. I had a great time in LA in '89. I played in 150 games, I hit for my best average since '82 (.254), and I stole 39 more bases. When I became a free agent I wanted to go back to Los Alamos. My family knew that, my agent knew that, the team knew that, everyone knew that. I didn't even get other offers because everyone knew I was going back. When I signed in February I even took a pay cut and everyone, including me, was happy. Two weeks later I get a phone call from my agent...I had been cut.
My first thought was that it was a joke. I knew February 18th wasn't that close to April 1st, but maybe it was some other holiday I wasn't aware of. I laughed, my wife laughed...everyone laughed. Then the 5 o'clock news came on and when they got to the Sports part there it was. 'Gary Lipincot has been released by LA'. They couldn't even spell my damn name right.
I then went into panic mode. Between myself and my agent we called every single team in the BLB but nobody would bite. They all thought something was wrong with me. I couldn't even get a tryout. It was surreal and probably the lowest point in my life. Then April came. On the 5th I got a call from LA. They had screwed up their financial statement, found some more money, yada yada yada...they wanted me back. No thanks I told them. Then they called the 6th, and the 7th, and the 8th, and the 9th. The GM even personally called me. Told me how sorry they were. They sent my wife flowers. It was ridiculous but I finally realized they were the only game in town. So I signed...again...on April 10th.
I flew the family back out to where spring ball was being held. We got our old rental house back, got the kids situated in school, and everything got back to where it was supposed to be. And then on April 30th I got completely blindsided...again...by the same team. I came to work that day and noticed a note on my locker to see Toomey (LA manager). The guys were even joking that I was going to get cut. Ten minutes later after I did get cut I just walked out. I don't even know what they did with my stuff because I left it all there. I went home, called the moving company, and we were back in Los Lunas in two days."
"Did they give you a reason, the second time?" I asked.
"Nope. Said something about management issues and that was that. Truth be told I don't even remember what Alan said. I was so upset I just left. It was like being stood up at the alter twice by the same girl."
"Man that sucks," was all I could get out. "Do you still want to play?"
"I don't know. I'll be truthful, I'm a little gun shy right now. I fired my agent and haven't returned any phone calls. I'm just mad at the world and don't trust anyone. Believe it or not I thought you might even stand me up today."
"No?" I feigned.
"Ya. You probably didn't even notice but I drove around the parking lot twice looking for your car. I finally saw it parked in the back so I figured you must be here. At least I know I can count on someone these days."
At that point the waitress brought back our breakfast. Steak and eggs for me just like always...and a bowl of oatmeal for Gary.
"But I ordered 'steak and eggs' as well," Gary said softly.
The waitress replied, "you did honey? Well I'm so sorry, I must have messed up the ticket. Let me go put in another order for ya!"
"No that's okay," Gary mumbled as he slowly took a bite of cold oatmeal, "it's very fitting." With that the waitress gave a puzzled look, shrugged her shoulders and was off.
I gave another short laugh, took a bite of steak, and looked at the all-time BLB steals leader gag down another spoonful. "When it rains it pours Gary, when it rains it pours."
I've been covering baseball for 25 years and have known Gary Lippencott for 10 of those. We used to always meet at this little restaurant just outside of Los Lunas a few times a season when he played for the Javelinas. Simply put, I know Gary and he knows me. So when I saw him drive by that same diner twice that day, each time peering inside like he was a serial killer, I knew the rumors were true.
About a month ago I had a friend call me and say that Gary seemed to be having a nervous breakdown. He wouldn't return calls, he wouldn't meet with anyone, he would hardly leave the house. He had fired his agent and basically shut off all contact from the outside world. After I hung-up it didn't take me long to figure out why. A quick look over the transaction log in the BLB confirmed my suspicions. Gary had been stood-up...badly...twice.
<table class="lposhadow" style="margin-bottom: 18px; width: 681px; height: 52px;" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td class="sl" width="80">02-02-1990</td><td class="sl" width="831">Signed a 1-year contract worth a total of $1,910,000 with the Los Alamos Bandits organization.
</td></tr> <tr><td class="slg" width="80">02-18-1990</td><td class="slg" width="831">Released by the Los Alamos Bandits.
</td></tr> <tr><td class="sl" width="80">04-10-1990</td><td class="sl" width="831">Signed a 1-year contract worth a total of $1,400,000 with the Los Alamos Bandits organization.
</td></tr> <tr><td class="slg" width="80">04-30-1990</td><td class="slg" width="831">Released by the Los Alamos Bandits.</td></tr></tbody></table>I called him several times that week before I finally got a response. Since we both still lived in the area he said he would meet me at the usual spot. Over the next five days he then proceeded to call me several times to confirm the meeting. When the 'big' day finally came he called me twice on the way there just to make sure I was going to make it. By the second time I wanted to laugh, but I made sure to hold it in until after he hung up.
When he finally sauntered into the diner he was wearing a blue "FU-LA" shirt and peering around like a hawk. This time I did laugh out loud and when he saw me he made a bee line over to the table and grabbed a chair. We exchanged pleasantries and got our order in to the busy waitress.
I asked him about the wife and kids and he said all parties were doing well. The boy was 12 now and loved to play soccer which Gary couldn't understand. He didn't think it was a manly sport but said as long as he was having fun...and didn't turn out like "Woodbury and Nino"...he wouldn't mind. Our conversation then briefly touched on the two unmarried Virginia superstars who recently bought a mansion together outside of Richmond. After an awkward silence I decided to get back on track.
"What in the hell happened this off-season?" I finally blurted out.
After thirty seconds ticked by Gary finally sighed and just said, "I don't know." There was a look of sadness in his eyes. After another pause he continued.
"Have you ever heard the phrase 'trick me once, shame on you...trick me twice, shame on me." I nodded. "Well shame on me. I worked hard this off-season, as hard as I've ever worked. I know I'm getting older...shoot I'm almost closer to 40 than 30 now...but I can still play. I had a great time in LA in '89. I played in 150 games, I hit for my best average since '82 (.254), and I stole 39 more bases. When I became a free agent I wanted to go back to Los Alamos. My family knew that, my agent knew that, the team knew that, everyone knew that. I didn't even get other offers because everyone knew I was going back. When I signed in February I even took a pay cut and everyone, including me, was happy. Two weeks later I get a phone call from my agent...I had been cut.
My first thought was that it was a joke. I knew February 18th wasn't that close to April 1st, but maybe it was some other holiday I wasn't aware of. I laughed, my wife laughed...everyone laughed. Then the 5 o'clock news came on and when they got to the Sports part there it was. 'Gary Lipincot has been released by LA'. They couldn't even spell my damn name right.
I then went into panic mode. Between myself and my agent we called every single team in the BLB but nobody would bite. They all thought something was wrong with me. I couldn't even get a tryout. It was surreal and probably the lowest point in my life. Then April came. On the 5th I got a call from LA. They had screwed up their financial statement, found some more money, yada yada yada...they wanted me back. No thanks I told them. Then they called the 6th, and the 7th, and the 8th, and the 9th. The GM even personally called me. Told me how sorry they were. They sent my wife flowers. It was ridiculous but I finally realized they were the only game in town. So I signed...again...on April 10th.
I flew the family back out to where spring ball was being held. We got our old rental house back, got the kids situated in school, and everything got back to where it was supposed to be. And then on April 30th I got completely blindsided...again...by the same team. I came to work that day and noticed a note on my locker to see Toomey (LA manager). The guys were even joking that I was going to get cut. Ten minutes later after I did get cut I just walked out. I don't even know what they did with my stuff because I left it all there. I went home, called the moving company, and we were back in Los Lunas in two days."
"Did they give you a reason, the second time?" I asked.
"Nope. Said something about management issues and that was that. Truth be told I don't even remember what Alan said. I was so upset I just left. It was like being stood up at the alter twice by the same girl."
"Man that sucks," was all I could get out. "Do you still want to play?"
"I don't know. I'll be truthful, I'm a little gun shy right now. I fired my agent and haven't returned any phone calls. I'm just mad at the world and don't trust anyone. Believe it or not I thought you might even stand me up today."
"No?" I feigned.
"Ya. You probably didn't even notice but I drove around the parking lot twice looking for your car. I finally saw it parked in the back so I figured you must be here. At least I know I can count on someone these days."
At that point the waitress brought back our breakfast. Steak and eggs for me just like always...and a bowl of oatmeal for Gary.
"But I ordered 'steak and eggs' as well," Gary said softly.
The waitress replied, "you did honey? Well I'm so sorry, I must have messed up the ticket. Let me go put in another order for ya!"
"No that's okay," Gary mumbled as he slowly took a bite of cold oatmeal, "it's very fitting." With that the waitress gave a puzzled look, shrugged her shoulders and was off.
I gave another short laugh, took a bite of steak, and looked at the all-time BLB steals leader gag down another spoonful. "When it rains it pours Gary, when it rains it pours."
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