From a reader who e-mailed, but asked to remain anonymous. This is the first random encounter. If you have a random encounter with a member of any level of the Astros organization, e-mail astroscounty@hotmail.com.
Where I work there aren't a lot of baseball fans, let alone Astros fans. So one day, very randomly, Drayton McLane came in. My boss ran in to my office and told me to come with him. So I hurry out and almost run smack in to Drayton. My boss says, "This is our lone Astros fan."
Drayton sized me up and said, "Are you going to join me in rooting for the Astros this year?" I said, "Just like every year, sir." He then says, "That's great. Do you remember when we opened the Astrodome?" I'm 26 years old at the time. So I say, "That was a little before my time." But the whole time thinking, "Jeez, Drayton, how old do I look? My dad was seven when the Astrodome opened."
And that was it, he kept walking.
Excellent random story! Got a random encounter? E-mail it!
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
