For those who follow this site with any regularity, you know that we try to avoid ‘I / We’-type articles, although this isn’t always possible with the talented and diverse writing staff that ThinkBlue LA is blessed to have.

This is one of those ‘I / We’ articles, and it involves Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully, American hero astronaut Buzz Aldrin, and yours truly.

Allow me to digress.

Having grown up during the so-called ‘space-age,’ I was a huge NASA and space program fan. I mean, I had Atlas-Mercury, Titan-Gemini, and Saturn V-Apollo Revell models that I had built standing proudly atop my bookcase (although the Sylmar earthquake in 1971 forced me to re-build them).

Back then, I could name every American astronaut who had been into space, up to and including (and especially) Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin – the first human beings to set foot on the moon – with Michael Collins orbiting above in the command module.

Back to the present … sort of.

The date was May 27, 2013. I was blessed to have received a media credential for the Vin Scully Press Box to cover the interleague game between the Dodgers and the Anaheim Angels of Anaheim (yes, I’m still bitter over that Los Angeles thing). I had just checked in with James, the (then) security officer in charge of press box access, and rounded the corner towards my designated spot when there, standing in the doorway to Vin’s booth was Buzz Aldrin, the second man to set foot on the moon.

I was speechless.

I quickly made my way to my seat and removed my camera from my backpck, and made my way back to the hallway just outside Vin’s booth.

Rats! Buzz was gone. He had entered Vin’s booth, which was absolutely positively off-limits to everybody, and understandably so.

At that very moment, my good friend Brian Hagan, Vin’s engineer, stepped out of the booth and saw me standing there with a dumb look on my face and my camera around my neck.

Brian stared me straight in the eye, quickly looked left and looked right, and said, “Come on,” and he ushered me into the booth. Although I never confirmed it with Brian, I suspect that since the great Jon SooHoo was nowhere to be seen, Brian wanted me to capture this historic moment on film (or digits, in this case). Whatever the reason, I was more than happy to oblige.

Undoubtedly with shock on my face (and shaky hands), I took this photo of two of the biggest heroes in my life:

It goes without saying that I immediately exited the booth after taking the shot.

…but I didn’t go far.

There was no way that I was not going to (try to) get a photo with Buzz, and I hovered in the ‘legal’ area until he finally emerged from Vin’s booth. I asked him if he would honor me with a photograph of the two of us, to which he generously and graciously agreed, with Brian snapping the photo.

But the story doesn’t end here; not by any margin.

When I got home that night, I immediately printed out an 8×10 of the Buzz and Vin photo and stuffed it into a manilla envelope. Thinking nothing of it, I also stuffed one of my ThinkBlue LA business cards in the envelope as well.

A few days later, while again in the Vin Scully Press Box, I slipped the envelope to Brian (he knew exactly what it was), and I asked him to please give it to Vin, in the event that he might want it.

End of story.

…or so I thought.

Several days later while at the Edwards Theatres in Canyon Country watching some movie that I haven’t a clue was, my cellphone vibrated.

“Who the hell is calling me in the middle of a movie?” I said to myself as if they could have possibly known that I was actually watching one. Naturally, I did not answer the call.

When the movie ended and I got to my car and was preparing to drive home, I suddenly remembered the call and looked at my cellphone. Sure enough, the caller had actually left a voicemail message. I mean, who even does that these days, right?

Upon entering my super secret code, the call came on.

“Hellooooo, Ron, this is Vin Scully.”

I died.

“I just wanted to thank you for the photograph of our moon-walker Buzz Aldrin. I hope to see you soon at the ballpark. Thanks again, and have a great day.”

I died, again.

I can only imagine how foolish I must have looked, sitting there in my running car, staring down at my cellphone, with my mouth agape.

Sure enough, the next time I was in the press box to cover a game, Vin and his lovely wife Sandra caught me in the hallway, and he again thanked me profoundly, like this was even necessary.

This is a memory that I shall cherish until my final breath.

…especially today, July 20, 2020 – the 51st anniversary of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin’s historic first walk on the surface of the moon.

And now you know … the rest of the story.

Good day.

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