In New York With Global Traveler

When this post appears, I will be in New York for the annual wine-tasting event for Global Traveler (GT) magazine.  All of the airlines submit their wine to be judged by a panel of experts.  GT oversees this and presents awards to the winners at a later date.
Since the inception of this blog, I have mentioned GT 44 times. Some people have asked me what GT is and what I have to do with it.
GT is the creation of Fran Gallagher a long-time friend of mine (from my college job days). GT is a magazine aimed at the frequent or business traveler. It is distributed nationwide and internationally. Louie Atsaves (another long-time friend, but this time from my Lerner days) and I handle the distribution. We have worked at GT from the beginning, which really was before the first issue in February 2004.
I also contribute an online piece for GT every Wednesday, as well as having contributed to the actual printed magazine. This lead me to winning the 2009 Globility award (as I have previously discussed).
Many of my interviews are because of GT. Sometimes it is not a matter of real content, but more of getting the GT name out there (and getting me on major league fields). Many of my trips are GT-related.
If you have a few minutes, shoot over to the GT site and see all of the great travel, business and technology GT covers and then check out the GT blogs, especially the one which appears every Wednesday!

The GT staff in New York, NY-January 2010.

Friendly Encounters

This is a weekly series featuring friends who have met celebs.

Fran Gallagher probably thinks he should be the celebrity featured in a "Friendly Encounter".  As Publisher of the world famous Global Traveler magazine, Gallagher has gained a bit of notoriety (especially on GT's website), but even though he is a great friend, I still can't call him a celebrity.  Still, I can feature him here though, because he has met a bunch of celebs over the years.
Today, I am running the story on him meeting actress Joan Collins, who Fran described as "a real piece of work".  It seems Fran made a deal for Collins to light the Plazas Hotel's Christmas tree in exchange for Collins getting an extra night in her suite.  Collins no-showed the tree-lighting and used the limo that was provided for airport transfer to shop around NYC.
I have to give credit to Fran though.  When she checked out, he told the hotel to charge her credit card, which they did.  Fran later heard from an angry Collins via a phone call, but he didn't back down.  Apparently the Dynasty diva had met her match!

Fran Gallagher and Joan Collins in New York, NY-Mid 1990's.

Vince Papale Loves Johngy's Beat

Vince Papale was the Guest Speaker at the recent Global Traveler Awards event.  Papale was the NFL's oldest (non-kicker) rookie and the subject of the movie Invincible, which starred Mark Wahlberg.
Papale never played football in college, but was a great athlete.  In his late 20's, he tried out and made the Philadelphia Bell of the now-defunct World Football League.  After about a year and a half, shortly after the WFL folded, Papale got a tryout with the Philadelphia Eagles and made the team.  He became a special teams standout and played for 3 seasons.
After his speech, Papale mingled with everyone at the GT event.  He really was a great guy.  Before the evening ended, he took a moment to send a shout out to Johngy's Beat.

Greetings From New York

Today I am in New York for the annual Global Traveler awards and anniversary event.  Last year, I walked aware with some unexpected hardware in the form of the Globility Award.  This year, I'll be on stage as the Globility Award is presented to this year's recipient.
Global Traveler has come a long way since its debut in February of 2004.  This has been the dream of longtime friend and GT Publisher Fran Gallagher and I have been fortunate enough to be along for the ride from the beginning and it has been quite a ride. 
Hopefully, I'll have a few stories to share when I return.  Unfortunately, they probably won't be as entertaining as me ripping my pants, winning the Globility Award, tripping as I climbed the stage and having actor-award presenter Terrence Howard save me from falling off the stage.

The GT staff at the Andaz in New York, NY-January 2010.

Friendly Encounters

This is a weekly feature highlighting friends who have met celebs.

Fran Gallagher has been a great friend for a long time. After briefly working together in 1984, we joined forces again in 2005, as I joined Fran's team for Global Traveler magazine.
I have mocked Fran's passion for golf. Of course, he has mocked my passion for 16 inch softball (and just about everything else, now that I think of it). I don't mock his golf column, GTee, which appears in every issue. GTee is a popular feature (but not as popular as my weekly blog for GT). Fran's love for golf finally was of use to me, when he met pro golfer Rory McIlroy at the Scarsdale Country Club near New York City.
Clearly, Fran jumped at the chance at this 'Friendly Encounter'. Oh sure, Fran has his own magazine where he can run as many pictures of himself that he might want, but we are talking Johngy's Beat here. Fran might play it cool, but we all know that he loves being featured here.

Fran Gallagher and Rory McIlroy in Hartsdale, NY-Spring 2010.

On the Beat with Jeff Francoeur

Once again, I am featuring an 'On the Beat' video with my nephew Matt as the interviewer. Matt completed his interview trifecta by nabbing Jeff Francoeur of the New York Mets.
Francoeur made the 2005 Topps All-Star Rookie team and won a Gold Glove in 2007. Frenchy's stats dipped a bit after the 2007 season, but have remained steady since and at only 26, he still is young and improving.
Batting practice was ending and it was time for us to leave the field, but Matt logged in this last one. It is short, but effective as Francoeur gave us his thoughts on his favorite baseball city to visit.

On the Beat with Mike Hessman

Last week, I proudly featured my nephew Matt Parker's first celebrity interview. Once Matt got the first one out of the way, he wanted to grab a couple more to add to his resume. We crossed over to the Mets side of the field, where Matt encountered Mike Hessman, a corner infielder.
Hessman was the International League MVP in 2007 and was on the 2008 Olympic baseball team which won a bronze medal. This success hasn't yet translated to major league success, primarily due to his high strike out rate.
As usual for Global Traveler magazine, Matt asked Hessman about travel. Hessman's answer was a bit different than the usual cities mentioned.

On the Beat with Ron Gardenhire

Sometimes the rain works against us. Sometimes the rain works for us. At Target Field in Minneapolis a few weeks ago, it poured before the game, which caused batting practice to be canceled.
Ordinarily, this would put a major crimp into our interviews. However, this time, it presented an opportunity to talk to Manager Ron Gardenhire in the dugout before his pre-game press conference.
I have always liked Gardy. Even White Sox fans would have to admit that Gardenhire is an excellent manager. He's also a funny guy. As usual, in our interviews for Global Traveler magazine, we talked to Gardenhire about travel. His answers were interesting and amusing.

On the Beat with Beth Horn

I interviewed Beth Horn (actress, fitness model, American Gladiator) a couple years ago at Wizard World in Chicago (IL). That was one of my first unplanned interviews and I did it without any video or photographic coverage. Horn was very nice as I bumbled through it. I have met Horn a couple times since and she always remembers and cheerfully greets me.
Recently at Wizard World 2010, I asked Horn if she would do a short video interview to update us on what she has been doing. This time I was set with a videographer.
We talked about doing a convention in her home town. She also told us that her movie Fancy Pants (which also features Roddy Piper) will be out later this year. The big news is a Johngy's Beat scoop! There will be an American Gladiators movie filming next year and Horn is hopeful for a role in it. She has her fingers crossed and we wish her good luck.

On the Beat with Andrew Cashner

A few weeks ago, while at Wrigley Field covering the Chicago Cubs for Global Traveler magazine, I managed to squeeze in one quick question to young Cubs pitcher Andrew Cashner. Cashner was down the left field line signing autographs for dozens of fans. When he finished, he quickly headed to the dugout, but I intercepted him and managed to corral him for one quick answer.
Cashner was drafted by the Cubs in the first round in 2008 and is 1-4 in 27 games in this, his first season in the majors. Although a starter by trade (and used as such in the minors), Cashner has been used exclusively in relief in the majors.
With a limited window of opportunity, I went to the old reliable question of his favorite city to visit. Cashner, said Houston, because that is his hometown.
I need to refine this question however, as too many players are giving their hometown as the answer. It's not their fault. I would say probably say Chicago if I was a ballplayer. I probably need to add "excluding your hometown", but sometimes time and logistics require the question to be asked quickly and smoothly.
On the other hand, it could be interesting to see if any player ever changes the answer over the years. Maybe after visiting certain cities more often, his choice might change.
These are all small gripes (much like my gripe about my stupid camera which stuck in the "zoom" position). I'm still happy just to be out on the field and asking these questions for Global Traveler.

On the Beat With Jack Morris

We recently visited Target Field for an online piece for Global Traveler magazine. As usual, we attempted to talk to players and coaches about their thoughts on travel, hotels and restaurants
As we entered the pressbox to collect the official team notes, we ran into Jack Morris, a Twins broadcaster and former pitching great. Morris pitched for 18 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, Toronto Blue Jays and Minnesota Twins. He finished with a record of 254-186, in addition to his 7-4 record in the playoffs including 3 World Series Championships.
Morris mentioned Seattle, Chicago and Toronto as his favorite cities, based on the restaurants and the baseball park. His opinion on hotels was interesting, too.
Morris ended the quick interview by deflecting us to a Twins staffer. Hey, no problem with that. He gave us a few moments and we appreciated his time.
The debate rages on as to his Hall of Fame worthiness. Of course, in that same pressbox was another Hall of Fame-type pitcher, Bert Blyleven. That's a lot of success for one pressbox.

Reconnecting with Pete Flynn

Last year, Chuck and I interviewed Pete Flynn, the New York Mets legendary groundskeeper. Flynn might be the most famous Met, aside from Tom Seaver. He is certainly the most tenured, having joined the organization in 1962.
Flynn drove the Beatles from the stage at Shea Stadium to their waiting limo. He also drove Paul McCartney to the stage to join Billy Joel. He has seen all of the stars (at least the NL stars) and rates Willie Mays as the best.

This May, Louie and I were at Citi Field and we reconnected with Flynn. He is as unassuming as ever. I think he is amused by the spotlight, but doesn't really bask in it (like I probably would).

GT's John and Louie or ESPN's Joe Morgan?

Over the last few years, I have interviewed many sports personalities. A couple years ago at Dodger Stadium, ESPN's Joe Morgan gave us a very short answer as he walked by us. Later, he talked to us much more at length while in the Pressbox (and presumably off the record).
I have no problems with Morgan (except I still think Ryne Sandberg was just as good). Everyone has the right to (politely) refuse an interview request (no matter how brief). I also give applause to Morgan for talking to us in the Pressbox, because there he is really free to be left alone.

Morgan is a Hall of Famer and a top broadcaster on ESPN. When he is around, everyone knows it. He commands respect. Baseball people willingly (eagerly) talk to him. While Louie and I were at Citi Field last month, Joe Girardi talked to Morgan at length during batting practice.Global Traveler, Louie and I don't quite command that respect...yet! While we did get a few good interviews from people like Mick Kelleher and Tony Pena, we also were turned down by many Yankees. Some of the others (like Brian Cashman and Girardi) cruised right by us . I don't blame them, GT isn't ESPN.

Some day GT will have the respect that ESPN has (hey GT is 25 years younger). Some day I might command some of the attention that Morgan does (okay, this one is a stretch). My point is, despite not being HOFers or being associated with one of the leaders in sports coverage, we do pretty well...and we have a lot of fun!

GT at Citi Field

As I wrote online for Global Traveler magazine, Louie Atsaves and I had a great time at Citi Field, home of the New York Mets. We also managed to squeeze in some work. All of this was possible because of Nicole Chayet, Media Relations Coordinator for the Mets.
Traffic was a bit snarled, which caused us to be later than we planned. Still, we were able to catch most of batting practice and we talked to several players and coaches.
As I have written before, the highlight for me was talking to Yankees coach (and former Chicago Cubs infielder) Mick Kelleher. We also renewed acquaintances with ESPN's Jon Miller, whom we interviewed in 2008.
After our on field activities, we headed to the pressbox. We saw the regular announcers and writers. Everyone was so pleasant and helpful.
Finally, we roamed the rest of the stadium. It is a thing of beauty. Wide and airy concourses, great sight lines, excellent food and knowledgeable fans make this a great ballpark.
GT, along with Louie and me personally, would like to thank the entire New York Mets organization for the cooperation and consideration they showed us.

Louie fielded questions at the post-game press conference.Tom Terrific and me.
ESPN's Jon Miller talking with Yankees Manager Joe Girardi.
Citi Field in Flushing, NY-May 2010.

Louie and John on the field.

How Mick Became Killer Kelleher

A few days ago, I wrote about meeting Mick Kelleher, current coach with the New York Yankees and one of my favorite Cubs as I was growing up. I asked Kelleher about his scrap with Dave Kingman.
In 1977, when Kelleher was playing with the Cubs and Kingman was playing with the San Diego Padres (one of the four teams for Kingman in 1977), Kingman slid extra hard into second base. Kingman was supposedly upset that Cubs pitcher Steve Renko had hit him with a pitch. Despite Kingman's size (he had about 9 inches and 40 pounds on Kelleher), Kelleher jumped on Kingman and started to pummel him. In the video below, Kelleher talks about the incident.

I love the story, especially because Kingman joined the Cubs the next year. The two became teammates and put the wrestling match behind them. It's a great example of competitiveness on the field.
This is just one of many reasons why I liked Kelleher. It was a lot of fun watching him play and it was a real pleasure meeting and talking to him at Citi Field.
I really appreciate Kelleher giving us a few moments. I also appreciate the New York Mets for making this possible by facilitating Global Traveler's request for media access to the field.

Meeting Mick Kelleher

On a recent excursion to New York for a Global Traveler event, Louie and I went to a game between the Mets and Yankees at Citi Field. The Mets organization went beyond the call of duty to help us in our effort to do a piece on Citi Field. That piece worked out well and can be found here on GT's site.
One of the highlights was talking to Mick Kelleher (currently a coach for the Yankees). Kelleher played in the majors from 1972-1982. Five of those seasons were spent in Chicago and I was a big fan of his.
In the near future, I will be posting the interview with Kelleher. He talked about how he enjoyed Chicago (and this was before he knew we were from Chicago). I also asked him about his scuffle with Dave Kingman (who later became his teammate).
Before it ended, I told Kelleher that he had been one of my favorites while I was a kid. Kelleher seemed genuinely touched to hear that. I even asked for a posed photo with him (something I have never done on interviews). I figured I would never get this chance again.
This was a big thrill for me. I want to thank Nicole Chayet (Media Relations Coordinator for the Mets) for her valuable assistance. I want to tank the entire Mets organization for being so friendly and helpful. Finally, I want to thank Kelleher for taking the time to talk and for his years of effort in Chicago.

Mick Kelleher and me in Citi Field in Flushing, NY-May 2010.

Friendly Encounters

This is a series dedicated to my friends meeting celebs.

I have featured my friend and Global Traveler Publisher Fran Gallagher many times here. Today, I am featuring Fran's eldest daughter, Kate. What can I say about Kate? Well, for one, she's not Fran! That's a good thing. For another, she has survived growing up with him. That's not only good, it's sort of surprising. Oh I am just kidding (mostly). Fran is a great guy and longtime friend.
I had met Kate several times over the years, but got to know her a bit better when she joined the GT staff last year. I know Kate has done more important things, but her work with the company newsletter is outstanding. Being in charge of any company newsletter is a less-than-thankless task. Kate handles it smoothly and gets it done successfully.
In January at GT's annual awards event, Kate was busy handling (and juggling) many responsibilities, but she always had time to find humor in something. It was a real pleasure working with her.

Fran Gallagher, Kate Gallagher and Terrence Howard in New York, NY-January 2010.

Shoes News

I have very few basketball related stories on this site. I haven't met many basketball players. For some reason, they just don't seem to do a lot of appearances.
A few years ago while in New York for a Global Traveler function, I had a basketball star experience, well almost. On a tour of Madison Square Garden, we went into the locker room (during an off-day for the Knicks).
The tour guide showed us the basketball shoes of Jerome James, They were quite large and heavy, but I guess when you are that big, a few extra ounces on your feet isn't a big deal.
The shoes were rather quiet, although more pleasant than some of the celebs I have met. Still, not meeting any actual players at MSG and just settling for the shoes left me feeling a bit de-feeted...ummm yeah.

Me holding the shoe of Jerome James in New York, NY-January 2006.

Johngy Wins Globility Award

I have been writing a blog for Global Traveler magazine for over two years. I shamelessly promote the blog and I usually get a handful of comments (always more than my Publisher Fran Gallagher gets...not that I keep track).
I have told my Rick Monday-David Stein story before, but I will recap it briefly for any new readers.
For my July 4th (2008) piece, I decided to write a piece on Monday saving the US flag during a game in 1976. Coincidentally, I was attending a game in Los Angeles (where Monday was now a broadcaster) in June. I managed to get an interview with Monday in the clubhouse (thanks to advice from Laurie).
The piece, An Act of Patriotism, appeared on GT's site as planned. That night, I was shocked to hear David Stein of Sporting News Radio reading my blog over the air nationwide.
Of course, I had to tell (brag to) Fran. After taking his barbs about the usual content of my pieces, I had to rub it in a bit. He was ecstatic at the exposure and thanked me in a company-wide email.
Fast forward to January 21, 2010. I was in NY at the newly opened Andaz for GT's annual awards event. As Fran was starting to present the many awards (to airlines, hotels, etc), I went to the restroom. Unfortunately, I did not exit unscathed as my suit pants zipper broke. Fortunately, my room was in the hotel, so I went upstairs to attempt to fix the zipper. After a few futile moments, I threw on my jeans, figuring nobody would even notice, as I wasn't the main focus (or even a secondary focus).
As I reentered the event, I heard Fran talking about a blog. Then I heard a recording of Stein reading my piece on Monday. Kim Krol summoned me to the stage area, just as Fran announced that I was the winner of this year's Globility award. (The Globility award is given for the quality of being open to a world of cultures and experiences.)
Then I tripped as I went to the stage and Terrence Howard (actor and awards-presenter) saved me from tumbling off. I have met a lot of celebs, but this was one of the most memorable!
It was a huge surprise and a great experience. I guess I can now say I am an award-winning blogger! I also have to say I owe you, Laurie!

Terrence Howard and me (and my jeans) in New York, NY-January 2010.

Friendly Encounters

This is weekly feature highlighting friends who have met celebs.

Louie and I will be joining the rest of the Global Traveler gang in NY this week for the annual awards luncheon. I can't believe this will be the fifth event already. This year's guest of honor is Terrence Howard.
Today, I am featuring GT's head honcho Fran Gallagher. At a pre-GT business luncheon, Gallagher met Janet Leigh. Leigh is perhaps best known for her role in Psycho and for being the mother of Jamie Lee Curtis.
Gallagher described Leigh as a "total class act", which hopefully means he was on his best behavior. We all know that Gallagher can sometimes be a bit psycho.

Fran Gallagher and Janet Leigh in New York, NY-mid 90's.