Episode 166 — Crystal McKenzie: Growing Up with the Game, Inheriting St. Louis Loyalty, & Passing Down a Love for Baseball

[00:00:00] Crystal:  I have two girls, they’ll be six and ten next month. And I now get to kind of hit another spike of loving the game, because as a family, we are doing our own, like, ballpark chases, and I love sitting at the game with them, and we get our hot dogs loaded in mustard because ketchup’s a crime. you know, we get our little cards out and our little pencils and we are scoring the game. I get to teach them about this game that I just absolutely just appreciate and love. And, um, You know, they’re learning about this game too  it’s like another level of magic for me. 

[00:00:42] Anna: What’s up bucketheads. Thanks for tuning in and welcome to episode number 166 of the baseball bucket list podcast. I’m your host Anna DiTommaso. And each week on the show, I speak with a different baseball fan about their favorite memories. What’s left on their baseball bucket list and what the game of baseball means to them. 

[00:00:58] Anna: This week, I sat down with Crystal McKenzie from the St. Louis area. Crystal is a lifelong Cardinals fan. Thanks to her parents St. Louis loyalty, even though she was born and raised here in the Dallas Fort worth area. We talk about how seeing Nolan Ryan pitch in person ignited her fandom, how the 94 strike effected her and other fans, and how the 98 home run chase revived her love of the game. We also get to hear about how Crystal is now in a phase of life, where she gets to experience baseball through the eyes of her two daughters. As a family, Crystal her girls and her husband are on a chase to hit all 30 MLB parks, hopefully checking off as many Cards games as they can, along the way. And in the meantime, experiencing many of the other bucket list items, this game has to offer like museums, historic sites and beautifully random events. 

[00:01:45] Anna: This one was a ton of fun. I really enjoyed the interview. I know you all will too, so let’s get right to it. Now without further ado, sit back, relax and enjoy some baseball banter with Crystal McKenzie. 

[00:01:57] Anna: Crystal, thank you so much for joining us today on the Baseball Bucket List. How are things in St. Louis?

[00:02:04] Crystal: Uh, you know, a little, a little dreary on the baseball front. Um, our Cardinals have fallen, as if it’s their job. So, I mean, but right, there’s always hope until there’s not. So, yeah.

[00:02:20] Anna: I have a buddy who, he lives here in the Dallas area now, but he spent a lot of time in St. Louis and he’s a big Cards fan, obviously, and I swear every few weeks I just get these, like, novels of text messages with his professional opinion on, you know, what’s going wrong, so it’s definitely a passionate fan base, like, I have to give y’all that.

[00:02:42] Crystal: It absolutely is. I like to tell people that I’ve been a fan since before I was born, um, because I was Born to very avid Cardinals fans and so I like to joke that while my mother was pregnant my dad would like whisper through the belly button like go Cards go Cards because I was born in July of 82 and if anybody knows 82 in St.

[00:03:08] Crystal: Louis was a great year for baseball. So, you know,

[00:03:12] Anna: It sounds like you didn’t stand a chance, but we, we got to hear more of this story, right? So, I mean, you were born into a world in which you didn’t really have a choice. You were going to be a baseball fan, it kind of sounds like, but you didn’t necessarily have to adopt it as this true passion that it’s become for you.

[00:03:27] Anna: So how did that love for the game develop?

[00:03:31] Crystal: yeah, it’s actually, um, it takes a hard left turn. So I was born in Missouri, but I was raised in Dallas in the DFW area. And my parents were both raised, born and raised in St. Louis. So even though I was raised in Texas, I was raised by native St. Louisans. And so that’s where the introduction and love of Cardinals baseball became a thing.

[00:03:55] Crystal: But What really just sealed the deal for me was I got to go to watch the Rangers play and I actually got to see Nolan Ryan pitching and I kid you not, it was just awe inspiring seeing just the sheer power of him throwing it and just Knocking batters down out, out, out. And it just got me so excited. And as a 10 year old, I’m sure everybody’s like, that’s what excited you as a 10 year old.

[00:04:27] Crystal: Uh, it sure did. And then I just threw myself into it. So that was in 1992. And so I was starting to get into it a little bit more, starting to collect baseball cards. And then the strike happens. And I was devastated and I couldn’t believe how selfish the ball players were being to strip me of this after just a few short years of getting into it.

[00:04:52] Crystal: And then I moved to St. Louis in 96. And it was just a few short years later in 98, when I feel like everybody got back on the baseball train with, you know, the home run with Sammy Sosa and Mark McGuire. And it just, I mean, it just shot it through the roof that I was locked in from there, from like 98 forward.

[00:05:16] Crystal: It’s just been a fantastic experience as a Cardinals fan and a baseball fan. So that’s it.

[00:05:23] Anna: I love that you got to see Nolan Ryan pitch in person. I mean, that’s like, he’s like the OG. Pitcher in my my mind because we must be around the same age and you know I remember growing up thinking that he was just this incredible Like there would never be another human being who could throw the ball as hard as him And of course, I was obviously very very wrong But was he was like kind of the original fast baller, right and he’s like listen, I’m not fancy I got one pitch here.

[00:05:55] Anna: It is try to hit it. You probably can’t

[00:05:57] Crystal: Right. And as somebody now who is of a certain age, that starts with the number four, I am now trying to picture myself out on a baseball mound. Throwing a baseball. I mean, there are mornings whenever I get out of bed and I’m like, nope, nope, nope. My back. And I just can’t imagine now as somebody who is 42 and knowing that he was out there actually doing that and still telling it as a 42 year old.

[00:06:26] Crystal: It’s just, it makes me appreciate him even more to know kind of to have that perspective of it. So

[00:06:32] Anna: definitely, definitely. Alright, so you’re a young kid, you’re growing up in Dallas, DFW area, but you’re, your folks are avid Cardinals fans, loyal Cardinal fans, and but it sounds like you kind of have this little history with the Texas Rangers, right? Like, that’s the environment you grew up in, you grew up going to see the the late 80s, early 90s Rangers, and uh, you know there’s gotta be a part of this story where it becomes very clear to you that like, okay, the Cards are my team and here’s why.

[00:07:03] Crystal: Yeah, I think, um, What really obviously, right? Like I will always have a special place in my heart for the Texas Rangers, because that is, that was really the team and the time that it clicked for me. But as I’ve gotten older and I have adult money. That I’ve been able to go to more baseball games here in St. Louis So I’ve been able to really embrace and have more immersion in the sport and really enjoy it And I appreciate it more as a pastime and that has been kind of my you know Post Rangers, post Texas living life where I’ve had it and now I think what really has just you know It’s like it plateaued and I was just I was a fan like a huge fan.

[00:07:52] Crystal: Love the game I listened to it on the radio watch it on TV. It just I love it, right? I have two girls, who are, they’ll be six and ten next month. And I now get to kind of hit another spike of loving the game, because as a family, we are doing our own, like, ballpark chases, and I love sitting at the game with them, and we get our hot dogs loaded in mustard because ketchup’s a crime.

[00:08:21] Crystal: And we, you know, we get our little cards out and our little pencils and we are scoring the game. And so as we go through, I get to teach them about this game that I just absolutely just appreciate and love. I love the history of it. And, um, You know, they’re learning about this game too and seeing them make these connections and something as simple as like, okay, so who’s up and then they’ll say, you know, a player or, you know, something, just being able to share the game with them and get them on board so early.

[00:08:56] Crystal: Um, it’s just, it’s like another level of magic for me. And it’s funny because. Two years ago, we were in Texas visiting family. We were there for a wedding. It was July and we really appreciated having an air conditioned baseball game, which was nice. And, um, it was funny because the Rangers were playing the Houston Astros.

[00:09:19] Crystal: So it was already like a wild game. Right. And, um, as somebody who was. really, really irked at baseball in 2017. I explained to my girls, I was like, okay, it’s the Houston Astros. They were dirty, rotten cheaters. And, um, so this guy that’s up to bat right now, Altuve, he’s the worst of the worst. And so I was like, he was the biggest cheater.

[00:09:43] Crystal: And so every time that he would come up, you know, of course there were fans booing and stuff just because it was right over, but they were both like, And so you’ve got this like four year old and this eight year old who are just screaming like crazy booing this player and I could not have been more proud.

[00:10:02] Crystal: And so it’s just, you know, it’s, um, obviously I’m like leading the horse to water, whatever you call it, but they are kind of getting their own like independence. And. Their frame of mind for what they enjoy most about the game because they’re two totally different people They enjoy two totally different aspects of it Um, but just getting to share it with them.

[00:10:28] Crystal: it’s just the best it really is

[00:10:30] Anna: It’s got to be special. It really does because like my dad is the reason that I love baseball and You know He was the one who taught me how to score a ballgame and still to this day He scores and if we’re at a game together We’ll often you know trade the book back and forth and it kind of keeps us engaged and then the other one is tasked with like running for beers or whatever, but um It’s just such a special thing that, like, will always connect me back to him.

[00:10:58] Anna: Like, regardless of how old I get, I’ll still be that little kid sitting at the ballgame with my dad, you know? And so, um, I imagine that’s pretty special to your kids, but when I was young, Like you mentioned 98, Sammy Sosa was my guy, right? And like I was, as a young kid, I grew up in the Dallas area before I moved to Florida.

[00:11:23] Anna: And so my introduction to baseball was also the Texas Rangers at the ballpark in Arlington. But like my favorite player was Sammy Sosa, a Chicago Cub, right? Because I just enjoyed his antics, his personality, his larger than lifeness. And, uh, do your kids have Guys like that, like, do they have the, Hey, this is the guy that I follow, regardless of who he’s playing for or what he’s doing, or are they just straight up Cardinals fans?

[00:11:51] Crystal: so they Both have I mean, they’re very much Cardinals fans. And so they know Cardinals players, but they both have their own favorite player for different reasons and It’s impressive to me to see them remember that person and know when he’s coming up to bat and what position he plays and they get disappointed.

[00:12:17] Crystal: You know, like the one, Nootbaar is her favorite and it’s probably because we all get to yell, noooot, um, from the stands, but whenever he’s not in the game or, you know, just however long ago he was injured, so he was out a little bit. Um, you know, she was, a little disappointed that he wasn’t there. And then we got tickets.

[00:12:37] Crystal: She took me for my birthday to the Springfield Cardinals game. And at the time, whenever it was around my birthday, we were going, he was down. And on rehab assignment. And so I was like, Hey, guess what? He’s going to be there. So she got her little new bar t shirt and he got brought up, which was great, of course, but she was just like, he’s not here anymore.

[00:12:59] Crystal: And so it’s just, it is cool that they have found this player. Um, and. They kind of get the rivalry. We have some Texas family, but for whatever reason, they’re Cubs fans as well. So this summer we met that family in Chicago and we went to a Cubs cards game and just kind of being in that atmosphere of this rivalry and, you know, that competitive spirit, seeing it in them, it’s just, it’s another element of just seeing it through their eyes, which is just It’s the best.

[00:13:30] Crystal: It really is. It’s so cool.

[00:13:32] Anna: Do you see a lot of yourself in them? Like, as they’re, you know, kind of watching the game, do you, do you recognize things that you did when you were younger or things you might still do as a fan today?

[00:13:43] Crystal: Yeah, one of the funniest things, we have a rule whenever we go to ball games that we can only get more food on even innings. Otherwise, they’re just constantly wanting something to eat. And so we always let them try. Um, I am very much a purist. I like a ballpark hot dog. I like the plain nachos and a beer.

[00:14:05] Crystal: I think that’s it. I don’t want to try all like the fancy whatever because I just I love that again It’s part of the experience and they have kind of ebbed that way because my husband always wants to try all of like the big crazy like Helmet of nachos and whatever sandwich and they’re both just like no, no, no, this is This is it for us.

[00:14:27] Crystal: Like, I’m a pretzel girl, I’m a nachos girl, and a bag of peanuts. And just seeing them just kind of naturally start to enjoy the game, and look forward if we’re going out of town for a game, and just seeing that excitement and it hasn’t like, Wavered off at all and getting them excited over the winter for, you know, like winter meetings are coming up and we’ll get some news and then there’s spring training and just seeing if they’re actually excited about it.

[00:14:56] Crystal: And it’s not just them trying to make me happy, they’re getting it, it’s clicking. And so it’s really, it’s exciting to have that because this is something that. Even when they become adults, we can still experience and share this together. We can still go out of town and see ball games. And, uh, we got to go to back, uh, in June, we got to go to Oakland and see the Cardinals play the athletics.

[00:15:22] Crystal: And so we obviously got to go to the, you know, for one of the last games of their season in Oakland. And so getting to explain that to them, like, this is, this is a big deal. Like we’re here and they’ll always have that even when it’s like the Las Vegas. A’s or whatever it’s gonna be. So, you know, yeah.

[00:15:39] Anna: Are you trying to see the cardinals at all 30 parks? Are you just trying to get to all 30 parks?

[00:15:47] Crystal: So we’re doing both of those because if we just happen to be in a city and they have a team and they’re home and they’re playing, I feel like it would be wasteful to not go and go to the ballpark and If we can happen to just line up our schedules and the cardinals are in town and we’re gonna be there or whatever, then obviously we would love to see it, and it is a little bit easier to schedule out and kind of make a better plan knowing that they’re on like two year rotations with each team and they are putting the schedules out so far in advance, and so it’s.

[00:16:23] Crystal: It’s cool to see that and then we have like these little one off things that I love about your website where you can see all of the different bucket list items that people are putting out there and I’m like, Oh, that is a great idea. Like, yes, I would love to do that as well. And it’s just, it’s something there’s no end to all of the things, because once you get to the MLB parks, then you could go to the minor league parks. Then you could go to like the historical, you could go, you know, to Iowa and see, you know, the field of dreams or Cooperstown. And, you know, we just being able to see that with them. 

[00:16:58] Crystal: And, you know, again, last year, I think we went to Kansas city and we saw Cubs Cards, but while we were there, we we also made it to the Negro Leagues Museum and just getting to explain that history to them of.

[00:17:11] Crystal: Not that long ago, this is another example of where we were and just the way that people were treating people. And, you know, it’s, it’s shifted. And that’s a great improvement in the game of baseball and seeing that and being able to see something like women in the front office and female managers. It’s hopefully sparking something in them that there’s, there’s no boundaries, like they could do anything.

[00:17:40] Crystal: Be whatever they want. They want to be a GM for the Cardinals someday. Sure. Maybe. Um, you know, but just being able to introduce and kind of keep that going. There’s no end to all the different quests and side quests we could chase. I

[00:17:55] Anna: I think a lot of cards fans would probably argue that if your kids, if your daughters were the, the GMs of the cards, they might be in a better place right now.

[00:18:05] Crystal: mean, some days it’s hard to be a fan and also to kind of be positive. Like, no, that was a great move. Yeah. I’m so glad we did that. It’s, it’s tough, right? Especially when you do have family that are Cubs fans and we’ve fallen down. And I have coworkers who are Mets fans that are reaching out and they’re like,

[00:18:30] Anna: Rangers just won a World Series, so I’m sure, I’m sure you’re hearing it from, from everybody in your circle right now. 

[00:18:35] Crystal: Yes. 

[00:18:36] Anna: You made a point about, you know, how the bucket list just kind of like is ever expanding, right? And I think that’s one of the greatest things about this game is, you know, it’s not it’s not football where each field is the same And so when you travel from city to city, I know there are people doing this I don’t quite understand why but you know, I would never care to see the same field at You 30 different locations, but because these parks are so characteristic, the playing dimensions are different.

[00:19:07] Anna: Uh, you mentioned having the opportunity to go see minor league games and historical sites and things like that. I think we were, we were all kind of lucky as baseball fans to be kind of either born into this fandom or to have been smart enough to choose it on our own.

[00:19:24] Crystal: I completely agree and it’s, I always try to, if somebody says that they don’t enjoy baseball or they don’t like it or it’s just so boring, which is the thing that I hear and that baffles me. Because there’s just so much strategy and so much that has to happen just right. And just small, tiny things out on the field, these communications that happen that we’re not aware of that just show how smart the players and how smart the managers are.

[00:20:00] Crystal: And when you see somebody make a play or a call and it’s just like, wow. Wow, that took a lot of putting together and I really do feel it is a very intelligent game and when people are You know, oh, it’s just so boring Like I’m sorry that there aren’t guys out there crunching into each other and you know, whatever but I just They just, they don’t know, they don’t get, they don’t understand the game and the fact that it has gone for so long, so unchanged and has been able to keep its purity for so long, just to me shows how timeless it is of a pastime and why it really, truly is such a great pastime for families, for couples, for anybody that’s looking to have some kind of a tradition. There’s, there’s no other choice.

[00:20:55] Anna: true, it’s so true. My friend Tommy Schaaf, he says, “it’s okay if you don’t like baseball. It’s kind of a game for smart people”. So

[00:21:04] Crystal: right. Agreed. Absolutely agreed. And You just, you watch it and whenever you hear some random call, right? Like if you’re sitting in the stands and all of a sudden the game kind of gets paused for a minute and you’re like, what in the world? You’ve got the umpires just all standing around like pointing and hands on hips and they’re trying, then you’ve got the managers coming out yelling and hats and oh, it’s some random rule that we didn’t know about. Just the fact that there’s always something new to learn and you see and you’re like, oh, okay, so that’s a rule All right I didn’t realize that there’s just always something new to learn and to get excited about and just see That again is timeless and has continued on for such a long time. It’s I agree.

[00:21:49] Crystal: He’s absolutely right It is for smart people, obviously.

[00:21:52] Anna: yeah. Well said, Tommy. Well said. that’s, uh, that’s one of the best things about it too, is like, you never know. You know, you could go to hundreds of games, thousands of games over the course of your life and there’s always still the opportunity that you’re going to walk through the gate one day and see something that you never in a million years have seen before.

[00:22:09] Anna: Would have to your point known about or even just like expected that you would ever have the opportunity to do that? So I don’t think you get that in a lot of other sports And so it’s just another one of those unique things about baseball that makes it so special 

[00:22:27] Crystal: one of the, I think most beautiful parts about the game is just the anticipation of something that’s happening. The excitement I 1000 percent completely, totally honest. We’ll get right at the bottom of the ninth inning. And you’ve got the teams like they’re on their last strike.

[00:22:43] Crystal: Why not? I will get legit goosebumps just. With the excitement of like, Oh, this could be it. Like this is our, we’re great two out hitters. Like this is great. Wouldn’t pick another player off of our bench. Then this guy, this is the guy for us. And you never know when you’re going to be a part of a no hitter or some other moment in time that you’ll remember.

[00:23:07] Crystal: Like I was there when Mark McGuire broke the record. And, you know, it’s just, you never know what to expect whenever you go to a game. And it’s funny because we were at dinner last night and the restaurant we were at had like TVs and all the sports and stuff, and they were showing an ESPN classic game, and it was the Mariners and the Blue Jays, and Randy Johnson was pitching, and just randomly, a memory popped into my head, obviously I was not there to see this, but it was him pitching, and he threw the ball and hit the bird, the bird exploded, feathers everywhere, the catcher’s like, I, what, I, nope, this is not my job, and I was trying to explain to the girls, again, they’re young.

[00:23:53] Crystal: Almost six and ten. And so I was like, how do I make this not morbid, but a really cool fact to show? I don’t know his accuracy or something. Did you see that guy pitching right there? And they’re like, yeah I was like there was a game he was pitching and he throws so fast and is so accurate a bird just happened to be the wrong place the wrong time and And I found a clip on YouTube.

[00:24:17] Crystal: Thanks watched it. They were just I’m like, not amazed. That’s not the right word. They were just, I don’t know the word, And, you know, I was explaining to him, I was like, yeah, he just, you know, it was, he’s so accurate and so powerful, throws so hard and so fast, the bird didn’t stand a chance. And, you know, through the power of internet, again, like you said, we’re so lucky to live in this time where I can be like, Here’s this memory I have.

[00:24:44] Crystal: Let me just pull it up on YouTube and show you this video and take you back in time to see this. It’s a really cool time to be alive to see in person, to be able to go back and see these historical moments, and maybe even be part of one. So,

[00:24:59] Anna: for sure, for sure, and I don’t know if you, Crystal, have seen, you know, Randy Johnson obviously retired from baseball now, and his kind of second or third act or whatever he’s in in his, his life story right now, he’s a, he’s a photographer. And so, um, yeah, when we finish up here for you and anyone listening, if you haven’t seen Randy Johnson’s photography logo, I’m just gonna tell you it is well worth a quick Google search because it is absolutely ingenious.

[00:25:26] Crystal: uh, I mean, I’m going to have to look it up for sure and see it, and I just hope it’s not any kind of a bird or a winged figure because I feel like that would be weird a

[00:25:38] Anna: That’s exactly what it is. It’s a dead bird and it’s uh, yeah, it’s it’s wild. It’s um, it’s it’s pretty funny actually, I mean

[00:25:48] Crystal: Imagine him going to the graphic designer and it’s like, Hi, I’m Randy Johnson.

[00:25:51] Anna: Have you seen this? Yeah. Have you seen this youtube video? It’s uh, yeah. Oh

[00:25:56] Crystal: this thing, and the guy is like, So you want, you want a, a dead bird? Okay.

[00:26:03] Anna: That was a conversation for sure. Yeah Oh, man, what comes to mind if I ask you what your favorite baseball memory is?

[00:26:11] Crystal: it’s, Tough to beat when baseball clicked for the first time, right? When, you know, seeing Nolan Ryan pitch, that’s obviously, but I think, I do have a favorite memory. It is very odd. It’s a long story, so I will give you the Reader’s Digest version. So going back to 17 year old me, Almost 18 year old me. I went to a Cardinals game for my birthday, and I was, I had seats over at the time, at our last Busch Stadium, over the bullpen, over the opposing team’s bullpen.

[00:26:48] Crystal: And this is when the Astros were still in the National League. So we were playing the Astros. Martin Maguire was there, right? Like, it was just, it was a thing. A point in time and we’re watching the game and there was like a bit of a like rain delay and I’m watching, you know, I’m looking down to the opposing teams, their bullpen and such, and they’re just kind of tick, tick, tick, tick, and I’m like, it’s my birthday.

[00:27:09] Crystal: And so of course, like, I’m like, Hey, And I said, I have to do it today. And they were like, Hey, throw me a baseball baseball. And they’re like, you know, and so then later one of the players, one of the pitchers, he actually threw up a baseball to me and I was like, Oh my God. I was like, freaking out. I was like, this is the best day ever.

[00:27:23] Crystal: And, uh, of course then I needed a signature. I needed his autograph for it. Right. And, um, so after the game at a Cardinals game afterwards. You can, uh, Wait out of like the parking area, which is like underneath the stadium. You can wait there and Cardinals players will come out and they’ll, you know, sign autographs or they’ll just drive, you know, erratically and.

[00:27:44] Crystal: Not talk to anybody, but also out of like the other side of the stadium, the opposing team, they would come out to like the back office area, they would get on a bus. And so I was like, ah, perfect. So I went and I stood and I’m standing on the one side of the little fence thing. And I’m like, trying to get his attention.

[00:27:59] Crystal: I’m like, Hey, Hey, Houston player. You know, I’m trying to get his attention. Cause I was like, I need my ball signed. And of course he went on the opposite side and then right onto the bus. I was like, dang it, because I tried to run around to the other side and he was already on the bus. So I was like, ah, darn it, right?

[00:28:15] Crystal: So I’m walking back around to go meet up with my friends and I hear And I’m like what and I look up and he’s knocking at me from the bus like the window and I’m like, oh my god Oh my god, what am I gonna do? So he ended up getting off the bus, signed my baseball and everything and he’s like you’re gonna be at the game tomorrow And I was like, I’m not And he’s like, well, here, I’ll leave tickets for you.

[00:28:35] Crystal: And I was like, get out of town. Okay, so I wrote down, you know, gave him everything. And so the next day, drove up. And at this time, we were living outside of St. Louis. So it was like an hour and a half drive to get there. So we drove up. My best friend got in. We drove up. I went to the will call, and I was like, I, I am Crystal Maiden Name, and I have tickets waiting for me.

[00:28:56] Crystal: And so the lady, she was like, thumb through the little thing, and she goes, I don’t see anything for your name. And I was like, No! I couldn’t believe it. And I was like, I turned to my friend, I’m like, this is what I get for trusting an Astros player. And the lady goes, Oh, wait, did you say the Astros? And I said, yeah, yeah.

[00:29:16] Crystal: And she goes, Oh, and she grabbed this other little box and she thumbed through it. She goes, Oh, here you go. And of course I was like, beside myself. So I was over sitting in some area. And so then after the game, you know, he met and you gave me some more signatures and whatever, whatever. So then fast forward to the next season.

[00:29:33] Crystal: Of course, I come back to the stadium when they’re in town and I’m standing in the, kind of the outfield area. And there’s this adorable little tiny woman who knows every single baseball player on both of the teams. And her name’s tidbit, which was appropriate. And she’s sitting out there and she’s waving and the players come running up to her and they’re like, Oh, and I find out that this woman travels around to all the stadiums and.

[00:29:58] Crystal: She knows all these players because she makes cookies for them and makes little trinkets for their kids and everybody knows tidbit So i’m like this is the lady I need to be friends with so i’m standing next to her And so I look out and I see the ball player and you know, he waves And of course, I think he’s talking to tidbit, right?

[00:30:15] Crystal: And so I don’t do anything. So then After the game, I went out, and I saw him, and I was like, Hi, I don’t know if you remember me, and he goes, I do remember you! I was waving at you, and I was like, Me? What? And apparently, um, I got to give him a ride back to his hotel, It was all very, very clean, all very PG, Um, But it was just very cool.

[00:30:38] Crystal: So I still have all these pictures. I have all the sign stuff. And it was just such a cool thing because the year before we were talking and I couldn’t think of anything to say because I was 17 and I was like, Oh, and all, cause he was a baseball player and all I could think of, he got to come in for relief and I was like, so you’ve got to pitch to Mark McGuire, tell me all about it.

[00:30:59] Crystal: And this poor guy’s like, I don’t know what to do with you. And, but I was just like. You have to tell me you struck him out. That’s amazing. I mean, and so yes, um, it’s a pretty cool story getting to tell people that and also having all this memorabilia and getting to, you know, so show my girls all of that.

[00:31:19] Crystal: Um, but then it’s just, it’s something that was just such a cool experience for me. Totally clean. Totally. Everything was fine. Um, But yeah, it was. But now, you know, he’s retired, he moved to the Brewers for a little while, then he just kind of faded out, so,

[00:31:34] Crystal: you know. Jose Cabrera.

[00:31:37] Anna: Jose Cabrera. That’s cool 

[00:31:39] Crystal: And it’s, and it’s, it’s funny because his player number was 51, which uh, Randy Johnson’s.

[00:31:46] Crystal: So, coming full circle there.

[00:31:49] Anna: We’ll see if the, uh, the birds keep an eye out when he’s around, you know, just, 

[00:31:53] Crystal: Yeah, right?

[00:31:55] Anna: that’s cool. That’s awesome. I love stories when, uh, players are kind of just like us and they’re, they’re, you know, normal people who do some cool things. I thought for sure that the story was going to end with, uh, You getting no tickets and you know, that was Houston Astros first strike.

[00:32:12] Anna: So

[00:32:14] Crystal: Darn you, Astros! Yeah, no, um, it was, it was funny. So I always kind of had like this little soft spot in my heart for the Astros because of that experience. Um, but then of course they went to the American League and I was like, good bye, good riddance. So, yeah.

[00:32:32] Anna: Yeah, yeah that Texas Houston rivalry. It’s up there now as one of the the most contentious for sure, especially after The 2017 fallout and you know all of that stuff. So it’s um, man, that’s always a fun one though It’s always always always always a good hot hard fought battle Uh,

[00:32:55] Crystal: The crowd was electric on both sides because I would say that the stadium was easily 50 50 on fans and there was, you know, as much orange as there was blue, it was just, it was, it was, again, it was kind of an exciting atmosphere to be in and also I felt like I was completely within my rights to boo.

[00:33:20] Anna: I remember in, in 2020, so obviously the 2017 scandal did not break until 2019, the off season of 19. And so 2020, the Houston Astros were supposed to go on their shame tour of America and it was postponed because no fans were allowed in the stands. And I remember watching, the ALCS at Petco park. And hearing about this guy who took a megaphone and stood outside of Petco Park in San Diego and listed every player on the roster in 2017 who was still there and just said, Shame on you!

[00:34:01] Crystal: Remember how disappointed I was. Because, again, I was like, this is it! They’re gonna get booed! They’re gonna get their comeuppance! Because the MLB is not gonna take care of it, the fans will. And I was, I remember, feeling like, oh, they got off so easy. Yeah, it is, I’ve just, I, it was, it was shameful to the game.

[00:34:25] Crystal: I,

[00:34:28] Anna: It was tough as a fan to digest that. And, you know, more than anything, I felt bad for their fans who, um, Never really got the apology they deserved, I think. But, you know, nobody asked me what I would have done about it. So

[00:34:44] Crystal: and it’s funny because for a, there were some former Cardinals front office, Staff that Or front office staff there during that whole time for Houston. So there were like murmurs for a little bit, like, well, did they learn this in St. Louis? Should we look at the St. Louis, you know? And I, I remember definitively telling somebody like, don’t you dare, don’t even try to make any insinuation in that direction.

[00:35:15] Crystal: And so now, if you look at how we’ve been playing for the last couple of years, it is obvious that we are not cheating.

[00:35:22] Anna: It’s either obvious you’re not cheating, or it is the greatest cover up of all time. It’s a very strong commitment, but

[00:35:28] Crystal: they are very committed if that’s the case.

[00:35:32] Anna: Oh, man. All right, so You’ve seen a lot of really cool things. You’re on your way to this, you know, journey to 30 type thing. But is there one thing at the very top of the baseball bucket list? Like the thing you got to do, the place you got to go, the person you want to meet, something like that.

[00:35:48] Crystal: if I had to pick What? Okay, I’m gonna I’m gonna be selfish. I’m gonna pick two things So I absolutely would love to throw out the first pitch At a Cardinals game, of course, uh, there’s ways that you can kind of do that, you know, there’s all sorts of different because they usually have like, I don’t know, 14 or 15 first pitches.

[00:36:09] Crystal: So there’s, that’s very, very attainable. Um, one that’s a little bit bigger is I absolutely just cannot wait and look forward to it, to going to Japan. To watch baseball there, it just from the clips that I’ve watched and just the energy that I see and the excitement and the fan base. It just looks absolutely amazing to be there and know that there’s this love of the game.

[00:36:40] Crystal: It doesn’t matter if I don’t know a single word of Japanese, it wouldn’t matter. And I think, again, that kind of speaks to the power of baseball that it has crossed over. And there’s so many countries, right, where. Ball players, you know, they come up and, you know, they become major league players in the MLB, but just seeing that it’s not just an American pastime necessarily, but being able to go and see it in that atmosphere, not knowing any of the players and just going and having a great time, just cheering for and appreciating and loving the game.

[00:37:15] Crystal: That is probably my bigger bucket list item.

[00:37:19] Anna: I love it. It’s a good answer. I hear it a lot. It’s um, you know, I think I will be Their next fall with the JapanBall team here. They do a they do a fall They’re actually there right now as we speak on the Japan tour They’ll do all 12 NPB ballparks in the span of I don’t know several days obviously if there’s 12 ballparks, but I’m like 99. 9 percent sure that I will be there next fall. So you should maybe assemble the crew and consider joining the team

[00:37:55] Crystal: I mean because there is so much to do in Japan, right? Like, obviously, just to go and sightsee and see all of the amazing things that the country has to offer. But, I mean, if there were a baseball game that got added to that tour, of course, right? But, yeah, it’s just, I am hearing more and more people that are doing it, so it’s not like I have to be a pioneer and, you know, Figure this out and a place I’m not familiar with, it’s definitely doable and definitely attainable because like you said, I am hearing more and more people that are doing it.

[00:38:31] Crystal: So awesome.

[00:38:33] Anna: Yeah. It sounds like it’s, it’s a, it’s a good one and I, I look forward to it and I think it’s going to be a good, a good trip. So I, good choice for, for number one on the list and uh, I think the first pitch can happen too. So, you know, maybe you throw a first pitch in Japan. Maybe that’s a thing. You combine them.

[00:38:50] Crystal: that is amazing. Go on my own like 30 ballpark first pitch throwout tour or something.

[00:38:56] Crystal: I don’t 

[00:38:56] Crystal: know. 

[00:38:57] Anna: there you go. Um, Where should we send people to follow you online if they kind of want to keep up with you and see what you guys are getting into next. 

[00:39:05] Crystal: Yeah. I mean, I’m on Facebook. I am kind of a dinosaur, so I am only on Tik TOK to watch all of the funny videos of like animals doing stuff with people voicing them over, but yeah, Facebook, um, and then Tik TOK. I’m on Instagram, but again, just to send my picture, my friends, funny little pictures and videos.

[00:39:27] Crystal: But usually I think I’m pretty boring. I think my name is like C Mackenzie 7482 or C Mac 7482, some variation of Crystal and Mackenzie and 7482. Cause that’s my birthday.

[00:39:41] Anna: July 4th, huh?

[00:39:43] Crystal: It is 

[00:39:44] Crystal: every year. 

[00:39:44] Crystal: Like I 

[00:39:45] Crystal: tell my daughters, 

[00:39:46] Anna: you were gonna be a baseball fan born on America’s birthday there. So yeah, it was all in the stars meant to be so. Crystal, I’ve so enjoyed this. I can’t thank you enough for making time. I really appreciate it. It was a blast hearing your stories and look forward to kind of following along and seeing what you and your family get into.

[00:40:06] Crystal: Yeah, no, this was absolutely fantastic. And I thank you so much for this opportunity 

[00:40:11] Anna: And that will wrap up this episode of the baseball bucket list podcast, special things to crystal McKinsey for joining us today and sharing those stories and memories. If this sounds like something you’d like to do, if you think you might like to be a guest on the show, head to baseball bucket list.com/podcast and fill out an application at absolutely love to hear from you. 

[00:40:30] Anna: While you’re there, make sure to spend some time on the site, sign up for a free membership. Build your own baseball bucket list. Track your ballpark visits and connect with other fans. And if you find yourself enjoying the show each week, please take a moment to rate and review it in the podcast app of your choice. It goes such a long way in helping new listeners find the show. And I would really, really appreciate it. That’s it for this week. Thanks so much for listening. We’ll see you. Next episode.