We grew up just 20 minutes apart, with college recruiting nearly leading us to the same school—twice. But it wasn’t until the night before Thanksgiving that our paths finally crossed… in line at the Sunshine Saloon. Not knowing much about baseball, I walked up to him and asked, “Why the hell are you at a bar in Pleasanton didn't you get drafted?” That one bold question kicked off a conversation—and a spontaneous plan to help me get into the bar, since I was underage at the time. Spoiler alert: the plan didn’t work, and I was sent on my way. But I left knowing one thing for sure—this couldn’t be the last time we saw each other.