This is where it gets a little weird. It’s been kind of a strange trip already . . . ever since it took over 2 1/2 hours to get my credentials. But during the Dominican Republic press conference, things got a little weirder. I guess I should preface this with the fact that I don’t speak Spanish very well at all, and I think I’ve apologized for being an ignorant American slob on more than one occasion already, but the Venezuelan press conference went first . . . and that was basically Buddy Bailey–piece of cake. He spoke in English and had a translator for the 99.9% Latin American media contingent. But in the Dominican press conference, there was no English spoken whatsoever–never a good sign for the ignorant American slob. And Jose Lima sat up there, off in his own little world kissing a silver cross around his neck while manager Felix Fermin spoke. Then he looked directly at me and pointed, smiling and then folding his hands as if to thank the big guy upstairs for something.

I had to turn around to see if he was pointing to someone behind me, but there was no one. Lima then gestured again in my direction, so I pointed back at him just for kicks. After the press conference, he came up to me, gave me a big hug and said, “It’s so good to see you again, Chris.” When I told him politely that I didn’t think we’d ever met before, he said simply, “I know you from somewhere, from some time . . . I don’t know. I don’t know if it’s the bald head or the goatee, but we’ve met before. I’m sure of it. You’re good luck.” Not sure about the luck part, but this little piece of Lima Time definitely ranks as one of the coolest moments of my days on this planet.