RIP Jim Otto

I lived next door to Kent Tekulve for a couple of years when I was in elementary school. He was the first person I interviewed. I learned a valuable lesson about not trusting tape recorders that day. lol

 

I remember the laundromat mentioned on one of Thoms' Topps cards.

 

Love to learn some details. Tekulve always came across as a pretty good dude.

 

"Mr. Tekulve, what do you think about salary caps?"
"Kid, all I care about is this awesome cap with all the Stargell stars on it."

 

I think I've told this story on the site before. It's mostly about me doing something stupid, but it is also Tekulve being a good guy. I was in fourth or fifth grade and I asked him if he would let me interview him for a school assignment. Teke was kind enough to agree. I borrowed a tape recorder from my brother and went next door to do the interview. I asked him a few questions, thanked him, and went home. When I got there, I realized that I had done something wrong and there was nothing on the tape. My brother showed me what I had done wrong and somehow, I mustered the courage to go back to Tekulve's house, tell him what happened, and ask him to redo the interview, which he agreed to do.

Fast forward a couple of decades and I was working for one of the local papers when Tekulve became an executive for a minor-league team in the area. I was assigned to cover the media day at the start of their first season. I remember talking to my mother that day and laughing about my recorder mishap the previous time I had interviewed Tekulve. I introduced myself to Tekulve during the media day and mentioned that we used to be neighbors. He was polite enough to act as if he remembered and asked about my family. At the time, I was using a cassette recorder. I rewound the tape as I walked back to my car, then dropped it in my backpack, then dropped the backpack into the passenger seat of my car. Somehow, when I did that, I hit the record button and taped over my interview with Tekulve. I don't think I ever did that before or since in my career, but I had this moment of panic when I started listening to the tape. Thankfully, I had written good enough notes that I didn't really need the recording, but I'm sure the I had a priceless look on my face when I first noticed all I had on my tape was the crap I'd had playing on the car radio.

 

I have no memory of what I asked him, but that sounds like the sort of answer he would give.

 

Awesome. Thank you.

 

This is incredible. Imagine if you had no decent notes.

"Hey Kent, uhh, remember how I didn't record the interview when we were neighbors?"
"Sure." (To himself: Who is this guy again?)
"Well uhh it happened again, sorta."
"Do you need me to talk to you again?" (To himself: I could have just lived in a different neighborhood but nooooo)

 

I remember working on a strategy, some lame excuse about asking follow-up questions.

 

What, you didn't go back, confess, and ask for a redo? I bet he would have remembered you then...

 

Art Donovan would. And he probably did.