RIP Jim Otto

[outofplace]

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

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.

 

[outofplace]

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

 

[Liut]

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.

Awesome. Thank you.

 

[BYH 2: Electric Boogaloo]

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.

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)

 

[outofplace]

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. :D

 

[Neutral Corner]

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.

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

 

[Slacker]

Can you imagine having a Colts player in the 1950's
coming around to sell you booze for your bar?

Art Donovan would. And he probably did.

 

[Slacker]

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)
"That **** doesn't work twice, kid."

 

[Shropshire Slasher]

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

How could you tell? He disappeared the second he turned sideways.

 

[Slacker]

How could you tell? He disappeared the second he turned sideways.

Shame on you for your underhanded post. Shame, I say!

 

[Slacker]

I hated Tekulve. I hated the Pirates. I was a Phillies fan.

And then, God hates me, Tekulve came to the Phillies later on.
I didn't care. I hated him then, too. I hated him then for all four years.

I especially hated that submarine pitch, which is kinda strange because I was a pitcher, too, and I threw sidearm. (Nobody ever showed me how to come over the top or three-quarters, so thanks again for nothin', coach!) ... To me, though, sidearm was fine, but that submarine **** is the devil's work. :mad:

 

[User 149557]

The only good thing about being riddled with anxiety from a young age was I knew to use multiple recording devices from the age of 13. The looks I used to get from interview subjects when I pulled the third cassette recorder out of the bag…

 

[BTExpress]

We had a reporter TODAY who did a 30-minute interview, and his machine just died and wouldn't turn on after he was done. All I could think of was this thread.

 

[outofplace]

The only good thing about being riddled with anxiety from a young age was I knew to use multiple recording devices from the age of 13. The looks I used to get from interview subjects when I pulled the third cassette recorder out of the bag…

I tried that a few times. I usually just took notes along with the recording. What was always funny to me was that the only two times I had an issue were those two incidents involving Tekulve.

 

[justgladtobehere]

I hated Tekulve. I hated the Pirates. I was a Phillies fan.

And then, God hates me, Tekulve came to the Phillies later on.
I didn't care. I hated him then, too. I hated him then for all four years.

I especially hated that submarine pitch, which is kinda strange because I was a pitcher, too, and I threw sidearm. (Nobody ever showed me how to come over the top or three-quarters, so thanks again for nothin', coach!) ... To me, though, sidearm was fine, but that submarine **** is the devil's work. :mad:

MLB needs the return of odd pitchers, the submariners, sidearms, knuckleballers, junkballers who can't hit 90.

 

[BTExpress]

Knuckleballers were fun to watch --- unless one was on your team and suddenly couldn't find the plate.