Searchin' Steve
Oct 23, 2005 18:36:16 GMT -5
Post by arden on Oct 23, 2005 18:36:16 GMT -5
By Phil Arvia
Daily Southtown staff writer
CHICAGO —
The stars were out Saturday at U.S. Cellular Field for the first World Series game in Chicago in 46 years.
But first, one of them had what could have been a tense moment on the way in.
Steve Perry, the former lead singer for the rock group Journey, was subject to the same search as everyone else coming through the media gate. After a police dog sniffed his bag, the beast began barking, leaving Perry momentarily aghast until he noticed the smile on the dog’s master’s face.
Then it was Perry’s turn to have some fun. The Sox have adopted the 1981 Journey hit, “Don’t Stop Believin,’ ” as something of an unofficial anthem, so Scott Reifert, the team’s vice president of communications, arranged for the San Francisco resident to make it to Chicago for Saturday’s Game 1 — and for Perry to surprise the players.
Trainer Herm Schneider and first baseman Paul Konerko were enlisted to coax A.J. Pierzynski, Aaron Rowand and Joe Crede — the three players behind the “Don’t Stop ... ” movement, into a back room.
“We went by and told Rowand and Crede and A.J. that Hermie needed to see him, so they wandered back,” Reifert said. “It was kind of funny how quickly the news spread. The guys like Brian Anderson came sprinting in for a chance to see Steve Perry.
“Brian Anderson said, 'I’ve had dinner in the same room as Michael Jordan and I’m speechless now.’ Which, for Brian Anderson, is saying something.”
Crede, who first requested the song from a lounge singer in Baltimore, sparking a trend among his teammates, was pleasantly surprised to meet Perry.
“Oh, yeah, definitely,” Crede said. “I had no idea he was coming, but it was definitely a neat surprise. It was fun to see him. From where the song came about, for the White Sox to be able to have him come in was neat.”
Apparently, the feeling was mutual, from the moment Reifert contacted Perry.
“He was like, 'Dude, I’m honored. This is really cool that a team cares and is having fun with it,’ ” Reifert said. “I said, 'We don’t really want you to do anything other than show up and give the guys a chuckle. They’re going to enjoy it.’ ”
For his trouble, Perry was given seats in the first row behind Houston’s on-deck circle.
Daily Southtown staff writer
CHICAGO —
The stars were out Saturday at U.S. Cellular Field for the first World Series game in Chicago in 46 years.
But first, one of them had what could have been a tense moment on the way in.
Steve Perry, the former lead singer for the rock group Journey, was subject to the same search as everyone else coming through the media gate. After a police dog sniffed his bag, the beast began barking, leaving Perry momentarily aghast until he noticed the smile on the dog’s master’s face.
Then it was Perry’s turn to have some fun. The Sox have adopted the 1981 Journey hit, “Don’t Stop Believin,’ ” as something of an unofficial anthem, so Scott Reifert, the team’s vice president of communications, arranged for the San Francisco resident to make it to Chicago for Saturday’s Game 1 — and for Perry to surprise the players.
Trainer Herm Schneider and first baseman Paul Konerko were enlisted to coax A.J. Pierzynski, Aaron Rowand and Joe Crede — the three players behind the “Don’t Stop ... ” movement, into a back room.
“We went by and told Rowand and Crede and A.J. that Hermie needed to see him, so they wandered back,” Reifert said. “It was kind of funny how quickly the news spread. The guys like Brian Anderson came sprinting in for a chance to see Steve Perry.
“Brian Anderson said, 'I’ve had dinner in the same room as Michael Jordan and I’m speechless now.’ Which, for Brian Anderson, is saying something.”
Crede, who first requested the song from a lounge singer in Baltimore, sparking a trend among his teammates, was pleasantly surprised to meet Perry.
“Oh, yeah, definitely,” Crede said. “I had no idea he was coming, but it was definitely a neat surprise. It was fun to see him. From where the song came about, for the White Sox to be able to have him come in was neat.”
Apparently, the feeling was mutual, from the moment Reifert contacted Perry.
“He was like, 'Dude, I’m honored. This is really cool that a team cares and is having fun with it,’ ” Reifert said. “I said, 'We don’t really want you to do anything other than show up and give the guys a chuckle. They’re going to enjoy it.’ ”
For his trouble, Perry was given seats in the first row behind Houston’s on-deck circle.
