When a player on a Major League baseball team goes down with an injury, it can be disappointing for the player, the team and also the fans. Sometimes though, the injured player will be given a rehab assignment with one of the club’s minor league teams and this provides many fans with a chance to watch them play in a slightly more intimate setting.

The Reading Fightin Phils have had their fair share of rehab appearances from the Philadelphia Phillies in the time that I have been working there. I have seen Chase Utley, Shane Victorino, Brad Lidge, and Carlos Ruiz to name a few. It is always fun to watch these guys play in a much smaller setting because you can really get a closer look at how hard they play and also how much they enjoy the game. It is also fun to watch them interact with the younger members of the team and the fans.

I remember one of the times Utley visited and it was during the pregame warm-ups. He had taken the youngest son of the Fightins’ manager out into the outfield, and was playing catch with him. It was one of the cutest moments. I have also heard from fellow employees that when Utley was on rehab assignment, he would buy dinner for the team at least one of the nights he was there.

This was apparently something that every player who visited on rehab would do.

When Victorino came to Reading during his rehab, I was interning and actually had the chance to see first-hand how he interacted with the fans. I was manning the cattle herder, which is the name for the gate the players use to get on and off the field, when he came out to do his post game press conference. He was heading to the batting tunnel by way of the field and he stopped for a brief period to sign autographs for all the fans waiting at the gate. It was cool to see him taking the time to sign every ball that was shoved in his face and he made sure to at least say hi to every fan who was waiting.

He also almost smacked me in the face with a sharpie, but I would have been ok with that.

Carlos Ruiz played in Reading on his way to the majors and during his rehab stint, it was apparent that the fans were as in love with him at that point as they were when he was in the minors; maybe even more. More than once, cheers of “Chooooooooooooch!” rang throughout the stadium as the Reading fans loudly showed their support.

It’s moments like these that just add to the fun of working in a baseball stadium and continue to bolster my love for the game.

Confessional: Have you ever had the chance to interact with a favorite athlete or celebrity? Were they the kind of person you thought they would be?