TOMS RIVER, NJ – Todd Frazier was a rookie baseball player who was called up for one game in Philadelphia, struck out, and was sent back to the minor league that night. At the time, we were planning our Toms River Magazine and I had the great idea to put the local Little League World Series champ on the cover in his Reds uniform.
When I first called Frazier, he said that since his strikeout, nobody from any media had called him and asked why we would want him on the cover. I told him because he’s already loved in Toms River, and he’ll be back to show Dusty Baker wrong.
That was 2011.
He eventually did, becoming an All-Star and even a New York Yankee.
A few years later, I was at Disney World in Florida, where my son got a haircut. Next to me, waiting for a haircut too, was a young boy with a reds #21 hat. He had a Frazier Jersey and watched Todd Frazier highlights on his phone with his mom.
I texted Frazier, “Hey, you got a minute?”
He replied, “I’m getting ready for warmups; what’s up?”
I told Todd that his biggest fan was sitting right next to me, and I took a picture of the kid and sent it to him. I said, “It would be cool if you FaceTimed him. huh?”
He said he was busy, but quickly, Frazier Facetimed me.
“Excuse me, ma’am,” I said to his mom. “Somebody is calling on my phone for your son.”
After giving me a strange look and pulling her son closer to her, she acknowledged, and bam, Todd Frazier was Face-timing this kid at Disney.
“What’s up, buddy?” he said.
The kid looked like he had just seen a ghost and then went into a total state of shock and excitement. I’m not sure what else was said during the conversation, as I gave the kid his privacy.
It was a quick 20—or 30-second conversation, but that’s why, to this day, so many people still admire Frazier, whether they’re in New York, Cincinnati, Chicago, or here in Jersey. He was a class act with fans. He created personal memories for so many kids and continues to do so to this day.
Coming soon: The day Todd Frazier met Mark Sanchez, and it didn’t go well.
