Friend Encounters: Cat Osterman and Danny

Friend Encounters is a weekly series featuring friends who have met celebrities.

With the Olympics happening and softball being the leadoff event, this si the perfect celebrity encounter to feature. I am proud to say I facilitated this one, too!

While being "On the Beat" with the Chicago Bandits in 2019, I was also "On the Beat" with Team USA, who were in Rosemont for a week of training and exhibition games.

IWhen I needed help one night, I called on my old friend Jodie, who brought her son Danny. After the game, as Jodies was helping taking picture of me with Team USA players, Danny wanted a few for himself. I suggested he take a pic with Cat Osterman. If you want to take pictures, you should get one of the best. On a team of elite softball players, Cat stands out as one of the greatest of all time.

Cat will be helping Team USA go for the gold in the Olympics. Then, she will defend her Athletes Unlimited championship (also in Rosemont). After all of that, she will be retiring.

The lesson here is to enjoy Cat on the international stage and catch her in Rosemont if you can. This is your last chance to see one of the all time greats still in action.

For more info on the Olympics, go to TeamUSA.org. Go to AUProSports.com for news on the second season of this new softball league which starts after the Olympics. Finally, check CatOsterman.com for news on the legendary pitcher.

Cat Osterman and Danny in Rosemont, IL-July 2019.

Friend Encounters: Aubree Munro and Danny

Friend Encounters is a weekly series featuring friends who have met celebrities.

After a year delay, the Summer Olympics start July 23 and softball is the opening event. One of the members of Team USA is Aubree Munro.

A star catcher at the University of Florida, Munro was selected by the USSSA Pride in the 2016 National Pro Fastpitch Draft. In 2021, she played in the inaugural season of Athletes Unlimited softball.

Munro cites her greatest softball memory as hitting in the tying run in the bottom of the 10th inning in the gold medal game to qualify for the Olympics. Next month Munro will have a chance to make some Olympic memories.

In 2019, Team USA came to Rosemont for a week of raining and exhibition games. I enlisted old friend Jodie to help me with interview s and pictures. Jodie brought her son Danny, who got into the action with a few pictures of his own.

I am really looking forward to the Olympics for the first time ever. I know most of the softball players from my yars of covering the NPF and NCAA softball. It will be great seeing all of them on the international stage.

Go to TeamUSA.org for more info on the softball team and other sports. Check back here for my recurring coverage of Team USA softball.

Aubree Munro and Danny in Rosemont, IL-July 2019.

Friend Encounters: Monica Abbott and Danny

Friend Encounters is a weekly series featuring friends who have met celebrities.

Last summer, I got my longtime friend Jodie Schaefer to attend her first National Pro Fastpitch Chicago Bandits game. Jodie brought her teenage son Danny.

I've known Jodie since 1989, when we both worked at Lerner Newspapers. Jodie got married and raised four awesome children. We kept in touch over the years, occasionally seeing each other.

Always one of the most positive people I have ever known, Jodie quickly agreed to help me with photographs when Team USA was in Rosemont for some exhibition games. After the game, while waiting to meet some of the players, Danny joined the fun by getting a few pictures, too. I had to make sure he got Monica Abbott, one of the greatest players o all time. So for his first picture with a pro softball player, Danny went right to the top. Pretty good get for the kid!

It was a fun night and both Danny and Jodie enjoyed the game and the evening. I think I converted a coupe new fans.

The Bandits season is still about 7 months away, but with winter looming, I am already dreaming of nights at the ballpark in Rosemont. I am pretty sure I'll see Jodie back at some games.

Check back here for recurring coverage. Also, go to ChicagoBandits.com for all of the info and announcements

Monica Abbott and Danny in Rosemont, IL-July 2019.