Friendly Encounters: Steve Garvey and Louie Atsaves

This is a weekly series featuring friends who have met celebrities.

I have known Louie for 27+ years.  We worked together at Lerner for the first 17 and have worked in our own business for the last 10 or so years.  I could not ask for a better business partner, but more importantly, I could not ask for a better friend.

My family truly feels like Louie is part of us and his family has always made me feel like one of them.  I am very happy for Louie as he has three great boys and a great wife (also one of my friends).  They are a wonderful family.

We've been through a lot at work, but when you have someone like Lou on your side, the bad is quickly forgotten and the good is long remembered.  We have had so many laughs.

One of Louie's favorite players growing up was Steve Garvey.  When he was a youngster, Louie got to meet the legendary Dodgers 1st baseman.  I love that picture.  It is so 70's!

This isn;t just a Friendly Encounters though.  This is a birthday wish for my bud.  Happy birthday Louie and thanks for being my missing brother.

Steve Garvey an Louie Atsaves in Chicago, IL-Mid 1970's.

Friendly Encounters

This is a weekly series featuring friends who have met celebs.

The baseball season is nearing the end and football season is about to begin.  For a couple months, the two sports will overlap, although for most cities (like Chicago), the fans are already concentrating on football.  It's not often Chicagoans really have two sports competing for our attention.
My friend Jim is a huge fan of both the Chicago Cubs and the Bears.  Even he has turned his thoughts to the Bears now. Several years back though, he was caught dividing his attention between former a former football star and a former baseball star...Jim Plunkett and Steve Garvey. 
Plunkett was a Heisman Trophy winner, Super Bowl MVP and NFL Comeback Player of the Year.  He lead the Oakland Raiders to two Super Bowl victories.
Garvey was an NL MVP, ten time All-Star, four time Gold Glove winner and a big part of four World Series teams (winning one championship).  He finished with 2599 hits and a .294 average.
Jim was happy to meet these two legends (even though Garvey went to Michigan State, rival to Jim's beloved Michigan).  Unfortunately, Jim didn't have any major awards to keep up with the two men.  I know Jim won one of our Football Confidence Points Pool, but that just doesn't have quite as much cache as the awards these guys won.  Still, Jim stood proudly knowing that with or without the major hardware, he doesn't take a backseat to anyone!

Jim Plunkett, Jim Gekas and Steve Garvey in Itasca, IL-Late 1990's.