…On the Radio

The Actor woke me from a sound sleep to alert me to his early morning radio interview with some guy named Joshua Estrin on 810 AM (KGO) in San Francisco.  Apparently Josh is a fabulously famous pop culture journalist and broadcast personality.

When I tuned in online to listen to Stephen talk about his role as David Justice in the upcoming movie Moneyball (opens September 23,) I realized it was a call-in show.  Naturally, I was having one of those what-if-you-have-a-call-in-and-nobody-calls moments, so I looked for the number and placed the call.  Can’t have my baby boy embarrassed.

I just gave my first name so the producer wouldn’t guess who I was.  As I waited to be connected to the host, I listened as his first caller checked in.  A girl named Gail started by saying “Hi, Bish.”  That meant this Gail was someone Stephen went to high school or college with, because all his friends called him Bish.

“So, Bish, I’ve noticed from the movie ads that you have managed to keep that cute butt of yours in shape.  What’s your secret?”

I could just “see” Steve’s face in my mind.  Flushed red, a cheesy grin crawling across his handsome face.  Flustered, he said, “I’m sorry.  Would you mind repeating that?'”  And, of course, she did.
Recovering quickly, The Actor decided to answer the question straightforwardly and described his rigorous training regimen under the tutelage of Beverly Hills trainer Gunnar Peterson,  Then:

“You know, Josh, I remember Gail quite well.  In fact, I had a crush on her in high school.  I never dreamed she even knew I existed, much less checked out my butt!”

Nice, Bish.  Way to schmooze the caller.  I’m wondering if he really knows who this girl Gail is.
Next on the line we have Lezlie.  Do you have a question, Lezlie?

In my sunniest morning voice I sing “Good morning. I’d like to ask Stephen if he remembers who got him started in baseball?”

Stephen starts chuckling.  “Ooooooh, man.  I have to tell you, everybody.  This is my mother.  Hi, Mom!”

The female co-host, caught off-guard by my trickery, said she felt she needed to apologize for my having to listen to the previous discussion of my child’s derriere.  I assured her I was actually in total agreement with Gail – he does have a cute tush.

Of course, we eventually talked about how I was the one who taught Stephen to play baseball.  I pitched his plastic whiffle balls to his yellow plastic bat for the first time when he was around two. He made me cry by telling the listeners how that childhood play event was the beginning of his life-long journey to where he is this morning; i.e., being interviewed for playing a ballplayer in a movie.

To borrow a line from a song, “.. ain’t it funny how time just slips away?”

Stephen C. Bishop as David Justice in Moneyball