If you’re familiar with the Travelocity Gnome, who roams around the world searching for the perfect vacation spot, then you “might” appreciate this post.   The Gnome could appear in a colorful garden, on the mantle of a historic home, or just checking through airport security.  The are many variations of these strange Gnomes, often with beards and pointed heads.  Travelocity created a television campaign to promote their travel services and gave the common garden Gnome international popularity. Suddenly,  Gnomes and Elves were being kidnapped from quiet garden settings and front porches to be transported all over the world.   Photos cleverly capturing them in sometimes compromising positions are then mailed back to their owners along with a ransom note as a silly prank.  Months later, after a well documented adventure,  the unharmed Gnome mysteriously reappears in its original setting.  Gnome.  Sweet.  Home.

If you can relate to this Gnome phenomena, then you might understand this female friend of mine.  She loves to take pictures, making the most of her travel experiences.  As a school teacher, she uses her summer months to travel and take pictures.  She’s also a die-hard St. Louis Cardinals baseball fan, and her favorite player is Yadier Molina.  “Yadi” is a Puerto Rican professional baseball catcher.  He has been with the Cardinals exclusively for 13 years and in 8 of those years made the National League All-Star team.  He’s won 8 Golden Gloves, and in last night’s All Star Game appeared in a solid gold helmet and chest protector, looking like something out of a Star Wars movie.

Wherever my friend travels, she takes an 8″ version of “Yadi” with her.  Mini-Yadi lives in her purse and looks just like the Travelocity Gnome.  I think that adults that work regularly  with youngsters need to regularly express their “inner-child.”  Because of this, I’m sure her students absolutely love her “mischievous” side.  She enjoys posing “Yadi” in humorous situations, posting the pictures on Face Book.  In my limited travel experience with her, “Yadi” been threatened with a butcher’s cleaver at the Seattle fish market, buried in the sand on the Oregon Coast, and has battled giant lobsters in a Red Lobster holding tank.  Yadi is very brave, and maintains the same stoic look on his face no matter the circumstances. Yadi has somehow lost the very top of his pointed head, like Mt. St. Helen’s, but continues to play along.  What a sportsman!

I just spent three days with my son, Yadi, and my two friends watching baseball in the city of Miami.  She was with her fiancé, who I’ve known much longer, but even he doesn’t get as much attention as Yadi.  It’s Yadi this…Yadi that…Yadi…Yadi…Yadi.  I personally think that it should be kidnapped by a Cubs fan and painted blue.  I can see him hanging from a Championship Banner at Wrigley Field or thrown on to the field, like a opposing team homer run, by the Cub bleacher bums.  I can easily imagine some meaner pranks to pull on her poor, defenseless Yadi doll, but friendship is at stake!

We had lunch at Versailles, a popular Cuban restaurant.  ESPN happened to be doing a series of live broadcasts from there to capture some of the local, Miami flavor.  Eduardo Perez, a former Cardinals’ player and current sports analyst, was on the air, while his cameraman encouraged my friends to approach.  They were both dressed in Cardinals jersey of….you guessed it….Yadier Molina.  Perez had some fun with with them on national TV and posed with mini-Yadi for a photo.  Yadi…Yadi…Yadi.  I think you can begin to see where I’m going here!

We were sitting high up in the 200 level seats for last night’s game, and my friend actually believed the real Yadi waved at her during player introductions.  Maybe he did?  Granted, she was dressed in red with a crazy, straw Cardinals hat.  It was a premium giveaway at Busch Stadium during the Fourth of July series, and I didn’t see another one like it in the crowd.  Perhaps she did catch his eye.  I do know that Yadi has eagle-like vision behind the plate and an arm like a cannon.  Yadi then proceeded to hit a home run and her shrieks of joy rattled the rafters of Marlins Park.  I thought I saw mini-Yadi cover his ears, as I did.

My son, dressed in his wardrobe of Cubs jerseys, patiently tolerated the exploits of Mini-Yadi throughout the week.  I was used to it!  Also, for once, the Cubs and the Cardinals were on the same National League team.  There was temporary peace between rivals!  I had purposely worn neutral colors to avoid fueling any more boastful behavior from my Cardinal friends.  In fact, I was even hoping that Yadi would score the winning run.  We were all enjoying the festivities, and my son had even out-wrestled a couple of other fans for a treasured foul ball.  I had my picture taken with Southpaw, the Chicago White Sox mascot, and was hoping to get a glimpse of Sox legendary shortstop, Luis Aparicio, who was to throw out one of the opening pitches.  His poor health apparently prevented his presence during the ceremony.

Cardinal fans are bitter today because rival Cubs pitcher, Wade Davis, gave up a ninth-inning home run, sidetracking Yadi’s bid for the MVP and a Cardinal red Corvette.  At the end of the game, Yadi was left stranded on third base after Corey Seager of the Dodgers struck out.  I’m not sure if a Cubs pitcher can throw to a Cardinals catcher, so just maybe Yadi called for the wrong pitch?  On the other hand, Cubs fans thought that Yadi’s golden outfit was a bit obnoxious, perhaps befitting of Cardinals’ fans.  The rivalry is already back in full gear!  Mini-Yadi is probably still cheering for a Gnome Run.