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I’m Freaking Out a Little
OK, I’m going to tell you right now: This entry is going to be a little bit obnoxious. I apologize in advance… but I can’t help it. Something happened on Wednesday, something that is blowing my mind, something I should probably be able to quietly enjoy without bothering you about it…
But, in the immortal words of Honey from the wonderful “Notting Hill”: “This is one of those key moments in life, when it’s possible you can be really, genuinely cool — and I’m failing 100 percent.”
Let me show you a picture:

Please ignore the carpet which, yes, could use a good cleaning.
Do you know what that is? That absurdly long piece of paper with typewritten words on it? No, there’s no reason for you to know what that is.
That … is a fan letter I got yesterday from Tom Hanks.
Yeah, I’m freaking out. Of course, I’m freaking out. I’m in Los Angeles now, working on my new book, and I get a call from my wife saying I got a letter from the Playtone Company, which is, of course, the label that released The Wonders’ smash record “That Thing You Do,” and she wants to know if she can open it, and it doesn’t matter what I say because she IS going to open it, and then she sends me that photo, and then I’m on the phone with our daughters SCREAMING about me getting an NBA point guard-sized fan letter from Tom Hanks, and my oldest is saying I’m now the single coolest Dad going, and I haven’t even told you the best part.
The best part: The letter itself is pure, pure awesomeness.
I’m not going to print it now. I want to be sure it’s OK with Tom for me to print it. But I will give you this small hint: In the letter, typewritten as you would expect*, Tom mentions — in no particular order — Willie Mays, Henry Aaron, Bobby Grich, Sal Bando, Sid Monge, Willie McCovey, Pete Rose, Andre Thornton, Joe DiMaggio, Reggie Jackson, Bert Campaneris, Joe Rudi, Toby Harrah, Mickey Mantle, Mike Hargrove, Ty Cobb, Tom Seaver, Phil Rizzuto, Frank Robinson, Larry Doby, Enos Slaughter and Ken Griffey Jr.
*Tom Hanks is pretty famous for his love of typewriters. But then Tom Hanks is pretty famous in general.
All those ballplayers in one letter.
People: Tom Hanks is one of us!
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