“I'd like to thank the good Lord for making me a Yankee.”

I have a Joe DiMaggio baseball. As much of a Yankees fan as I am, I've never been a big Joe D fan. I could take him or leave him.

Babe -- of course, that goes without saying.

Lou -- absolutely.

Mickey -- the inspiration for my tattoo.

But Joe -- ehh.

I pulled the ball out of the box of all my autographed baseballs (yes, it is a shame that I don't have them out since I moved back to New York) and put it on my dresser so I would remember to ask Chris if he knew anyone who wanted to buy it.

Do you think I could remember? It sort of blended in with everything else on my dresser until it just became a permament fixture, and I forgot to ask him any time I talked to him. Fortunately, he was in Ithaca a few weeks ago. Before I could even say anything to him, he spotted it immediately.

"Where'd you get the DiMaggio ball?"

"Know anyone who wants to buy it?"

He gave me a look like I'm a complete idiot, and then, "How much?"

"Mickey's Place in Cooperstown sells Joe D balls for $500, but that's on a '94 World Series ball (there was no World Series in '94)...."

"I want it."

"Ok...$500 for you."

And so goes the plan to pay for the new, fancy gym in town once my campus gym closes for the summer.