At one time or another, I’m sure just about every single one of us has gone to great — sometimes even embarrassing — lengths to land a phone number.
Yes, ladies, that includes many of you as well.
But I think it's safe to say very few of us have secured one in the manner an Ohio high school baseball player did over the summer when he came across the cellphone number of Cleveland Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis after he 'just happened' to wander into the Indians clubhouse at Progressive Field.
As we learned on Thursday, the young man’s name is Aaron Hoffman, and his phone number heist happened back in June when he was invited to participate in the Northeast Ohio Baseball Coaches Association All-Star events, which take place at Cleveland's home ballpark. While hanging around the facility during what I assume was their free time, Hoffman and a few of his adventurous new friends decided it would be cool to sneak into the Indians clubhouse. It was there they came across one of Kipnis' golf bags that carried a nametag and his phone number, which Hoffman filed away in his own phone.
That was actually the easy part.
Of course the next and often times most difficult step is finding the courage to make a call or send a text message. For Hoffman, that process took six months before he finally decided to text Kipnis well wishes for the 2013 season just after New Years. And in a cool twist, rather than be angry or annoyed that a stranger now had possession of his number, Kipnis actually responded with appreciation for Hoffman's antics and his encouraging message.
Oh, and he also included a tiny request to not let his number go viral on social media.
Ha.. Lets not go giving that # out now RT“@a_hoff_aholic: What a class act @thejk_kid. Keep tearing it up in cleveland twitter.com/A_Hoff_aholic/…”
— Jason Kipnis (@TheJK_Kid) January 3, 2013
I have to give kudos to Kipnis for handling the situation in a non-confrontational manner, which, judging from the reaction Hoffman has received in wake Kipnis' response via Twitter, wouldn't be the case with many.
Didn't know I'd be getting death threats over this hahahaha
— Aaron Hoffman (@A_Hoff_aholic) January 3, 2013
Listen, while I certainly do not encourage or condone stealing phone numbers or sneaking into a major league clubhouse, the threatening messages he's apparently receiving are ridiculous. Kids will be kids. No harm done. Get a chuckle out of it like Kipnis did or wonder about the Indians security measures if you have to. But then it's time to move on, folks.
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