Of all the restrooms in all the airports in all the world, two deposed closers ran into one another for a unique baseball story. On June 27 the Angels dealt Ernesto Frieri to the Pirates for Jason Grilli in a swap of struggling former stoppers.
Ernesto Frieri, Jason Grilli meet in airport bathroom hours after trade
Two players traded for each other ran into one another in one of the most crowded places in the country.
Justin K. Aller
Frieri had to fly from Kansas City, where the Angels were playing the Royals, to Pittsburgh to join his new team, while Grilli made the opposite trip. Both men's trips involved a stopover at O'Hare Airport in Chicago, and the two unknowingly ran into each other in one of the airport's many restrooms. Tom Singer of MLB.com has more:
“I’m waiting for my next flight, so I just went to a bathroom to wash my face. First thing, I look at this guy washing his hands next to me,” said Frieri, “and I thought, ‘I think I know this guy.’
“I looked again, and he’s looking at me and goes, ‘Really? Well, I guess this is when we get to meet each other.’”
So far the change of scenery hasn’t helped either player. Frieri allowed five runs on five hits while recording only one out on Thursday night, while Grilli allowed a walk-off loss to the Royals on Sunday, the day after his restroom liaison with his trade partner.
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