The Ultimate Cleat Chaser

Originally Posted on 1/26/08

After three seasons of working in Minor League Baseball and a short stint being affiliated with a Major League squad, I have a great sense of the term "Cleat Chaser." Basically its slang for baseball groupie but typically referred in the sense of the female demographic. Cleat Chasers are quite the group and usually very entertaining in their own right.

Back in my Minor League days it was very common to see the local ladies come in herds to the ballpark for there shot or glimpse of these good looking pro-ballplayers, they'd befriend one another before, after and sometimes even during games (the dugouts and on-deck circles weren't that far away). But ultimately it was the night life that kept these groups on par with one another. The guys would visit the few bars around town and you'd always see the same group of girls chasing... hence the term "Cleat Chaser." These poor girls may have known what they were getting themselves into but they probably didn't care either. They all had this ridiculous dream of their ballplayer or fling of the week making it big and actually taking them with. The players would all sleep around and sometimes even recycle ladies with one another. What's worse is some of the team would have their actual girlfriends come in town one week and then once they left it was back to work with the normal groupie crew. For some, the plan actually worked. Okay, maybe just one that I know of but the "Cleat Chasers" got what they were looking for and the guys got a few more stories. Heck, I'm not calling out either group, just making light of it. I hear that some of the past chasers I knew are still at it, turning into some what of a Susan Sarandon type from the movie Bull Durham.

I must admit though, when I think of the "Ultimate Cleat Chaser," only one girl comes to mind and she is a beauty. She's one that really doesn't need to be chased and maybe it's the other way around but Alyssa Milano takes the cake for her "Cleat Chasing" abilities. She has not only been linked to New York Yankee pitcher, Carl Pavano, Boston Red Sox starter, Josh Beckett, San Francisco Giants star, Barry Zito but most recently, Dodger pitcher Brad Penny. I guess she really likes pitchers, so much so that I've type casted her... that's not where it ends though. Milano has parlayed her love affairs into the business world and actually created a new cloting line called, Touch, which focuses on women's apparel for the baseball fan. In essence, Milano has her pitcher and new business venture that should create enough revenue to keep her from having to appear on any Who's the Boss or Charmed reunions. Congrats to Alyssa and Brad Penny. Penny, she really seems out of even your league. I guess I should've tried harder to become a pitcher myself... in the end, let's just hope it helps get more wins and revenue for the Dodgers too!