Ozzie's Coming

OZZIE'S Coming

Casey Steinhouse literally jumped out of her shoes. Granted, they were flip-flops, but it was still impressive. She shrieked, she bounced, she giggled like a schoolgirl. And finally had the presence of mind to start asking questions.

"When's he gonna be here?"

"Can I meet him?"

"Do you think he'll sign autographs?"

Whose visit to Cape has Casey freaking out? Some hot movie star like Brad Pitt? A creamworthy music hottie like Tyrese? Nope. Somebody even better. Former St. Louis Cardinal Ozzie Smith will be stopping in at Buffalo Wild Wings Saturday, May 31 from 1-3pm.

As any stray Cubs fan will tell you, Cape Girardeau is Cardinal Country. It's in the water. As far as fan loyalty goes, the Cardinals consistently rank at the top of every poll- right up there with the New York Yankees and the aforementioned Chicago Cubs. Buffalo Wild Wings owner Bill Zellmer says Cardinal games can be events at his restaurant, with the faithful sitting around watching the game together on one of the 40 television screens in the place. And as far as Cardinal legends go, or baseball legends in general for that matter, Ozzie Smith is one of the biggest.

Known affectionately as "The Wizard of Oz," Ozzie was arguably the best shortstop to play the game. In his 19 major league seasons he won 13 consecutive Gold Gloves and set records in assists (8,375) and double plays (1,590). He has stolen over 500 bases from professional pitchers, and in 2002 was the only player elected to The Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, with 91.74 percent of the vote. He played on 15 All-Star teams. After retiring in 1996 Ozzie went on to become a host for This Week in Baseball and worked for CNN/SI as a baseball analyst. And now he's adding a new angle to his already impressive resume- live actor.

That's right. Ozzie the Actor. August 16 and 17 you can see him in Robert Coleman's Big Time, on stage at The America's Center in St. Louis. He plays a California record producer in talks with a budding but troubled musical group. Coleman says the piece is "new school, with the old school flavor." For ticket information you can call 314-367-5542.

But if you can't wait until August to get your Ozzie fix, make sure you're at Buffalo Wild Wings, in the Town Plaza May 31. He'll be signing copies of his book "The Road to Cooperstown", free of charge. Copies will be available for purchase on site, courtesy of Southeast Bookstore, Hastings and Buffalo Wild Wings.

"We also want to encourage ball teams to come down in uniform to get their pictures taken with Ozzie," says Zellmer. "He loves that sort of thing- meeting the kids and reaching out to the community."

"When we were told Ozzie might come down we at first didn't believe it," Zellmer continues. "I kept asking if it was for real. It seemed too perfect."

Actually, Ozzie and Buffalo Wild Wings does seem like a perfect fit. Buffalo Wild Wings is one of the premier sports-related restaurants around, and the one here in Cape is pretty cool. Zellmer grew up in Sarasota, Florida, right where several major league teams took spring training. "I used to let him take off school to go to the games," recalls Zellmer's mom, Pat. "He loved the White Sox and the Cubs and the Royals. He played baseball a lot as a kid. He's very athletic."

That love of sports is reflected in the décor at Wild Wings. A vast majority of the 40 screens seem to be tuned to one sporting event or another, and Cardinal banners and emblems are all over the place. Hardly a special sporting event goes by that's not celebrated at Wild Wings, and some pay-per-view events, like the Ultimate Fighting Championship on June 6, which would normally cost around $40.00 to watch at home are shown there for free. Patrons can also participate in nation-wide trivia contests and a computerized golf game called Golden Tee 2004, in addition to the traditional arcade games and dartboards.

But Zellmer is quick to point out that sports aren't the only reason to stop by. Wild Wings features two distinct parts; one a fully stocked bar with over 20 different beers on tap, and the other a family-oriented eatery where parents are encouraged to bring the kids. From inside one you can hardly see the other. Everything on the menu is under $6.00, and the menu has more than just chicken on it. "We want people to know we're not just a wings place, in spite of the name," says Zellmer. "The Olive Garden serves more than olives, and Red Lion doesn't serve lion at all."

For more information on his visit; stop in at Wild Wings, or call them at 334-9464.