We were in Houston, at a ballgame, and I saw a man steal a foul ball from a boy. It was flagrant � the man just took the ball right away from the boy, and he held it up high like it was the head of Medusa, and I said: �Would you look at this jerk?� �What�s that?� Buck said. �That guy down there, he just took that ball away from that kid.� Buck considered the situation. He said: �Don�t be so hard on him. He might have a kid of his own at home.� Yes, that was Buck O�Neil � he just saw the best in people, even people who took foul balls away from little kids. Maybe he�s got a kid at home. That was a good one; I had to give Buck credit, only then something occurred to me. �Wait a minute,� I said to Buck. �If he�s got a kid, why didn�t he bring him to ballgame?� I smiled triumphantly. But Buck did not hesitate. �Maybe,� he said, �the kid is sick.� Read "Buck" by Joe Posnanski.