The Bopper

I have mentioned many times on this blog just how fortunate I am to have this job, and how fortunate I have been and how fortunate I am to be able to work with GREAT people.

Well, last Tuesday was an awesome day because one of the ALL TIME GREATS, Jeff Bopp dropped by the equipment room for a visit.

Jeff now works as a clubhouse attendant for the Seattle Mariners, and he is working in Peoria with the club as they go through Spring Training. This past Tuesday he got a day off and he spent the day with a drive down to Tucson to visit with us in the equipment room.

I have had the pleasure of working with Jeff at two different places, Washington State and here at Arizona.

I first met Jeff as a student at Washington State where he worked as a student assistant in the equipment room with us in Pullman. One of the best decisions I have ever made in my 31 year career was to hire Jeff as a full time assistant! Not long after arriving here in Tucson, I convinced him to come down to UofA and help me build something special here. He did not disappoint, as he came and built a solid base for Men's Basketball and Baseball here in McKale equipment room.

I knew when I hired Jeff that one of his dreams was to work in the clubhouse of a major league baseball team, especially his hometown Seattle Mariners. So I was not upset at all when he left UofA to be the clubhouse guy for the Triple A Tacoma Rainiers of the Seattle Mariner organization. He told me then that it would be a step closer to achieving his ultimate dream.

It was an easy decision to support, especially since he did such a GREAT job here in the short amount of time he was a Wildcat.

I am so proud of "Bopper" because he is proof that good things happen to good people who work hard! He has always had the best attitude about our line of work. He understands our role within our teams and he always did a great job of executing the plan.

Coaches and players alike have always loved the "Bopper". He is an easy guy to love. All of us that have been fortunate enough to work with him still use many of his "famous" one liners and other funny lines.

I will always be thankful for his hard work and loyalty towards me! I was taught to surround myself with great people and things will work out for the best. Well, again, "Bopper" proves things to be right, because my association with him over the years has made my situation a GREAT one, and he deserves much of the credit!

Thanks Jeff for making last Tuesday, and my whole career a great one. You are one of a kind, and will always be one of the BEST OF ALL TIME!

Wendell and Jeff Bopp of the Seattle Mariners: