Mort the Peanut Guy

My friend, Steve invited me to a Dodgers game this weekend. I don’t follow sports – I never did. My dad didn’t, so we didn’t. And on the extremely rare occasions where I find myself at a game, I’m usually at the very top of the stadium. But Steve – who is also my entertainment attorney – has great season tickets with his firm. As their lowest earning client - and the only one who just learned in the last ten years that the Dodgers were no longer in Brooklyn - I have no idea why he wasted them on me. I like playing baseball but never understood the allure of watching the game. Still, the seats were close to the action and almost directly behind home plate. It’s amazing what good seats do for you. I actually found out I loved watching baseball. And when it gets slow there is a constant stream of vendors selling junk food – it’s awesome.

While buying Dibs ice cream bites for Steve’s son, I met a vendor named Mort. I asked him how long he had been working at Dodger Stadium and he told me to guess. 10 years? Not even close. 20? Nope. 30? He laughed. 50 years. He handed me my ice cream, put his money in his pocket, and made his way up the stairs. 50 years hawking ice cream up and down the stadium? I had to talk to this guy. I helped Steve’s son finish his Dibs and told him I’d get him some more. I borrowed a pair of binoculars and spent twenty minutes searching for Mort. I spotted him in another section of the stadium and ran over to talk with him.

When I asked Mort if I could get his advice, he asked me, “Advice on what?” I said, “On anything,” and turned on the camera. He started talking right away. Mort’s one of those rare guys who loves what he does for a living. He loves the customers, he loves meeting people, and he loves the game. He has spent 50 years working the same job. Usually he’s selling peanuts – “people associate me with the peanuts” – but seeing an opportunity on a hot day, he took out the Dibs ice cream.

Mort made my day. He’s warm - and if you care enough to ask, then he’ll take the time to get to know you even when he’s working hard to make a dollar. He’s devoted the majority of his life to working for the Dodgers. And his son is doing the same thing. I hope that the Dodgers pay their respects to Mort this year. He deserves a paid day off where he can sit in the best seat in the house with his son and watch the Dodgers play a game at the stadium. Let someone else bring them some peanuts and Cracker Jack.