Lunch with Umpire Chuck Maske in Birmingham

I recently had lunch with umpire Chuck Maske at the Full Moon BBQ in Birmingham, Alabama.

He had offered back in May of this year during a phone conversation that started out talking chest protectors and ended talking about the best places to eat BBQ in Birmingham. (See "the Soft-Shell' CP Challenge and BBQ in Birmingham" post). Chuck's a great guy who's been umpiring a long time on multiple levels. He was to have demo'd a Pro Nine chest protector and written a review but he tore his ACL this summer.

I e-mailed him before leaving for our family trip to Destin, Florida, and I think he was a little surprised that I remembered I would try to meet up with him on my next time through there. It was really nice that we were able to get our timing right just around lunch time. You can tell from the picture that BBQ is was just what we needed for our diets.

Chuck was right about the Full Moon. It was the best BBQ sandwich I have ever eaten - had a sweet slaw or relish topping plus it pretty much just melted in your mouth. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Chuck and best of luck to him (and his knee) in '08.