I’m Paul Ferguson.  Small-town born and raised.  Grew up to be a radio guy.  Husband.  Father.

Oh.  And Major League Baseball career killer.

Working in country radio at Cool 100 has been a true pleasure of my life, and it’s taken me in some incredible directions.  And the people in the Canadian country music “family” have facilitated some of my greatest professional experiences.

Like September 3, 2015.  Thanks the generosity of the Universal Music Canada team, I was at the Molson Amphitheatre in Toronto for the Zac Brown Band concert.  We were served dinner prior to the show…by the Zac Brown Band. 

A terrific, once-in-a-lifetime experience.

For me, that is.

Not so much so for Blue Jays’ pitcher Mark Buehrle, who I ran into in the beverage line in a private area of the venue.

The Jays had an off-day, and Beuhrle and a couple of other Jays were taking in the show.  I’m not exactly a shy guy, and when I spotted Buehrle, I decided instantly, “He’s about to meet an ordinary guy.”

So I asked #56, “Well?  Are you gonna get your 200 innings pitched this year?”

He said, “I’m at 171 now.”, with confidence, given that he still had a few starts left in the season.

Here’s the background.  Mark Buehrle has pitched at least 200 innings every season for 14 years. And at the time of our conversation, his flight path was right on course.

Until then. 

After running into a bald guy from Belleville, ON, his flight path went straight toward the ground at a break-neck pace.  Serious engine trouble.  The cockpit dashboard is lit up like Christmas.  This is bad.

He got lit up in his next start.  His next turn to pitch?  He got sent back to Toronto from Boston for a “cortisone shot to his shoulder”  You mean not a single cortisone shot can be found in ALL OF BOSTON?!

If they’d rather fly him back to Toronto than have him around the team at all … his career is going down.

And my guilt-level is rising…

Finally, they give him back the ball on the final day of the regular season. 

198 innings pitched. 

Right on.  Surely this guy can stay upright long enough to pitch the requisite two innings to get me off the hook in my own mind.

After all, these are the Tampa Bay Rays.  They’re so ready to get the season over with, that they’re likely to play the game in street clothes.  And this is Mark Freakin’ Buehrle!

But I’m Paul Ferguson.

And bad luck follows me around…and apparently is contagious.

Buehrle retires exactly two batters:  8 runs allowed, 0 earned. 

So his season ended.  His streak ended.  His career likely ended. 

And I feel 100 per cent, wholly responsible.

The lesson in this for you people, and it’s only fair to warn you, is that if I ever ask you how things are going for you professionally … turn and walk away. Hang up the phone. Drop me on Facebook.

For your own good, do what you have to do.

I, and Mark Buehrle, will truly understand…