Excuses for Being Late: A Baseball Notebook

Life, especially in the fast-paced world of work, demands punctuality. However, every now and then, unforeseeable circumstances or personal slippages can lead to tardiness. This article delves into some humorous and clever excuses for being late, particularly one that involves a memorable experience from the baseball world.

A Popular Excuse: The Spike Milligan Story

One of the most popular and clever excuses for being late is a story attributed to the British comic Spike Milligan. According to this anecdote, he once found himself more than two weeks late to join his unit due to a clerical error. When confronted by the Sergeant, he delivered the legendary line:

“I’m sorry sir!” he replied. “I’ll make up for it. I’ll fight nights!”

This cheeky and somewhat naive response brilliantly illustrated the sheer audacity one might employ to justify tardiness, albeit humorously.

A Personal Encounter

Stepping away from the anecdotal, let's take a look at a personal encounter that once occurred during my time at Major League Baseball (MLB). One day, in the month of September 1985, I received a call from the Public Relations (PR) department of the Commissioner's office.

Without prior notice, the staff of a well-known television personality, David Letterman, requested a phone interview from Commissioner Peter Ueberroth. The PR department explained that they needed to relay this request despite Commissioner Ueberroth's initial reluctance.

However, it was Peter's own secretary, Stephanie, who ended up speaking with me on this day. The context was quite unique: during a segment of David Letterman's NBC show, he invited callers to engage in a humorous and somewhat challenging discussion about a new invention he had created.

The instructions to me were impressive yet simple: ‘“Just keep talking. Can you do that?”’

The situation was straightforward but required a bit of preparation. The Letterman show taped at 5:30 pm that evening. The staff member informed me that they would attempt to call me shortly before that time and keep me on hold until the segment was ready to start. To avoid any disturbances, I unplugged my TWX machine, a noisier alternative to email, and made sure my office door was closed off.

The call came, and the discussion began. I was at a slight disadvantage since I couldn't see the video or hear any sounds from the segment. We got comfortable with the approach, and at one point, I found myself just keeping on talking about the invention—probably a much better way to keep up with the segment than by plugging back in to my vantage point.

Lessons from the Experience

This experience with David Letterman taught me several valuable lessons about preparedness and flexibility in the face of unexpected requests. It also highlighted the importance of maintaining a positive and cooperative attitude, even when tasks may seem overwhelming initially.

In conclusion, whether it's a comedic retort from Spike Milligan or an unexpected phone call from a TV show, there are numerous ways to handle being late humorously and professionally. The key is to stay light-hearted and find an appropriate way to navigate the situation.