For One Day, Cuddyer Becomes Claus
Over 160 times a year, thousands of Minnesota Twins fans cheer for Michael Cuddyer to tear up the fields of major league baseball.
One night a year, millions of children across the nation lay awake, waiting for the arrival of a special someone.
On Saturday afternoon, local kids and baseball fans got the most extraordinary of two-for-one specials; for the second straight year, one of Hampton Roads' major league representatives transformed into that jolly old elf that comes along on a special night at Portsmouth's Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.
"(The Hall) contacted me last year and asked if I would be Santa for a day," said Cuddyer, a Chesapeake alumnus and surefire future inductee at the Hall. "I naturally said yes, just to see the enjoyment on kids' faces. It's funny, because some of the older kids know it's me, and they ask me to sign autographs, and the younger kids get excited about seeing Santa. Just to see the kids' enjoyment, regardless of the reason they're here, is fun."
Downstairs, Hall president Eddie Webb welcomed guests waiting to meet a surefire future Hall inductee.
"Michael has a great reputation in this area, and he does a lot of community work up in Minnesota," Webb said. "He was the perfect person to play this role. It's not every pro athlete that has the makeup of doing something like this, but he's great with the kids."
One local bit of community service is Cuddyer's instructional camp at Greenbrier Christian Academy, in which Jennifer Puckett has watched her sons - and hundreds of others - take part.
"They've been going to his camps since they were real little," Puckett said of her two youngsters. "They learn basic baseball skills."
Josh, her oldest, hopes to someday play catcher at GCA.
"(Cuddyer) isn't on my favorite team, the Mets, but I still like him," said Josh, who hopes to get a catcher's mitt from the "other" Santa. "He's really helped me to improve my swing."
Cuddyer's got some improving of his own to do come spring training; after three solid seasons, injuries limited him to just 71 games and a .249 average last season. But his team held on literally until the end, falling to Chicago 1-0 on the last day of the regular season, which knocked the Twins a game behind the White Sox for the American League Central title and out of the playoffs.
"I feel good," Cuddyer said. "I'm healed up. We were one game away from the playoffs last year with the team that we still have, and hopefully with a couple of additions."
As dozens of visitors ate lunch with a local choir dishing out some early Christmas carols, the special Claus strolled around the room, handing out handshakes and high-fives. Afterward, everyone went upstairs to discuss their hopes for Christmas gifts.
For Mike Pyka, a World Series title would be a welcome belated gift.
"It's nice to see a local guy playing for the team you like to follow," said the Minnesota native, decked out in a replica Cuddyer jersey. "It's a good chance to see him, and for my (three) little ones to see Santa."
With a line of his (and Santa's) fans waiting outside, Cuddyer signed a few autographs. He took some photos. Kids too young to follow baseball asked him for bikes, video games, DVDs, dolls, CDs, and other gifts. Cassandra McKee-Healey helped her brother describe his Christmas wishes to Santa.
"I made a long wish list," said the eight-year-old. "I want a Nintendo DS, and a High School Musical room set."
Still, the youngster seemed a bit puzzled at her new buddy's appearance.
"He was nice, and he looked nice," she said. "He didn't look like Santa, though; he was a little too skinny!"
