Peter Kerasotis
Gallery
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My mom tells me that even when I was this young, I talked about wanting to be a writer. While I vaguely remember that, I do clearly recall that when I read books I’d think of how I would’ve written it differently and made the story better. That’s me on the left, in the backyard of our home in Commack, NY. With me is my first friend in life, Tommy Diflo, who later became a Harvard educated doctor. We were probably 4 or 5.
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My college roommate Mark Gamber and me playing in a softball league in Gainesville, Florida, circa 1982, when we were University of Florida students. That’s me on the left. Any question as to why I gave up playing sports and went into writing should be answered with this photo.
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Here’s my college roommate Mark Gamber and me again, at Wrigley Field, almost 30 years after our school – and softball – days.
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With Arnold Palmer in 2002, after I interviewed him at Bay Hill for an Orlando magazine piece.
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With Arnold Palmer again, this time in January, 2013, for an Orlando magazine cover story. This was taken in his Bay Hill office after a great and emotional interview with him, talking to him about his beloved father.
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Interviewing the greatest all-around athlete I ever laid eyes on – Herschel Walker.
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My wife Shelley and me hanging with my favorite celeb – Bruce Springsteen. We saw him at his hotel in Orlando during The Rising tour. Do I look thrilled?
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Interviewing Michael Jordan as he sat pregame in the dugout at Orlando’s Tinker Field during his brief stint as a baseball player. He was playing for the Birmingham Barons. Terry Francona was the manager.
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Interviewing Johnny Damon. He’s the good-looking guy on the left.
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At Steve Spurrier’s introductory news conference at South Carolina, when he became the head coach. I’ve got the spotlight around my head. To my left is my buddy Pat Dooley, the talented columnist for the Gainesville Sun.
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Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway telling me something that I’m sure was interesting.
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At the Barnes & Noble on Merritt Island, Fla., at a signing for my book Stadium Stories: Florida Gators. They set a record that day, Sept. 24, 2005, for a book signing at that store. There were 150-plus people in line.
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That stack of books was gone by the end of the afternoon. They had to call in reserves from other stores.
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With Clint Hurdle at his Manhattan hotel the day before he managed the National League in the 2008 All-Star Game at old Yankee Stadium.
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Standing in left field at old Yankee Stadium at the 2008 All-Star Game. I saw my first baseball game here on the lower deck just below where I’m standing, in 1962, when I was 4.
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Another shot at old Yankee Stadium after the 2008 All-Star Game.
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At the Daytona 500, with the cars roaring – and I do mean roaring – behind me.
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With Wilber Marshall, one of the great players in college football history and someone who deserves to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
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Slaving over a hot laptop but still enjoying a cool snack while covering the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill in Orlando.
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Talking baseball pregame with San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy at Wrigley Field.
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Standing with Bruce Bochy in front of the visitors’ dugout with Wrigley Field as our backdrop.
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A lot of people will tell you that this guy was the greatest ever. Perhaps you’ve heard of him. Name is Jim Brown.
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My wife Shelley and I with our friend Kim Strother at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, circa 2010. Kim’s late husband, Shelby Strother, was my dear friend who taught me much of what I know about writing. He was the best.
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Corny, I know. But it’s my wife Shelley and I goofing around and enjoying ourselves at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
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Chilling, once again, at one of my favorite annual events – The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. This was in the spring of 2011.
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There are times when I do enjoy just being a spectator, especially when the venue is a place like historic Fenway Park. Great seats.
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Enjoyed Fenway Park so much that my wife and I caught a second game. That’s the iconic Green Monster in the background.
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In a media scrum with the enigmatic Vince Carter. That’s me in the foreground in the orange shirt.
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On the infield at Tropicana Field, interviewing Tampa Bay Rays owner Stu Sternberg. What is it with me and orange shirts?
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Going over some notes before interviewing Tim Tebow when he was at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney World in Orlando.
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I used to live just a few miles from Dodger Stadium. Here I am in 2012 enjoying a ballgame and some memories.
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Postgame at Dodger Stadium before a concert. I didn’t stick around, except for this photo.
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Well, they do call it a laptop.
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With the great basketball Hall of Fame legend, Artis Gilmore. He’s the tall guy. Seven-foot-2, in case you were wondering.
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Another photo with Artis Gilmore. That’s Tom Wasdin, who recruited Gilmore to Jacksonville University, with us. Wasdin was JU’s head coach before going into private business. I wrote Wasdin’s biography.
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My wife Shelley and I sitting in the visiting dugout in Miami with San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy, on August 13, 2011. Bruce is one of the nicest human beings you’d ever want to meet.
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Whenever I have a bat in my hand, this comes natural. Another great photo from my friends at Gioia Photography.
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We’re not really twins. Dwight Howard and I just happened to be wearing red shirts and jeans. This was taken after I interviewed him for an Orlando magazine cover story in August, 2011.
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My wife Shelley and I with Dwight Howard at one of his charity events in August, 2011.
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Enjoying some sun and a spring training game. There’s nothing better than the warmth returning to days and the casual rhythms of baseball.
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Watching the Orlando Solar Bears play hockey while working on an Orlando magazine piece in December 2012.
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With one of the all-time great guys, Orlando Magic vice president Pat Williams. We’re in his Winter Park backyard after visiting with him in December, 2012 for an Orlando magazine piece on his cancer battle. Pat and I are now writing a book together.
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Sitting with the great knuckleball pitcher Tim Wakefield. This photo was shot by my good friends at Gioia Photography on Merritt Island, Florida, early in 2013. Two good-looking guys, don’t you think?
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Interviewing Alex Rodriguez for the New York Times on May 6, 2013. Recovering from January hip surgery, A-Rod was resuming baseball activities at the team’s facilities in Tampa. He was obviously happy to be back, and perhaps even happy to see us.
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With ESPN legend Lee Corso on his patio, after finishing a wonderful interview with him for a magazine piece.
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With my wife Shelley, just before having lunch with ESPN legend Lee Corso.
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Pittsburgh Pirates manager Clint Hurdle, wedged between myself and our high school baseball coach Chuck Goldfarb. We renamed the baseball field at Merritt Island High School after him. I was the emcee of the event.
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That’s me in the blue jacket, reporting for the New York Times, talking to Derek Jeter at the window of his Mercedes a day after he announced his retirement.
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With Tom Wasdin and Hall of Fame center Artis Gilmore at the 2014 Final Four in Dallas, promoting my book “Once A Coach, Always A Coach: The Life Journey of Thomas Errol Wasdin”.
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With Nike co-founder and chairman Phil Knight, after he received a copy of my book “Once A Coach, Always A Coach: The Life Journey of Thomas Errol Wasdin”. We were at a private dinner at a Morton’s in Dallas for the 2014 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees.
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At a fundraising book signing for “Once A Coach, Always A Coach: The Life Journey of Thomas Errol Wasdin” to help raise money for TNA The Facial Pain Association.
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With Julia Ruth Stevens, Babe Ruth’s daughter, at the Vinoy Hotel in St. Petersbrug, where I interviewed her for a New York Times story.
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Interviewing New York Mets pitcher Matt Harvey for a New York Times story.
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This is my favorite photo of myself and Felipe Alou. It was taken in 2017 while sitting in the dugout at Scottsdale Stadium. I was there working with Felipe on the book, “Alou: My Baseball Journey.”