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MECK: Here with my favorite number 8 .. Javy Lopez .. Man you look good in that jersey buddy ..

JAVIER: The jersey is lookin good .. that's why .. [ laughter]

MECK: Congratulations on your incredible year ..

JAVIER: Thank you

MECK: I know you told me the first week of the season your goal was to make the All -Star game .. If you didn't we'd go to a Boston concert .. You've worked really hard .. Tell us about the off season .. You told me you've been eating that turkey breast sandwich from Subway .. stopping by there every day ..

JAVIER: Well .. as soon as the season was over last year .. I decided to start a diet .. but you know the kind of person I was I like to eat all the time .. I have to find the right food to eat and not get fat ..

Of course I got no choice but eating Subway all the time .. I was eating very often over there [ in Atlanta] and that filled me up and at the same time I don't gain too much weight .. So I continue doing that until I lost all the pounds that I wanted to lose ..

MECK: There's a lot of ladies logging on to TheMeck.com .. They say.. What is Javy eating at Subway ?? What does he eat when he stops by there ??

JAVIER: Most of the time I eat the turkey breast .. [Smiling ]

MECK: You went from 248 .. down to 210 .. ??

JAVIER: 210 right now .. That's correct ..

MECK: Do you think Subway would help me ??

JAVIER: Ahh .. Go ahead and try .. I'm pretty sure ..

MECK: I've been wanting to get my hair like yours .. What do you think ?? [Meck lifting his cap]

JAVIER: [ smiling] .. Oh well .. That's something else .. [ mucho laughter ] ..

MECK: You stopped by there every day and went from 248 to 210 .. What else were you doing in the off season to lose all this weight ??

JAVIER: I also had my personal trainer and worked out with him .. and I did some speed training which is running, running and running ..

Pulling tires .. pulling me with a bungee cord and all kinds of stuff like that .. Jumping ladders and stuff like that .. That's also helped me out on losing my weight .. and of course the weights at the gym ..

MECK: Lot of people wondering what are we doing in these jerseys .. [ TheMeck.com] Of course these are in our latest video and you did a video with Gary Carter whose going in The Hall of Fame, July 27th ..

JAVIER: Yes

MECK: Talk about the video and what that means to you to shoot that .. You're an All-Star again .. starting the All-Star game and we're very proud of you .. What does that mean to shoot the video with Gary and talk about what the video means as maybe we play a clip of this on TV ..

JAVIER: The video was a very special opportunity for me to express all I know about baseball at the same time I got the chance to share time with Gary Carter whose gonna be a Hall of Famer now .. and I feel proud for him .. very very glad that he made it to the Hall of Fame .. It's a very special video because we're not only teaching about baseball .. We're teaching about ..

MECK: T I M E ..

JAVIER: Exactly .. T I M E .. All the things in life that people need to know and try to live life happy .. It's very important .. That's why that video is so special ..

MECK: So you drove all the way to Dothan .. left Atlanta at 4 in
the morning .. to shoot that .. the only video you've ever done ..

JAVIER: That's correct ..

MECK: and the only video that Gary's ever done ..[ Hosting]

JAVIER: That's correct .. It's a lot of hard work .. [ 9 hrs shooting in 1 day ] .. But .. We felt that we got our job done and we feel very proud of what we've done on that video ..

MECK: Did you know I have 80 year old women order the video ..? A guy called me from Rhode Island and says .. ' All my daughter watches is Javy on TV .. Can you please send me that video '.. ??

So the young women order it and the old .. the older women [ excuse me] order it .. and they're not gonna be a catcher .. [Coaches and teams order it ].. That must make you feel good that it relates to your fans also ..

JAVIER: Yes, it doesn't matter the age .. Just as long as they ask for the video that way .. that's what makes me feel good .. Because fans say something .. that you only have this period of time in your life that a fan is right behind you all the time .. Once you're done in baseball .. people might forget you .. people might still be with you but not as much as now ..

MECK: How are they gonna forget you ..? Come on man ...

JAVIER: You have to enjoy the moment right now and share with the fan and try to treat them like they are very special people .. Which they are .. of course .. [Smiling]

MECK: Yes, and that's why you always have Time for people and talking about that .. 3 years ago this week [this Saturday ] my father died and you called him several days before ..You remember that conversation when he said .. " Javy, I'd like to meet you in Atlanta ..
but if I don't, I'll see you in heaven .." Do you remember talkin' to him ??

JAVIER: Those kind of words I just don't want to think about .. Yes, I do remember talking to him and having a great conversation with him before he passed away ..

I feel glad seeing those pictures you sent me .. him holding the bat I gave him .. It was a very special moment for me because my purpose in living this life is just try to make people happy .. Those kind of moments like that really make me feel good ..

MECK: You remember the little boy we went to visit in Dothan that was dying .. had been in a wreck and he wiggled his finger at you .. ? [Chief White took us to see Davis Loftin]

JAVIER: Yes .. Yes .. I remember that too and hopefully he's still doing O.K. since I haven't heard from him for a long time .. Hopefully he's doing fine ..

MECK: You're leading the All-Star voting [ catcher] and going to start the All-Star game .. What does this mean to you personally ?? Obviously .. You've showed a lot of people that doubted you ..

JAVIER: [ Smiling] .. Very, Very special year for me .. [ Bigger Smile] .. Like you say a lot of people have a lot of doubts about me, about my career .. I never thought about that ..

I thought by me listening to all these people talking negative about me .. I kinda use that as a push, as a motivation and that's what I did .. Use all these negative things and convert into a positive thing and make things happen and right now I'm showin' it up .. and I got the feeling that from now on for the rest of my career I'm gonna
continue doing the same thing because once you have a real positive mind.. Everything will come with it .. Now it's paying off ..

MECK: Did you know you're the only major league catcher in history .. that's ever .. to have 4 multi HR games in the same month ..?? Did you know you're the only catcher to do that ??

JAVIER: No . No .. That's something new .. I've never heard of that .. That's something I have to be proud of and I'm not gonna stop doing it .. [ Laughing ]

MECK: Tell us how your family is doing .. and Tito [ papa ] ..

JAVIER: They all doing great .. They are all happy for me for the year I'm having .. and They all are gonna be at the All-Star game .. cheering for me, which is good ..

MECK: In your spare time .. We went to the Backstreet boys concert together .. the Boston concert .. A lot of people ask me about your airplanes that Javy puts together .. I saw them that day in your basement .. Tell us about those airplanes you make ..

JAVIER: Well, I haven't been flying 'em for a while since the season started ..

MECK: Since all the baseballs are flying .. the planes aren't .. [ laughter]

JAVIER: I'm flying something else ..[ laughs]

MECK: Many squirrels are diving out of the trees, by the way ..

JAVIER: Yes , I kinda took a little vacation from the airplane and soon as the season is over then I might go ahead and start flying my airplanes back again .. because that's my passion .. this is what I do in my spare time .. That's my hobby, my passion, that's what I do for having fun ..

MECK: The Meck with Javy Lopez and if you just joined us wearing our video jerseys [ TheMeck.com] .. By the way you've been traded to our team but you've always been welcome on our team .. even when you weren't hitting Home Runs .. You know that .. Right ??

JAVIER: Thank you , Thank You .. I know that .. [ Smiling ]

MECK: I know you love the band Boston .. A reporter asked me about taking you to the concert in 95 .. You told me Boston's your favorite group of all time .. Brad Delp came here in 97 [ Atlanta] .. Tell us about Boston and Marty Hom - Tour Mgr ..

JAVIER: Boston has been one of my favorite bands of all time .. Ever since I grew up my brother used to listen to them and that was the band that really stick in my head and I never forget about them and every chance I buy all their CD's and records .. Since I was a little kid I've been listening to them ..

I never thought in my life that I would ever get a chance to see them in concert .. In 1995 I heard that they were coming in concert here to Atlanta ..
That was the time of my life .. The opportunity for me of my life to see them ..

MECK: Hung out backstage ..

JAVIER: Never Never Never gonna forget that day .. because you know that's Priceless ..

MECK: You remember when you came to Dothan [Jan.1996] with Brad Delp and 5 thousand people showed up and we gave you a guitar from Brad ..??

JAVIER: Yes .. Yes .. Still saving that guitar like a treasure ..[Smiles]

MECK: Have you been practicing on it ??

JAVIER: No .. No .. It's been hanging on the wall and nobody can touch it ..

MECK: When I went to your house you were playing the video with the drums .. You were practicing the drums with More than a feeling [ video] ..

JAVIER: Yes .. The guitar is in Puerto Rico right now and nobody can touch that .. Yes ..The drum set is something that I can hit on every time I get a chance and just fooling around with the drum set ..

MECK: Why don't you use the song "Smokin" when you come to the plate cause you are on fire .. Why don't you use that song by Brad Delp ??

JAVIER: Well, I would love to but what would it change ?? [ Mucho laughter] I've been hitting the ball well with the song I got .. Yeah .. We'll have to use it ..

MECK: What's Javy's favorite movie .. What movies do you like to go see ??

JAVIER: No preference.. I like action movie most of all.. The other day I took the kids to see Hulking .. That was a pretty good movie .. I like it ..

MECK: As you hold up the videos for the camera .. with you and Gary Carter and your ole buddy Denny Neagle .. Choo Choo .. What do you call him ..?

JAVIER: Choo Choo Neagle .. [ laughter]

MECK: All these HR's your hitting now .. everybody's jumping on the Javy wagon and of course there's no room left on the wagon .. but You care more about the Home Runs you hit in life and that's helping people .. T I M E .. The way you reach out to people cause Those are the hits and those are the Things that lasts forever .. Like you said, people forget about you when you don't hit Home Runs .. [ Like we talked about in the video ..]

JAVIER: Yes .. Unfortunately that's how it is ..

MECK: That's what you care about, right ??

JAVIER: Exactly .. There's nothing more important than hitting Home Runs that way .. the way you just say it .. In life .. Those are the ones that people never forget ..

MECK: I wanna thank you for your T I M E today ..

JAVIER .. Sure ..

MECK: For being a blessing in my life and encourager and always including me in your life and people .. like the lady in Dothan dying of cancer came up here and Glen Serra of the Braves arranged for you to meet her ..[ Myrna's friend Karen ] Do you remember that ?

JAVIER: Yes

MECK: She died 3 months later and her husband comes up to me every time I see him .. ' You just never know what Javy meant to my wife ' .. and the little boy, my friends you spend time with who don't have a dad .. These are people that you're laying treasures up in heaven .. I just want to thank you for being such a blessing ..

JAVIER: I appreciate it .. That's something that really makes me feel happy too .. I got something accomplished and I wish I could do all kinds of things like that for the rest of my life ..

MECK: Thanks for your Time today buddy and ..

JAVIER: Your Welcome ..

MECK: Hopefully maybe we'll get to go see Boston in Chicago at the All-Star break ..

JAVIER: We'll see ..

MECK: It'll be more than a feeling .. right ..

JAVIER: Yea .. That'll be more than a feeling .. [ laughing ]

MECK: It's great seeing you and thanks for your T I M E today ..

JAVIER: Sure ..

MECK: It's wonderful to talk with you ..

JAVIER: No problem MECK:

MECK: My friend Javy Lopez Number 8 with the MECK: Boy ..You look good in that jersey .. [ TheMeck.com]

JAVIER: [ Laughing] .. Well thank you .. this is your jersey .. [Mucho Laughter ]
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Note .. July 11, 2000 ..[ All-Star game in Atlanta ..]
That same day .. My Dad's memorial service was held at the TPC Sawgrass .. 17th green ..

Javier Lopez sent a beautiful Cross of red and white flowers that stood beside my Dad's greens mower .. That's a Home Run by Javy on All-Star day that will last forever .. My brother Shannon and I will always remember .. So will Big Jim Kearce and John McKay .. who sang Dad's favorite Amazing Grace ...
Meck photos: Mr Meckley memorial page ..
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MECK: www.TheMeck.com .. Column page ..
Meck T I M E with Javier Lopez .. Q and A .. posted July 9, 2003 ..

Meck writings are available for publication ..
If you quote it .. please reference www.TheMeck.com
This interview is also available on tape ..
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