I was on the train heading towards the Oakland Coliseum on assignment when a man in a striped red and white shirt sat next to me. His smile was enormous and he wore an A's lanyard.
The man with the infectious smile who I had met that day's name was Jimmy Graff. He passed away suddenly on Christmas morning at the age of 49. He served hot dogs to A's and Giants fans for over 30 years, but he was so much more than that.
We had small talk on the short ride to the A's game about the team, and I reminded myself to make sure I watched him in action. Despite the busy day, my eyes spotted him giving out the baseball treats.
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SIGN UP HERE And that smile. I'll never forget that smile. It didn't fade as he hoisted the hot dog holder on his chest with ease.
The Athletic's Alex Coffey wrote a beautiful remembrance piece on Graff that delivered anecdotes of "Jimmy the Hot Dog Guy," who knew that while money was important to pay the bills, the friendships he made were priceless.
So priceless, in fact, he would offer to carry around a fan's favorite brand of mustard -- in the bottle, of course. Packeted condiments were something he was uncomfortable schlepping around.
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Fans tweeted about the legend that was Graff after his passing. The man who delivered hot dogs with a smile -- that unforgettable smile.
The investigation into Graff's untimely death is still ongoing.