‘I didn’t even feel it’: John Curley shares astonishing story of local winner

Most drivers have come across a unique license plate.

“EEW A BUG,” “TIMELESS,” and “MUAHAHA” are a few that stand out.

But the license plate “I-1THIS” (translating to “I won this”) is more than creative, it comes with a story of triumph.

John Curley, host of The John and Shari Show, recounted the tale of the man with the winning plate this week on KIRO Newsradio. The following is a transcript of the story John told on Thursday, March 14.

John Curley tells Scott Fitzsimmons’ story

Scott Fitzsimmons was quite the athlete in high school. He was a gymnast in college. He also played some baseball. So he was a good athlete, not a big guy, but a good athlete. He entered a contest that Mazda was having for a home run derby. The contest was if you get hit a home run at the Kingdome, in front of everybody, on the 28th of September 1985, on Fan Appreciation Night, you would win a Mazda.

They picked 22 people and they narrowed it down to just four contestants who would be competing on the 28th of September.

Scott Fitzsimmons knew that on that particular day, he was going to the Kingdome to try to hit a home run in the Kingdome and win the Mazda.

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His horoscope on that day said, “Today, you will win something.”

He showed up in Kent a couple of hours earlier, just to get sort of the butterflies out and hit a few. And while he’s there, these two guys were like, “Hey, we’ll shag them for you.” So they’re shagging them.

“Where are you going?” asked one of the guys.

Scott said, “I’m going over the kingdom to try to win a Mazda.”

One of the guys said, “Oh, good luck!”

Scott arrived at the kingdom that evening. The stands were full. And the two guys that were shagging with him earlier in Kent turned out to be the two guys he was competing against.

Three of them didn’t get the home run. Scott was the fourth guy up.

The first pitch — he hit into the outfield.

The second — a pop fly.

Scott then said to the Mariners pitching coach, Phil Ruth, “Put it right here. Put it right here.” And pointed.

Phil nodded his head, OK. And threw it in. It came in tight and high and brushed back, Scott. And the crowd went “Whoa!” Like he was trying to hit them.

Scott looked at Phil, smiled and pointed again where he wanted it. And then — he threw it.

Scott Fitzsimmons turned on that ball.

‘I didn’t even feel it, but I saw it all the way out of left field’

“I didn’t even feel it, but I saw it all the way out to left field,” he said.

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And it just so happened that his friend, who had bought a seat to that game, was sitting in that chair, reached out and caught the ball.

Scott ran around, got to the second base, looked out to the crowd and they were going absolutely crazy.

He went to third base, jogged along and got to home plate. When he got to home plate, he did a round-off backflip on the home plate. And the place went nuts.

They gave him his white Mazda pickup truck, they drove it around the field and when he got to his seat, of course, he was on cloud nine at this point, his friend said, “Hey, I got your ball. I just happened to be sitting in the seat where you hit it.”

And Scott still has the truck to this day. He’s got the ball. He’s got the license plate. And he has his horoscope. He saved all of those things.

Contributing: John Curley and Joe Wallace, KIRO Newsradio; Julia Dallas, MyNorthwest

Listen to John Curley and Shari Elliker weekday afternoons from 3-7 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.