Call him 'snowbird jack'.(The World Series)

If you don't mind the sound of jackhammers at 8 a.m. or the smell of cheap disinfectant in the hallways, the Holiday Inn in Hollywood Beach, Fla., is a nice enough place. The rates are reasonable, and the inviting waters of the Atlantic Ocean are steps from the back door.

But this isn't the kind of place where you'd find a major league groupie wannabe, much less an actual major leaguer. So imagine my surprise as I walk pasta bench on the way to the pool and sec an elderly gent kicking back talking on a cell phone. Jack McKeon? He has a plaid shirt tucked into Bermuda shorts. He looks like a typical snowbird here to escape another winter. He has a bunch of people waiting nearby. Indeed, it is the Marlins' manager and current hero of south Florida.

At this time the previous day, McKeon already was at the ballpark, shaking hands with fans standing in line for tickets that weren't available. On this day, however, he is having a late breakfast with some of the 31 friends and family members who have made their way to the Holiday Inn from South Amboy, N.J., for the middle three games of the Series. McKeon has lived for years in Elon, ...