The people who attend the dinners pay $700 for the four-part series. The money raised goes to Angels Baseball Foundation, which matches the amount raised and donates it to help with baseball fields and equipment for inner-city children, Salisbury said.
Salisbury grew up in L.A. and he wants to help out. He hopes the dinners can provide some aid. He also wants to enhance his restaurant, which has a room dedicated to baseball. The room features autographs of Ty Cobb, Jackie Robinson and nostalgic photos of Babe Ruth.
Throughout the restaurant there are wine bottles, each encased in a glass box, that have been signed by former Major League players. One has been signed by Arte Moreno, the Angels owner who came to speak during last year’s Hot Stove League Series.
During that night, Moreno asked to be introduced to each person in the room, Salisbury said.
“I thought that was cool,” Salisbury said.
On a different night another friend of Salisbury’s came. It was Nolan Ryan, who also first met Salisbury at the El Cholo in L.A. when he was eating with Seaver.
“Tom brought me over to the table,” Salisbury said. “And, said, ‘I want you to meet this kid. I bring him along to shine my shoes.’ And, here’s a 19-year-old Nolan Ryan slumped down in the booth. He was skinny. Nolan then came to the Angels and we have a restaurant in La Habra and he remembered El Cholo from L.A. I ran into him and we struck a friendship. His kids came to work for me in the summer. My kids worked for him at his ranch.”
