An athlete, an author and a reality star walk into a bar…
It sounds like the start of a joke, but it actually happened on Jan. 30 at Key West’s Southernmost Mansion.
Talent representative Bill Francis of The Nova Group, who lives in Key West and Tampa, emailed me the day before with an interesting invitation.
He said he had Major League Baseball pitching legend Tommy John, “along with the world’s most famous houseguest, Kato Kaelin, and novelist Alessandra Torre all getting together at the Seaside Cafe at the Mansion, 1400 Duval St.
“It’s a very eclectic group and an interesting combo,” Francis wrote.
And it was.
Kaelin was planning to emcee a show that night at Comedy Key West, and Tommy John (no relation to the men’s underwear brand) was here with his wife, Cheryl, and their two sweet dogs, “Arnold Palmer” and “Jack Nicklaus.”
Kaelin became a household name in 1995, when he testified at O.J. Simpson’s murder trial as the resident of a guesthouse on the Simpsons’ property. He has since had several acting and reality show gigs.
John pitched for 26 seasons in the major leagues and played for the Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, California Angels, and Oakland Athletics.
His nickname was the “Bionic Man,” following groundbreaking elbow surgery that prolonged his career. The now-common orthopedic procedure is known as “Tommy John surgery.”
Baseball pitching legend Tommy John on Jan. 30 in the Hemingway Room of the Southernmost Mansion. CONTRIBUTED 
Kato Kaelin, known as the world’s most famous houseguest after he testified in the O.J. Simpson 1995 murder trial, enjoys a dinner at the Southernmost Mansion in Key West on Jan. 30. MANDY MILES/Keys Weekly 
Bestselling author and Key West resident Alessandra Torre enjoys the original Hemingway letters and memorabilia inside the Southernmost Mansion. MANDY MILES/Keys Weekly
Now 78, John “was a four-time MLB All-Star and has the third-most wins (288) of any pitcher since 1900 not in the Hall of Fame. Known for his longevity, John was the Opening Day starter for both the 1966 Chicago White Sox and the 1989 New York Yankees,” states his Wikipedia bio.
Torre is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of 23 novels, including multiple New York Times bestsellers. She is now a Key West resident.
As always, Michael Halpern was an impeccable host at the Southernmost Mansion for one of those only-in-Key-West gatherings.
