The call came at 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 16. "The swell is coming," said the hushed voice on the other end. After scribbling down my instructions, I pack a small bag and slip out of town. I was headed not for Mission Impossible, but for Mission Beach, to meet Klesko.
|  | | Ryan Klesko's big first half landed him on his first All-Star team. |
Ryan Klesko. A first baseman with a penchant for the long board, Ryan uses his computer not to crack code but rather to surf the net for the surf. During the preceding week, he had been locked in to swell.com, tracking a storm coming from New Zealand. It was full of promise and due to make waves in San Diego on a Monday morning.
Monday, 6:30 a.m. Arrive at Ryan's Cardiff, Calif. home, which overlooks the sea and encounter Mission Improbable. The slugger is spoon-feeding a three-month-old African Gray parrot. "This is Cocoa. She's my baby," Ryan coos. "She was on three-a-day feedings, but now she's down to just two. I warm up baby food for her." Ryan kisses Cocoa goodbye and heads out the door.
The first stop -- Pipe's Café, a local hangout for surfers and free spirits. Pipe's is part of Ryan's morning ritual, and as he waits for his coffee, he does a lap around the restaurant, saying "good morning" to the employees. "I think Ryan thinks he owns this place," says owner Tim Fischer, "but that's OK. Does no harm to let him believe it. Everybody loves Rhino."
With the breakfast crowd under control, Tim joins Ryan in his search for the perfect waves. We travel 20 minutes up to Carlsbad, then back down the coast to La Jolla with a stop in Cardiff in between. It's the West Coast version of "Twister." They finally decide on Black's Beach. The surf is smaller than Ryan had hoped for, but it's an off-day for the Padres, and he's not about to let it go to waste. "It's small but it's rideable," he says. "Some of my friends weigh like 120 pounds. They can catch a wave in a bathtub. It takes a little something bigger to push me around."
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Backstage with ...
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 You know them on the field, but each Sunday "Baseball 2Day" (noon ET, ESPN2) takes you off the field with a big leaguer. This Sunday, hang out with Mets manager Bobby Valentine at his restaurant in his hometown of Stamford, Conn.
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Ryan learned to surf in his hometown of Huntington Beach, Calif. when he was eight years old. He defines himself as a Southern California Redneck. Traded to the Padres last year after 11 seasons in the Braves organization, he had developed a love for hunting and country music (Tim McGraw is a close friend) and often retreats to his little log cabin in Georgia. However, ask him how it feels to be back in Southern California and an excited grin takes over his face. "It's incredible. I love being so close to my family. I love surfing, fishing, being out on the water. This view and this weather just doesn't allow for stress."
Ryan has looked at home on the field as well this season. Entering Thursday, he had 17 home runs and 70 RBI, and while he may struggle to get his 240-pound frame up on a wave, he's had no trouble getting it to second base. He ranks eighth in the National League with 16 steals.
"I have no limitations here," he says. "Bruce Bochy puts me in the lineup every day. I'm not platooning or coming out in the seventh inning like I was in Atlanta. I'm back to playing first base. I can run whenever I want, so it's exciting."
Ryan is also taking a run at the clothing business. Three years ago he got involved with "Mindless Reaction," a surf outfitter started by a high school friend. Their hats, T-shirts and surfing trunks are sold in Japan, Australia and across the U.S. He says his favorite spots to surf in the offseason include Costa Rica, Barbados and Mexico. This year, he plans to add Fiji to the list.
As for the much-anticipated New Zealand swell, it never did hit that day. "Thursday," he says. "I think it will hit Thursday."
It's all about the chase -- whether it's World Series rings or world class waves.
Lisa Fenn is an Associate Producer for ESPN's "Baseball Tonight" and "Baseball 2Day."
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