This past week I joined seven of my partners at the annual JP Morgan Life Science conference in San Francisco.  This is a frenzied gathering of life science and health care companies of all sorts, together with Private Equity firms, VC firms, investment bankers and supporting professional firms including us lawyers.  The goal is to meet, connect and arrange either deals or contacts for future deals.

Many firms have elaborate dinners, or receptions in the high-end art galleries surrounding Union Square.  Our firm, to the contrary, gathers together and receives all comers in the back room of Lefty O’Doul’s bar at 333 Geary.  There we “networked” over dark beer along with lots of other small clusters of people in dark suits.

Although the real business of the conference, and our attendance, is quite serious, I have to tell you a little about Lefty, who was born in San Francisco at the end of the 19th century and played many years for many teams, including the New York (now San Francisco) Giants and the Brooklyn Robins (now the LA Dodgers).  Owner of a life-time batting average of .349, the highest batting average of anyone NOT in Cooperstown, Lefty twice won the batting crown and one year hit .398.  In today’s world, the Yankees would give him a  fifty year contract at thirty Mil a year.

Lefty it seems was also a pitcher, who holds the record for giving up sixteen runs in one inning, aided by numerous errors by the hapless Robins; only two of those runs were earned.  In the old days, there seemed to be no quick hook for struggling pitchers.  He also holds, as a batter, a tie for the greatest number of hits by any player in one season. 

Why not in the Hall?  Seems it was an era of generally high production and Lefty had a couple of years off while he retrofitted from pitcher to hitter. Strangely, Lefty is in the JAPANESE Hall of Fame; seems he had a lot to do with institutionalizing baseball there.

Those fond of Guiness and memorabilia should drop by Lefty’s bar in you find yourself in San Francisco.  It is a slice of nostalgia for baseball fans.  If you find yourself in the back room, try to find a waitress who promises to return with your order;  just a hint from a repeat partron.