Sarah (Palin) and Donny (Baarns) chat at a baseball game BF (Before Fame)

Long before we knew anything about pit bulls and lipstick and Wasilla and all the kids with T in their names, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin stopped by the broadcast booth of a minor league summer baseball game up in Alaska.

This was a year ago and Occidental College grad Donny Baarns happened to be broadcasting the game between the Goldpanners and the Miners when suddenly into the radio booth walks this yet-to-be-famous politician with her father, who used to coach her.

So in between pitches and a sharp line drive to left center, a very professional Donny and a very casual sports enthusiast named Sarah have this five-minute conversation about Alaska and political ethics and being governor and sports.

Neither had an inkling that a year or so later The Ticket would be publishing their chat (thanks to loyal Ticket reader Bob) as a revealing eavesdrop regarding the 44-year-old mother of five who's aroused such curiosity after becoming the next possible vice president of the United States -- and the first woman to do so.

One thing the former high school runner and basketball star reveals, well, actually, two: She likes sports a lot (the governor even asks if she can hang around the radio booth a while longer) and also she doesn't go for all that "gender stuff."

--Andrew  Malcolm

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Photo credit: Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin crosses the finish line in a charity race before her nomination as Republican vice presidential candidate with Sen. John McCain. Getty Images.