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AMERICAN FORK — Jack Mangum is not even supposed to be at work.
"People have their loan requests in and you tell them you'll have it by a certain time," he said.
Sitting behind his desk in the loan office of a bank, Mangum's right arm is in a cast. A temporary southpaw, he struggles to move a mouse.
"It is so awkward," he said. "Normally I'm flying here, but I can barely move my fingers right now."
Mangum's mind is filled with rates and numbers, but part of him is always thinking about a baseball diamond.
"My mom would play with me out in the backyard, so I grew up in Little League, and into Babe Ruth, and into high school," he said. "Then I went to Snow College on a scholarship for the '99-2000 season, pitching down there."
This California native's passion for the San Francisco Giants runs deeper than the San Andreas Fault. So it seems appropriate that his loan office fits him like a glove.
"You know, some people walk by and they just stop, and their jaw drops," Mangum said.
He's turned his corner of the bank into a shrine. A temple to his team. A collection that could span the Golden Gate Bridge.
Autographed balls, Barry Bonds' glove, even San Francisco Giants tissues — Mangum's got it all, with even more at his house.
"I got a little too much in here, so I did take a bunch of boxes home," he said.
Now, Mangum's sharing his sanctuary with the world.
He stumbled on a contest run by T-Mobile on Twitter, looking for the "#1 Baseball Fan." Mangum grabbed his phone, snapped a photo and typed out a caption.
"Only a number one fan would decorate his bank loan officer's office like a Giants mancave," he recalled writing.
Mangum's tweet took flight.
"I was sitting in my car and my phone started exploding with buzzes and tweets," he said. "I saw that my name was being retweeted thousands of times."
This minor leaguer got called up — Mangum was the contest's week two winner.
"This kind of thing you only hear about," he said. "It never happens to me or anyone I know."
His prize? Season tickets for the team of his choice. Of course, Mangum didn't hesitate to select his beloved San Francisco Giants.
"Rejuvenated friendships again, instantly," he said with a laugh.
And that's not all — Mangum also won a free trip to Game four of the World Series, where the Grand Prize winner will be announced. The Grand Prize winner will recieve flights, tickets and accomodations to the entire 2017 World Series.
Although the Giants won't be in attendance this year, Mangum recognizes the historic nature of this year's World Series and said visiting Wrigley Field is on his "bucket list."
He says his life has felt a bit surreal — even his wife is in disbelief.
"I'll believe it when they call," Mangum said, recalling what his wife told him. "I'll believe it when they send us the information. Well, I'll believe it when our tickets are booked."
They may be in disbelief, but it's all true. The couple will be sitting at Wrigley Field, Mangum clutching his cast, nursing an injury he got...playing baseball.
"It's laughable," he said. "You're a 35-year-old loan officer that plays baseball for fun, and you got Tommy John surgery. That kinda solidifies baseball in your blood if you've had a Tommy John surgery."
