Got my haircut this morning at Towers Barber Shop in Bronxville. When I walked in Tommy the irascible and irresistible proprietor was clipping the hair of a young-ish Japanese man; Tommy's son James was cutting the hair of an older gentleman who turned out to be Bill Gallo, sportswriter for the Daily News.

Of course, they were talking baseball -- Japanese baseball in general, Yankee outfielder Hideki Matsui in particular. Tommy came over and flipped quickly through the Daily News, looking for something he had seen earlier, wanting to add it to their conversation. Thinking he was looking for a story on Matsui, I quickly paged into the sports section of the Post and held up a picture of the Mets' shortstop.

"Here's your Matsui," I said, knowing full well that Kaz was the wrong one.

Anyway, the Asian man was done; he paid and left. But not before Gallo shook his hand and got his name -- he said he'd write about their conversation in his column.

And all was jolly.

When Gallo's haircut was done, he was still talking about his new friend and what he'd just learned about Japanese baseball. He paid up and put on his USMC hat.

"Sixty years ago, he and I would have been shooting at each other," he said.

I wondered if that comment would make it into his column. Odds are even.

And of course I slapped my forehead wishing I had thought to mention the ingenious theory I'd heard my dad posit last week during a discussion of Jason Giambi's intestinal parasites. Something to do with the Yankee's season opener in Japan and the "raw fish crap" that they eat over there.

That would've been cool: for Vito to see himself quoted in the sports section.

But let's be real: that man needs a column of his own.

UPDATE: the story ran.