2009 Diamondbacks Fan Fest

[godwulf]

They've announced which players, coaches and alumni will be (pending last minute changes) attending the DBacks Fan Fest on Feb. 7...so now, I'm living in a state of competing emotions: primarily elation and dread. The elation part, I'm sure I don't have to explain to you guys; here's why the dread:

At last year's Fan Fest, I pushed a small cart filled with about a dozen game-used bats all over the ball park, getting signatures, one autograph per player. There were times I had to be physically separated from the cart while I stood in line, and then of course I had to watch it like a hawk to make sure nobody grabbed one of my bats. By the end of the day, I was an exhausted, nervous wreck. Because I had to hurry to get in line to buy the autograph tickets, I couldn't get to the Yard Sale till much later, at which point any good bats they might have had were long gone.

This year, I've got at least one unsigned bat from 13 of the announced attendees. Or I could drop the Bob Melvin and Jay Bell bats, and try to figure a way to lug around my 2001 Opening Day base (which weighs a ton) for them to sign. I could also drop the Kelly Stinnett bat, if I got up the nerve to ask him to sign the "game-used" DBacks shower wrap of his that I've got (long story).

Now I'm aware that there is no law requiring that I do anything but show up - there is a law that I have to do that, right? - with nothing but a bag of baseballs and some photos, nearly as free and mobile as any carefree kid with one ball to get everyone to sign...nobody is putting a radar gun to my head, forcing me to haul all these bats out to the ballpark. I get that.

But when you can get a bat signed at Fan Fest for a couple of bucks (last year it was $2.50 per table, with two guys at each table), instead of maybe getting some guy down the road doing a signing for 20 bucks or more, it's tough to ignore the opportunity, however crazy-making actually doing it turns out to be.

Note to you guys who never get your bats signed, preferring to keep them "as is" when used: (Eric Cartman voice) "I really, really hate you guys." :D

Can anyone identify, here? Don't you just envy the kid who does show up at Fan Fest with one baseball for all the guys to sign, and can't even imagine spending the day hauling around a cart of bats like an obssessed nut?

[Fnazxc0114]

i say buy one of your buddies that you trust a steak dinner or give him some money to stand in line for you.

[godwulf]

Well, I do have a 17-year-old kid. Unfortunately, he's got the attention span of a...well, a 17-year-old kid. I could probably pay him to "caddy" for me. Heck, with two of us there, I could actually get several of these guys to sign two bats. I feel myself spiralling down into game-used collector/obssessed fan Hell. :eek:

[cjosefy]

Do they sell any game used stuff at the fan fest?

Thanks,

Chris

[godwulf]

Last year they had a couple of barrels of bats - that's it. Like I mentioned, there may have been some good ones for sale before I got there, but by the time I did, there was about a half a barrel of Scott Hairston bats (he must have gone through a lot of bats while he was here) and nearly all the rest were pro stock bats. There might have been the odd, very badly broken Chris Snyder, but aside from that, nothing.

They were mostly selling leftover stadium giveaways, stuff (like the dishware and cups, etc, from the fancy eateries on the second level) with the old purple-and-teal colors on it, a few signed photos, and that's about it. The coolest thing I saw was a huge, dry-mounted poster of Orlando Hudson that was only $25, but I had my "bat-mobile" cart with me, and so had no way to carry it.

If they have some game-used stuff this year that's actually worth looking at, I'll be pleasantly amazed.

[godwulf]

Incidentally, just a minor correction to my first post: the cost of signing tickets the past couple of years was actually $5 per table, which worked out to $2.50 per player. Still pretty good, and of course the money all goes to charity.

[mariner_gamers]

The last time I was "that guy" at a baseball event was All-Star week 2001 in Seattle. I really had no idea how many old Mariners would be showing up so I had about 25 bats with me. Luckily I had spent a small fortune with one of the dealers at the card show so he let me stash some of them under his table. I ran around the fan areas and stadium the entire week. We would here rumors so and so was spotted here or there and I would take off with a couple bats and hope to find them.

By the end of the event I had gotten Julio Cruz, Ruppert Jones, Harold Reynolds, Alvin Davis, Dave Henderson and Tom Paciorek. I was not allowed to take bats up to the signing area because folks were afraid someone was going to club a player so I had to track them down when they were out and about. I was exhausted and as I looked around everything winding down I thought man was this really worth it?? Turns out yes and no, I have not done it since but do have fond memories of that week and more than a few momentos to remember it.

When I read your post it struck me because for the first time since 2001 I am thinking of taking a bunch of bats to spring training to see if I can get lucky. I have lived in Phoenix 6 years now and have never taken bats to Mariner spring training because they do not allow them in the park and players sign very little outside the park. Maybe it is time for me to be "that guy" again running around with a packed bat bag hoping my silver paint pen hasn't dried out. Or perhaps, as in years past, I will sip a beer or 8 and just lounge in the sun and outfield grass.........

Hey I might attend D'Back Fan Fest now that you mention it. I think it would be cool just to check things out and see what's going on. Perhaps I can get my Melvin Mariners Fungo signed.

We all need Game Used Universe shirts with our tag names on the front. Then at events we can spot one another and say hi or in some cases run the other way. If I can make it I will definitely look for the dude with lumber issues.........

Davis

[godwulf]

I was not allowed to take bats up to the signing area because folks were afraid someone was going to club a player...

That's just bizarre. That reminds me of the time Thom Brenneman took me up to the radio booth to see Jim Traber and get Trabes to sign one of his old bats for me. They were just finishing the radio broadcast (this was at midnight, after a grueling, extra innings win against Houston) and Thom stuck his head in and whispered to the mountainous engineer/bodyguard Leo Gilmartin that the big, sweaty guy standing out in the hall with a ball bat was waiting for Traber...but that it was cool.


Perhaps I can get my Melvin Mariners Fungo signed.

I have one of Melvin's DBacks fungo bats, on which is written, under his name, "Wonder Boy". I had him sign it at the Fan Fest last year, and before I showed it to him, I asked him, "Do you remember having a fungo bat with 'Wonder Boy' written on it?", and Melvin said, "All my fungos have 'Wonder Boy' written on them." If I take a bat for him to sign this year, it will be my Yankees bat - the only Melvin Yankees bat I've ever seen.

I read that they're going to be doing a lot of stuff down on the field this year - maybe the signings, too. The set-up they had last year, with people having to go down and sit in certain seats, and then forming a line to come back up to the concourse level to see the players, was insane. I may try to contact somebody with the team who's in the know and has his or her act halfway together, and ask them how it's going to go this year, with the signing - and that will determine whether I'm going to be doing the cart full o' bats things again this time.

[OaklandAsFan]

hey Godwulf, what weekend is the fanfest? I may be able to come help you out for awhile.

I have not seen any info on this anywhere, is Brandon Webb gonna be there? I will definately be there to get my Webb bat signed if he is plus I have several Dan Haren bobbleheads that need to get signed as well.

[OaklandAsFan]

The last time I was "that guy" at a baseball event was All-Star week 2001 in Seattle. I really had no idea how many old Mariners would be showing up so I had about 25 bats with me. Luckily I had spent a small fortune with one of the dealers at the card show so he let me stash some of them under his table. I ran around the fan areas and stadium the entire week. We would here rumors so and so was spotted here or there and I would take off with a couple bats and hope to find them.

By the end of the event I had gotten Julio Cruz, Ruppert Jones, Harold Reynolds, Alvin Davis, Dave Henderson and Tom Paciorek. I was not allowed to take bats up to the signing area because folks were afraid someone was going to club a player so I had to track them down when they were out and about. I was exhausted and as I looked around everything winding down I thought man was this really worth it?? Turns out yes and no, I have not done it since but do have fond memories of that week and more than a few momentos to remember it.

When I read your post it struck me because for the first time since 2001 I am thinking of taking a bunch of bats to spring training to see if I can get lucky. I have lived in Phoenix 6 years now and have never taken bats to Mariner spring training because they do not allow them in the park and players sign very little outside the park. Maybe it is time for me to be "that guy" again running around with a packed bat bag hoping my silver paint pen hasn't dried out. Or perhaps, as in years past, I will sip a beer or 8 and just lounge in the sun and outfield grass.........

Hey I might attend D'Back Fan Fest now that you mention it. I think it would be cool just to check things out and see what's going on. Perhaps I can get my Melvin Mariners Fungo signed.

We all need Game Used Universe shirts with our tag names on the front. Then at events we can spot one another and say hi or in some cases run the other way. If I can make it I will definitely look for the dude with lumber issues.........

Davis

Since when do they not allow bats in? I could have sworn last year I brought bats into that stadium to get signed. I know Tucson won't let you bring bats in nor will they let you bring in more than 2 baseballs to get autographed (it really sucks to get sigs in Tucson which is why I never go down there and am very excited that by 2010 they will have no teams left.)

[godwulf]

I have not seen any info on this anywhere, is Brandon Webb gonna be there? I will definately be there to get my Webb bat signed if he is plus I have several Dan Haren bobbleheads that need to get signed as well.

As of now, they're saying Doug Davis, Stephen Drew, Dan Haren, Conor Jackson, Miguel Montero, Augie Ojeda, Mark Reynolds, Max Scherzer, Chris Snyder, Chad Tracy, Justin Upton, Chris Young, MGR Bob Melvin and PC Bryan Price. Also expected to appear: DBacks alumni Jay Bell, Omar Daal, Reggie Sanders, Kelly Stinnett, and Matt Williams.

I have nothing, at this point, for Davis, Haren, Ojeda or Sanders to sign. I've seen all four of them in the last few months, and got them to sign everything I had. Well, the players always have those odd-shaped little color photos of themselves to pass out, if you don't bring anything for them to sign; they're not supposed to give them out if they sign something else for you, but a lot of them do, anyway.

If I bring a bat for Chris Young, I know he's gonna ask, "Where did you get this?" He always does. He doesn't act mad or anything - just a little suspicious, maybe.

[godwulf]

He doesn't act mad or anything - just a little suspicious, maybe.

But nothing like Randy! :eek:

[mariner_gamers]

Since when do they not allow bats in? I could have sworn last year I brought bats into that stadium to get signed. I know Tucson won't let you bring bats in nor will they let you bring in more than 2 baseballs to get autographed (it really sucks to get sigs in Tucson which is why I never go down there and am very excited that by 2010 they will have no teams left.)

Are we talking about Peoria and the Mariners or Fanfest and the D'backs? I was turned away in 2006 the last time I tried to take bats into Peoria Stadium. In my experience it depends on the folks working the gate and the whim of the management. I know the ends and outs of smuggling and was turned away by 3 or 4 ticket takers in Peoria in 2006. I will keep my fingers crossed this year!!!

[theflock13]

Godwulf, the Hometown Tour takes place during the two days before Fanfest. You can get things signed during that to lighten your load.

[cjosefy]

If anyone snags any Chris Burke game used items at the fan fest, I will pay a finders fee.

[godwulf]

Godwulf, the Hometown Tour takes place during the two days before Fanfest. You can get things signed during that to lighten your load.

That's a thought. I'll have to check out their itinerary and see whether I can arrange to meet some of the guys out there on it.

I must truly be some kind of masochist. I didn't have anything for Ojeda to sign - I have five of his bats, but they're all already signed - so I bought another one of his bats just to have something for him to autograph.

[godwulf]

Oh, and I forgot to say - Thanks!

[godwulf]

Howard/yankeepirate....

You're not set up to receive PMs, so I couldn't answer your inquiry about the Melvin bat that way.

No, I'm not interested in selling it at this time, but congratulations and good luck on your exhibit. Were you the same fella who asked about the Sarah Silverman softball jersey a while back, btw?

Jeff

[OaklandAsFan]

Not sure I actually inquired about it but I would be interested in it if your looking to part with it. (Silverman jersey)

[godwulf]

Not sure I actually inquired about it but I would be interested in it if your looking to part with it. (Silverman jersey)

That was actually in response to a PM'ed inquiry from yankeepirate.

I'm not selling it to either one of you, however. :D

If I ever do, though, I'll contact you both and maybe get you involved in a bidding war.

[larry bourget]

anyone interested in a game used home 2001 set 1 #22 Gregg Swindell "auto'd" with World Series patch. $250. Pics available.

larry.bourget@sympatico.ca

[theflock13]

On their website it says there will be a D-backs Wives Silent Auction. Maybe they'll have some GU items in there.

[whatupyos]

I am on the lookout for any Eric Byrnes game used items. I will pay extremely well for a DBacks home or road game used jersey. Its pretty much the last piece I need.

Aaron

SunDevil2126628@hotmail.com

[godwulf]

Like the guy watching his mother-in-law sail off the cliff in his brand new Cadillac, I am experiencing mixed emotions.

I just talked to somebody with the Diamondbacks, and here's how they're setting up the autograph venue at Fan Fest this Saturday. There'll be four sessions, with three signing tables per session, with two to four players/coaches/alumni sitting at each table...and you will only be able to buy a voucher for one table per session.

So, assuming that each signer only does one session, you know going in that you're going to miss getting 2/3 of the guys. I am majorly bummed about this. It means that I have absolutely no idea what bats, etc, to take...and if I go to all the hassle of hauling everything (at least 16 bats) down there in my little cart, I know ahead of time that I'm going to be hauling 2/3 of them back unsigned.

I was really looking forward to getting Bob Melvin to sign his old Yankees bat for me, and also getting Justin Upton to sign his '08 Marucci 'J-Up' bat, for example...but, my luck, they'll be signing at different tables during the same session. There is also, unfortunately, no way to find out which players will be signing at the same table, or during the same session, ahead of time - not until I get down to the ballpark to get in line to buy the vouchers on Saturday morning.

The mixed emotions part is that this whole setup is causing me to think about just hauling down my favorite four bats in a bag - the ones I absolutely have to get signed, if at all possible - and just getting the other guys to sign baseballs, or photos if I already have them on a ball. I would be far more mobile, less stressed, maybe even make it to the Yard Sale in time to grab something cool.

As I think I mentioned in the OP, I really envy, in a way, the person who just goes around getting as many players as possible to sign a ball for them, and they're happy with that. Maybe I've gotten obsessive, and even a little greedy. I could probably make something positive out of this situation if I applied some thought to it.

[OaklandAsFan]

Hey Godwulf ya know they sign quite often during spring training. Last season I got every single player I brought cards for that made the trip up in one game last spring.

I feel you pain though I am really obsessive about getting my stuff signed so if you need any help with anything contact me before the game and I will work on getting it signed for you if you cannot make it to the game. I doubt I will be doing the fanfest Saturday though since I have to replace the clutch in my wife's Stang this weekend.

[theflock13]

Anyone get anything? I got outbid on a Webb GU jersey. Wish I had more cash!

[godwulf]

I was actually too busy standing in various autograph lines - pretty much continuously between 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. - to even be involved in any auctions. I saw a few game-worn jerseys at the yard sale - no real bargains, mostly coaches, with one Robbie Hammock that I think they wanted $175 for. Very few bats, by the time I got to the yard sale - about the best was one of Eric Byrnes' red Diablos for $75, which I didn't get because I already have two. I did buy an Alex Romero Rawlings for $40, because I didn't have one of his bats.

They were selling these huge, nicely framed photos, probably about 48" x 36", that had been hung around the ballpark for many years, and I got two, for $25 each - an awesome photo of Todd Stottlemyre pitching, and one of Greg Swindell signalling a pop-up. They are so incredibly heavy, I almost killed myself getting them from the park to my car - walking four blocks with these things balanced on my head; my back will not be right for at least a week.

I got five bats signed - a Mark Reynolds Old Hickory, a Justin Upton Marucci, a Bob Melvin Yankees bat, a Chip Hale bat from Minnesota, and one of Tom Candiotti's Yankees bats (the last of which I received in time for Fan Fest thanks to John K). Candy was really jazzed to see one of his old bats - he immediately showed it to Reggie Sanders and said, "Look at all those ball marks!" He also told me that Raul Mondesi used to take and use his bats all the time.

I also got Justin Upton to sign his Single-A Visalia Oaks batting helmet, which he declared "awesome".

Best moment of the day. I was walking across the field and spotted Roland Hemond - and if you don't know who that is, as Yogi said, "You could look it up" - chatting with some guys, passing around some of his championship rings, and I stopped and asked him to sign a ball for me. Then I shook his hand, and said "Thank you very much, and thank you for everything you've done for the game." He clapped me on the shoulder, and said, "Thank you, you're very kind." If the man had never done anything but come up with the idea for the Arizona Fall League, he'd be a hero of mine.

I'll post some photos of the Upton helmet and the big photos that almost killed me, later.

[Rboitano]

Any Randy Johnson bats?

[godwulf]

...and one of Tom Candiotti's Yankees bats

I meant Los Angeles, of course. Sometimes I get my evil empires confused. :rolleyes:

[godwulf]

Any Randy Johnson bats?

I don't know about the auction - flock13? Certainly nothing from RJ in the yard sale. Randy's bats tend to vanish into one person's collection or another before the general public gets a crack at them. I was very lucky to get one of his rose-colored LS's from last year from a team source.

[Rboitano]

Have any photos of your bat?

[godwulf]

Have any photos of your bat?

I'll post a shot or two tomorrow, when I show off the Upton helmet and the big framed photos I scored.

[theflock13]

No RJ items in the silent auction. The D-backs wives had put it together so it was just current players....with wives of course.

[whatupyos]

Any Eric Byrnes items that were at the auction? Looking for a DBacks game used jersey.

Aaron
SunDevil2126628@hotmail.com

[theflock13]

Nope. It was GU Reynolds (signed), Tracy (Los D-backs), Davis (signed) and Webb jerseys. They also had a GU signed Reynolds bat and GU signed Drew helmet.