2009 Diamondbacks Fan Fest

[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.

[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!

[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.)

[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.