2009 Diamondbacks Fan Fest

[godwulf]

Re: 2009 Diamondbacks Fan Fest

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.

[cjosefy]

Re: 2009 Diamondbacks Fan Fest

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

Thanks,

Chris

[godwulf]

Re: 2009 Diamondbacks Fan Fest

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.

[Fnazxc0114]

Re: 2009 Diamondbacks Fan Fest

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]

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."

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?