Spring Training Tips

[marzomarz]

I'm taking my 3 young sons to Spring Training for the first time this year. They are all-in on baseball and play nearly every day. They read everything they can get their hands on when it comes to baseball.

They would go crazy if they were given some GU items during Spring Training. Really anything would make them flip: broken bats, batting gloves, used-gum, etc.

any thoughts on how best I might approach this. They are gunning for autographs, but I thought if I could position them right they would never forget it.

[xpress34]

Re: Spring Training Tips

Cactus League - AZ

or

Grapefruit League - FL

I go o AZ every year for my annual 'sabbatical', but have never been to FL ST.

- Smitty

[coxfan]

Re: Spring Training Tips

For autographs in Florida (based on my three trips there):

1) You need baseballs and patience. Some players will sign by receiving balls rolled to them across dugout roofs, well before games and sometimes afterward.

2) Catchers and base coaches are usually good signers.

3) Some teams (eg Braves) are good signers. Some others (eg Yankees and cards) are not as good. Much depends on the attitude of management: eg Larussa ignored requests, so most of his players also did so. But Freddie Gonzalez was a great signer as a coach.

4) Local residents at the park can give you the best tips.

5) BP balls are not hard to get. But don't mix up the major-leaguers with the minor-league areas, as they may practice separately. Even Major-leaguers may respond to requests for practice balls, depending on their personality.

6) Some clubs have an autograph day at the beginning of spring training. Use contact numbers on their website to try to find when this is.

[jake33]

Re: Spring Training Tips

actually know the players names is a huge help, and also asking the msot obscure players helps as well.

[prichmond]

Re: Spring Training Tips

We had good luck with auto's by going to the park early. 10 am. some players will sign then. crowds are generally small, only ten or 15 people. also stay after the game at the players exit. this may mean a hour or so after before they start coming out. Give up on getting any big stars to sign unless you bring an attractive woman with you.

[OaklandAsFan]

Re: Spring Training Tips

That is such a myth and a detrimental attitude towards the hobby. I don't bring an attractive woman with me when I graph and i'm in my mid 30's and overweight.

I score graphs from big name players to small name players it really doesn't matter, its just a situation where you need to be polite and right place right time.

I haven't done FL ST in probably close to 20 years but I live in AZ so needless to say I've got some experience in that situation. IN AZ players get pulled starting around the 5th inning, there is usually an entrance to the visitors clubhouse somewhere that you can stand around (just look for a group of guys holding binders by a door and you have found it) the starters will be dressed and long gone if you wait until after the game to get graphs.

It would help if we knew if you were doing AZ or FL for ST and we can go from there.

THere are some parks in AZ that are awesome for getting graphs and some that are so so and I can offer tips on most of them (I generally don't do too much traveling to the west side so my experience dealing with Reds,Indians,Dodgers,White Sox is very limited but I can tell you about Rangers,Royals, Mariners and Padres because when I first moved to AZ I did travel up there often) I can definitely help you with Brewers, Cubs, Angels, A's,Cubs, Dbacks,Rockies

[xpress34]

Re: Spring Training Tips

That is such a myth and a detrimental attitude towards the hobby. I don't bring an attractive woman with me when I graph and i'm in my mid 30's and overweight.

I score graphs from big name players to small name players it really doesn't matter, its just a situation where you need to be polite and right place right time.

I haven't done FL ST in probably close to 20 years but I live in AZ so needless to say I've got some experience in that situation. IN AZ players get pulled starting around the 5th inning, there is usually an entrance to the visitors clubhouse somewhere that you can stand around (just look for a group of guys holding binders by a door and you have found it) the starters will be dressed and long gone if you wait until after the game to get graphs.

It would help if we knew if you were doing AZ or FL for ST and we can go from there.

THere are some parks in AZ that are awesome for getting graphs and some that are so so and I can offer tips on most of them (I generally don't do too much traveling to the west side so my experience dealing with Reds,Indians,Dodgers,White Sox is very limited but I can tell you about Rangers,Royals, Mariners and Padres because when I first moved to AZ I did travel up there often) I can definitely help you with Brewers, Cubs, Angels, A's,Cubs, Dbacks,Rockies

+1

I'm 48, a little on the heavy side, but your attitude is everything.

If a guy says no, don't become the guy that starts bitching about what else do they have to do. If they say yes, say thank you and thank them for the time.

If you know something interesting about them (their home town, a comon friend, etc) it also helps.

Be HONEST. If you've gotten a guy and he asks if he got you already, don't lie. Case in point - last year at Rangers... Hambone asks the guy in front of me 'didn't I get you already' and the guy says no. Hambone knew he was lying and skipped him over the rest of the day. Later that morning, after getting my jerseys done I went back with AS Ball and WS Ball. Josh looks at me and before he had a chance to ask, I told him that he had done my jerseys and the balls are each unique (2010 WS 2010 AS) and that I was there from CO and would probably have a few more things for him during the days I was there. he smiled, said 'alright' and signed everything I had.

Some guys are hardcore - one per person. You just have to feel them out and see how it goes.

All the best -

Smitty

[jppopma]

Re: Spring Training Tips

Your son's should be able to get some pretty good autographs. Alot of players will sign for the kids and pass over the guy with a box of balls, 3 bats, a binder of photos, and a laptop hardwired to Ebay. Can you blame them?

[coxfan]

Re: Spring Training Tips

Players sometimes give warmup balls or g-u batting gloves to kids as they pass by. Early in spring training, more minor-leaguers may appear in games with the big-league guys. Later in March, the regular lineups usually go the first five or so innings, and then are replaced by top prospects.

I've never seen a signer discriminate in favor of attractive women. But I have seen egotistical women push to front, pretend to flirt with players, and then brag that their "charm" rather than their pushiness had prevailed. They can cause others to misperceive what really occurred.

[lehmsbobby]

Re: Spring Training Tips

A's fan, I'm heading down for two A's games next week. What are the best spots for autos for each team? Never been to Oakland Municipal

[OaklandAsFan]

Re: Spring Training Tips

Muni has some great spots for graphs. sit on the OF side of the walkway between the dugout and clubhouse, there is a net but it has holes cut into it (I did not cut the holes BTW).

The entrance to the visiting clubhouse is actually in the handicapped parking lot so if you go early you can usually score graphs from the players as they get to the park for the game. Depending on what teams are playing most teams usually get there between 1130 and noon, some of the west side teams may get there earlier and take BP at Muni but most teams just take BP on their own field and then bus over just before game time. (which BTW if you don't care about going to games is the best time to get sigs, watch teams take BP on their home fields for away games, its open to the public) Wait at that same entrance (it is outside the stadium so you will miss the game while you are standing there) once the starters get pulled for an additional chance to get their autographs as they usually are long gone by the time the game is over.

There is no access to the players lot or home clubhouse but the A's are very good as a team about signing so just hanging out along the 1st base line and along that walkway you should score plenty of graphs.

[coxfan]

Re: Spring Training Tips

Another tip:be alert for former stars in the stands as regular fans. One year Dave Stewart was spotted in the stands, and signed graciously for all who asked.

One older man seated behind me one year told me he'd once been mistaken by somebody at a game who thought he was Don Newcombe. Once word spread through the stands, he had to explain to lots of folks, some of whom didn't believe him, that he wasn't Newcombe!

[coxfan]

Re: Spring Training Tips

One more suggestion for Oakland fans: try to get Landon Powell, who caught Braden's historic perfect game. He's a former South Carolina gamecock who's known here in Columbia as a really nice guy who's always gracious with fans.

[OaklandAsFan]

Re: Spring Training Tips

Another tip:be alert for former stars in the stands as regular fans. One year Dave Stewart was spotted in the stands, and signed graciously for all who asked.

One older man seated behind me one year told me he'd once been mistaken by somebody at a game who thought he was Don Newcombe. Once word spread through the stands, he had to explain to lots of folks, some of whom didn't believe him, that he wasn't Newcombe!

to take this one step further no only former stars but stars of other areas as well. I've seen women who played in the AAGPBL at games, Mohammed Ali used to regularly go to A's games at Muni and Wayne Gretzsky used to have a season ticket to the seat at the corner of the dugout in Scottsdale where the Giants play, I was sitting in the seat one day when the game started and security came up and told me I had to move so I just grabbed my stuff and left without looking then I went to my seat and said "hey the guys whose seat I was in is signing autographs" so I went to inspect to find out it was Wayne and then a friend of mine told me he "owned" that seat and went to many games