I met the Brewers / etiquette question

[yoshii8]

Well, some of the Brewers. My wife and I booked a room in Minneapolis, and went down to the lobby to get coffee on Sunday morning. Who's in line in front of us? Jeff Suppan and Billy Castro. Super nice guys---signed their autograph for us. Realizing the team was getting ready to leave, we hung around and got to meet Bob Uecker, Doug Melvin, Gord Ash, Prince (!!), Rickie Weeks, Mike Cameron, Sheets (who gave a wink and a salute) and some others. We maintained our composure, didn't act like stalkers, and asked a few others for their signature. Everyone was great except for Mike Cameron, who stated "This is the worst hotel I've ever stayed in," in response to my request. The guy with him (who seemed like he worked for the Brewers) said, "You can't ask for autographs in the hotel." So we stopped asking, and just hung out to see who else might walk by.

So, question: is that true? You can't ask for a player's signature in a hotel lobby? Are fans supposed to know this rule, and not take advantage of meeting players when they're walking right past you? I can understand that it must get annoying, but come on. Opinions?

Also wanted to mention that Prince looked much smaller in person; we thought he would look a lot bigger than he actually was. He was also one of the friendliest along w/ Sheets and Suppan.

[Fatter than Joey]

People definitely get sigs. at hotels... Generally I think you may be better off getting the players after the game rather than before...

 

Sounds neat though!

[Katuluu]

You are totally allowed to ask for autographs in a hotel. Or anywhere else for that matter. Just like it is perfectly acceptable for a player/celebrity to turn down your request for whatever reason.

[BrewCrewForever]

I say it is always acceptable to ask, but be polite about it and if they turn you down don't take it to personal.

[bando1234]

I dont think I would ask if they were out to dinner or with their family.

[TooLiveBrew]

What did Cameron's response have to do with your request for an autograph? Was it just small-talk, or does he hold you personally accountable for how crappy his stay was?

 

http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[sbrylski]

If I were an athlete, I would hate signing autographs. I don't understand them, for one, and it would be annoying to me at anytime. And then I'd get labeled as a jerk, probably.

[cheezscott]

Just curious what hotel was it? that it was that bad. Anyways I have a similar situation. In Cincy about five years ago I was staying at the hyatt with wifey, same hotel as the team, and were told even though we were guest we were not able to "hang in the lobby for autographs." so i think it varies hotel to hotel. Most of the players were awesome. Coop was in a horrible mood, Nick Neugbauer, Lenny Harris, EY and Mike Dejean were awesome. Ruben Quevedo looked hungry, and Luis Vizciano and Valerio DeLos Santos looked lost. Got to talk to Jason Durschoer for about 10 minutes as he got his first big league victory the night before and his cell was ringing off the hook. All in all a pretty cool experience

[Brian the Automator]

Everyone was great except for Mike Cameron, who stated "This is the worst hotel I've ever stayed in,"

 

He must have never been to the La Quinta in Huntsville.

[hawing]

Ruben Quevedo looked hungry

/rimshot/

Maybe Mike Cameron was disappointed in the hotel staff's failure to ward off autograph seekers? thus the worst hotel he's ever stayed in? (which is probably untrue anyway, given the likely large number of hotels he's stayed in over his lifetime to date)

 

If I'd been in your shoes, yoshii8, I probably would have been too shy to ask for autographs, but that's just how my personality rolls. I certainly wouldn't have been able to take my eyes off the Brewers, and if I'd been as close as the coffee line I think even I could muster up a Hi or Nice game last night or something.

[Patrick425]

Sheets (who gave a wink and a salute)

I found that sheets can be really appreciative towards fans. Two or three years ago at spring training, my son (who was 7 or 8 at the time) was wearing a Sheets t-shirt. We just walked in the park and were looking around from above the Brewers dugout. Sheet was standing on the field by the foul line. He turned around and saw my son. He smiled, gave a thumbs up and waved at my son, almost like he knew him. It was really cool and something my son will never forget.

 

Also, there is a guy with some form of mental disablilities, who is a big Brewer's fan, that sits near the Brewer dugouts for many of the games at Spring Training. All the Brewers seem to know him, however Sheets is probably his biggest "buddy". They banter back and forth and Sheets is always gives him a some good natured ribbing.

[GAME05]

that would have to be one of the best things about being a major-league player, especially a good one. just the smallest nice thing you do, like wave to a kid, and it's remembered forever, and that everyone who meets you is genuinely excited.

 

although fans can be jerks sometimes, too. i was coming out of a movie with the brother once, and as we walked out, we suddenly realized that the entire Badger football team surrounded, coming out of the movie, too. This was not long after the Brent Moss stuff came out, so a handful of people felt like they had to yell something stupid.

[yoshii8]

I think Cameron meant that it was the worst hotel for autograph seekers.

 

Also, I was very shy and didn't want to ask them for autographs either. My wife went up and got most of their autographs, and the only ones I asked for were Cameron and Weeks, and I will probably not ask for an autograph again. Camerons response made me feel pretty dumb.

[jcr0nk]

cameron canceled the last time that he was suppose to sign on auto fridays so maybe signing is beneath him. its a shame because alot of fans (me included) love to get autographs because it is a link to that player and its kinda like for that split second in time the player that you spend your time enjoying so much was thinking of you.

[Invader3K]

From everything I've heard about Mike Cameron, I doubt he finds signing is "beneath him." Maybe the guy was just having a bad day? That's the hard part about when a fan meets someone famous...the guy could be having a long day, and blows the person off, and the person automatically assumes the athlete/actor/whoever is a total jerk. Maybe he just wasn't in the mood to talk.

[Dmiles23]

I've stayed at a few hotels where teams have been staying at, but at almost every one the rule has been no autographs in the Hotel. A couple of my experiences with hotels:

 

We stayed in the same hotel as the Texas Rangers in Chicago when Nolan Ryan was with the Rangers. I saw Reuben Sierra and Juan Gonzalez in the lobby and asked for their autograph. They signed, but I was quickly run down by a hotel employee and was told no autographs in the lobby. Nolan Ryan was pretty cool though. He would line everyone up by the bus and sign for everyone before he went to the stadium.

 

Another was in Detroit, we stayed at the same hotel as the Lions did while they were in training camp. Autographs were again not allowed inside the hotel. Wayne Fontes was the coach then, and we were getting autographs in the parking lot. Fontes got talking to us, and when he found out we were staying in the hotel, he told us to come in and told the employees it was ok for us to get autographs inside. We really wanted Barry Sanders, and Fontes told us to wait in the lobby because he would be through before the 11:00 curfew. Sure enough, at about 10:58, in walks Sanders. My friend and I were about 12 at the time and had been waiting in the lobby for 3 hours... and were the only 2 in the lobby. We asked him for an autograph, but he said "I'm all out." and walked to the elevator.

 

We stayed in the same hotel as the Brewers in spring training back in the early 90's. It just so happened that Gary Sheffield was staying in the room next to us with Kevin Brown. One night they had a huge party, and my parents were not happy. They called the front desk a bunch of times, but they weren't going to do anything about it. The next morning we turn on the tv, and Sheffield had been traded to the Padres! But again, no autographs in the hotel premises.

 

The Packers hotel that rookies/new vets stay at during mini-camp in Green Bay also prohibits autographs in the lobby. We stayed there with the team a number of times, but one year my mom and I each had pretty cool experiences. This was Donald Driver's rookie year, my mom and I were down by the pool. I was playing video games and my mom was in the hot tub. Well, Driver and De'Mond Parker came down. Driver sat in the hot tub with my mom for about an hour, chatting away with her the whole time. We didn't know much about him at the time besides him being a rookie 7th rounder. But he told my mom that he would make the team because he "had great hands." I ended up playing 4 games of pool with Parker. We were both horrible, and had the cue ball bouncing off the table multiple times, but it was still fun and something I will always remember.

 

The one hotel that did allow autographs in the lobby was in Atlanta. We stayed at the same hotel as the Falcons during their spring training. This was back when the Falcons were horrible, so we hung out by the dining hall and were the only ones there. Chuck Smith and Ed West were pretty cool. They sat and talked with us for quite a while.

[RightFieldCoder]

I work next to the Hyatt downtown. Several teams use their facilities when coming to play. The "unwritten rule" is that inside the hotel is basically their house for the trip. That is the one place they can go to get away from fans and autograph seekers. You can talk to them and engage in conversation like anyone else, they just don't want to be asked for an autograph every ten steps. They know that once they step outside the hotel building, they will be asked constantly for autographs. The Brewers are probably not used to be asked for autographs on the road and may not care about the rule. An older veteran player may understand the rule and be upset when it is broken.

 

Don't feel bad about "breaking" this rule. The only people that really know it are the players, the hotel staff, and the professional autograph seekers. Cameron was probably having a bad day and was expecting to relax while still inside the hotel.

[pitchleague]

This was back when the Falcons were horrible,

you know, this really doesn't narrow it down at all . . . .

 

good stories though. I think I've read the Driver/Parker story before. You may have posted it once prior.

[SeriesFinale]

The "unwritten rule" is that inside the hotel is basically their house for the trip.

That's good to know and makes sense. I'm not an autograph-seeker but I do travel to see the team a couple times a year and if I saw them late at night in, say, the hotel lounge I'd definitely buy them a round and come by to say Hello afterwards--I'm still kind of a 10-year old in that I love seeing the players. Maybe they wouldn't have an issue with getting a free beer but it's still a job for them to be a public persona and they probably don't want to deal with it when winding down after a long night of "work," as it were.

 

Anyway, I worked at the poolside restaurant at the Vinoy in St. Petersburg in 1997, and all the traveling NHL teams stayed there. I never talked shop with any of them and they were great tippers. Apparently the MLB teams stay there now.

[Glennron]

I work next to the Hyatt downtown. Several teams use their facilities when coming to play.

A guy I went to high school with was a huge NBA fan, and every time the Bucks were at home he'd go to the Hyatt to get basketballs signed by opposing teams. I guess he got several of them signed by entire rosters and made decent money on Ebay for them.

 

[Patrick425]

I work next to the Hyatt downtown. Several teams use their facilities when coming to play.

Are you referring to basketball teams. It appears to me that most baseball teams stay at the Pfister. Whenever there has been a baseball team with a big star or stars (The Yankees a couple of years ago, Barry Bonds, etc), I see autograph seekers gathering outside of the Pfister.

 

I told this story on here before, but when the Yankees were in town I saw Arod and Jane Seymore walking to lunch together on Jefferson. I know...that seems to be an odd couple. Seymore was in town promoting some mattress company or something. I'm pretty sure it was just a plutonic friendship thing, although I'm not sure how they know each other. Seymore seemed to be indecisive on where to eat and Arod seemed to be getting a little impatient with her because he people were starting to take notice of them. When I walked past them Arod was saying something like "OK Jane, well, where do you want to eat?".

 

I also saw just about the whole Diamondbacks lineup eating in the Grand Avenue. This was when Sexson was with AZ. This really struck me as being kind of odd. Anyone who's been to the food court at the Grand Ave can understand that...not really the place where you would expect professional athletes with substantial per diems to be eating.

[bucks2281]

I was in Boston in May for the series, and was fortunate enough to stay at the Brewers' hotel. Autograph seekers lurked around the hotel, but were asked to leave by hotel management. After the postponement of the Friday game, I watched the players enter the hotel. I'm not a big autograph guy --- especially at the team hotel. It's their time to relax, and I'd much rather receive acknowledgement of my Brewers hat/shirt or engage in a brief conversation with the player.

 

JJ, Billy, and Soup all stopped to say hi. About half the team (including the FSN crew) was in the hotel lounge. TGJ sat with a few fans and bought them a round of drinks. I had a conversation with Ryan Braun-- I definitely won't forget that! When I travel with the Brewers in the future, I'll hopefully stay in the team hotel, but I'd never go out of my way to disturb a player at a hotel.

[jwill535]

t...not really the place where you would expect professional athletes with substantial per diems to be eating.

about 80% of per diems goes back to the club for the food after the game, gum, seeds, gatorade that is in the clubhouse or to the clubbies.

 

[MadisonBrewerBlue]

cameron obviously didnt stay at a holiday inn express

[TooLiveBrew]

I found that sheets can be really appreciative towards fans.

 

Benny has an incredible personality. He's every bit as talented there as he is on the hill. If he leaves via FA, I'll miss his goofiness & down-to-earth persona as much as I will his pitching talent.