2009 Brewers On Deck Event

[SeriesFinale]

I have no interest in autographs, even for free. That said, I'd pay $15 to get into the event itself, depending on the activities. I went to a Rays event nine years ago, and got to sit in on some Q-and-As with Larry Rothschild and Chuck LaMar, their then-manager and GM, and it was worth it just to watch them get grilled. I assume the Brewers have similar events.

 

 

Anyway, I'm wondering just who pays $10 for Todd Coffey's autograph, no offense to the seeker or Todd. If I'm a casual autograph seeker, I'm definitely going for guys like Gamel and Salome who are free and could develop to big contributors down the line.

[Buckethead Brigade]

I am assuming Coffey and Parra are paired together...

[SeriesFinale]

Ah, I guess that makes sense. Kind of bizarre, though, one of two pairings you have to pay for. I wonder why they didn't just pair Coffey and Morlan together for free.

[brewcrewreview]

Prince Fielder is the biggest baby in the world!

[Dmiles23]

Anyone know for sure how this thing is going to be run? Will they sell autograph tickets the day of the event? I mean, at 10:00 when the doors open, will they start selling autograph tickets for each timing? That Gamel and Salome group looks inviting, but I don't really want to stand in line for 4 hours to get them. With all that is going on, I kind of want to explore, but yet I don't want to risk not being able to get them.

 

In the past, they have had 1 big line for each stage, and if you didn't catch the first group, you were there for the second group. I'd imagine they wouldn't do this with the charging for the autograph. Anyone have any idea?

 

But I agree on the Fielder front. Good Grief. He doesn't show up at the block parties. He's always late on autograph Fridays. And now he's not showing up at this? I can see if he chooses to not sign autographs in the stadium or by the lot, but these are team functions.

[And That]

Prince Fielder is the biggest baby in the world!

Because he's not attending On Deck? How about the other people who aren't attending?

[Bikeage77]

I was really hoping for Svuem and Kendall, those are the only two I really need left on my team bat from last year. But I'll pay 10 for Gallardo. I'm sure I can get Svuem fairly easy in the lot if I need to, or at auto fridays. I'll spend 25 on Hoffman, and maybe Braun. I wonder if he'll sign on the sweetspot since you gotta pay. I'll be interested to see the Gamel line.

 

I plan on going, I wonder when you get up there if they will just let you buy a ticket for all the guys, or if they give you a limit, and if yer gonna have to show up at 7 to stand in line to buy a ticket. We'll see how this all shakes out.

 

Wonder if auto fridays is still goin on this season, I love goin early, but at the rate it was at last year, I can take it or leave it. It became a melee for basically any guy that wasn't a coach.

[bani1717]

No way Braun will sign sweet spot, seeing as he isn't making money off of this. And, it isn't sponsores by Mikita, so I don't think he contractually can sign sweet spot even if he wants to. (Although, at a block party back in 2007, I watched him quietly "bend the rules" for a little old lady....)

[twobrewers]

Prince Fielder is the biggest baby in the world!

Prince attended two years ago and gave away his autograph for free. I am looking at mine right now - not on the sweet spot, however.

 

I don't even want Prince's autograph, I just want to see what kind of shape he is in.

[BrewersSuperCollector]

Braun signed on the sweetspot for me at the winter warm-up in January or February of 2008. He would not do an inscription.

[bani1717]

Back at On Deck last March, the man collecting autograph tickets was publicly announcing that Braun would not sign the sweet spot and would not add inscriptions.

[snyttri]

Prince Fielder is the biggest baby in the world!

Prince mailed back an autographed card for free this October. A year after it was mailed to him.

[BrewCrewForever]

I'm gonna go for Bush and or Gamel/Salome.

 

I would go for Braun or Gallardo but I have both of them on balls already. Hoffman would be cool to get because he is our new guy and he is a future HOF. But I gotta go for Gamel/Salome because of the free'ness and their potential to be stars for the club down the road. Bush is my #1 choice because over the past 8 months I have developed a huge man crush on him.

[MickeyDavis]

Brauns deal with Bob Mikita runs another year, he's not suppose to sign sweet spot but sometimes he does anyway. The other guys have various deals but most don't sign the sweet spot unless they are getting paid (the money collected at this event does not go to the players).

[Bikeage77]

I got Braun on the sweetspot the first weekend he was called up, If I opt to get him, it'll be on the Helena Brewers bobble I got (you can find those for relatively cheap on ebay right now), besides Brewerfan.net, I think some other guy got the rest of em. He's always sellin em.

[billyhallfan]

prince is one of the best signers in the game, just because he isn't at the on deck, doesn't mean he isn't a nice guy...

[nate82]

Prince Fielder is the biggest baby in the world!

What does that make Manny Parra, Jason Kendall, and others not there? Are they big babies also?

[Invader3K]

Honestly, I can't believe how many Brewers fans are complaining about Fielder not being at this thing. Maybe he actually has some sort of legitimate reason for not being there that we don't know about? I know he was at the one last year.

[BrewCrewForever]

Actually Parra is there. He is signing with Todd Coffey.

[Dmiles23]

Honestly, I can't believe how many Brewers fans are complaining about Fielder not being at this thing. Maybe he actually has some sort of legitimate reason for not being there that we don't know about? I know he was at the one last year.

I'm sure he does have some sort of legitimate reason for not being there. But part of my mind thinks that his legitimate reason is because he saw this weekend as a time he should come back to Wisconsin, and decided to make other plans to avoid that. But it's not just him missing this that ticks me off. He missed his appearance at the block party this year, and it was announced like 12 hours before the event. Hey, he might of had a good excuse for that as well. But then I look at Autograph Friday's this year. He was scheduled twice. The first one, he came out 8 minutes late, signed for 12 minutes, then left. And his second appearance was canceled. He may have had a good reason for being late here. But if you put all that together, at least in my opinion, it seems like he could care less about these TEAM events that the TEAM puts on for the fans.

 

And as for him being one of the best signers in the game, I would have somewhat agreed with that in 07. But this year he has taken a huge step back. He rarely signs at the lot. He used to sign quite frequently before games, but he rarely does that any more. I can totally understand this, because the sellers drive me nuts... I can't imagine how the players feel about them. But with him constantly missing the team events, to me he's kind of flipping the bird to both the team and the fans. Like I said, he may have a legitimate excuse, but it just seems fishy when he can't make an event 1 Saturday of the summer that he was informed about months in advance... and that he can't make it back to Milwaukee 1 weekend in the winter, when he was informed a couple months in advance.

[yoshii8]

I think that some people are just looking for reasons to rip on Prince Fielder, because he doesn't go out of his way to kiss the media and the fans butts. Yes it would be cool if he showed up to On Deck Event, but it is the middle of their small off-season, and the players have every right not to attend. If he was the only one not attending I guess it would be a little bigger deal, but he is one of 5 or so players not attending including Bill Hall, Mike Lamb and Jason Kendall.

 

Maybe he is planning on surprising everybody during spring training and showing up in great shape?

[nate82]

Actually Parra is there. He is signing with Todd Coffey.

Bah just glanced over it and didn't see his name.

[BrewCrewForever]

Maybe he is planning on surprising everybody during spring training and showing up in great shape?

 

That is my hope. And that would be fantastic.

[bani1717]

I got Fielder's auto at least 5 times this year when stretching right before games. I was at at least one other game where he signed during BP. I literally remember times where he came out to stretch and signed for about 5 minutes then stretched for about 2 minutes. One time I even remember him signing, then stretching, then signing some more.

The only down side is that, technically speaking, the ushers won't let you down by where the players come out to stretch right before the game, unless you have tickets in that area. So besides having good tickets down there or managing to somehow sneak down, that leaves once I saw him sign during BP where anyone could get him. Even still, he did sign a lot this year from my experiences.

On top of this, back in 2007 I was at his signing with JJ at the Medical College of Wisconsin. As I was walking out to my car, he was leaving through the back of the building. There was a lady worker walking him to his car who told a small group of about 5 people that he wouldn't sign. Prince, however, stopped and said he was signing.

To say Fielder is a baby for not showing up to On Deck/Block party last year may have some merit, but he certainly is not a guy who avoids signing at all costs.

[Dmiles23]

Ok, my bad. I went to 42 games last year and only saw him sign maybe 5 or so times. Maybe I just missed him, but each time I saw him sign was right before stretching... and like you said, you can't get down there unless you have tickets there. I've gotten Fielder enough in the past that I don't really need him. But I still think it's crappy he doesn't show up for the team functions.