2009 Brewers On Deck Event

[thablingster]

My friend and I got to the Midwest Airlines Center at 8am. Someone directed us where to go and we ended up being behind about 150 people. I really like the fact there was only one entrance and they actually capped the floor capacity at about 200-250 so there was still room to walk around without it being wall to wall people.

 

The inside was organized well and they managed to handle the crowds well. I ended up getting Weeks on a ball and Fielder on an 8x10. Both guys were very cordial. Fielder is looking pretty lean, it looks like he definitely has dropped some weight.

 

The grab bags for $10 were a great value. My friend pulled a retro 2008 Prince Fielder bobble, and most of the bags ended up having tickets for the April 27th game against Pittsburgh. I pulled a bag with about 20 commemorative pins like the ones they'd give away for the food/coat drives during the year, including a few Johnny Estrada's.

 

The only bad thing about the event was the fact by the time the main autograph lines were done, all of the other stuff (rummage sale, other vender booths) were really picked over of anything of true value. The rummage sale had hundreds of the 1982 bobbles left, a bunch of lineup cards from 2003-2005 (your leadoff hitter, Brady Clark, lol), and some pink t-shirts, but sold out of the regular size bobbles, media guides, and other goodies by 11:30ish. I did see Tim Harikkala and Nick Leyva game used jersies, that was amusing.

 

All in all it was a good time and much of the money spent went to a good cause, so no complaints will be heard from me. If nothing else, it made me even that much more excited for the upcoming baseball season.

[pitchleague]

I like Braun's shoes in the picture. It's like he just got back from the bowling alley or something.

 

These are the kinds of events that I'm unhappy about missing by living here in Arizona.

 

edit: In reference to the Uecker stories, I have always wondered what occurred during the meal with Uecker that was won on that Miller Brewing Company online auction they had going about 9 or 10 years ago. It was a pre-game "dinner" with Uecker in the County Stadium media dining room with Bob Uecker. Went for several hundred (or maybe thousand) dollars to the winner. I wonder how pleasant Bob was.

 

If you notice in photos or video of Uecker with celebrities (a photo with him and Willie Mays springs to mind) he is always looking around at other people (i.e. photographers) instead of looking at the other person as if he is specifically looking to see if other people notice that he is with this famous celebrity. It's like he thinking, "Wow, I'm just Bob Uecker and I'm standing with Willie Mays. I was a crappy player but I'm able to hang with Willie Mays. I hope somebody notices this."

[Dmiles23]

I got there about 8:40 and was, I'd guess, like 300 people back. I was VERY happy the line was inside, and also VERY happy I got there when I did. The line was farther back than I could see and starting to loop around by 9. I thought it was very organized and actually well thought out at the beginning of the line, but it kind of seemed they didn't expect that many people; so the longer the line got, the less organized it became.

 

I got into the Fielder/Weeks line. We were probably about 120-130 people back. It seemed to go pretty smoothly. We got up there in around 20-25 minutes I'd guess. I got a Weeks 8x10 that I took signed, and I got Fielder on a bobblehead. Both guys were very nice and cordial. And like someone else said, I was VERY impressed with the condition Fielder seemed to be in. He walked by us on the way to the autograph stage, and my jaw dropped. He looked lean... or as lean as Fielder is going to be.

 

After the Fielder/Weeks line, I went to the Hart line. That's who I really wanted. It was a REALLY long wait, but it was nice having entertainment around. My only complaint about this was, that there seemed to be mass confusion about the lines. Braun was still signing when we got over there, and there was a Hoffman line next to the Hart line. And if just seemed like nobody had any idea what was going on. Then a little bit later, the Gallardo line was back and standing next to us. So the Hoffman line, Hart line, and Gallardo line were all together... and people were trying to get to the food court, so they had to make their way through this mob of people. Then, Fielder/Weeks and then Hardy showed up at the photo place and it was just 1 huge mob of people. But in the end, it all worked out. I was 114th in the Hart line, and I got another bobble signed. We made it through just before 3, and then headed for home. We had had enough standing for 1 day.

 

All in all, I thought the event went well. They had LOTS of things to do. The only minor things I would have improved was the lines and the vouchers. The lines were unmarked and didn't have any barriers (except at the very front). But I'm not sure how they could fix that without limiting the walking area for the event. Also, I thought them passing out the vouchers only 30 or so minutes before the player signed was kind of stupid. I can see if at the beginning of the event, so people don't run around and get vouchers from every line before many people have an opportunity to enter the event. But after the first group, they could have started handing out the vouchers probably 90 minutes before each session. The only reason I say this is because it would help with line confusion, and by that time the line is long enough to where it was close to 250 people anyways.

[BrewCrewForever]

For some reason they had Braun personalize everything. Not sure why and I didn't complain since I have no intention of selling my Braun ball.

 

It makes the autographed item less attractive for resale.

That is what I figured. But as far as I know only Braun was doing it. I told the women in line that took the voucher and money that I didn't care, I didn't plan on selling it anyway.

[billyhallfan]

i don't generally mind personalizations, because i don't plan on selling stuff either, but i would mind if i was paying for it...i guess for me i don't like it because when i get an autograph of ryan braun, the autograph isn't about me...for example i got an autograph of mat gamel on a bat, and he added to brian best wishes, and even though it is on display either way no matter what he puts on it, imo it would look better with just his signature, it doesn't feel like my name should be on his bat...

 

but i suppose braun wasn't getting anything from the signing either...

 

sounds like it was a fun event, hopefully next year i can ask off work in time and go

[MickeyDavis]

Brauns stuff is really the only stuff that has good resale value. Fielder a little bit but he has such a crappy sig.

[Bikeage77]

I kinda like Princes sig, I saw an early minor league card with his old signature yesterday. It was just "P___" that's just terrible.

[bani1717]

But, if Braun was personalizing AND sweet-spotting, that's just about a fair trade-off if you're not planning to sell the item anyways. If I'm keeping it, I think I'd rather have it personalized and sweet-spotted than signed below the MLB logo.

[BrewersSuperCollector]

I don't sell my stuff, but I still don't want it personalized. I had the Braun signed to my daughter. Eventually, someday, my stuff will be passed down to my kids (if they want it). What do they want with it personalized to me.

[BrewCrewForever]

But, if Braun was personalizing AND sweet-spotting, that's just about a fair trade-off if you're not planning to sell the item anyways. If I'm keeping it, I think I'd rather have it personalized and sweet-spotted than signed below the MLB logo.

Yeah, I was totally cool with it. And now I will probably look to trade a Braun ball I have that is not sweet spotted and not personalized.

[Bikeage77]

My friend got his bat personalized, and took off the marker with a white eraser. Just a heads up for anyone who got a bat signed.

[billyhallfan]

you can take it off a ball with a little sandpaper if anyone cares too...i've done it before, you can take a personalization off about anything except a jersey, or a card that isn't glossy

[BrewCrewForever]

you can take it off a ball with a little sandpaper if anyone cares too...i've done it before, you can take a personalization off about anything except a jersey, or a card that isn't glossy

The sandpaper won't ruin the texture of the ball?

[Patrick425]

you can take it off a ball with a little sandpaper if anyone cares too...i've done it before, you can take a personalization off about anything except a jersey, or a card that isn't glossy

 

Yeah, Joe Niekro use to do this all the time.

[BrewCrewForever]

I wonder why Uecker is such a jerk to fans at events or in public but seems like the coolest guy on the air and on TV. It doesn't seem to make sense.

[Invader3K]

He's an old guy who has probably had more than his share of public attention. It's expecting a lot of someone to be "on" every single time they're in public or doing their job.

[BrewCrewForever]

He's an old guy who has probably had more than his share of public attention. It's expecting a lot of someone to be "on" every single time they're in public or doing their job.

Yeah I suppose, but the thing is I hear much more stories of him being "off" then being "on".

[DaddysgirlIN82]

BrewCrewIn2004[/b]]Yeah I suppose, but the thing is I hear much more stories of him being "off" then being "on".

I heard this also. I'm not quite able to determine his parameters for sweetspoting a ball. All I know is that we left Brewers on Deck with one from Uecker and a lot of unhappy people did not....so maybe with Uecker it's good to be a nice girl-fan alone in a line... I also know a guy who got one during spring training while Uecker was going back to his car. Supposedly Uecker looked around first to see if there was anyone else around and did it very reluctantly and was not all that pleasant about it! Yikes!

[bani1717]

I got Uecker's autograph at the Vince Lombardi Classic golf tourney in the Falls this past June. I was waiting with about 5 other people just off the 4th green. A couple people, including a dad with 2 girls, were following him because they didn't get him on the first couple holes. When he signed, I found out why they hadn't gotten him. Like all the big-name guys playing in the tournament, Uecker had extra security type guys with him. They had us form a line, and I was 5th in the line. As Uecker signed the one right before me, one of the security guys was like, "OK, this is the last one." Naturally, I wasn't too happy, and I just held out my ball anyways without saying anything. Uecker took my Official League ball and signed it on the sweet spot without so much as looking at me. I thanked him, and he still barely looked at me, let alone said anything.

 

I also was lucky enough to get his autograph on my Brewers hat as he entered Kauffman Stadium in KC in 2006, and he was just as un-personable then too.

 

He seems like an old man who just wants to enjoy his work and otherwise pretty much avoid people. I know someone who like Bob Uecker lives in the Falls who mentioned to me once that when Ueck goes to the grocery store or anywhere else around town, he wears sunglasses and puts his collar up really high. He just doesn't want to be bothered by the fans and doesn't want to sign autographs unless there are very few people around or if he has to.

[logan82]

Well he wouldn't be the first public figure that didn't much care for being in the public eye..

 

All these stories remind me of this picture.

http://milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com/images/2005/04/11/iedkQELw.jpg

[crivitzbadger]

I was very disappointed in the Brewers organization for requiring Ryan Braun to personalize everything. When asking the ladies working the front of the line I never got a really good explanation. If they do this so people can't resell them fine you need to post this on the Brewer "On Deck" ads on their website, Journal newspaper. If I'm paying $15 to get in and another $25 for his autograph I don't want to be told what can and can not be on my item. I came to this event and waited in line for 4 hours and would of stood outside in the below zero temperature if I had to just for a Braun signature. To know nothing of this personalization until I'm already in the line and have my voucher was very disappointing, upsetting. With Ryan Braun being your biggest star and figuring the majority of people standing in his line have something special they want signed (bat, jersey) is terrible to require a personalization. I don't want my name on a Ryan Braun bat or jersey. If people are willing to pay $25 which goes to charity and this "Brewer On Deck" is for the fans why do the Brewers care what you do with it after. Also, if I go to Twins Fest there there is no personalization for Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau who are just as big of stars as Braun is. Though, if I'm willing to pay $150 which Ryan Braun pockets then its ok to not have it personalized, just ridiculous. What's the difference? So last year there was no fee, no personalization but this year you pay $40 and it has to be personalized, why the change? If your going to have stipulations for his autograph then you can not charge and you need to post this in your advertisements so people know and not have it some big surprise after standing in line for 4-5 hours!!!

[Buckhunts]

Braun doesn't like to just sign his name. He likes to personalize it so people cannot resell it and make money on him. He is controlling his brand name. Whether you agree with it or not is really besides the point. It's his signature and he can dictate how it is used. If you really want to blame someone, blame the lowlifes who wait outside the hotels and ballparks with their books of cards trying get as many signatures as possible. I know for a fact that players hate signing for the collectors because they are there just to make a buck off of them and often times push kids aside or worse yet, use the kids to get autographs. I guess my question is if you don't plan on selling it, why is it such a big deal to get it personalized?

[crivitzbadger]

But he can make money of us by making us pay $150 for his autograph. When you start charging money for something the person paying the money has the right to choose how they want their product and not be told what can and can not be put on the autograph.

[billyhallfan]

crivitz - i would be upset too, what did you get signed, it is possible to remove it on pretty much anything but a few items, i'd be happy to give some tips, what did you get signed?

[billyhallfan]

If you really want to blame someone, blame the lowlifes who wait outside the hotels and ballparks with their books of cards

 

that is an extreme generalization, and not accurate at all...