autographs, signings, and tips, part 3

[rooobideaux]

I'm going also, but I can't be much help here, as it's my first time attending the Driver Game. I just plan on getting there early and having luck on my side.

I'm hoping that since it is a charity event, that the players will also be very charitable with their autographs.

I'll be the guy with a 6-year old, a backpack and a cardboard carrier for my 16x20s.

Good luck!!

[bobbledude25]

How did the Driver softball game go as far as auotographs guys?

[rooobideaux]

Had a really good day. My 6-year old son and I came away with:

 

Donald Driver: 16x20

Clay Matthews: 16x20 & 11x14

Aaron Rodgers: Mini-Helmet

Ryan Grant: Mini-Helmet & 8x10

Al Harris, Chad Clifton, Mason Crosby, Nick Barnett: Cards

Brian Balaga, Brad Jones, Mike Neal, Josh Sitton, James Jones, Brett Goode: Mini-mini-helmets

 

Got there early, left late and had a bit of luck; as Rodgers signed that single auto on his way in and none on his way out.

[bigjase]

Wow, nice haul!

 

I ended up just hanging out with the fiancee and left right away after the game. I did get a Matthews 8x10 signed, but didn't really go for anyone else.

 

Rooobideaux, did you get most of those before, during, or after the game?

[rooobideaux]

Driver,Rodgers,Balaga, B. Jones,Neal, Crosby, Sitton, Jones & Goode before game.

 

I got the Matthews 16x20 during play by holding it over the left field fence while Clay was backed up against the wall for Matt Flynn's at bat. Flynn ended up 4-hopping one to short left. Clay finished his signature dropped the marker and chased after the ball.

 

After the game we got Al Harris, James Jones, Clifton, Barnett, Grant and Matthews again. Could have gotten many of the players that signed before the game, as they also signed on their way out.

 

Brandon Underwood was a no-show for some reason.

[Dmiles23]

Some new information on the Brewers Block Parties that can be found HERE.

 

AUTOGRAPHS AT BREWERS BLOCK PARTIES

 

The names of Brewers players and coaches attending the

Brewers Block Parties will not be posted in advance. There will be eight

player stations set up for autographs at the event, and a maximum of

150 free autograph tickets will be distributed at each of the eight

stations the morning of the party. The ticket distribution will be

discontinued once the players and coaches arrive at the event. No more

than one ticket will be given to any fan to ensure that as many people

receive autographs as possible. Players will be randomly assigned to the

stations as they arrive at the event.

If their goal was to cut down on people getting their early, they sure did that.

[zachlaka]

I saw that too. I never went to one of the block parties in the past mostly due to living in Madison and not wanting to drive into Milwaukee at 3Am to try and find the park in the dark in what will most likely be a neighborhood I am not familiar with and then stand in line for hours being tired for sure.

 

Now that they are doing this I am definitely not going to any of these. Not that I don't mind an autograph for free but the one autograph I really want right now is Ryan Braun's on my Champagne bottle from the Wild Clinching celebration after the Cubs game in 2008!!

[BrewersSuperCollector]

I'm sure I'm going to stand in line all morning and end up getting Brad Fisher. I'm calling it now.

[hofcs]

Keeping "us" away is exactly what they want to do.............even though in a couple of years they will change all of these policies in order to "bring us back" after their ticket sales fall and they once again "want" ("need") our money.

[Bikeage77]

geeze, this is ridiculous. i got a hoffman jersey at the beginning of the season, and the block party is really my only chance to get it signed. unless i wait 10 years from now and hope he does a private signing somewhere. the only hope you can really have is that if you get there and none of the lines have 150 people after they are announced.

 

i can't imagine families wanting to get there and stand around for ed sedar, either.

 

i bet they switch this policy after the first one.

[Dmiles23]

the only hope you can really have is that if you get there and none of the lines have 150 people after they are announced.

To me it sounds like they won't allow that. They say the wristband distribution will stop once the players arrive. So I think that means the players will only sign for people with wristbands... so if you hop in line after the wristbands are distributed, you're SOL.

[bobble brian]

I really hope that everybody complains and the Brewers change the policy after this first one too. These events were really my only chance to get player autographs and actually (gasp) meet the player too. I really cannot afford a private signing for somebody like Hoffman and I don't feel like staking out airports, hotels, parking lots, etc. No offense to anybody that does, it just isn't my thing.

 

That being said, how early will people be getting there?

 

To be perfectly honest, I wasn't really even looking to score the "big" players ... the guys I wanted were Randy Wolf, Carlos Gomez, Jim Edmonds, Willie Randolph, Chris Capuano, Dave Bush and Doug Davis. Perhaps if any members find themselves in one of these player's lines (and I am in a line for a player that you wanted), we could try to work something out.

 

I collect ROMLBs autographed on the sweet spot, in blue ink, with the player's number.

 

If interested, please PM me and we can coordinate our forces the day of or the day before the block party. I can even supply you with the baseballs and pens if you wanted. Thanks again.

[hofcs]

I will be there with my son and am hoping to get lucky with Randolph, Gerut or Prince (though I wouldn't cry if I got some of the other guys). I am hoping there will lots of chances to "trade" wrist bands as things play out........

[Dmiles23]

Yeah, I was REALLY hoping to get Prince at one of the events. I have a picture that I really want to get signed. I'd even pay to get it signed, but I don't think he does signings. I guess I will need to find another way. Oh well!!

[BrewersSuperCollector]

I wouldn't get my hopes up on getting Prince even if he would have been announced. He is one of the reasons why the Brewers are doing it this way.

[BrewersSuperCollector]

bobble brian]To be perfectly honest, I wasn't really even looking to score the "big" players ... the guys I wanted were Randy Wolf, Carlos Gomez, Jim Edmonds, Willie Randolph, Chris Capuano, Dave Bush and Doug Davis. Perhaps if any members find themselves in one of these player's lines (and I am in a line for a player that you wanted), we could try to work something out.

 

I collect ROMLBs autographed on the sweet spot, in blue ink, with the player's number.

 

If interested, please PM me and we can coordinate our forces the day of or the day before the block party. I can even supply you with the baseballs and pens if you wanted. Thanks again.

I'd be up for it. I'm not looking for the big stars either in most cases. I need/want some that you want also though. I know I have extra Bushs', but they don't have their number on them I believe. The thing is you can't guarantee they will sign the sweetspot. For instance, I tried getting Chris Smith to sweetspot and the music was so loud that he must not have heard me. Or, he didn't care and was going to sign where he wants to.

 

 

[Barrelman19]

I agree with all of the comments above. I am really uspet about this as I just wanted Willie Randolph. I thought I was for sure going to get him at On Deck as I was first in line for the coaches and he didn't sign because of the shoulder injury.

[Dmiles23]

I wouldn't get my hopes up on getting Prince even if he would have been announced. He is one of the reasons why the Brewers are doing it this way.

I do realize that Prince hasn't been at the last two block parties, but I highly doubt that's one of the reasons why they are doing it this way. I'd put my money on it solely being on people showing up way too early for their likings. And in Prince's case when he canceled, it was posted before the event. If it had anything to do with players canceling, it would have more to do with Mike Cameron last year where he just didn't show up.

 

[BrewersSuperCollector]

Cameron, Lopez no showing...Fielder no showing 2 years ago and Fielder cancelling at the last minute last year. The Brewers don't want to deal with that.

[Dmiles23]

Just an FYI, Fielder never no-showed. I knew both years the night before the block party that he was not going to be there, as the Brewers updated the website.

[bani1717]

I think it's not so much that as it is that they want to create opportunities for the more casual fans to be able to actually get halfway decent autographs. Like someone said they don't want the hard-core collectors getting all the good autographs. The whole goal of these block parties is definitely to create community interest, not to let autograph seekers go get autographs. That's why they made the Autograph Fridays for kids only, to make it more friendly to the casual fans with kids.

 

I have a feeling that if people complain too much about this autograph setup at the block party, they'll cut back or eliminate the block party autographs. I alreayd noticed they said there'd be 8 player/coach spots at each block party (24 total at all three block parties), but there's about 30 players/coaches on the team. So I kind of have a feeling they won't be bringing Barun, Fielder, Gallardo, and a couple others as it is.

[BrewersSuperCollector]

Just an FYI, Fielder never no-showed. I knew both years the night before the block party that he was not going to be there, as the Brewers updated the website.

 

Well, many uninformed Brewers fans that did not check the website came and were disappointed. He was originally scheduled and did not show up. He has not showed up or was late at a couple of autograph Fridays also.

[thablingster]

The whole "luck of the draw" policy for autographs is kind of frustrating. Granted, it covers the Brewers in case someone can't make it at the last minute, etc., but it would be pretty frustrating to pick a station and wait in line for four hours for say, Chris Smith, while Ryan Braun is signing at the table next to you and you can't move even though you'd have been within the first 150 patrons for that station. Granted, casual fans might not care and the Block Parties are now being geared towards them, but for most people I think they'd find it more "cool" or exciting to meet a bigger name player or someone they specifically want and get their autograph, regardless of what they'd do with it. I don't sell my stuff, I just like being able to meet different players just to show some appreciation.

 

They'd be better off having everyone line up in one mega line, then once everyone gets there saying "these are the people who are here" and going through the line and handing out wristbands for who people choose. Ah well, it was nice while it lasted.

[Dmiles23]

But I guess what I'm trying to say is, that from a Brewers perspective, what's the difference between having a named player not show up as opposed to an unnamed player? They still have a line of unhappy people!

[Invader3K]

Stuff like this is why if I really want a player's autograph, I just buy it online.