autographs, signings, and tips, part 2

[brwrsfan]

Let's just hope CC makes it tomorrow....

[Bikeage77]

just as i predicted, i got don sutton sweetspotted with HOF 98 on it...ran up there right after i got weeks on a bobblehead, and Sutton was the nicest guy, we didn't even have to ask for the SS or inscription. he took the time to sign a couple bobbles for us too. how much did LOTF want? 60? saved me lots of cash doing that

 

if you want him, just get there early enough before he's on the air and i think you'll be okay. like i said, he was very nice and even patient as it was a crap shoot to get bobbles signed to, when he was all for it, we couldn't find the marker we brought, but still signed it and very nice about it. his favorite current pitcher is Jake Peavy.

[pretendastronaut]

I went to the Block Party in Whitefish Bay today. I've never went to one of these events before, and never really focused on getting autographs, but it was a fun time. From what I could tell, the turn out was huge compared to the description of the past events.

 

I got there just before 9am and the Braun line was already around the block. Rumor was it started at 2:30am. I got in the Hart line, which was already very long. I talked to the first lady in the Hart line and she said she got there at 7:30. Eventually a counter went through and told us we were just past the 100 mark, but we should be okay.

 

I went an walked around for awhile, as all the people around me in line were cool. Poor Riskie had only one person in his line about an hour before the event. It eventually got longer, but it was never to long. I don't think any of the lines would have been short enough to get two of anyone without working as a team, which I saw several people do, unless you were right in the front of one and jumped into a small one like Riskie's.

 

I made it through Corey's line about 5 minutes before signings were to end and, in a moment of good thought, I decided to walk back by where the players had come in. I grabbed a spot by the SUV Braun arrived in. I shook his hand and got a couple of pics, but he wasn't signing once he got up.

 

Counsell didn't leave in a vechile, he just walked off down the street with one of his boys and a friend with his kid. He stopped and gave someone his jersey he was wearing. I know he's a native of WFB, but I still thought it was pretty funny that he just walked down the street and everyone pretty much just left him to his business.

 

Gagne was a no-show.

[Barrelman19]

I also went to the block party in Whitefish Bay. I got there just after 7am and was about the 20th person in the Braun line. The first couple of guys said they got there at 2:30am, which is just ridiculous considering they got there almost 5 hours before me and got their autograph about 3 minutes before me. Overall, I was very happy with the way the block party was ran. The only frustrating part was that it was almost impossible to take pictures of Braun while he was signing because there were so many people who weren't in the autograph line who were trying to squeeze in to at least get a picture.

 

Overall, I thought the block party was a good time, however, I do like the set-up of the Brewers On-Deck event better where they hand out things to the people in line so you know right away if you are going to get an autograph. It seemed more organized and prevented people from trying to cut in line at the last minute, which happened a lot today.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

I got to WFB's at 4 a.m. and was third in Braun's line. My brother and friend went to Torres and Hart for me, which was awesome. Braun signed my jersey perfectly in huge writing on the sweet spot. Got a picture too, pretty good day.

[UtilityInfielder]

Barrelman- You are correct that lots of cutting took place. My friends and I arrived at 7:45am for Braun, were counted as number 107 and 108 in line and did not get an autograph. A number of people were filing into the Braun line after leaving the Hart, Torres, Counsell, and Riske lines. The line was cut off about 10 people in front of me. I know I drove down from Green Bay (after spending part of the night before in the hospital) and the two guys who were infront of me had driven three hours from the Dells. It was fun to talk to the rest of the Brewer fans around...but overall I was disappointed. I know that it is just an autograph..and as its been mentioned in this thread before..not getting the autograph you want just means that you aren't trying. I guess if I try this route again next year I will have to get there at 6 or 5am.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

There were problems with cutting. My friends showed up at about 8 and asked if they could cut. I told them no, they couldn't, and if I could let them, I wouldn't, because I woke up at 4 and they didn't. They were not too happy, but went to Hart's line instead.

 

About an hour before the players showed up, another guy showed up with his kid and joined the guy in front of me. That made him 2nd in line, which did not go over well with me at all. I told the guy he didn't get there before me and he had no business being there. He was with his little boy, so I told him I did not want to see him get something signed but his kid could stay. Even that I didn't like doing, but the kid was probably 3 or 4 so I let him stay in line.

 

I don't feel too good about it, who knows who was really getting the autograph.

[Barrelman19]

I even had people offer money to cut in line, but I told them look people have been here for hours and that wouldn't be fair to those people. I understand if you want an autograph you need to try hard, but to me that means getting there early and waiting it out, not cutting in lines.

[Barrelman19]

When I was about 3 people from getting my autograph, a dad lifted his little son over the chains and handed him a bat and said now remember where I want him to sign. Somebody else in line told the dad that he wouldn't let his kid in. That was definetly a case of the dad wanting the autograph and the kid not knowing what is going on.

[BrewersSuperCollector]

I went to the Elm Grove party. I got there at 7am and was about 35th in line. The earliest people were there at 4am. I knew Prince wasn't going to be there as it was said during the Brewer game telecast, but there were people there that didn't know. Even the Brewers employees selling novelties didn't know Prince wasn't showing up.

What sucked for most, but happened to be good for me was that Durham was announced right before the event after hours of wainting in line that he wasn't going to make it. He had a prior obligations. Well, after I got CC I went into the McClung line and it was said that Durham was going to make it after all. What a class guy!! He also got lost finding the park. I jumped into the Durham line and a friend got the McClung for me.

CC signed a ball for my wife and then I got a ball signed with his CY YOUNG inscription.


My friends wife was 30th in line for Braun. They got there at 7am. It was her party that asked Braun to marry her while she got down on one knee. I wish I would have gave them an extra ball because I need Riske's auto.

At WB it seemed like it was better organized with the police taking over.

The problem with the line skippers is that they have no conscience. You just can't embarrass them.

[BrewersSuperCollector]

On Friday I got Gallardo on a couple of balls at Sentry in Hartford. He was 15 minutes late, and he looked like a rock star showing up.

[tristarscoop]

Got to Elm Grove a little after 8 and there was one line. When the Brewers staff started putting up the names, inexplicably the people in the front of the line felt the need to move the 3 feet to the left in order to be directly in front of the white sign. This led to some confusion and the line splintered and shuffled because people pushed forward. When this happened, a staffer came over, made some executive decisions and made one line, so that was good.

 

Left the bf in the CC line and went over to be first in the Weeks line. Got his and then we got in for CC with about 10 mins to go.

[thablingster]

I got to the Elm Grove party at around 6:45am. What happened with the CC line is once the Brewers staffers showed up some of the people in front started shuffling forward and towards the sign and people from the back started racing ahead so then everyone tried to move up at once and there was one line but it was 4 people wide at some points and was fractured due to all of the chairs, etc. people were sitting in waiting in line. They hadn't even announced who was where yet, the people who saw them put up the CC sign just started running and that's what caused a lot of the chaos.

 

Once that chaos was settled it was a pretty calm line.

[BrewersSuperCollector]

I recognized quite a few people for the Elm Grove auto signings. And after checking ebay I'm glad that there weren't many if any of the people getting CC's auto are trying to sell them for a quick buck. It looks like everyone there was a collector.

[Bikeage77]

I was at the Elm Grove park saturday. Got there around 7. About 5 minutes after I put my stuff down, about 30 more people showed up. There was a guy there I hardly knew that tried to jump in behind me with a bat about 5 minutes after CC started signing. I told him the people around me wouldn't be too happy, and I didn't think it was the best idea. Then continued my conversation with my friend. About 2 minutes after that a lady behind me called him out and made him at least go behind her and her son. I dunno what happened to him after that.

 

CC was really cool about putting Cy Young inscriptions down. And surprisingly, I haven't seen a ton of balls being put up for sale on eBay. Good work Milwaukee, I thought people woulda flooded the market that afternoon. Maybe CC will check eBay and notice that as well, influencing him somewhat to stay in Milwaukee.

 

To add to the Durham story, because he showed up 20 minutes late, he stayed about 20 minutes after all the other Brewers left. So I was able to get him too. All and all, between my luck Friday and Saturday, a great weekend for autographs.

[Buckethead Brigade]

i was at the yovani gallardo signing at sentry on friday..was first in line http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif i was there at 7am and the next person didnt come untill 9:30..i was just a tad early..he was very nice, signed sweet spot. Also i was at the Elm Grove block party, in line for CC. I arrived at 5 am and was second in line. Most people started to arrive at about 6-7am. CC signed sweet spot and put cy young incsription on the ball. Not to bad of a weekend i would say

[Barrelman19]

I am really suprised to hear that CC signed sweet spot and did the Cy Young inscription. At the Brewers On Deck event, Gagne signed sweet spot for me and put the inscription. Here are two former Cy Youngs who sign sweet spot and inscriptions, and yet I can't get Corey Hart to sweet spot any more.

[BrewersSuperCollector]

I'm shocked you got Gagne to add the Cy Young. I've gotten him twice this year and he wouldn't add it. I think hart is exclusive to Legends of the Field for sweetspot.

[Barrelman19]

That is what I mean though, that it seems like anybody with talent on our team has some exclusive contract but other guys who come here aren't. At the On Deck event when I got to Gagne I said it is great to have a Cy Young in Milwaukee and he just put it on there. I don't know if he did because I didn't ask or what.

[Bikeage77]

I got Gagne to SS and Cy Young my ball at the On Deck. I had Zachlaka do it for me, cuz he didn't have anything for Gagne, but whatever. Gagne also signs baseballs very nice, but just scribbles with a marker. The two Gagne sigs I have (one on my bat, and one on a ball) look pretty different

[zachlaka]

As Bikeage77 said I was to busy worrying about my Sheets Indianapolis Indians bobble that I was getting signed that I forgot about Gagne. I really don't collect autos unless they are on a bobblehead anyways. But I have a Gagne bobblehead now so I will get him next time he signs if he if ever does.

 

I asked Gagne if you would put his Cy Young inscription on there and he did no problem He had asked me if I wanted the auto on the sweet spot without me asking though which was cool. I also welcomed him to Milwaukee. That is a great way to start in Milwaukee IMO.

[BrewCrewForever]

Two questions.

 

1. Are the players more likely to sign before or after games by the players lot?

 

2. If it is a 1pm start, what time should I get to the players lot?

[sausage racer]

this might sem like a dumb question but where is the players lot now at Miller Park, when I was a kid at county I used to go all the time to wait there. I am in Oshkosh and only get to Miller Park 3-5 times a year now but I would love to be able to take my 2 kids down there sometime to try to see the players up close.

thanks!!

[lcbj68c]

The Players Lot is located on the South side of the stadium, just south of the plaza and to the east of the adminstration lot. My own experiences are that players are more apt to signing before the game as opposed to after. After the game, the players generally leave in bunches or with their family, whereas on arrival, they are alone and have the look of being less busy. For a 7pm or 6pm start, I'd show up around 1:30-2pm. For a 1pm start, around 830am-9am.

[radman12484]

JJ Hardy @ Jeff's Sports in Mayfair Mall August 23rd from 10 to 11. I wouldn't wait to get your autograph tickets if your planning on going, not to many left.