Timber Rattlers Autograph Sundays

[TURBO]

Not sure what forum to post this in...

 

Some things to be aware of:

 

1. Monte Harrison will only sign one thing per person. He is the first player I have ever encountered that says one only. I think this is fine, it defeats the kids that take their binders to the players and have them sign 10 or 15 cards. literally, this is true, I have witnessed it a hundred times, and the players have always been accommodating. I had two 8 x 10s for him to sign, and I felt like a heel when he said "one only." The kid after me had a binder, opened it up, had at least 10 cards ready to go, and Monte said "one only." Good for him, it is ridiculous the amount of things some people will bring each player to sign. I have always been amazed that the T-Rats didn't take measures to keep the gluttons away. This also keeps the lines moving faster... Monte is not very friendly, he has a bit of the prima donna attitude, which isn't quite warranted yet for a guy hitting .140 in Single A ball...

 

2. Devin Williams will only sign "To: insert name" He will sign multiples, but I think this is his way to stop his sigs from ending up on eBay or for sale someplace else. This doesn't bother me either, but every T-Rats auto I own is just their name and number, this one will not quite fit my collection...lol He is a nice kid though, and like I said, I don't blame him for trying to stop others from making a buck on his sigs...

 

3. Cy Sneed is a super guy, very friendly! Get him before he goes, his time in Appleton might be short.

 

4. The longest lines are always Sneed, Williams, Harrison and Mederios. If you make the trip to Appleton, hit those lines first, the others you can pretty much just walk right up to the players whenever you want... (It will get busier from here on out though, once June hits, the crowds are bigger for game days and auto Sundays.)

 

4. Lines move fast, but the space allotted is too small for the amount of people getting autographs...

 

All in all, it is a great thing the T-Rats do for the fans, if you haven't been to a Sunday game yet, I strongly recommend it, especially if you have kids that want to meet the players...

[Bikeage77]

I usually only get up to a game or two there a year. We tend to go on Thursdays when beer is cheaper. I work most Sundays driving Pedal Tavern, so I won't get the opportunity to do autographs.

 

The Brewers On Deck usually has all the top prospects signing and most of em are pretty easy to get, though they will only sign one item. I tend to wait until guys are basically guaranteed to make the bigs before I go after em.

[TURBO]

Since the T-Rats became part of the Brewers, I have tried to get every player that has gone through Appleton on an 8x10. I probably have 85% of the players. I don't do it to make money, I do it for the memories of the players that passed through. I go to a ton of games every summer, and it's pretty cool to look back on the guys that filled our summer nights with great memories, and to have a little slice of them via autographed 8x10s...

[nodakfan17]

Not sure what forum to post this in...

1. Monte Harrison will only sign one thing per person. He is the first player I have ever encountered that says one only. I think this is fine, it defeats the kids that take their binders to the players and have them sign 10 or 15 cards. literally, this is true, I have witnessed it a hundred times, and the players have always been accommodating. I had two 8 x 10s for him to sign, and I felt like a heel when he said "one only." The kid after me had a binder, opened it up, had at least 10 cards ready to go, and Monte said "one only." Good for him, it is ridiculous the amount of things some people will bring each player to sign. I have always been amazed that the T-Rats didn't take measures to keep the gluttons away. This also keeps the lines moving faster... Monte is not very friendly, he has a bit of the prima donna attitude, which isn't quite warranted yet for a guy hitting .140 in Single A ball...

I hope that you also collect University of Nebraska football autographs

 

If I were Monte Harrison, it would be very difficult for me to continue living the Minor League Baseball lifestyle when I could very easily take what is left of my $1.8 million signing bonus and live like a rock star in Lincoln for 4 years. In all seriousness, I think that Autograph Sundays are pretty neat. I've gone twice this season. I've noticed that some fans will hold places in the longer lines for their friends while their friends work through the shorter lines. Sometimes it's parents saving a spot for their kids, but more often than not, it's teens and adults running this charade.

[BrewersSuperCollector]

Since the T-Rats became part of the Brewers, I have tried to get every player that has gone through Appleton on an 8x10. I probably have 85% of the players. I don't do it to make money, I do it for the memories of the players that passed through. I go to a ton of games every summer, and it's pretty cool to look back on the guys that filled our summer nights with great memories, and to have a little slice of them via autographed 8x10s...

 

85% is pretty impressive.

[TURBO]

Since the T-Rats became part of the Brewers, I have tried to get every player that has gone through Appleton on an 8x10. I probably have 85% of the players. I don't do it to make money, I do it for the memories of the players that passed through. I go to a ton of games every summer, and it's pretty cool to look back on the guys that filled our summer nights with great memories, and to have a little slice of them via autographed 8x10s...

 

85% is pretty impressive.

 

That may be a high estimate, probably more in the 75% range...

 

The guys we are short on are relievers... After snapping photos, and putting the camera away, sometimes it's hard to get the gumption to get it all back out in the later innings when the relievers show up...lol

[TURBO]

Went to auto Sunday again today to see Ponce make his first appearance in a T-Rats uniform. Kid looked GREAT!

 

I snapped off a few photos of him, Blake Allemand, Khris Davis (In Appleton for re-hab)and a few others, left during the 3rd inning for Wal-Mart to get 8x10s made and made it back for the top of the 5th inning. I wasn't sure if Davis would sign like Scooter did after his last re-hab game, but got a photo made just in case...

 

Some notes this week:

 

Brandon Diaz is a super nice kid. Always smiling and happy to sign. He got a HR robbed today on a spectacular catch. The Snappers CF or LF, I can't remember which, actually pulled it back from over the fence. I told him he got robbed, and he and I made some smart comments, just a great kid, easy to root for guys like that when their egos take a back seat during times with the fans. He stayed after most had left to sign for kids, I like seeing that, more on that later...

 

Cody Ponce, also a super nice kid! His first time doing the auto Sundays and he was really accommodating, very polite, and seemed like he was pretty happy to be there signing for the fans. I had 2 different 8x10s for him, and wasn't sure I was going to ask him to do both, but when I saw his demeanor with people in front of me, I gave it a try. He was more than happy to sign both, and even dated them for me. Seemed impressed that I already had photos from a couple hours before...lol Again, it is really easy to pull for guys like that!!!

 

Kodi Medeiros, Devin Williams, and Josh Uhen stayed long past the other players to make sure that everyone still there got their items signed. A pretty classy move, especially when everyone else had left. I can tell a lot about players character from little things like that, hopefully, as they move up the ladder, they keep that humble attitude with their fans. There are a few players who leave as soon as they are allowed to, but for the most part, the players stick around until their lines are empty. I saw lots of posing for pics today too... Boys like the sigs, girls want the photos. lol

 

Khris Davis did not come out and sign with the other players like Scooter did a few weeks ago. I kind of didn't think he would, as he didn't put off a vibe when he played here in 2010 that he enjoyed doing the Sunday auto sessions. There were a lot of disappointed kids, AND grown-ups...

 

I stuck around for a while to see if Matt Erickson would make an appearance, but he didn't, so I headed for the parking lot... Not many people were around by this time, and I noticed a handful of people (no more than 10-12) hanging around the players entrance/exit near the parking lot. I figured they were waiting for Davis to come out, so I hung around a few minutes, and sure enough, Khris Davis came out all alone and signed for everyone and took a lot of photos with fans as well. It was pretty neat, he talked with the fans, even smiled a few times. I got my photo signed, he asked me how I got that photo so fast, so I explained that Wal-Mart was right down the road. (he knew it was from today based on the Sunday pinstriped unis they wore)

 

I'm chalking the day up in the success column

[nodakfan17]

Great recap. Thanks for sharing.

[Bikeage77]

It's pretty cool you can get the photos done that fast. Do you take em during BP or the first few innings then race over before the end of the game? How much does it cost to print out an 8x10? Good recap.

[TURBO]

I take the photos during the actual game... It takes a little effort, have to bounce from side to side of the stadium to get the hitters, especially since Erickson likes to go lefty, righty, lefty, righty in his line-ups. By the time they get through the order a 2nd time, I usually have what I need since I get all the righties, then move to the lefties... Like I said, I got through everyone a 2nd time by the 3rd inning because they were scoring and hitting the crap out of the ball...lol I like to get photos of the pitchers from behind home plate, just to the left or right, depending on whether the pitcher throws right handed, or left. If all the front row seats are taken, then I am out of luck with the pitchers because of the netting, but that has only happened once or twice since I have been doing this. I have it down to a science now that I have been doing this since 2009 religiously.

 

8x10s at Wal-Mart are $3 each in the one hour photo section. (It gets pricey when you add up how many I get per season, but it's kind of fun, and I know the sigs are all authentic since I get them myself) They never take that long, by the time I edited them (zoomed in, etc...) and sent in the order, it was a 15 minute wait after I submitted them. I made it back by the top of the 5th inning (actually, now that I think about it, it was the end of the bottom of the 5th) this time, so I made great time...

[nodakfan17]

I received a free pair of tickets to the Season Holder Picnic on Sunday, August 16th. Has anyone attended in past years? Are the post-game autograph opportunities similar to the typical Autograph Sundays?

[TURBO]

Another successful T-Rats auto Sunday!

 

Kodi Medeiros has now started the "I'll only sign one thing" system, which is best for the lines, but unpopular with the kids that shove 15 cards in front of these guy's face... I like the sign one thing idea, and I wish the T-Rats would just make that a standing rule. Not sure what he'd say if you went to the end of the line and made it through for another signature though. I would think that would be acceptable, but I'd hate to do it and have him turn me down...lol I got a photo of him in last night's "North Pole Reindeer" uniform, so the photos I have are pretty cool and unique for the collection.

 

Also took photos of Cotto last night and got one signed today, as well as a few other players. Cotto seemed like a little kid when signing, it's nice to see these young guys who aren't tainted by fame yet actually want to sign for you. He commented on my photo, liked it a lot because of the North Pole uniforms, so I told him I'd make him a copy. When guys seem impressed by the photos I take, I always offer to make one for them. It gets a bit pricey ($3.00 each, which seems like nothing for one photo, but that adds up pretty quickly)

 

The lines are getting more congested as the summer wears on. They just aren't set up for big crowds, which is fine through June, but once July hits, the Sunday crowds get bigger, and it seems more and more people stay for the autographs. They could easily put the tables where the players sign deeper into the tented area, making more room for the lines, but they have yet to figure that out, and you have a lot of bodies in a confined space. Not to mention the rude kids and adults who have no concept of "going to the end of the line" for the players they want.

 

All in all, still a great way to get future Brewers autos, but with some fine tuning, it could be better than great!

 

Hard to believe, but there is only one Auto Sunday left this season...

[TURBO]

I received a free pair of tickets to the Season Holder Picnic on Sunday, August 16th. Has anyone attended in past years? Are the post-game autograph opportunities similar to the typical Autograph Sundays?

 

In past years, it has been exactly the same. After the auto session, then the players wander over to the picnic area to grab a bite to eat, and be annoyed by fans who want them to sign things, even though they just had a designated time to do so.

 

In the past, this is the best time to try and get Matt Erickson though, he doesn't do the typical Auto Sundays.

[nodakfan17]

I received a free pair of tickets to the Season Holder Picnic on Sunday, August 16th. Has anyone attended in past years? Are the post-game autograph opportunities similar to the typical Autograph Sundays?

 

In past years, it has been exactly the same. After the auto session, then the players wander over to the picnic area to grab a bite to eat, and be annoyed by fans who want them to sign things, even though they just had a designated time to do so.

Thanks, Turbo. I was hoping for a thinner autograph crowd at the STH picnic, but I'll just roll the dice with the Autograph Sunday line. I wouldn't want to pester the players when they are trying to eat, especially after they just finished an autograph session.

[nodakfan17]

Kodi Medeiros has now started the "I'll only sign one thing" system, which is best for the lines, but unpopular with the kids that shove 15 cards in front of these guy's face...

Too funny - I asked Kodi to sign an OMLB on the sweet spot today and he asked for my name so that he could personalize it. I was hoping to give the ball to my brother-in-law for Christmas, but he caught me off guard. I've never used OMLBs for Timber Rattler autographs, but I've had an extra one since the last time I went to Brewers On Deck (around 2008). I had hoped to put it to good use as a gift. Now I've got a nice-looking Medeiros OMLB

 

I spent a lot of time waiting in the Medeiros line, but picked up Carlos Leal and Cody Ponce afterwards - both on unofficial balls that I get in bulk from Dick's for $1.50 each. The Cody Ponce signature was centered and clean (great looking sig/ball). The Carlos Leal signature was a bit off-center, but still presentable. I have one nice-looking Medeiros signature from Opening Day, so I'll probably skip the line during the next (and final) Autograph Sunday and try to pick up a few extra balls.

[TURBO]

We must have been in that line at the same time. I was about the 5th person in line when it started.

 

I understand why they want to personalize it (to keep it from ending up on eBay), but I don't want the autos in my collection to have my name on them... I haven't had the guts to ask Devin Williams if he could sign it without my name yet (so far, he is the only one that asks for your name)...Maybe that last week, if I have something for him to sign, I'll ask if he would kindly just put his name on it. All he can do is say no.

[TURBO]

I received a free pair of tickets to the Season Holder Picnic on Sunday, August 16th. Has anyone attended in past years? Are the post-game autograph opportunities similar to the typical Autograph Sundays?

 

In past years, it has been exactly the same. After the auto session, then the players wander over to the picnic area to grab a bite to eat, and be annoyed by fans who want them to sign things, even though they just had a designated time to do so.

Thanks, Turbo. I was hoping for a thinner autograph crowd at the STH picnic, but I'll just roll the dice with the Autograph Sunday line. I wouldn't want to pester the players when they are trying to eat, especially after they just finished an autograph session.

 

Don't take what I said as fact, I'm just going by what they have done the past 3 or 4 years. They could switch it up on us. lol

 

The T-Rats do advertise the picnic as a chance to meet the players, so I don't think it is out of line to ask them to sign there, but if they are sitting down with their families and/or teammates and eating, then I think it is best to leave them alone...

[nodakfan17]

We must have been in that line at the same time. I was about the 5th person in line when it started.

 

I understand why they want to personalize it (to keep it from ending up on eBay), but I don't want the autos in my collection to have my name on them... I haven't had the guts to ask Devin Williams if he could sign it without my name yet (so far, he is the only one that asks for your name)...Maybe that last week, if I have something for him to sign, I'll ask if he would kindly just put his name on it. All he can do is say no.

Neat - I was probably about 20th in line for Kodi Meideros. My 10-pack seats are near first base, so after the last out, it takes me a while to make my way over to the autograph tent. When Kodi last signed for me on Opening Day, he did not personalize. The last few months must have really tested his patience (and who could blame him?). As he was flipping the baseball around to find the sweet spot, I think he noticed that it was an OMLB and then asked to personalize (figuring it was more likely to end up on eBay). As I mentioned earlier, I had intended this one to be a gift. Every other signed ball I've obtained this season has been on the same unofficial ball from Dick's. If the signature is clean, I put the ball in a cube. If the signature is poor (or the player doesn't advance past Appleton), I recycle the ball and use it as an actual baseball. If I were paying money for an autograph, I would want for the signature to be to my liking, but since Autographs Sundays are free with admission, I'm content with whatever signatures I can obtain.

[Kelbysdaddy]

Nathan Kirby was signing at todays game even though he isnt on the roster yet. Seems like a very nice young man.

[TURBO]

Nathan Kirby was signing at todays game even though he isnt on the roster yet. Seems like a very nice young man.

 

Wow, I totally missed that! Did he have a name card in front of him? Guess I should have looked closer, but I wouldn't have had anything for him to sign anyway...

[nodakfan17]

Nathan Kirby was signing at todays game even though he isnt on the roster yet. Seems like a very nice young man.

I missed it too. It is typical to have so many of the current year's draft picks in Low A?

 

I'm glancing at yesterday's program and noticing a number of 2015 picks:

 

- Cody Ponce (2)

- Blake Allemand (5)

- Eric Handhold (6)

- Jon Perrin (27)

 

+ Kirby (who is not yet on the roster)

 

By comparison, the Clinton Lumber Kings had zero 2015 picks on yesterday's roster.

[Kelbysdaddy]

He was sitting next to josh uhen. He didnt have a name card at first but they made him one after a few minutes. I had a random foul ball that was in pretty decent shape with me and he signed it and inscribed college world series on it. Then he took a picture with my kids and gave them high 5s.

[nodakfan17]

Last Autograph Sunday on the 16th - anyone else going to be there?

 

I'd like to get Nathan Kirby and try again for a clean Carlos Leal signature. If there's time, I'll try Medeiros. I have the ticket stub from his first Single-A start that I'd like to get signed. He pitched 6 scoreless innings that night. I noticed in an email that I received from the Timber Rattlers earlier this week that there will be two jersey auctions on Sunday - the regular Brewer Sunday jerseys and the special edition Dora the Explorer jerseys that they will be wearing on Sunday. I might bring a few extra bucks to the ballpark - does anyone know at what price the silent auction bids usually begin?

[nodakfan17]

Did anyone bid on jerseys yesterday afternoon? I passed, but I'd like to know for how much they sold.

 

The lines for Autograph Sunday were the shortest I've seen all season (this was my 4th time). I got nice clean signatures of Nathan Kirby, Kodi Medeiros, and Tucker Neuhaus on unofficial balls. Kirby and Medeiros were stationed right next to each other. After I met Kirby, I was surprised to see that the Medeiros line was relatively short, so I jumped in his line (even though I have tried him at two previous games). Neuhaus was just a few spots down from Medeiros, so I tried him for the first time all season. At that point, I was limited by the number of balls with fresh signatures that I could carry, so I called it a day - a pretty decent one, at that. I was fortunate to go 3 for 3 on the signatures. It seems that roughly half of my autographs come out off-centered or smudged (a common hazard when writing on a convex surface). Usually, adding one top prospect autograph to my collection is a win.

[TURBO]

nodakfan, I didn't see your post above until today or I would have introduced myself to you, as I was there.

 

I can't answer your questions about the Dora jerseys, since I didn't pay any attention to the silent auction bids that were taking place in the concourse until the 7th inning. I can say though that the jersey's they wore were pretty unique and uncommon, that is for sure... I didn't like them personally, and would never have worn one, so I stayed away.

 

That being said, I stuck around for the jersey auction that took place in the club level. This is where they auctioned off the Sunday pinstripe jerseys. It was an interesting process to witness, and sometimes uncomfortable when the player is standing there, and not a single bid is placed... I stayed until there were about 4 players left, and I had had enough.

 

Prices varied, but the starting bid was always $100. It took some real coaxing from the auctioneer to sell a few of them, but from what I saw, all but one eventually sold. More on that later...

 

I thought the Kodi Medeiros would sell for the most money, but went for $275, I think to his Mom... The highest priced one went for $325, that was Mitch Meyer. He wore #19, and the jersey is a copy of the old 80's pinstripes jerseys, so it's easy to figure out the draw (Robin Yount). I was sitting by the guy who bought it, and when Mitch came over to hand off the jersey, the guy out and told him he planned to sell it in his store, and that he hoped his parents weren't mad they didn't get it. WHAT? He told Mitch that the reason his went so high was because it was Yount's number and he was going to sell it for $400. WHAT? I know, what a jerk. Anyway, Mitch handled it well, talked to him for a minute or two, then left. I thought for sure it was his Dad that won it, they resembled each other, but after hearing their conversation, that didn't seem to be the case. There was a table of people bidding against the guy who won it, and I can only assume those were his parents and relatives. It was weird.

 

Most of the others sold in the $100 - $125 range. It was also pretty strange that the next highest one sold went for $225, and it was the 3rd string catcher, Natanael Mejia. lol That one also went to his parents. Erickson's went for $100. I can't remember what Devin Williams went for, I want to say it was $200, but am not 100% certain.

 

The problem they had was that there weren't very many people that stuck around for the auction after such a hot day. I think most just wanted to get home since the season ticket holder's picnic had also went on, it was a long day with the heat for sure. (game, autos, picnic, auction) There were deals to be had for certain if game worn jerseys is your thing. One guy went home with 6 for a total of $750 if I did my math right.

 

Back to the one that did not sell. As I said, the auctioneer did a good job of getting rid of them, reminding the sparse crowd that the proceeds all go to the children's hospital. Most of the guys standing there took a ribbing from teammates if they weren't getting bid on. They must have sold 35+ jersey's (players, coaches, Fang), and there just weren't enough people there to get high dollars and not everyone there was bidding. (myself included) So Tyler Linehan was at the podium, standing there in his jersey and no one was bidding. I felt bad for the guy, I don't think it was because everyone hated him or anything, but his was not selling. The auctioneer kept hammering the crowd, begging for a bid and it was getting a bit uncomfortable for even the crowd, much less Tyler. After a little while, while the auction was still going, Linehan walked off the little riser they were set up on, took off his jersey and handed it to someone standing there who was helping with the auction, and left. He was pissed, and embarrassed. Kind of made him look bad by just up and leaving like that and acting like a bit of a baby... I am positive that his teammates are never going to let him hear the end of it either, they are guys after all, and anything to get on the case of a teammate is fair game in the locker room.

 

I only had a few 8x10s to get signed. I got Uhen, Rizzo, Cotto in his Sunday uniform, and Mederios in his North Pole Reindeer uniform. I had a photo made for Cotto because the last time I was there, he really liked the one I had him sign. He was super nice and thanked me, called his girlfriend over to hold the pic and explained to her what it was. Pretty neat...

 

I got an 8x10 signed by Kodi Medeiros yesterday, but he refused to sign without personalizing it. It was odd, and uncomfortable since I watched him sign for others and he didn't make an issue of it. (I didn't say a word about it to him, just told him my name and let him do his business) This is only the 3rd time all season I have asked him to sign a photo, and the other 2 times he was super nice and talkative. I don't know if he thinks I am someone else who gave him a hard time, or if he thinks I sell them or what, but it was not cool. As I said earlier, he started only signing one thing a few weeks ago, but yesterday he signed multiple cards for some teenage boys without saying a word to them, and he did not personalize their cards either... The boys he signed the multiple cards for are there every week, getting players to sign as many as 10 cards at once, same kids every single Sunday auto session. When he got to me, I had to have my name attached. It was just strange. I would loved to have asked him what gives, but they don't deserve to be hassled in my opinion, so I let it go.

 

All in all, it was a great season for Sunday autos...

 

EDIT/CORRECTION: I forgot about the Cody Ponce jersey. The highest priced jersey sold for $425, it belonged to Cody Ponce, and was purchased by is family. Strangely enough, it appeared that some of them were bidding against each other...lol I think it was his girlfriend that placed the winning bid, but his Mom paid for it...