shaq to phoenix is finalized

[Phaded]

ill take the kurt rambis rookie signed goggles

 

[puddlemonkey]

LOL I do have some strange/obscure stuff signed like that. I have a signed sock of an old Seahawk player, forgot who. Some wrist bands signed by one of the starting CBs. Had Eric Hansen (pitcher) tax info, but I gave that back to him. He left it on top of his car when he stopped to sign for us, then drove off and forgot about it. Brought it back the following night and he hooked me up with some game balls and a Omar Vizquel bat. My childhood rocked, good times, good times.

 

[Faizakafez]

Hey puddle,

How did you get all the autographs? like were you those hardcore guys waiting in line for meet and greets or did u camp outside the players entrance

 

[puddlemonkey]

Hey puddle,

How did you get all the autographs? like were you those hardcore guys waiting in line for meet and greets or did u camp outside the players entrance

Mostly the way other people didn't know how to. Most just stand around after the game with a crowd of 100-200 people and hope for the best. Complete waste of time, if you're lucky 3-4 players might stop and sign. My brother and I would hit up hotels, practices, pretty much stalk the players everywhere they went. Of course there are unwritten rules of autograph seeking that we always followed. One, never approach a player when he's with family. And two, never approach a player when he's eating. Otherwise, he's fair game. Many players knew us by name and either embraced our dedication or despised it. I'll give you an example of a typical night for us.

Baseball season... depending on if we can find out when the visiting team is arriving we may head to the airport first. We'd usually be the only ones at the airport and its hit or miss on autos there. But when it is hit you generally hit big. I remember my record being 12 autographs from one player in one day. Once they get loaded up on their bus, my bro and I raced to the hotel. At the hotel there was usually the same 10 or so guys week in and week out, all the serious autograph hounds knew each other. There were a couple kids from Canada that came down often and sometimes stayed with my brother and I when they wanted to do overnighters or part of a 4 game series. At the hotel when the bus rolls in you need to know exactly who you're hitting up for signatures because they all get off at the same time. My brother and I would always have a gameplan for everything. Once all the players were off the bus we'd head home (many teams fly in the night before a series starts).

The next day we'd have to decide if we want to start at the hotel or hit the ballpark a few hours early. Sometimes we'd start at the visiting teams hotel and when the best player comes out to his cab we'd get his autograph and then race the cab to the ballpark to try and score it again. If we go straight to the ballpark my brother would usually take the M's parking lot and I'd wait on the other side for the visiting teams taxis to pull in. At this time you're not just getting autographs, but you're also feeling them out for memorabilia. I'll start planting seeds by saying stuff like, "hey, if you break a bat today do you think I can get it?", or ,"if I see you during batting practice will you throw me a ball?". They always seem willing to agree to this. Players will arrive to the park 2-3 hours before game time. Once they are all in we'd hang out until they start letting fans in.

So now we're in the park during batting practice and fans are slowly rolling in. My brother would usually hang out by the dugout and I'd take the bullpen/warmup area. We got in with our $3.50 300 level cheap seats, but by game time we are in the $40 box seats. Mariners back then rarely sold the place out. I can usually score a ball per game hanging out by the bullpen simply reminding players they'd throw me a ball. Half of the time some random fan would see this and offer me $25-$35 for it and just like that I have a weeks worth of tickets paid for. If a player breaks a bat by the time you can get close enough to remind him he doesn't know where its at or its long gone, but 9 times out of 10 they'll just give you a new one because they'll remember your conversation outside.

Once the game starts we'd hang out for 4-5 innings but around that time we start getting hungry. Unless its a really good game we'll bail and head to the am/pm down the street and pig out on cheap 2 for $1 burgers and corndogs. After another hour or so passes we'll do a drive by to make sure the team bus hasn't left and laugh at the hundred retards waiting outside the stadium behind a tall chain linked fence hoping for someone to stop and sign an autograph on whatever they can shove through that small fence hole.

Back at the hotel for the second time that day we make our gameplan and stick to it. Once the bus arrives and all the players are inside what few select autograph seekers are there leave. My brother and I still hang out knowing the players aren't done for the night. He'd position himself where he can see the elevators and I'd be about forty feet away with the goods. Anywhere from 20-45 minutes pass and they start trickling out to hit some shopping or head to a restaurant. Once my brother sees them in the elevator he'll signal to me who it is by either a hand sign or I'll read his lips. You can't be loud or obnoxious at the hotel or they'll kick you off the property. I'll then get whatever it is we want signed (x2) ready as the player approaches. While he's signing for me like a magician I'll slip my brother something behind my back for him to get signed. Once those players who are going to leave the hotel are out and about we'll usually leave and not bother them again for the night unless its a megastar, in which we'll then wait for his return.

My school grades suffered dearly for this hobby, countless nights I'd only get 4-5 hours sleep because I was out so late. I missed so many days of school countless letters were sent to my mother. Even though I almost didn't graduate on time because of it all, there is no way I'd give up all those memories from my childhood. Those times mean more to me than any other moments from my youth.

 

[Raptorex]

I went to almost every HOF induction for baseball from the 80s-mid 90s, I got more stuff in closet. Got to meet just about everyone from the 60s-70s era. Different game now.

 

[Raptorex]

I started a thread for you Pud (same forum)

 

[Faizakafez]

Mostly the way other people didn't know how to. Most just stand around after the game with a crowd of 100-200 people and hope for the best. Complete waste of time, if you're lucky 3-4 players might stop and sign. My brother and I would hit up hotels, practices, pretty much stalk the players everywhere they went. Of course there are unwritten rules of autograph seeking that we always followed. One, never approach a player when he's with family. And two, never approach a player when he's eating. Otherwise, he's fair game. Many players knew us by name and either embraced our dedication or despised it. I'll give you an example of a typical night for us.

Baseball season... depending on if we can find out when the visiting team is arriving we may head to the airport first. We'd usually be the only ones at the airport and its hit or miss on autos there. But when it is hit you generally hit big. I remember my record being 12 autographs from one player in one day. Once they get loaded up on their bus, my bro and I raced to the hotel. At the hotel there was usually the same 10 or so guys week in and week out, all the serious autograph hounds knew each other. There were a couple kids from Canada that came down often and sometimes stayed with my brother and I when they wanted to do overnighters or part of a 4 game series. At the hotel when the bus rolls in you need to know exactly who you're hitting up for signatures because they all get off at the same time. My brother and I would always have a gameplan for everything. Once all the players were off the bus we'd head home (many teams fly in the night before a series starts).

The next day we'd have to decide if we want to start at the hotel or hit the ballpark a few hours early. Sometimes we'd start at the visiting teams hotel and when the best player comes out to his cab we'd get his autograph and then race the cab to the ballpark to try and score it again. If we go straight to the ballpark my brother would usually take the M's parking lot and I'd wait on the other side for the visiting teams taxis to pull in. At this time you're not just getting autographs, but you're also feeling them out for memorabilia. I'll start planting seeds by saying stuff like, "hey, if you break a bat today do you think I can get it?", or ,"if I see you during batting practice will you throw me a ball?". They always seem willing to agree to this. Players will arrive to the park 2-3 hours before game time. Once they are all in we'd hang out until they start letting fans in.

So now we're in the park during batting practice and fans are slowly rolling in. My brother would usually hang out by the dugout and I'd take the bullpen/warmup area. We got in with our $3.50 300 level cheap seats, but by game time we are in the $40 box seats. Mariners back then rarely sold the place out. I can usually score a ball per game hanging out by the bullpen simply reminding players they'd throw me a ball. Half of the time some random fan would see this and offer me $25-$35 for it and just like that I have a weeks worth of tickets paid for. If a player breaks a bat by the time you can get close enough to remind him he doesn't know where its at or its long gone, but 9 times out of 10 they'll just give you a new one because they'll remember your conversation outside.

Once the game starts we'd hang out for 4-5 innings but around that time we start getting hungry. Unless its a really good game we'll bail and head to the am/pm down the street and pig out on cheap 2 for $1 burgers and corndogs. After another hour or so passes we'll do a drive by to make sure the team bus hasn't left and laugh at the hundred retards waiting outside the stadium behind a tall chain linked fence hoping for someone to stop and sign an autograph on whatever they can shove through that small fence hole.

Back at the hotel for the second time that day we make our gameplan and stick to it. Once the bus arrives and all the players are inside what few select autograph seekers are there leave. My brother and I still hang out knowing the players aren't done for the night. He'd position himself where he can see the elevators and I'd be about forty feet away with the goods. Anywhere from 20-45 minutes pass and they start trickling out to hit some shopping or head to a restaurant. Once my brother sees them in the elevator he'll signal to me who it is by either a hand sign or I'll read his lips. You can't be loud or obnoxious at the hotel or they'll kick you off the property. I'll then get whatever it is we want signed (x2) ready as the player approaches. While he's signing for me like a magician I'll slip my brother something behind my back for him to get signed. Once those players who are going to leave the hotel are out and about we'll usually leave and not bother them again for the night unless its a megastar, in which we'll then wait for his return.

My school grades suffered dearly for this hobby, countless nights I'd only get 4-5 hours sleep because I was out so late. I missed so many days of school countless letters were sent to my mother. Even though I almost didn't graduate on time because of it all, there is no way I'd give up all those memories from my childhood. Those times mean more to me than any other moments from my youth.

damn bro awesome story..

 

[puddlemonkey]

I went to almost every HOF induction for baseball from the 80s-mid 90s, I got more stuff in closet. Got to meet just about everyone from the 60s-70s era. Different game now.

Sweet bro!

Different game now indeed. I couldn't hang anymore, you need to be pretty young to do this stuff.