Red Sox Weekend- BIG Update

This was the final weekend for me to get autographs and it turned out to be a great one.  I went for autographs inside and outside the stadium on Friday, outside the stadium Saturday, and inside the stadium Sunday.  

Sunday turned out to be an unsuccessful day.  I was able to get in at the same time as season ticket holders thanks to a special pass a friend gave me, but I staked out a spot in front of the dugout and batting practice was taken indoors.  We were asked to leave the seating area much earlier than usual due to a youth parade they were having.  Buchholz signed down the 3rd base line but I chose to stick near the dugout.

Sunday: No Autographs

I got to the stadium around 12 on Saturday, and arrived to a much larger crowd than there was on Friday.  However, it still turned out to be a great day as a managed to get the following:

Saturday: 

• Clay Buchholz (Sweet spot on a baseball)
• Paul Byrd
• Takashi Saito
• Daisuke Matsuzaka (09 Topps)
• Hideki Okajima (09 Topps)
• Michael Bowden (09 Topps- already had one personalized TTM but the sig was fading)
• Dennis Eckersley

Friday turned out to be the best autographing day I've ever had.  I arrived around 10:30 in hopes of getting Terry Francona on his morning walk, but he seemed grumpy and didn't want to sign.  After several hours of waiting with no cabs, I was worried the day might turn into a wash.  However, it turned very successful in a hurry as Kevin Youkilis and Jason Bay showed up and were nice enough to sign for everyone, and the captain Jason Varitek signed my #33 jersey.  It was already a great day, then it got even better inside...

Friday:

Outside the stadium:

• Jason Varitek (jersey)
• John Farrell
• Jason Bay (09 Topps)
• Kevin Youkilis (09 Topps)

Inside the stadium:

• Victor Martinez (09 Topps)
• Jonathan Papelbon (09 Topps- didn't switch to sharpie but a sig's a sig)
• DAVID ORTIZ (baseball)

I still can't believe I got Big Papi.  I was able to get into the stadium early, only to find that the section near the dugout where I usually stand was roped off.  Great, I figured I wouldn't have any luck at all.  Then I noticed Papi milling around down where I could normally stand, and then sat on the wall near the netting behind home plate.  It was like a tease.  In a brief moment of blind courage, I hopped the ropes and went down to Ortiz and asked him politely if he could sign my baseball for me.  I handed him the ball and a pen under the netting as the usher yelled at me, but I got Papi's signature to cap off the best day I've had.