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.
