CyberErik's Success Thread- just starting out, feedback and help welcome!

[gladdyontherise]

Sucks that Latos was a jerk. If a player has no plans of signing when they say they will, they shouldn't say anything, I'd always rather be told no than be given the run-around.

[dscards]

Latos is an incredibly quirky guy. Some collectors rave about his kindness where others say he's the biggest piece of work out there. The last time the Padres were in Minnesota (while he was still with them), I graphed all three games of the series. Two of those days, he refused to acknowledge the fans completely, wouldn't touch a pen. When he was walking into the stadium, he was with a few other players and all of the other players stopped to sign for fans. He stood there waiting for them to finish signing and refused to sign anything while he waited, just stood there with his arms crossed. I'd heard horror stories about him and didn't expect to have a shot at him, so when he walked by inside the stadium the second game of the series, I didn't even bother to get my 8x10 out, just flipped to his page in my card book. It was raining and barely anyone had bothered to stop. To my surprise, he came over and signed away, chatting amicably with fans, telling us stories, showing us his tattoos (and complaining that the baseball laces he got inked on his arm years ago now look like a softball because he's grown). He signed my card and continued down the line. I figured there was no chance he'd sign multiples for me, but I pulled out my 8x10 anyways and asked, telling him he'd already signed for me. He came back to me and signed my 8x10 too. Then the next day of the series, he was back to completely ignoring the fans. He's a tough one, so even though it wasn't a positive experience, at least you got your photo signed.

[cyberer]

Put in some time this weekend for Wil Myers. He is a grade a jerk off. Thursday night he wouldn't sign before the game, saying that he only signs on the field. I wasn't there inside so I can't attest to whether or not that happened.

The whole time he just walks around like he owns the place, big leaguing people. I've graphed bryce harper in the majors and minors, and even he was a bit more humble than this jerk.

I went after the game, and granted it was pouring rain, but he came out and said "I'll get you guys tomorrow, not signing now."

So ok, that's that. I figure my only shot was to get him inside. It is a freezing day and it's drizzling, so I didn't have high hopes. I go to the game the next day anyway. I wait inside the stadium down the line. He comes over after he's done stretching and signs. However, he only signs 6-7 graphs out of the 20-30 people there waiting for him. As he stopped signing, the next person in line was a little kid with a baseball.

In fact, there were 3-4 little kids down in the dugout corner trying to fight there way in, about 10 feet down from where I got him. He just cut it off, and ignored the kids, and stopped signing.

So I was lucky enough to get him, and so were my brother and my buddy I was with, but for a guy in a minor league park to sign so few, and have such a bad attitude, it's really disheartening. To make matters worse, his graph looks like a scraggly pubic hair.




I'm still pumped that I got him, especially since I'm sure his graph will be rare since he's such a jerk.

[bronxbomber33]

Put in some time this weekend for Wil Myers. He is a grade a jerk off. Thursday night he wouldn't sign before the game, saying that he only signs on the field. I wasn't there inside so I can't attest to whether or not that happened.

The whole time he just walks around like he owns the place, big leaguing people. I've graphed bryce harper in the majors and minors, and even he was a bit more humble than this jerk.

I went after the game, and granted it was pouring rain, but he came out and said "I'll get you guys tomorrow, not signing now."

So ok, that's that. I figure my only shot was to get him inside. It is a freezing day and it's drizzling, so I didn't have high hopes. I go to the game the next day anyway. I wait inside the stadium down the line. He comes over after he's done stretching and signs. However, he only signs 6-7 graphs out of the 20-30 people there waiting for him. As he stopped signing, the next person in line was a little kid with a baseball.

In fact, there were 3-4 little kids down in the dugout corner trying to fight there way in, about 10 feet down from where I got him. He just cut it off, and ignored the kids, and stopped signing.

So I was lucky enough to get him, and so were my brother and my buddy I was with, but for a guy in a minor league park to sign so few, and have such a bad attitude, it's really disheartening. To make matters worse, his graph looks like a scraggly pubic hair.




I'm still pumped that I got him, especially since I'm sure his graph will be rare since he's such a jerk.

he just has a routine to what he does, i dont think there is anything wrong with it. I have seen him twice and he does the same thing at away games at least. The first game of the series he will sign for just about everybody before the game, and then for the next few days he just signs a few because for the most part its the same people there getting autographs. I dont think there is anything wrong with it but it does suck if you go and put time in and not get him!!

[howiek]

He signed for alot of people inside Thursday and everyone is getting the same looking crap autograph from him. I got him on a OMLB and 1 card. The card looks worse.
Look at my blog for pictures

[cyberer]

Went to the phils game tonight. Got there right around when the gates opened and graphed the sox in BP.

No one signed. Not one player. Pedroia waved to some girls with a big sign with his name on it, then signed for them, and them only.

Papi ignored, Ellsbury ignored, Nava ignored, Jackie Bradley ignored, etc. Horrible.

I decided to try my pregame warmups luck on the phillies side. And sure enough, I was in the perfect spot for Ryan Howard. He came over and signed about a dozen graphs. I got him on my commemorative SI cover from the 08 world series. I don't think that I will ever finish it, but here we go- I started it.




So that made it a worthwhile night.

[cyberer]

Crazy travel weekend, just getting home. Graduations and what not.

I was lucky enough to go to the Rockvale outlets for the Maclin/Demeco event. It was pretty awesome. The lines weren't as long as I was expecting. 100-200 people tops. I was lucky enough to get in near the front of the Maclin line. Got through it in like 10 minutes.

After people got maclin, they were quickly getting in the demeco line. So by the end, Maclin's line was literally empty. I had someone hold my place in the demeco line and kept going through the maclin line. I only brought one 8x10 of him, but I had 2 eagles mini footballs as well. Finally, I even went inside the team store and bought photofile pictures of him and demeco to get signed. All in all, I got through the maclin line 4 times.





Then I got in the Demeco line. I got him in like 15 minutes and got back in line.

As I was hanging out afterwards, I noticed the Demeco line getting shorter and shorter and the Mychal Kendricks line getting longer and longer. Turns out, Kendricks was being a really cool guy, talking with everyone and taking pictures. As a result, everyone was "getting stuck" in his line. So the Demeco line was eventually empty, just like the Maclin line was. I did the same thing, powered through the Demeco line 4 times, and also getting my picture with him.







I didn't end up getting kendricks, because as I said his line was really long. I got him last year though and he was last on my priorities list, so I didn't sweat it too much. Here are the eagles miniballs I got done too. Sucks that I ran out of items- I could have easily gotten more done.







I have almost everyone on the team that I want now, these 2 were the last of the big guys I needed. Awesome to have such an event on my birthday!

[cyberer]

I had to post this feel-good story. It was one of the better experiences I have had graphing.

I did the nationals hotel last night. I mainly just needed strasburg. I thought without harper the crowd would be smaller- turns out it was huge- like 12-15 people.

Strasburg has told people 100% he won't sign at the hotel. Last year, this year, whatever. Total shut down. Sure enough he didn't even look up off the bus. However every time I've met him I got the vibe he wasn't a bad guy, just didn't like the whole dealer autograph scene that swamped him. I usually think guys that don't sign are jerks, but he seems like maybe an exception. After you read the story, be the judge.

It was late at night at this point, so we figured he would be in for the night with a game again tomorrow. So we were very surprised like 15 minutes later, when he came out. He was with Ian Desmond, Adam Laroche, and Ross Detwiler. Strasburg was also carrying a giant grocery bag with him.

We asked them to sign, Stras said they had something going on right now and couldn't sign, but maybe on the way back. Okay, well, that was better than nothing for sure with him- at least there's a chance, like in Dumb and Dumber haha.

So we watched as they went across the park and disappeared. One of the younger guys there followed them through the park and relayed the story. Turns out, there are a bunch of homeless people that live around that park, and when the players went out for lunch that day the homeless recognized them and asked them for money. Instead of money, they got a huge bag of groceries (the bag that stras was carrying) and gave it to the homeless people. That is where they went off to.

20 minutes later they returned, and Strasburg signed for the entire crowd. I got him on the sweet spot of a ROMLB.




It really was a nice showing all the way around for a team of players who I usually think of jerk off divas who never sign. I stand corrected.

[awz50]

Good Job for Stras and the rest of them.That's probably one of the most amazing things I have heard a ball player do. A true class act on there part.

[gysot]

Great story...thanks for sharing Erik!