Does anybody ever chase autographs in Spring Training in Arizona?

[mberger718]

After many years of getting the same teams and players at Spring Training in Florida, I am seriously considering venturing out to Arizona this year to get some of the teams in the Cactus League.

If anybody is experienced with these teams and spring training, please contact me. I know most of the teams in Arizona share a stadium with another team.
What I'm most interested in are the best places to get autographs, the best teams in terms of signing, and if any teams have a structured team event where they sign autographs at tables, etc.


Thanks!
Mike

[VegaDodgers]

The best team to me is the indians and Cubbies!

[awz50]

Im out there every year. I do the White Soxs and the Dodgers a lot

[mberger718]

Are there certain teams that are really bad signers? In Florida it's mostly the Yankees and Red Sox because the crowds are so big and they put up high fences so the players don't even have to get near the fans. It wasn't that way years ago but now I try and avoid those teams.

Are there any team signing events? There are a few here but used to be a lot more, like a BBQ you could buy a ticket for where the whole team was there and would sign autographs.

I also saw something about a big baseball type event/fair at the Convention Center that they have every year with autograph signers but not sure who signs at that event.


Thanks!
Mike

[jaydub]

These are the places I like

Dodgers/White Sox Camelback Ranch

- Dodgers have pretty open access and players are pretty good about it. Downside is rather larger crowds than most places.
- White Sox are pretty good signers and crowds are small. Downside is their camp is much more closed off to public than Dodgers. Really only one place you can graph.
- The stadium is one of the more auto friendly as teams come in through the 1st or 3rd baseline and so easy access.

Mariners/Padres Peoria Sports Complex

- Mariners also have very open access for fans. I have found the team to be one of the better signing teams out there in AZ. Stadium is also good for signing although the stadium has had renovations so not sure if that's changed.
- Padres I have not done their camp although I hear still pretty good if not as open as the Mariners

A's

- The A's have newly moved to Hohokam so not sure how it will be there. Their camp will probably be Fitch Field which I've heard is decent.
- I include them here because when I did try them, they were a good signing team. The lineup has changed a lot so could be better/worse with the new players.

Rangers/Royals Surprise Stadium

- Rangers have open access layout for practice fields, pretty easy to at least access the players. Found the team to be pretty good.
- Royals are supposed to have as open access as Rangers but I have not been able to go myself
- Stadium is OK for autos, depends on whether you want home team or away. I think home team access is better.

Rockies/Dbacks Salt River Fields

- The stadium is OK but players don't necessarily have to pass you.
- Dbacks have pretty open access and as the local team they tend to be pretty good at signing. With a new coach/regime could be different but still like local team helps.
- Rockies are my local team so I'll take what I can get. That being said their practice fields have one really nice open area with four fields and last year was pretty easy access to players.

Reds/Indians Goodyear Stadium

- Reds have good open access to watch practices but signing is so so.
- Indians have more limited access to practice fields but there are a couple spots where players pass by and had decent success.
- Goodyear stadium is pretty good, the visitors come from a bus in the outfield area and so tend to have to walk by fans at least when they are in the first base dugout.


Teams that tend to be hard and as a result I've avoided more often than not are:

Giants, Cubs, Angels


Little experience:

Brewers

[awz50]

Its funny Ive met a lot of forum members out in AZ during SP which is cool.

The Mariners have been awesome to me. I plain on doing them for 2 days

The Angels I have never done so maybe Ill do them for 2 days

The Padres I also want to do but I have never really put in time on them.

[dhuxos]

I went for a few days last year, didn't get much graphing in, but I know the dbacks had a structured signing at a table pregame. I'd definitely recommend doing practices though.

[mberger718]

Yeah, I spent years chasing autographs in Spring Training in Florida where I live, although not so much in the past few years.
My brother lives in Arizona so I wanted to give it a try since I heard the teams and the fans are nicer. It got tiring fighting the Yankees and Red Sox fans to try and get players, and they have made the access to the players tougher every year.

I am probably going to go for the last few days of workouts and the first few days of games but feel like I'm starting all over again since I don't know the parks like I know the ones here. I think there is a book regarding Cactus League and Spring Training but I'm not sure there is a new version of it.

One of my main goals is to try and get some cards from my 1997 Fleer Baseball set signed. I am working on getting the entire set signed, all in person, and have 324/500 done. In the beginning there were days I could get 8-12 done before a game, or during Spring Training workouts. Almost all of the players are now retired, so now I only get them if they are a coach, broadcaster, spring training instructor, etc. There are a decent handful of guys I need that are in these categories (Weiss, Young, Hill, McDowell, etc.) and I am also working on the 1998 Donruss Studio 8x10 set and have I think 28 of the 36 cards signed.

Does anybody know if it is easy to get the broadcasters for the various teams (like Mike Blowers, Fernando Valenzuela, etc.)?
Mike

[mberger718]

I'm sure it's a big draw to try and get the Giants and Angels because of the big names there. Kind of like going to the Red Sox or Yankees down here, it's a pain to get there, the crowds are huge, and the players don't sign much. On the other side, if you actually do luck out and get a couple of guys, it will probably be big named players.

I have heard that the Dodgers are good so I'll probably do them for a few days. I need Rockies/Diamondbacks so I'll also definitely go there. My brother lives right near the Royals/Rangers park but I really don't need many of them.

Decisions Decisions.

[meloman315]

Well my buddy got Cargo and Arenado two years ago for me