Spring Training IP Auto Stadium Reviews

[metsmagic18]

I hope this catches on. Anyone who has gone to Spring Training either this year or last year can post a review of a stadium from an autograph collector's perspective. I'm thinking about new stadiums to visit next year but I would like some opinions. This can also be helpful to others. Your review can be all talk or just a 1 to 10 rating.

Let the reviewing begin!

Digital Domain Park:
Good stadium, not amazing for graphing... best spot is by Mets bullpen and practice fields before game.

[metsmagic18]

:)

[RockiesFan33]

This was my first year for ST down here in AZ. I brought my 2 oldest kids along with me (13 and 11) and they've had a good time collecting autographs. My thoughts so far:

Maryvale Ballpark:

Saw the Brewers-Mariners game a couple of days ago. Set up shop along the Brewers sideline near the dugout. A few of the players signed along the rail prior to gametime. Fans were friendly. I didn't have my kids with me for this game, so I just helped little kids get their signatures done. Biggest name signer was probably Mark Kotsay. Not great.

Phoenix Municipal Stadium:
Saw the A's-Rockies game here. Unfortunately, we were late getting there and we didn't get in on any autos before the game. We hung out afterward along the fence near the Rockies bus. Player shot by us quickly. Only Jim Miller, who closed out the game, hung out and signed for a lot of fans.

Salt River Field:
Saw the DBacks-Rangers game today. My kids parked themselves in the pole position along the Rangers wall. Decent traffic from the Rangers players. A lot of DBacks were signing on the other side as well. My kids did well. David Murphy, Mitch Moreland, Gary Pettis all signed easily. Then Hamilton came out. He set up shop about three feet away from my kids, but the mob that suddenly came out of nowhere prevented them from getting a sig. The mob was ridiculous. I dropped all of my stuff that I was holding (water bottles, camera, backpack) and started pulling little kids out from under the feet of the adults who swarmed in. I literally thought they were going to get trampled. I've never seen anything like it.

After the game, a few more DBacks signed for them. Bloomquist, Brandon Allen, Ryan Roberts, Justin Hilt. All the big names! Xavier Nady gave a bat to a kid. Bloomquist gave out a bunch of batting gloves. It was a good experience.

Side note: we sat along the third base line on the front row. My 11 year old took a line shot foul ball to the arm by Mitch Moreland. He got the ball and was ok after an ice pack on his elbow. He got the ball signed by a lot of players along with the bat he brought with him.

We have one more game tomorrow: Salt River Field again. This time Rox-Mariners. I think we'll get there much earlier, our schedule hasn't allowed us to make BP, and also hit the minor league fields around the main ballpark.

[RockiesFan33]

Great day at Salt River today! We got there early for BP. Set up camp in the pole position near the Rockies' dugout. Players were really great. The big ones all came over and signed, although Helton and CarGo were too far down for us to get. Between my 13 yr old, 11 yr old and I we landed:

Troy Tulowitzki - team bat, team ball, custom, WS jersey (looks amazing!)
Dexter Fowler - custom, bat, team ball
Seth Smith - custom, team bat, team ball
Ryan Spilborghs - team bat, team ball
Matt Pagnozzi - team bat, team ball
Mike Jacobs - stub, team bat, team ball
Rex Brothers - stub, team bat, team ball
Jason Salazar - team bat, team ball

We went over the the minor league camp just as it broke. A player tossed my son a ball but we missed most of the action there. Live and learn. Next year I'll definitely have a game plan for this experience! Tons of fun and we head back to CO tomorrow!

[gatorfan234]

Roger Dean Stadium, (Marlins and Cardinals) by far the easiest in my opinion for autographs, as well as Osceola County Stadium (astros),

[cyberer]

Pirates stadium, McKechnie Field in Bradenton is by far the best stadium I have graphed in. I got Pedro Alvarez, Evan Longoria, David Price and just missed out on McCutchen.

It is so great because fans have access to everything! The bullpens are in the outfield corners and that is also where the clubhouses are. There is no tunnel in the dugout or anywhere else, the players have to walk right by the fans coming and going, no exceptions. Additionally, in the right field corner, if you follow the main concourse around you will run smack into the batting cages. Here you can watch guys hit in the cage (very cool) and catch some players as they enter/leave the clubhouse and cage.

The ushers are all very nice and (amazingly) RESPECTFUL OF GRAPHERS! I wasn't in my seat one time the whole game, and the ushers not only didn't say anything, but gave me tips on where McCutchen's and others' signing habits.

Finally, as if that isn't enough, the visiting team's bus and parking area are readily accessible (that's where I got David Price and Alvarez, respectively). The bus area is outside the stadium on the Left field side, and the parking area is on the right field side. A lot of the big name guys park and don't take the bus, so if you stand out there at about the 5th inning and beyond guys will walk right past you (Longoria walked past us and didn't sign- he said he only signs inside), Damon, Brignac and Upton walked by us too (all of those signed but Upton).

All in all a great experience and the most fan and grapher friendly environment I've ever been in.

One disappointment- the pirates are NOT as autograph friendly as you would expect for like a 100 loss team. Tabata and Alvarez seemed to have bad attitudes (Pedro snubbed us twice before we finally caught him in the parking lot, and he only signed there b/c he wanted to look good for the hot woman in the passenger seat).

[metsmagic18]

Pirates stadium, McKechnie Field in Bradenton is by far the best stadium I have graphed in. I got Pedro Alvarez, Evan Longoria, David Price and just missed out on McCutchen.

It is so great because fans have access to everything! The bullpens are in the outfield corners and that is also where the clubhouses are. There is no tunnel in the dugout or anywhere else, the players have to walk right by the fans coming and going, no exceptions. Additionally, in the right field corner, if you follow the main concourse around you will run smack into the batting cages. Here you can watch guys hit in the cage (very cool) and catch some players as they enter/leave the clubhouse and cage.

The ushers are all very nice and (amazingly) RESPECTFUL OF GRAPHERS! I wasn't in my seat one time the whole game, and the ushers not only didn't say anything, but gave me tips on where McCutchen's and others' signing habits.

Finally, as if that isn't enough, the visiting team's bus and parking area are readily accessible (that's where I got David Price and Alvarez, respectively). The bus area is outside the stadium on the Left field side, and the parking area is on the right field side. A lot of the big name guys park and don't take the bus, so if you stand out there at about the 5th inning and beyond guys will walk right past you (Longoria walked past us and didn't sign- he said he only signs inside), Damon, Brignac and Upton walked by us too (all of those signed but Upton).

All in all a great experience and the most fan and grapher friendly environment I've ever been in.

One disappointment- the pirates are NOT as autograph friendly as you would expect for like a 100 loss team. Tabata and Alvarez seemed to have bad attitudes (Pedro snubbed us twice before we finally caught him in the parking lot, and he only signed there b/c he wanted to look good for the hot woman in the passenger seat).

I got McCutchen, Alvarez, and Tabata while they were visitors at Wrigley. They seemed pretty nice about signing but it might've been because they were on the road.

[metsmagic18]

2nd Time at Digital Domain:

Premier section right next to the away dugout, but a giant glass screen prevents many autograph opps. Anyway, I got...

-Bob Boone (former catcher)
-Bruce Froemming (HOF ump)
-Colin Balester

Derek Norris and Ian Desmond signed, but they were one and done.

1st time at Roger Dean

Standing by the clubhouse entrances by the outfield corners was a good spot, but too crowded. I stood on the right of the visiting dugout and about 10 minutes before the game I got,

-Justin Turner
-Josh Thole
-Terry Collins
-ball from Justin Turner

After the game, I went to the gate where the Marlins exit and the minor leaguers come off the fields and got...

-Adam Veres
-Ruben Gotay
-John Buck
-Logan Morrison

Pretty good! But it would be outmatched...

2nd Day at Roger Dean

Today, I waited by the visiting Nationals dugout and got plenty of autographs.
-Alberto Gonzalez
-Nyjer Morgan
-Ian Desmond
-Danny Espinosa
-Wilson Ramos
-Roger Bernadina
-Jim Riggleman
-Adam LaRoche
-Pudge!

[cyberer]

by the way, this website probably has everything you are looking for- this was my bible during spring training when choosing where to go and knowing where to stand for autos, etc.

http://www.springtrainingconnection.com/clearwater.html