All-Star Game FanFest?

[arobertson]

So the All-Star game is in Minneapolis this year and that is where I live, so I was wondering if I should by tickets to the FanFest. Has anyone gone? Was it worth it (autograph wise)? Do the players charge for autographs?

[MrBelvedere]

I attended in Anaheim a few years ago.

The upsides of attending:
-Pretty good selection. Hall of Famers like Molitor, Gossage, Marichal were signing there.
-Free autographs when I attended. Hall of Famers and retired stars (i.e. Steve Garvey types) were signing for free.

The downsides:
-Long lines. Depends on how valuable your time is to you.
-Hall of Famers were backing out. I remember Rickey Henderson and Bob Feller both backed out. Feller surely had health reasons.
-I like HOF inscriptions but feel uncomfortable asking for them if I'm in a long line and I'm not paying. I don't want to seem presumptuous by requesting something special. Gossage gave me a HOF inscription without me asking.

[arobertson]

I attended in Anaheim a few years ago.

The upsides of attending:
-Pretty good selection. Hall of Famers like Molitor, Gossage, Marichal were signing there.
-Free autographs when I attended. Hall of Famers and retired stars (i.e. Steve Garvey types) were signing for free.

The downsides:
-Long lines. Depends on how valuable your time is to you.
-Hall of Famers were backing out. I remember Rickey Henderson and Bob Feller both backed out. Feller surely had health reasons.
-I like HOF inscriptions but feel uncomfortable asking for them if I'm in a long line and I'm not paying. I don't want to seem presumptuous by requesting something special. Gossage gave me a HOF inscription without me asking.

Wait, were Molitor and the other HOFers signing for free? And overall was it worth it?

[howiek]

The players that are scheduled to appear by MLB do not charge. Be prepared to wait on lines. MLB TV and XM radio will probably have booths there also going live from the fanfest. Other players not scheduled may do interviews and you can probably get there auto's there. I got Frank Thomas, Cliff Floyd and Jack Morris last year. Also got Steve Garvey while at Starbucks. I think it is worth going, Good Luck

[MrBelvedere]

Exactly, no charge for autographs among players scheduled to appear by MLB -- which was all of the Hall of Famers and other players I encountered. The rumor in Anaheim was that Rickey backed out when he found out there was no autograph fee. However, I don't know how he could have been confused about such an important quality so late in the program.

[arobertson]

The players that are scheduled to appear by MLB do not charge. Be prepared to wait on lines. MLB TV and XM radio will probably have booths there also going live from the fanfest. Other players not scheduled may do interviews and you can probably get there auto's there. I got Frank Thomas, Cliff Floyd and Jack Morris last year. Also got Steve Garvey while at Starbucks. I think it is worth going, Good Luck

About how long are the lines approximately?

[howiek]

Depends on the player. Could be more than 1 hr. Is it worth it? Depends on the player. I waited for an hour last year for Byron Buxton. He was worth it. another thing you may not know is, MLB authenticates he item after it is signed. If you look at my blog you can see pics of what I got. The authentication is only done for players who are scheduled to appear.