If you ask me, there are three souvenirs that every fan should try to get at the ballpark:
- Ticket stub
- Baseball
- Autograph
I’ve discussed ticket stubs in this post and written extensively about snagging baseballs in this post — which brings us to the topic of getting autographs.
Having a player sign an item for you — whether it’s your gameday program, a baseball card, your hat, or your ticket stub — can leave you with a cool souvenir and, in some cases, a neat story to accompany that souvenir. If you don’t have much experience with getting autographs at the ballpark, I wholeheartedly recommend giving this pastime a try. The pursuit can sometimes be almost as fun as the prize, and you can start to put together a nice collection if you attend enough games. I’ll be sharing some autograph-hunting tips in an upcoming blog post, but I first want to look at the different places around the park where you can get things signed.
I’ve collected a ton of autographs at MLB and MiLB ballparks over the years and have had repeated success in each of the following seven locations.
Dugout
It’s impossible to start this list without discussing getting autographs around either team’s dugout. This is one of the most popular spots in the park for this activity, and with good reason — every player will be around the dugout at some point. A lot of players take time to sign at either end of the dugout for a short amount of time before first pitch, so your chance of success is high if you hang out in this spot. There are, however, some challenges to autograph hunting around the dugouts. The popularity of this location means that there are often huge crowds of other fans that will compete for players’ attention. This means that unless you get a good spot early, you might not be able to get anywhere near the dugout. Additionally, the recent addition of netting around the dugouts can sometimes pose a challenge when it comes to passing a player your item.
Down the Lines
If the dugout areas are crowded when you get down to the front row of seats, you’re better off looking for a different place to stand. A good alternative is anywhere down the lines — that is, between the end of either dugout and the foul pole. Before the game, players play catch in the outfield and many will walk down the line and through foul territory on their way to their dugout. If you’re standing in this location, it’s easy to flag down a player and ask him to sign something. Some guys will sign for fans in this area and then skip the fans around the dugout, typically because the former spot is less crowded than the latter. If you’re at a park that has its bullpens in foul territory, there will be even more players milling around this area before the game — thus giving you more opportunities to get something signed.
Concourse
You might primarily view a ballpark’s concourse as a thoroughfare — a place that gets you from your seat to the concession stand. The concourse is much more than this, and it’s worthwhile to note that it’s often possible to get autographs in this part of the ballpark. This is especially true in the minor leagues, when teams will almost always have one or two players signing in the concourse before the game. Walk through the concourse as soon as you enter the park and look for a signing area. Often, it’s a simple table with some signage that indicates which player is signing and when the signing session will begin. A player will generally start signing shortly after the gates open. In the case of a 7:05 p.m. game, the player might sign from 6 to 6:30 p.m., for instance. If you like the idea of lining up to get an autograph rather than having to compete with a crowd of other fans at field level, this will be a good option for you. In the minors, some teams will have post-game team signing sessions in the concourse in which the entire roster will sit at tables and sign for fans. These events typically occur just once a season, often as part of a “fan appreciation” promotion day.
Team Shop
Similarly, some teams will have players sign in the team shop before games. Again, this is more common in the minor leagues. One thing I’ve found on several occasions over the years is that team shop signing sessions aren’t heavily attended. My theory is that fans are eager to get to their seats or grab some food instead of browse the team shop shortly after arriving. I can think of a few times where the player in the team shop was sitting by himself because no one was waiting to get his autograph. When I visited Syracuse in 2013, I was browsing the team shop before the start of the game and did a double-take when I looked to my left and saw former major leaguer Jeremy Accardo sitting on a stool by himself and fiddling with a Sharpie. I got his autograph on my gameday program, and even got to talk to him for a couple of minutes because no other fans were around.
Between the Clubhouse and the Dugout
At major league parks, players walk through a network of tunnels to get from the clubhouse to the dugout, remaining out of sight of fans during the journey. This is the case at some minor league parks, but certainly not all of them. I’ve seen all sorts of unique situations throughout my travels over the years. At some minor league parks, players have to walk through the concourse and seating bowl to travel between the clubhouse and dugout. While some guys are in business mode during this walk and will ignore fans, other fans are ready to sign. If a player looks approachable in this area, don’t hesitate to ask for an autograph.
Parking Lot
There’s a part of me that doesn’t like asking for autographs in the parking lot, given that players in this area are on their own time, so to speak. On the other hand, I waited in the parking lot to get Bryce Harper’s autograph in 2011 and even talked to him for a minute or so, so I can’t completely condemn this approach. Player lots in the big leagues are closed to fans, although you can sometimes have success waiting outside of the lot’s gates. At lots of minor league parks, there isn’t even a dedicated players’ lot. Instead, the players will just park in the main stadium lot, and a lot of guys will readily sign in this location before and after games. Some players are more outgoing after wins, so keep that in mind if you’re hanging around postgame. It doesn’t take much effort to figure out where you need to stand on this quest. Look for some nice cars with out-of-state license plates, and then look for the nearest door into the ballpark. In most cases, players will exit via this door after the game and walk toward their cars. At lots of parks, you’ll find other fans hanging out in this area soon after the final out.
Outside the Park
There are a few scenarios in which you can get autographs in places that aren’t technically inside of the park — but that aren’t far away. Perhaps the best example is Baltimore’s Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Beyond right field is Eutaw Street, which is sort of inside the park and sort of outside of it. It’s complicated. Anyway, the famous Boog’s BBQ concession stand is in this area, and its namesake, 1970 American League MVP Boog Powell, signs prolifically for fans. Line up, buy a sandwich, and get the former slugger to autograph something for you and pose for a selfie. The Orioles also frequently have alumni signing tables on Eutaw Street. Another good example is Cincinnati’s Great American Ball Park. Just outside of the ballpark’s main gates is the team shop and Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame. Often, the team will have alumni and other notable figures signing in this area during games.
Where’s your favorite place to get autographs? Have you had success in an area that doesn’t fit into one of these seven categories?