As far as Eddie, he was decent enough. He was talking with people on the way to the stage and gave some people hugs. Once on the stage, he just went about his business, signing. He didn’t seem unfriendly or anything to me. But I wasn’t expecting him to start conversations or anything.
Brooks Robinson spoiled everyone. Apparently anytime someone gave him an item to sign, if he had a story about it, he would tell Richard Bleier, who was next to him, everything in detail. His signing was still going on when the second group started. I didn’t have anything with him, so I ended the day with Murray, Dempsey, and Palmer.
If you went back to the Promotional Room at the end of the day, they were giving away groups of 3 hooded shirts and stacks of the regular tee shirts, plus an arm full of the kids stuff. Brought a dufflebag and filled it up.
All the players during the autograph sessions were pretty friendly if you talked to them. I had Tate, Mancini, Dempsey, Wynns, Scott, Murray, Fry, Harvey, McKenna and Palmer.
Mentioned to McKenna about the Bowie Luncheon the day before. Thanked me for coming out to both for the support. Told Harvey good luck and hopefully he can stay healthy. Got a “thanks.” Told Fry he had the best Players Weekend name for the Orioles. Got a very positive response. Scott laughed when I said he needs some better cards, because he hates his minor league ones because they are mostly staged. Had to relay a message from an usher to Mancini and he appreciated it. Tate seemed surprised when I talked to him, as he seemed to mainly have the people ahead of me just hand him an item to sign without saying anything. He seemed to like someone talking with him.
Palmer and Dempsey would talk with fans a bit and both added inscriptions to their autographs. Dempsey filled up the entire sweet spot on the ball and then some.
Lines were fluctuating all day. Both MASN lines (the “spinnny wheel” and “claw machine”) would go from almost nothing, to super long, to almost nothing again, all in an hour, and do that all day. The Orioles Team Store didn’t ever really seem busy, but they also didn’t seem to have as much stuff as the last few years. The Authentics Shop had a lot more stuff this time and added stuff (there was a Flaherty bat in the bin that wasn’t there at all during the season….)
I’m mad I walked by the MASN Photo Booth all day without realizing it.
The “Kids Autograph” station had a Bowie Baysox reunion at one point. @weams MVO Donnie Hart, Anthony Santander, Austin Wynns, Steve Wilkerson, DJ Stewart, and Branden Kline (later replaced by Ryan McKenna) were all in one grouping. Other players at that station I saw during the day: Keegan Akin, Dean Kremer, Ryan Mountcastle, Chance Sisco, Drew Jackson, Dillion Tate, Yefri Ramieriez, Miguel Castro, Scott McGregor, Pedro Aruajo, and Evan Phillips.
Saw Luis Ortiz walking around a few times. He still seemed the same size as he did at the end of the season.
Joey Rickard looks like he has been hitting the gym and following the Roch Kubatko work out program on his arms.
No “Esskay Hotdogs,” instead it was “Nathan’s Famous.”
I got there at 8:45 and was about number 300 in the “Season Ticket Holder” line. Not sure how it was by the time I got in, but the “General Admission” line seemed rather long as we went past it to the doors.
One of the MASN girls seemed like it was her job to give away the “Goodbye, Home Run!” mugs, no matter what you got on the wheel.
