It's hunting season in Florida and Arizona. The traps are set. The weapons
are cleaned and loaded. The weather is perfect. Bring on the bounty.
Autograph hounds need practice, too. They can spend six hours traveling to
18 cities in Florida to collect hundreds and hundreds of autographs. The
same results are achievable in laid-back Arizona. Bats, balls, photos,
programs, jerseys, helmets. The fans have an arsenal of gear that would be
considered a show of force in Bosnia or China. And, yes, get ready to
cringe. This hunt has its own poachers. Dealers, knowing that players have
soft spots for young fans, pay kids to do their dirty work. Other adults
trample each other to reach their heroes, then step back and chastise their
peers for not letting kids have a chance. It's comical.
*
It's 9:30 a.m. at the Baltimore Orioles camp in Fort Lauderdale. Up the
steps bounds Bobby Bonilla. "He'll be out in a few minutes," he says.
"Will you sign autographs?" a young fan pleads. "No, I'm one of the bad
guys," Bonilla answers, advising them to pick up on his autographed stuff
on QVC. The crowd utters a collective "Urg!" Billy Ripken is in camp
practicing with the Orioles. A dad and his 6-year-old son are all alone
with Cal's brother. "Can I have one of your bats?" the 6-year-old says. The
line is well-rehearsed, perfectly delivered. Billy looks around and, seeing
no one else, goes over to the dugout to get one of his bats. Ah, joy in
Mudville.
It's hunting season in Florida and Arizona. The traps are set. The weapons
are cleaned and loaded. The weather is perfect. Bring on the bounty.
Autograph hounds need practice, too. They can spend six hours traveling to
18 cities in Florida to collect hundreds and hundreds of autographs. The
same results are achievable in laid-back Arizona. Bats, balls, photos,
programs, jerseys, helmets. The fans have an arsenal of gear that would be
considered a show of force in Bosnia or China. And, yes, get ready to
cringe. This hunt has its own poachers. Dealers, knowing that players have
soft spots for young fans, pay kids to do their dirty work. Other adults
trample each other to reach their heroes, then step back and chastise their
peers for not letting kids have a chance. It's comical.