'Autograph Alley' encourages fan-athlete baseball interaction By Bianca Bruno Die-hard Padre fan Harry Maker has not missed a home game in seven years. Heckling players from opposing teams has earned him the moniker "Harry the Heckler." Maker has witnessed the joy of numerous children over the years as they receive autographs and game balls from the players. "Chase [Headley, Padres left fielder] hands me the ball during the game and I give it away to a little kid," Maker said. "I like the connections between the players and the fans." Obtaining autographs has been a baseball tradition as old as baseball itself. Some major league baseball teams do not accommodate autograph-seeking young fans. However, the San Diego Padres have set up a weekly face-to-face session between Padres players and their fans through the "Autograph Alley." Held every Sunday, "Autograph Alley" offers 100 children, 14 and younger, the opportunity to meet a couple of Padres players 95 minutes before the game starts. Apart from the formal "Autograph Alley," children who regularly attend games know that they can catch players in the dugout after batting practice to get memorabilia signed. These baseball-savvy children know the "ins and outs" of the game and also which players will most likely sign autographs. Arriving at the field at 5:30 p.m. sharp, the young fans patiently wait for players to come up to the dugout after batting practice and sign autographs before getting ready for a game. Many fans mail baseball memorabilia to the Padres to be signed by their favorite player. However, the Padres Web site states, "Each player has his own method and preference to responding to and fulfilling fan autograph requests." Nhu Tran, manager of community relations for the Padres, recommends that fans make it as easy as possible for players to return signed memorabilia. "My advice to fans would be to send self-addressed envelopes," Tran said. Numerous opportunities are available for fans to get their favorite Padres' autograph. "Spring training is the best opportunity for fans to get their autographs," Tran said. "The setting is more relaxed and there aren't any demands on the players." During spring training, the athletes routinely play from 7 to 11 a.m. Fans usually wait at the field for the athletes to come out and sign memorabilia after they have lunch. Methods for acquiring an autograph vary from person to person. However, a consensus among baseball-oriented individuals centers around one key method for getting a desired autograph: Come prepared to the game and be polite. Padres pitcher Heath Bell says he is much more likely to sign an autograph for a child who is respectful, rather than rude. "Be polite," Bell said. "Say please. Don't say 'I want.'" Over the course of one season, the Padres players will make as many as 400 appearances to sign memorabilia either for fans or to be auctioned off to raise funds for the San Diego Padres Foundation and other charities. To find out about upcoming autograph sessions, contact the San Diego Padres Player Appearance Hotline at 619-795-5275. • • • Vox is the newspaper of the 2009 CCNMA-San Diego Multicultural Journalism Workshop. Return to index | See also: Vox on Blogspot