Your favorite 'fan interaction' memories

[jabba72]

54 minutes ago, Just Regular said:

I was part of the Tarp Crew in '90-'91 and we'd have bullpen rotation doing the outfield wall/door opening and closing for pitching changes.

Especially in the first half of the game, it was just hanging out in a MLB bullpen.      Curt Schilling had me tell a groupie where in Fells Point to meet him after the game.   Ivan Rodriguez in the show at 19 pranked a reliever and he and I had a nod of appreciation.     One cloudy day we had to guard the field just in case it rained.... I did some laps on the Memorial Stadium gravel, and Ben McDonald and Mike Flanagan were doing the same.     I got to stand about 10 feet away from the bullpen catcher and try and watch the ball as Nolan Ryan got ready for a start when he led the league in Strikeouts during his Age 43 season.

Pretty cool you were part of the tarp crew during the last years of memorial stadium. Looks like the experiences were memorable. 

[phatty]

Two experiences linked together:

Must have been back in 1996 (give or take a year). My step brother and I purchased a couple jester (clown type) orange and black hats. As always, we arrived early for a batting practice with these new hats on and almost immediately Alan Mills comes over to us with a baseball and says, “I’ll trade you each a baseball for a hat.”  After laughing, my 15 year old brain says, I bet we can each get two baseballs. Sure enough he comes back with 4 baseballs and we make the trade. 
 

Fast forward to Spring Training March 2023. My buddy and I are in Sarasota and decide to go the minor league complex to watch Jason Hammel and Tommy Hunter pitch. We ran into the pitching coach Rick Adair and many others that day. Pretty cool experience, as we actually got to talk to both pitchers too. If memory serves me right, Hammel was announced the opening day starter that day or the day before. 
 

In that same day, I ran into Alan Mills observing the minor league guys from afar. Stand next to him for a bit and of course said “I have to ask, any chance you remember trading me two jester hats back in 1996?”  He immediately talked about how much his kids loved them. Long story, short, we talked for a good 20 minutes. He gave me his cell phone number (as he was the pitching coach at Aberdeen and I live right down the street) to stop up once the ironbirds headed up to short season to check out practice / game day (as I was a pitching coach for a local high school). 
 

By the way, he never answered when I called him. 

[Frobby]

In 1970 I won a contest to be the “honorary batboy” for the Washington Senators for one game.  I wasn’t actually the batboy, but I got a real flannel Senators jersey that said “BAT BOY” on the back (which I still have) and got to go into the dugout and get some autographs before the game.  So, as a 13-year old, I got to shake hands with Ted Williams — just short of shaking hands with a god, so far as I was concerned.  My other big memory was that the catcher, Paul Casanova, was sitting in the dugout smoking a cigarette (horrors!) and I asked for his autograph.  He said “sure kid,” and stubbed out his cigarette in his catcher’s glove!  I couldn’t believe that a professional athlete would (1) smoke, and (2) treat his equipment like that!  I’m sure I met some other players, but that’s what stuck with me all these years.  

[mall-O-cup]

13 minutes ago, Frobby said:

In 1970 I won a contest to be the “honorary batboy” for the Washington Senators for one game.  I wasn’t actually the batboy, but I got a real flannel Senators jersey that said “BAT BOY” on the back (which I still have) and got to go into the dugout and get some autographs before the game.  So, as a 13-year old, I got to shake hands with Ted Williams — just short of shaking hands with a god, so far as I was concerned.  My other big memory was that the catcher, Paul Casanova, was sitting in the dugout smoking a cigarette (horrors!) and I asked for his autograph.  He said “sure kid,” and stubbed out his cigarette in his catcher’s glove!  I couldn’t believe that a professional athlete would (1) smoke, and (2) treat his equipment like that!  I’m sure I met some other players, but that’s what stuck with me all these years.  

If you don't mind, I would love to see a picture of that jersey. Thanks for the fun story!

[Frobby]

13 minutes ago, mall-O-cup said:

If you don't mind, I would love to see a picture of that jersey. Thanks for the fun story!

I’ve never had success posting photos here.  It always says it takes too much data or something.  But I’ll try.  

Edit - no luck.  If you’ll PM me your email or phone number I’ll send direct to you.  
 

Edited January 24 by Frobby

[emmett16]

I think my favorite O’s interaction was when my wife had a work event/retreat in 2012 for a week in San Francisco.  The O’s were in town and her company had a lunch/open bar in RF of AT&T stadium during batting practice before the game.  They had the area under the RF wall rented out and a fence extended out to the warning track so we could hang on the field and chat with the players.  I spent a good bit of time talking with Hammel & Hunter.  Hunter was hysterical and was launching balls over the massive wall into McCovey cove.  Shagging/avoiding batted balls was a blast and we were able to get autographs (helped out by Hammel and Hunter of a lot of players on the team).  Being part of that magical run made it all the more enjoyable.  
 

My favorite interaction with non-O’s was as a middle School kid.  My dad went to Georgia Tech and would send me to Jim Morris and then later Randy Hall baseball camp.  In ‘92 my camp counselor for the week was Jason Varitek.  The infield stations coach was Nomar Garciapara and the outfield stations coach was Jay Payton.   It was pretty awesome when they made it to the ‘94 college World Series and then to watch their careers unfold.  I was probably one of the only O’s fans who was excited when we signed Jay Payton.  

 

 

[sevastras]

The year was 1995, I was a kid(not a baby goat) standing out back of the stadium waiting for players to leave so I could get autographs. “Bobby, Bobby!!! May I have your autograph?” . Dbag won’t even look at me as he walks 2 feet away and ignores me. Cal comes out a short time later and as always, takes the time to sign autographs and have a quick chat with people. 
When I look at Gunnar and Adley, they seem to have that same quality that Cal did. I still think Machado is pretty great, but that quality outside of baseball doesn’t feel the same. 

[Satyr3206]

I have many of them. Starting around 1970. I moved away from Baltimore in 1990 but while I was there I worked for someone who knew a lot of the Orioles. I even Bartended with one of them. Worked on Ken Singleton's wife's business. Hung out with quite a few other Orioles. It would take a while for me to list them all. All great memories. One thing I want to say. I have met Brooks and John Unitas numerous times and they were both some of the nicest human beings I have ever met. My blessing to get to meet them.

[ThomasTomasz]

When the Orioles played their “minor league All-Stars” in 1998 I think, I was at the game and ended up getting Cal’s autograph.  However, being 10 at the time, I failed to see a photographer there, and was surprised when a postcard from the Bay Sox arrived as an advertisement with me featured front and center on the postcard.  We still have copies of that postcard laying around.  

Also at the BaySox, I remember Josh Towers being really cool and talking to fans of all ages, and one time he autographed the gate to the bullpen.  

Back in 2015, Manny threw me a game ball before the full nets took over and it popped my glove like nothing else.  Got a nod from him in return.  A couple years later at the Fan Appreciation event for season ticket holders, I had him autograph some items from the Cincinnati All-Star game including a Home Run Derby ball, and he looked them over and was pointing out things to the player sitting next to him.  

Not anything specific, but I was noted by Orioles players before Covid as someone who looks out for young fans during BP and will get kids baseballs who aren’t able to get them for themselves.  So usually players will keep an eye out for me, and throw a baseball in my direction and I’ll find a kid who hasn’t gotten one yet.  Occasionally, I’ll get one and they shout to keep it, but I never usually keep them unless it’s one I actually caught.  I really miss this after Covid with the shortened gate times, and young fans are missing out on this interaction with players.  

Last year, my now-fiancée had her best friend, husband and their 9 year old come into town for the Commanders/Packers game.  We’re Commanders fans, and they are Packers fans.  Well, the parents were too timid to take him down to the visitor tunnel which is where my seats are, so she took him down and got a couple gold beaded necklaces from cheerleaders, and two sets of gloves from Packers players.  

I wish I had more.  These kind of interactions are few and far between anymore with fans being so removed from the process.  

[ThomasTomasz]

16 hours ago, SemperFi said:

One embarrasing: was at a AA game years ago got two beers and was heading back to my seat when a foul ball hit one of the hand rails that go up the aisle and bounce to me-I spilled both beers and had the ball bounce of my hands.  The Mudcats mascot made fun of me and my GF never looked at me the same after that!!  

One odd/funny relating to the Orioles: For a few years I did game day work for the Orioles in spring training so I could watch the games.  I'm not shy and had met DD previously, for some odd reason he requested that I and another game day employee he knew watch his grandchildren in his suite.  I have no desire to babysit (they were older) but couldn't really say no but he gave both of us a crisp $100 bill.

One more: Had a buddy going to Fantasy Camp and asked if I wanted an autograph-I'm not big on that but wanted one from Earl.  He came back all excited-he got Earl and Larry Sheets who signed adjacent to Earl ruining my Earl ball.  To this day I hate Larry Sheets!!

Man, fantasy camp was something my dad and I talked about doing, and we never did it.  I think that was a casualty of Covid if I am not mistaken?  It’s sad that fantasy camp, fan fest, season ticket appreciation event and even early ballpark access are not a thing anymore.  

[mall-O-cup]

Here is a bit of a scary one. In the mid 2000's my son and I went out to Coney Island Brooklyn to see the Ironbirds play the Brooklyn Cyclones. We bought seats very close to the Ironbirds dugout. Andy Etchebarren was the manager of the Ironbirds at the time.

The Ironbirds won the game and when they got the final out, all the players, coaches, and Etchebarren left the dugout and headed towards the mound for congratulatory handshakes. At this point my son and I were standing right next to the side of the Ironbirds dugout. I looked in and saw the lineup card taped to the wall. I reached in and took it off the wall and handed it to my son. My son at that time was a young teenager.

The players began to make their way back to the dugout along with Etchebarren. As Etchebarren reaches the dugout he looks in and says, "Where is my effin lineup card, who took my effin lineup card". He didn't use the word effin though. I don't think I could overstate how loud and angry he was as he continued to repeat what he said. There was smoke coming out of every hole in his head.

When he first made his comment about the lineup card, I immediately thought of my son who was no longer standing next to me. I was so concerned that I didn't want to really react. I very very slowly turned to take a look over my left shoulder and to my relief my son was standing about 15 rows back at the top of the walkway that led down to our section. He had, for whatever reason, the sense to walk away from our section and tuck the lineup card underneath his shirt. I can't begin to tell you the relief I felt. When Etchebarren started his rant I fully expected to turn around and see my son standing there holding the lineup card and who knows what would have happened. That moment certainly ranks up there with the angriest I have ever seen a human being in my life.

A scary and memorable moment that we still talk about to this day.

 

[Number5]

5 minutes ago, mall-O-cup said:

Here is a bit of a scary one. In the mid 2000's my son and I went out to Coney Island Brooklyn to see the Ironbirds play the Brooklyn Cyclones. We bought seats very close to the Ironbirds dugout. Andy Etchebarren was the manager of the Ironbirds at the time.

The Ironbirds won the game and when they got the final out, all the players, coaches, and Etchebarren left the dugout and headed towards the mound for congratulatory handshakes. At this point my son and I were standing right next to the side of the Ironbirds dugout. I looked in and saw the lineup card taped to the wall. I reached in and took it off the wall and handed it to my son. My son at that time was a young teenager.

The players began to make their way back to the dugout along with Etchebarren. As Etchebarren reaches the dugout he looks in and says, "Where is my effin lineup card, who took my effin lineup card". He didn't use the word effin though. I don't think I could overstate how loud and angry he was as he continued to repeat what he said. There was smoke coming out of every hole in his head.

When he first made his comment about the lineup card, I immediately thought of my son who was no longer standing next to me. I was so concerned that I didn't want to really react. I very very slowly turned to take a look over my left shoulder and to my relief my son was standing about 15 rows back at the top of the walkway that led down to our section. He had, for whatever reason, the sense to walk away from our section and tuck the lineup card underneath his shirt. I can't begin to tell you the relief I felt. When Etchebarren started his rant I fully expected to turn around and see my son standing there holding the lineup card and who knows what would have happened. That moment certainly ranks up there with the angriest I have ever seen a human being in my life.

A scary and memorable moment that we still talk about to this day.

 

Interesting story.  Makes me wonder - what use is the lineup card to the manager once the game is over?  I never really thought about it, but my assumption would have been that it gets thrown in the trash.  Maybe Etch collected them?  I don't know, it just seems odd that he would get so upset.  I'm glad your son didn't catch the brunt of his fury.

[mall-O-cup]

5 minutes ago, Number5 said:

Interesting story.  Makes me wonder - what use is the lineup card to the manager once the game is over?  I never really thought about it, but my assumption would have been that it gets thrown in the trash.  Maybe Etch collected them?  I don't know, it just seems odd that he would get so upset.  I'm glad your son didn't catch the brunt of his fury.

We also wondered what was so special about the lineup card to him. Did he collect or save them for himself? We'll never know.

His anger that day was on a whole different level. I hope Andy is resting peacefully now.

[ThomasTomasz]

39 minutes ago, mall-O-cup said:

We also wondered what was so special about the lineup card to him. Did he collect or save them for himself? We'll never know.

His anger that day was on a whole different level. I hope Andy is resting peacefully now.

I wonder if someone was playing their first game with Aberdeen, or had some other milestone that he wanted to give them the lineup card.  That kind of “authentics” collecting certainly wasn’t popular like it is today. 

[interloper]

I saw Chris Gomez at Columbia Mall one time. 

Prettyyyyyy sure it was Chris Gomez.