6/9-6/10 at Camden Yards

One word - domination.
I killed the Rockies this weekend.

Saturday-Before the game at at the hotel (The Rockies were at a unique hotel that basically no teams stay at that had absolutely zero security and I was able to stand right in the lobby and rack 'em).

Jeff Francis 1/2
Matt Holliday 2/2 (Matts mom: "OH MY GOD HOW DID YOU RECOGNIZE MY SON!" Well mam he's only hitting .360)
Brian Fuentes 2/2
Jeremy Affeldt 9/9
Sean Barker 1/1 ("How in the h*ll do you have an 8x10 of me?")
Jason Hirsh 17/17
Bob Apodaca 8/8, 3/3 (help)
Jamey Carroll 8/17
Mike Gallego 4/4
Clint Hurdle 7/8 (Left the 07 Topps for some reason)
Rodrigo Lopez 2/4
Chris Ianetta 1/1
Manny Corpas 1/3
Jeff Baker 6/9 (differents)
Garrett Atkins 2/2 (seemed pissed about signing)
Jorge Julio 3/3
Ryan Spilborghs 3/6 ("Im not gonna sign all of these")
Aaron Cook 9/9

Then I saw Helton come out of the elevator, I didn't even ask him, just start walking up to him.
TH: "Not here man."
Me: "Alright."
TH: "It's just not right. You shouldn't even be in here. It's against club policy for me to sign here."
Me: "Oh, well, Mr. Hurdle and all your coaches all signed for me here within the last hour so who exactly makes club policy Mr. Helton?"
TH: "It's just not right...."
Me: "Can you get me at the stadium Todd?"
TH: "I try to sign some walking in every day."

So about this time I leave the hotel and sprint up to the players entrance (about a mile away).I get Matt Holliday right away 1/1 and then see Helton in a cab (you can spot that bush a mile away) trying to go around to the side entrance. I run after him and just barely beat him to the door...
Me: "Todd.. can you sign please."
TH: "ABSOLUTELY!!!!!"Then he gives me an every letter sweetspot, he is one weird dude.



Also at the players entrance:

Brad Hawpe 2/2
LaTroy Hawkins 1/4
Kaz Matsui 1/2
Taylor Buchholz 8/8
Josh Fogg 6/6
Rodrigo Lopez 2/2

Only shutdowns so far in the day were Helton at the hotel and Willy Taveras at the hotel AND players entrance.

Inside I mostly focused on getting baseballs for the first half hour of BP when the season ticket holders were let in (I was 1 of 2 people in left field) and ended up with only 4. Frusturating, the Orioles only had 1 righty taking BP.

Troy Tulowitzki 2/4
Brad Hawpe 1/1
Garrett Atkins 2/2
Matt Holliday 2/2

Then afterwards at the hotel:

I just needed Tom Martin and Taveras really and Taveras turned me down again and Martin and Hawkins walked in together."Tom can you sign please""sure"Then Hawkins gets up in my face and screams at the top of his lungs right in the middle of the lobby "NO AUTOGRAPHS!!!!!!!!" It was kind of embarassing since I was the only collector there but he was just messing around and he laughed and gave me a high five afterwards (and got Martin 3/3).About 5 minutes later I get booted because of Hawkins. Ugh.

Anways Day 1 Totals: 103 cards, 2 balls, and 15 8x10s (Every player on the 25-man except Torrealba (didnt see) and Taveras (3 turndowns, 2 1 on 1s)


Sunday-

Before at the players entrance:
Taylor Buchholz 15/15 (nicest guy on the team)
Yorvit Torreabla 1/4
Also got Helton again 1/1 (signed for 2 people out of 20)
Jason Hirsh 7/7
Didn't bug a lot of guys that I already had gotten.

Inside:
Garrett Atkins 1/1, 1/1 (wasn't looking at who he signed for)
Jeff Baker 3/3
Jamey Carrol 10/10
Jeff Francis 1/1
Mike Gallego 1/3
Rodrigo Lopez 2/2
Matt Holliday 1/1
Kaz Matsui 1/2
Ryan Spilborghs 2/4
Troy Tulowitzki 2/2
Someone held up a Todd Helton jersey when he was coming in from BP and yelled "Todd!!!" and pointed to the jersey and he went "I already have one, thanks." Weird, weird, dude.

Overall in 2 days 168 autographs, got everyone except Taveras who didn't sign once all series. Great weekend of graphing.



The numbers:

• 1084 Autographs in 2007= 6.73 Autographs per day
• 8 Balls in 4 Games=2 Balls per Game
• 7 Days until New York Penn League opens