Koufax at Spring Training...

[7nohitter]

Just wonder if anyone is having any luck acquiring a Koufax signature, and if so what it looks like.

[tazdmb]

Seen posts left and right on other boards, read he is signing around 200-250 a day on days he decides to sign (he signed Friday, Sunday and Yesterday) and has been mostly pleasant, as the line is fairly organized. One guy (who looks like your sterotypical dealer based on pictures I saw) tried to cut the line Sunday, a skirmish broke out and Koufax stopped signing. He signs 1 per person, but people are double dipping the lines and bringing help, so seen people posts up to getting 10 in a day from him. He seems to be signing nearly everything but not rarely SS balls. The signatures I have seen posted (I would say close to 100) all look nice and your typical Koufax signature. Nothing rushed like the past few years.

[packs]

Here's the one I got last year. I got this the first day I was there, which I think was also the first day he was there. This was before he instituted "the line." I had to deal with a bunch of people pushing everyone to get it.

After that he started having people line up near the club house. He'd stop and sign sporadically throughout practice:

[Mr. Zipper]

Originally Posted by tazdmb

... a skirmish broke out and Koufax stopped signing. He signs 1 per person, but people are double dipping the lines and bringing help, so seen people posts up to getting 10 in a day from him.

With this kind of nonsense, it is astonishing he signs at all. Who could blame anyone for not wanting to deal with this?

[packs]

It's really just people standing in a line. The way he's decided to do it is actually the best way and ensures people get an autograph without having people jumping on their backs. All you need to do is get there early and wait it out.

[djson1]

It's good to know this stuff. I always wanted to go to spring training just to get Koufax' signature, but I feel like the lines would be too long and he may not sign on many days (especially the days I'm there).

Does anybody know if Kershaw or Puig sign during spring training?

[theshleps]

My son went Thurs and Fri. Didn't sign Thursday. Signed maybe 180 Friday and then stopped. My son was next to last person to get him. He signed for a specific amount of minutes and then stopped. there was cutting in online that day

[packs]

Kershaw signed a few on his way off the main field. The way it works is that there's a main field that's set up right outside the players club house. Players walk out through the club house, onto the main field, and then move around to the other fields. So the best thing to do is find a spot on the railing and just wait it out. Pitchers always finish first and early.

I did not see Puig sign any autographs when I was there but a lot of people had gotten him the year before. He might not be as accommodating now.

Mattingly signs a TON. He's great. It was very rewarding to see your favorite player and hero be so kind to fans. Here's the ticket I got signed. The first Wild Card game in MLB history:

[tazdmb]

Originally Posted by theshleps

My son went Thurs and Fri. Didn't sign Thursday. Signed maybe 180 Friday and then stopped. My son was next to last person to get him. He signed for a specific amount of minutes and then stopped. there was cutting in online that day

Your son must have done the morning, I heard he signed another 75 or so in the afternoon. We need to organize a Net54 caravan to Camelback next March!

[jimjim]

I was at the Dodgers today. Koufax did not sign. People got there at 5 o'clock in the morning to line up! Sounds like on previous days some people get one per person and others cut in line multiple times. Just how it is with dealers and people trying to make a buck off an autograph. The sad part is people waited in line all morning until practice was over thinking he would come back out. From my experience, once he goes into the clubhouse he is not coming out just to sign autographs. I wish the Dodgers would've communicated that to the fans.

On another note, Puig did sign today. I did not get him, but he signed a lot. It was a true madhouse. McGwire and Mattingky also signed. Again a madhouse. Lasorda set up a table and started signing at the end of practice. I think most people didn't realize it. He was actually pleasant today!

[packs]

Another plus for the Dodgers complex is that they share it with the White Sox. So if you're killing time, doesn't hurt to walk over to the Chicago side. I got Chris Sale with minimum effort. Feeling pretty dumb about not waiting for Abreu last year.

[7nohitter]

These posts are great, thanks for the info!

I give Sandy a ton of credit for signing that many in a day!

[dgo71]

Lasorda was doing the table setup at Vero the last few years there, I think he realized if he just set aside time in the day and made it organized that he wouldn't be hounded all day long. It works out great for him and for fans alike. In Vero he was very pleasant at the table and stayed until everyone that wanted a signature got through.

Also, I totally agree about Mattingly being a class act. He was and is my favorite all-time player and he has never been anything but gracious every time I've seen him. Whoever said "don't meet your heroes" clearly wasn't talking about Donnie Baseball.

[theshleps]

He was 74th in the afternoon tho he thought closer to 80 + the 100 he signed in the morning. I have a book Jews and Baseball I wanted signed since I have quite a few others in it. Definitely not a sale item

[djson1]

Originally Posted by packs

...Mattingly signs a TON. He's great. It was very rewarding to see your favorite player and hero be so kind to fans. Here's the ticket I got signed. The first Wild Card game in MLB history...

That's great to know, Packs. I grew up admiring Mattingly too. He seems like a genuine guy. That signature looks kind of rushed by Donnie, but as long as you got it in person I'm sure it's still a great feeling.

[packs]

It was definitely rushed. There was a mob. He also signed two Don Mattingly Day tickets I had with me and later in the week I got this nice one on a ball when there was a smaller crowd. I love Donnie. Class act all the way:

[theshleps]

When is Koufax leaving?