Yankee Boys and Girls Club Lunch Tampa

[bigfanNY]

Yesterday I went to the Yankee's Boys and Girls club Lunch. It was advertised that everyone on the current Yankee Roster would attend as well as some past Yankee greats. There were two levels of Tickets General admission for $300 and VIP admission for $1,500. For My Birthday my wife gave me Two General admission Tickets and we went Together.
The Crowd was a very diverse mix of folks From local Businessmen to Autograph collectors from all over the US to local Yankee fans. We got there at 8:00am and there were about twenty folks ahead of us by 11:00 am when the autograph session started there were about 250. The VIP line was allowed in 20 minutes ahead of the General admission line so had 40 Minutes to get autographs where we had 20.
In attendance were Reggie, Goose, Guidry, the Yankee current coaching staff and MGR Joe Girardi, against one wall and then the current Yankee team against another wall, each player had a line with a person to hand your item up to them and another to hand the item back. VERY well Organized.
My goal was to get Arod on my 500 HR ball and a Tanaka Single and hopefully two or three other singles like Tex etc. I had heard from folks on line that it was normal to get your first choice and two or three others.
We were let in and My wife got on the Tanaka line and I went to the smaller lines. Big lines were Tanaka, Arod, Elisberry, Beltran and Reggie. I quickly got about 8 auto's on a single ball Started with Brian McCann and new shortstop Didi Gregarious, Tex, Drew, Pineda etc and Giradi. I checked on my Wife who waited 5 Minutes for a Tanaka Single She got on Arod line and I got on Tanaka she we both got them on our team ball. She got on Elisberry line with our team ball I got Arod on my 500 Ball. Then he got on Beltran line I grabed Gardner and about 5 others and handed off the team ball for Beltran. The whole Time there is a big clock projected on the back wall counting down the 20 Minutes. I get back on Arod Line with about 4 minutes left and after that Bell rings and they shut down. I have a team ball with 19 sigs a single Arod and a Single Tanaka and Arod on my 500 HR ball. and am smiling ear to ear.
Presentation from a young Girl who came from Cuba at age 9 and spoke no English and how she came to Boys and Girls club and was mentored and Tutored and felt safe bought the crowd to their feet.
If you ever get the chance to come to Tampa and attend this event you really should lots of fun and a very worthy cause.

Jonathan