Saturday July 23rd
When I woke up Saturday morning it looked like it would be a good day weather wise..thank god!!! Theo's shoes were drenched still as well as mine and I was getting a little sick of the poncho's. I got the kids up and we all changed good thing about taking showers the night before..just had to throw on my blue underwear and the rest of my clothes and away we went. The car was still making noise but with a break in the weather there was nothing I could really do about it at this time...there were autograph's to get. We decided to change our luck a little and decided not to stop at Sunoco but at Stewart's..Jenna and Theo ran in and got a Bagel..and some drinks and of course Ike and Mike's which are very essential to autograph hunting. We headed up the road toward the third hole and there was a decent size crowd but nothing like past years. I left the kids off and drove to the trolley stop. I loaded up with baseball's and Theo had the rest of them and headed down to the hole. To my surprise my friend John was parking too..I had not seen him since last year...we gave each other a big hug and walked down to hole 3 together...Jenna and Theo were there with our other friend Matt...this was Matt's third year he is 18 and he has collected some great stuff over the past three years...John has a great collection too and is a mountain of information last year Jenna and I each got Roger Clemens because Rogers son was playing in a Little League tournament at Cooperstown Dreams Park..we all said our Hello's and caught up on the past year. About 7:40 John got a great idea he wanted to run to the store and get a case of beer for Wade Boggs so maybe we could get him to sign for us..Wade likes beer....alot!!!!...so John drove off to get the beer...he returned with "Miller Lite"..The first group of golfers came through and it was Rollie Fingers and Frank Robinson....they did not sign...the Ozzie Smith he signed a few but we could not really get near him...Theo made a great effort but even with his long arms could not get him...Paul Molitor was next and Jenna asked him if he would like some ice cream later when he was signing in town......he said mint chocolate chip....SCORE!!!!!!...Jenna finds the back of the net....Paul signed a ball for her...George Brett came next...we offered him a beer...but he jokingly said..."your looking for Wade"...haha...Wade was next...he was happy to sign he is always happy to sign...he is one of the best signers in Cooperstown or anywhere...he tries to sign as many as he can....why to go John.....great call...Wade loves BEER!!!!! and his fans....after a little longer guess what???? RAIN!!!! unbelievable....during the rain we all thought about the many new people at the golf course that we had never seen in the past....mainly some bone headed dealers who hired some families and dorks to jump on people and get autographs no matter what the cost...including one dad who threatened his adorable little like 6 year old daughter to get an autograph or he would not feed her...what a friggin moron....or another who's daughter broke her nail and her dad said I am not a barbie fixer....now don't get me wrong I am an autograph hound...I have many many friends that are as well...but to threaten your kid or someone else for that matter because you did not get an autograph that is stupid work more hours at your job....there is not as much money in getting autographs as everyone thinks...yes....do sell some of them but at the same time think of how much money a weekend like this cost not just in dollars but time as well....anyway when the rain stopped and we were done taking pictures of each other in the rain...the next two golfers came...the newest Hall of Famer Andre Dawson and bonus future Hall of Fame in my book anyway Tim Raines....Jenna and I had gotten many autograph's of Andre Dawson over the years so we went after Tim Raines....and we got him the last ball he signed at our hole...with the sun coming out and the humidity rising it was a good time for the golf course part of the day to end...it was not a great day but we did not get shut out...
We were a little tired a little wet and starting to get a little warm as well....so I we walked back up to the cars with John and we set out mapping out the rest of our day...the kids had something they wanted to get signed by Reggie very badly...Jenna had to get ice cream for him as well as Paul Molitor...and I wanted to go behind the Tunicliffe and see what we could score as well as getting a key spot for the Hall of Famers parade that started at 6 pm....it was to be a new format so we did not know what to expect..we were lucky enough to find a parking place in town that does not happen very often that late in the morning but we got lucky...we walked around to dry out a bit and Jenna knew that Paul Molitor was done signing at 1:30. So we were hungry and dried out from the heat so we got the one picnic table behind "Danny's" delicatessen which is right in the back parking lot of the Tunicliffe...I got a couple of Dog's, Jenna got a Dog too, Theo had one of "Danny's famous grilled burgers...we sat and ate...we watched the Hall of Famers coming and going....Rod Carew, Ryne Sandberg, Bruce Sutter, Johnny Bench, Gary Carter, people trying to get autographs or pics with the players...we knew they would not sign so we just enjoyed the moment..after we finished and actually threw our garbage in the trash...many people just throw it in "Danny's" boxes...does not make him happy Jenna and Theo went to get Paul Molitor his ice cream...I stayed and watched more players come and go..Matt showed up to hang out with us...he was going in a bit to get Rickey Henderson to sign his Hall of Fame plaque...I think it was like 85.00...OMG!!!!....a car pulled up and two best hitters of the 80's got out of the car....Wade Boggs and Tony Gwynn......well I knew they would not sign but...I had to go for the pic...like I said before Wade is great with the fans...Tony on the other hand can be a little tricky...you have to really know how to approach him....so I went right after Wade to use him on Tony..." I gave Matt the camera and said get ready this has to be quick...I yelled "Hey Wade can I get a picture of you me and "Mr." Gwynn..." as I am saying this I am stepping between the two of them...Wade says "if it is Ok with Tony" as we all turn towards the camera Tony says "well your here aren't you...you might as well take the picture"....hahahaha...SCORE!!!!!...pic with two of my favorite players...Jenna and Theo returned with Paul Molitor's ice cream and I told them of my score and they thought it was very cool....after a bit they came back out...Jenna said Paul was very happy and if there was not a line they could have talked more but it was very busy...she got a picture of the two of them but the flash did not go off....so now we were not only waiting for Reggie to come but for Paul to leave so we could get another pic of Jenna and Paul....Reggie showed up with Dave Winfield and they took him right in...like I said it was very busy with people wanting to get stuff signed...Saturday usually is..so we waited about another half an hour or so and the crowd was getting bigger...Paul came out and was very happy to get his pic with Jenna....he thanked her again and said he would see her at the parade tonight or at the golf course tomorrow...she does not know how lucky she is that these Hall of Famers always remember her....I would love that....so next it was time for Reggie's ice cream...chocolate mint...Jenna and Theo went to get it and when they returned they walked through the back door with whatever they had bought the night before....keep in mind Jenna has NEVER asked Reggie to sign anything...many people have asked her to bring stuff but she does not want to break the trust Reggie has in her...but she was going to ask him to do something this time....they came back a few minutes later with the bag they had brought in...Theo and Jenna both had smiles on their faces..they gave me the bag and said "Open it"...I did with excitement and inside was this really cool Mickey Mouse Yankees 2010 Fanfest Statue....and on the box in blue sharpie it said "Thanks Dad"..."To Pat"..."July 23rd 2010"......."Reggie Jackson"..."Mr. October"...not gonna lie I had to fight the tears back....it meant so much to me that the kids thought to do something that for me....I will never will even think about selling that piece it is one of the highlights of my collection now...but I also realized that Jenna still had not get her jersey signed I asked her why...she said that the statue was more important..they wanted to do that for me...a little more time passed and finally Jenna and Theo went back inside with my friend Brian...they went in to watch for a while longer...about 30 minutes they came out and Jenna had a huge smile on her face...Theo got his picture with Reggie and Reggie signed her jersey...he had realized he had not signed it and basically wrote a book on the back of it...."SCORE"...again....well it was now like 4:30 and we had to find a spot at the parade..Matt was back with us after scoring his Rickey Henderson but we had not seen or heard from John...so we found a spot right across the entrance to the Hall....we usually stoop on the front rail to the left on the sidewalk as you walked in but this year it was reserved for the VIP's and families...good they get all the auto's they want they stay in the same hotel's...we had been in the spot well me 14 years and Jenna for 6 and we were not real happy about it...but what can you do fight the Hall....John showed up with his friend Tiffany and we all waited to see what this parade would be like...in past years the players arrived on Trolleys with their families and friends..we all talked and complained a little but it was not raining so we knew we would have shots at autograph's especially since it was so early...they parade was starting at 6 and usually the Hall of Famers did not go in til 9 in past years...the parade started with a nice jazz band and military and then the players all arrived one at a time on the backs of pickup trucks....the oldest player first in the Hall of Fame class of his induction year..Casey at the Bat...but wait he did not do the poem...WTH....Bob Feller, Gaylord Perry, Lou Brock, Bob Gibson, Orlando Cepeda, Tony Perez, Johnny Bench, Tom Seaver, Carlton Fisk, George Brett, Rollie Fingers, Fergie Jenkins, Frank Robinson, Earl Weaver, Ryne Sandberg, Reggie Jackson, Paul Molitor, Dave Winfield, Whitey Herzog, Doug Harvey, Joe Morgan, Tony Gwynn, Andre Dawson, Sparky Anderson, Bruce Sutter, Ozzie Smith, Eddie Murray, Goose Gossage, Bill Mazeroski, Al Kaline, Robin Yount, Gary Carter, Don Sutton, Jim Bunning, Dennis Eckersley.........WILLIE MAYS............and.........the first time I have ever saw him at the parade in Cooperstown.......my most favorite player of all-time HANK AARON!!!!!!!! I was in awe....Jenna and Theo were as well....John and Matt were to could he come sign?????????????????? No but just to see him was incredible....a few players signed on the way in....Gwynn, Molitor, Winfield, Morgan, Brett of course Wade....but none our way...we were a little bummed when the parade ended that we did not get anyone but you do what you can do...we decided we were going to wait for the players to leave...many of the 1000's of people left so the chances were very good....Theo was very tired and sore from all the walking so him and Jenna went and sat for a bit.....after like 20 minutes guess what.....??????? RAIN!!!!! timing could not have been worse it was right when the players were leaving...many rushed to their rides a few signed but none across the street....it was turning into a bummer night after a very good day....and Theo had not got anyone yet...a few more players came out but nothing happened....then Phil Niekro came out...he came right across the street....Theo got up and used his long arms.......in the pile he came out with a signed ball....he was beaming....we took a nice pic....the last auto of the night would belong to Theo.....but the night was not done yet...
We decided I was going to get a slice of pizza the kids were not hungry they had eaten earlier...they stayed with me and we talked about the day we had had...we were pretty satisfied considering all the rain we were doing very well...after I ate Jenna and Theo decided to go for a walk they had worked hard I walked around for a bit...I saw Matt and his mom and he told me there was something going on at the restaurant behind the VFW were the card show was it was still raining but I decided to check it out.
I found that the owner of the Cubbies was having a private party for Andre Dawson there...I called the kids and Matt and we went to the back....then rain was thundering down now but we stood out of the rain and waited and watched. There was an old man from Chicago on a scooter that was a huge Cubbies fan with his friends they got him an umbrella and the owner brought in some baseballs to get signed for him and his friends..after a bit Andre Dawson came out to talk to the man on the scooter it really was a nice moment...and oh yeah the rain stopped...well that only meant open season....me, Matt, Jenna and Theo were not the only ones that knew about this party that Tom Rickerts was throwing...every collector in town was there now....in the party was Andre Dawson, Ryne Sandeberg, Tim Raines, Bruce Sutter, Billy Williams, Jim Bunning, Reggie and Dave Winfield showed up...I am pretty sure Bob Costas was there....and my second biggest surprise of the night........"Mr. Cub" himself...ERNIE BANKS.....I had never seen him in person before...holy s*&^.....well things got a little nutty when the players started to leave...I would like to say we got them all but we only managed to get the Cubbies owner Tom Rickerts...but Theo shoke Ernie Banks hand me just seeing him was awesome...my friend Jerrod did get Ernie Banks...one of the very few that did....the party broke up...the kids were very very tired so it was time to call it a night....we drove back in silence all of us thinking about our success of the day...we celebrated with McFlurries...we drove up to the campsite...I left the kids at the bathhouse so they could shower I wanted one more shot at the golf course in the morning...I went to the tent and dried up a little water and laid out the sleeping bags...there was a great breeze blowing so I opened up the whole tent...I did not even bring in the radio....I was very tired the kids came back and fell asleep before their heads hit the pillow....I laid there and listened to the breeze it was a beautiful cool breeze...I thought about the fun we had so far...I thought about my friends I have shared my adventures in Cooperstown with....I thought about how I wish all my friends and family could share these memories with me especially Lynn and Justin...I thought and thought and drifted off to sleep......I am sure I was smiling.....
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