Can I have your Autograph?
Ryan Flanery / Ball State Spring Training / April 11, 2017
Autographs of professional athletes have different meanings for the collectors chasing those coveted signatures.
Houston Astros right-handed pitcher James Hoyt remembers his childhood and without hesitation signs memorabilia for fans that are lined up at The Ballpark Of The Palm Beaches, spring training home for the Astros.
“I was a fan once when I was little, and I looked up to guys who came by and signed autographs so I am just trying to do the same thing,” Hoyt said. “It’s just returning the favor.”
Fans stood for hours, waiting for ball players to come by and sign their memorabilia.
Autographs of professional athletes have different meanings for the collectors chasing those coveted signatures.
Houston Astros right-handed pitcher James Hoyt remembers his childhood and without hesitation signs memorabilia for fans that are lined up at The Ballpark Of The Palm Beaches, spring training home for the Astros.
“I was a fan once when I was little, and I looked up to guys who came by and signed autographs so I am just trying to do the same thing,” Hoyt said. “It’s just returning the favor.”
Fans stood for hours, waiting for ball players to come by and sign their memorabilia.
Aaliyah English // Ball State Spring Training
As Hoyt takes time from a long day filled with spring training baseball to sign an autograph, he remains optimistic that his signature is more than just a business proposition for the fans.
“Hopefully it makes their day,” Hoyt said. “Hopefully they aren’t just there to collect it and sell it. Hopefully it is more for personal reasons like being a fan of the game or the players.”
While fans do chase autographs of their favorite players, sports memorabilia is big business.
According to reports, former home run record holder Babe Ruth’s 1920 jersey sold for 4.4 million dollars, and current home run record holder, Barry Bonds’ 756th home run ball sold for $752,467 to fashion designer Mark Ecko.
While memorabilia like this isn’t the business of The Collectors Den in Indianapolis, Indiana, General Manager Matt Hanlon, sells countless types of autographed sports gear for fans, but he understands the meaning behind the autograph.
“I guess if you were to put it romantically, an autograph is a small piece of the player that you get to take with you,” Hanlon said.
Hanlon says he knows that collecting isn’t nearly as much fun as chasing.
“I am a different part of it ... For the most part, customers are buying as gifts,” Hanlon said. “Collectors like tracking it down and getting it themselves because they have a thrill in meeting the player.”
Chasing those autographs is a big part of spring training, which provides a more casual atmosphere and more access to the players.
16-year-old Logan Clark, an avid baseball fan traveled from North Carolina during his spring break to see the players and to add autographs to his 400 plus collection.
“Hopefully it makes their day,” Hoyt said. “Hopefully they aren’t just there to collect it and sell it. Hopefully it is more for personal reasons like being a fan of the game or the players.”
While fans do chase autographs of their favorite players, sports memorabilia is big business.
According to reports, former home run record holder Babe Ruth’s 1920 jersey sold for 4.4 million dollars, and current home run record holder, Barry Bonds’ 756th home run ball sold for $752,467 to fashion designer Mark Ecko.
While memorabilia like this isn’t the business of The Collectors Den in Indianapolis, Indiana, General Manager Matt Hanlon, sells countless types of autographed sports gear for fans, but he understands the meaning behind the autograph.
“I guess if you were to put it romantically, an autograph is a small piece of the player that you get to take with you,” Hanlon said.
Hanlon says he knows that collecting isn’t nearly as much fun as chasing.
“I am a different part of it ... For the most part, customers are buying as gifts,” Hanlon said. “Collectors like tracking it down and getting it themselves because they have a thrill in meeting the player.”
Chasing those autographs is a big part of spring training, which provides a more casual atmosphere and more access to the players.
16-year-old Logan Clark, an avid baseball fan traveled from North Carolina during his spring break to see the players and to add autographs to his 400 plus collection.
Aaliyah English // Ball State Spring Training
“I like meeting the players,” Clark said. “Coming out here and seeing the players interact in practice isn’t like the regular season.”
The Ballpark Of The Palm Beaches, is the new home to the Houston Astros and Washington Nationals spring training. The complex sits on about 120 acres of land near West Palm Beach, Florida.
Multiple practice fields and a large 34,000 square foot plaza like stadium makes up a complex where players roam from workout to workout, giving fans the chance for the meet and greet they have been longing for.
“In an actual stadium it is harder to get to the players and they are in a hurry,” Clark said. “Here it is during batting practice and they are warming up … It is just a better environment.”
The thrill of chasing autographs is a hobby for all generations.
For 30-year-old New York Mets fan Bobby Cullen, meeting professional baseball players provides the same excitement it did when he first started chasing players as a kid.
The Ballpark Of The Palm Beaches, is the new home to the Houston Astros and Washington Nationals spring training. The complex sits on about 120 acres of land near West Palm Beach, Florida.
Multiple practice fields and a large 34,000 square foot plaza like stadium makes up a complex where players roam from workout to workout, giving fans the chance for the meet and greet they have been longing for.
“In an actual stadium it is harder to get to the players and they are in a hurry,” Clark said. “Here it is during batting practice and they are warming up … It is just a better environment.”
The thrill of chasing autographs is a hobby for all generations.
For 30-year-old New York Mets fan Bobby Cullen, meeting professional baseball players provides the same excitement it did when he first started chasing players as a kid.
Josh Shelton // Ball State Spring Training
“I just have fun doing it … the excitement of meeting the players and picking their brains a little bit never gets old,” Cullen said.
Cullen, who lives in Brooklyn realizes the cost of his hobby including getting to and from Florida, can add up.
“It is expensive doing this ... the ticket to the game, the baseball to get signed, the gas to get to and from the game, it adds up,” Cullen said.
As of now Cullen says his autograph collection sits in a decorated room of his house, but that could change.
“Right now I have a room where all my autographs kind of sit,” Cullen said. “I sold a few [autographs] for our wedding and my wife wants kids so we will see what happens.”
Cullen, who lives in Brooklyn realizes the cost of his hobby including getting to and from Florida, can add up.
“It is expensive doing this ... the ticket to the game, the baseball to get signed, the gas to get to and from the game, it adds up,” Cullen said.
As of now Cullen says his autograph collection sits in a decorated room of his house, but that could change.
“Right now I have a room where all my autographs kind of sit,” Cullen said. “I sold a few [autographs] for our wedding and my wife wants kids so we will see what happens.”
