Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Naturals Night

Last night at the Fayetteville Mall, the entire NW Arkansas Naturals team was signing autographs, so I packed up the family and we headed out.  As a father, it was exciting to see my son getting a baseball and a few cards signed.  He’s five, so I don’t think he was all that stoked about it to begin with, but as we went around the table, and he was more comfortable talking to the players, he really began to enjoy himself.  When we were done and his ball was completely covered with signatures, he was very excited!  I was too, thinking, “This is the year he really becomes a baseball fan, and we can really enjoy the game and the cards together.”   Then he saw the Cookie Co., handed his ball off to his mother and didn’t mention the Naturals the rest of the evening while he savored every bite of his true prize of the evening.   

Overall, the players were very pleasant and gracious.  Most took a moment to look my boy in the eye and say hello. A few just took the ball, signed it and passed it down without looking up, which as a father kind of ticked me off.  But I imagine this kind of event kind of gets to be a grind for a player, especially with how pushy and obnoxious some fans can be.  But come on, talk to my boy just a bit.  He is, after all, the cutest 5 year old on the planet.
I would like to mention John Lamb in particular as someone who was very gracious with my son.  He is considered a top 100 Major League prospect, and a good bet to be on the Royals roster in the next year or two.  As a card hobby enthusiast, I was thrilled that he signed a couple of cards that will mean more to my son over time, and I wish him the best.  I also found cards of Derrick Robinson and Christian Colon who were very nice as well.  One player I could not find a card of was Wil Myers, who is a top hitting prospect, and supposed to be on par with Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer.  I know I have his Bowman 2010 card somewhere, but couldn’t locate it.  At least we got his signature on the ball and poster.
Here are some of the fruits of our evening:

2 comments:

Eric L said...

What a fun event. In a couple of years some of those guys will be in the majors contributing and your son will be the perfect age to appreciate the signed ball and cards more than he did that night. You made a good investment in his future as a fan.
And isn't minor league baseball the best?

Napkin Doon said...

You said it Eric. It's inexpensive, family friendly, and a great means of seeing future big league stars, especially with the Royals system. I don't know if you've ever seen the stadium in NW Arkansas, but it is a gem as well.