I saw in Roch's blog as well as the O's official site that the date for Fanfest is Saturday, January 23rd from 11am-6pm (early entry for season ticket holders at 10am) at the Baltimore Convention Center. Single game tickets also go on sale that morning at 10am.

Fanfest info

As of right now, there is a strong chance I may come down for a visit that weekend so I can go. This would work great since I also wanted to go to a Capitals game and they have a home game that night. Just wondering if anyone else was planning on going to Fanfest because we could meet up. May as well mention this too is if any of you season ticket holders are not planning on going I would be more than happy to use your Fanfest tickets. :)

Rose and I are thinking about going Friday and spending the night. I've never been before and it sounds like fun. I hope the January weather cooperates.

I have not been since the year the all star game was here, so it might be worth checking out again. I think I still have the 'baseball card' they made with my photo. The value has not gone up.

Ha! :D

I have one of those sorts of cards. It makes a great drink coaster.

I'll talk to the wife and see if she wants to go. Last time we went was I think before the 2005 season. Might be fun to go again.

ROCK THE RED!!! >|

I went in I think '97 and still have a cassette tape of me and a friend doing commentary on a random part of the game where Cal tied Gehrig. I went two other times, once was with some female friends who were more interested in autographs than anything else. Last time I went I auditioned to sing the national anthem and much to my surprise it was on the field at Camden Yards and over their sound system (I didn't get it that time but I will do it at some point).

So just to bump this up again...

I am making the trip down this weekend for Fanfest and a Caps game (I have tickets to neither yet, but not worried about it especially Fanfest). Just wondering if anyone else is planning to go. We'll probably be there the earlier part of the day since my dad and I will be driving into DC for dinner and the hockey game. We'll more than likely be listening in on the talks and snagging free stuff instead of waiting in line for autographs.

My regrets--I cannot join you on Saturday.

I must be in El Lay for work related stuff. Plus, I would not want to miss any of the RAIN we are having. For you out that way, rain is worth more here--we see less of it, and after three years of drought, we are due.

It is slightly ironic to look at the pacific ocean and be too dry five yards inland.

Still a maybe. Some friends might go, and we'll probably go if they do. Nothing committed yet though.

I'll be going with toddlers in tow. I think they'd enjoy the mini-baseball diamond and meeting the Oriole bird. I might get to do a thing or two, but that will have to stay flexible.

The new autograph policy is a pain. Essentially, you can't plan ahead to get a particular autograph since they only announce signings an hour in advance and limit them to 250 fans per signing. The stated purpose of this is crowd control, but it is disappointing not to be able to plan out one or two signing you really want and earn your spot by waiting.

Drats! I forgot Fanfest and we scheduled a family birthday luau for the 23rd. Oh well…maybe next year.

BTW Stanhouse I was just kidding about your book's condition. It is as fine as when you loaned it to me. I even took the dust cover off when I was reading it so I wouldn't inadvertently crumple the bottom of it.

we'll be there, getting there early to get in at 10, three of us. we'll have one extra ticket if someone wants to hunt us down :)

i'm reserving comment on the autograph strategy they're putting in place until afterwards, since i can see it being a good thing and bad, and not sure which way it will work for me :) (i'm not as adamant about autographs as some, but i still find it fun to talk to the guys once you get there...)

gersh -- text me when you're there so we can meet up!

Will do D. I would take your extra ticket except I'm going with my dad and we aren't getting there until between 11 and 11:30 most likely. If you don't find a taker before Saturday, let me know and maybe I can meet you at the gate or something.

Oh and just curious, who's your third? I figure weams is your second.

weams' dad, who raised his boy to love the O's...he's the one we took to see the Brooks Robinson tribute last fall for his birthday.

needless to say, i haven't had a rough time ingratiating myself with the father-in-law :biggrin:

anyone who can make it at 10am and wants the one ticket, PM me....

Sounds better than my potential future father in law. Most of Michelle's family is Yankees fans.

I will also be attending. Tina is excited as usual to start the baseball season.

I also have two extra tickets for the season ticket holder event at 10:00am and two additional tickets for the fans not wanting to attend the meeting.

We will be there for the meeting... and will surely see Weams and D...

If anyone wants or needs my four extra tickets just let me know...no charge of course.

email- jdcvmarsh@yahoo.com

Jim

Now that is something I am sorry I will miss out on!

The only folks I would care to meet at fan-fest is the BOPers.

Hey Milt!
It will be a good luau…I made Kalua pork in a slow cooker, I made lomi-lomi salmon, Jasmine rice and mai tai punch . Rose made Hawaiian bread, 2 sons are bringing shrimp and pineapple rice and Key lime pie (I know it isn't very authentic but it is good)

We decorated with a Tiki and a faux palm tree…got genuine plastic leis…found old photos of our tour in Hawaii…got a bunch of aloha shirts and assorted straw hats for all the guys. The sounds of the Islands are filling the house… but alas no hula girls.

The outside temperature is a seasonably adjusted balmy 42!

Rose and I are planning to drive south for some spring training in early March maybe we can get together then?

That would be great Jack, I hope so.
Meanwhile you are starving me to death. I must have a can of pineapples around here somewhere...

It was a year ago this week that MASN invited me to audition for an Orioles commercial. Today at Fanfest I (and my dad) won a game of baseball and Orioles themed Family Feud and won tickets to a game this season in the MASN suites. Not too shabby. I asked how many tickets I get, we just get the tickets for ourselves.

What was Osama Bin Laden's son doing at fanfest?

I think the best bargain of the year at the O's store (which I missed out on) were the high-quality Ebbetts Field Flannel reproduction Baltimore Black Sox jerseys and pants which the equipment sale blew out for $50 apiece. Since there are no names on the back, that is a steal. The helmets were there, too, I believe.

I was able to find an autographed black Chris Ray jersey for my collection of deposed Orioles closers:
1) 1979 Don Stanhouse grey jersey (crown jewel of the exhibit)
2) Gregg Olson jersey worn on field during the "50 Greatest Orioles" ceremony, 2004
3) 2003 Turn back to clock to 1983 game worn B.J. Ryan jersey
4) 2005 Jorge Julio white home jersey (curse him!)
5) 2009 Chris Ray black jersey

I was not able to find a George Sherrill jersey. He should be much less expensive now that he's been traded. A Don Aase, Lee Smith, or Randy Myers would be welcome at rock bottom prices. Begrudgingly, Bentiez might go in the same category. But not this year.

=====

My daughter enjoyed picking out an Orioles shirt with her cousin (the fashionista, who picked out a black 5-year old size jersey and 1983 throwback hat--Bravo!). They liked watching kids bat on the mini-diamond versus Dave Johnson but were both too shy to take their cuts. Next year....

Then, being smart kids, they lit out for the aquarium while I stood in line for autographs. Standing in three separate line (5 hours work) yielded Adam Jones, Brian Matusz, Kevin Millwood, Boog Powell, and Chris Hoiles on baseballs. Matusz signature on the sweet spot was sloppy, an expensive disappointment. He was nice, though. I wasn't sure whether to get Millwood or not but justified it by his being a likely opening day starter. Millwood's signature was nice. Adam Jones' signature wasn't legible, but it was stylish. I mentioned the "What's in Boog Powell's refrigerator?" article to Boog and he laughed and described how the reporter had just called him up out of the blue with the question. No dice on the invite to dinner, though!

Stanhouse, I don't know if you saw but there was a free giveaway line in the main room and they had white O's t-shirts for Sherrill (in addition to Zaun, Freel and Walker). By the time I got there they only had small.

At the store in the upstairs room, the blank jerseys without the Maryland flag patch were only 40 bucks??? Is that an old version of the logo they aren't selling any more so it's sort of a clearance price? My jersey is still in very good condition so I had no desire to get another. If I had seen a fitted cap similar to the one I have I might have bought it because I could use a larger size. When I got it in 2007, it was the largest size they had and it's a little snug. I don't like the orange bill on the current caps.

by the way, Andrew, i dropped your name during my first encounter with Bergesen (got in line at 12:05 as number 236 of the allowed 250, for the 1:00 signing; Paul Blair was held up, so they didn't start signing until 1:20; as a result, i ended up finally getting the autograph at 2:20~~2 hours and 15 minutes of waiting in line was something i won't ever do again!). he told me he still hasn't ever met you, just that you're a good friend of his uncle. i added, "and a die-hard Oriole fan!"

the second encounter was by chance, of course, at about 4pm. i went over to the far corner to use the facilities, and stumbled upon the photo-taking sessions they were doing to raise funds for Haiti. who should be doing them at that moment but Bradley, and there was no line! i did, of course, get the photo for the "suggested" $5 donation, and he autographed that too.

next time, i'll hang out at the photo-taking area instead of battling those lines!!

To those who went to Fanfest, were they giving away free or discounted 2009 Dugout club member lunchboxes?

The reason I ask is someone gave my son a dugout club membership and we opened it to find that it was for last year. I don't know if it was a mistake or a giveaway item.

Thanks!

-Bark

Yes they did give away all of last years extra dugout club kits. Free to anyone that wanted them. 17$ for the new ones is one of the best deals in town. (15$ for renewals) The kids are eligible til they are 14 and mine have been getting them since they were old enough.

As for the free shirts....Freel, Zaun, Sherril and Walker. They were from the Orioles Reach program, so they are only in small since The Orioles Reach brings the young ones for free to the games, with a T-shirt included. The Sherrill shirts they had were printed with number 51 so they didn't give them out during the season. The Freel shirts might have to be used for kindling since they couldn't even give them away.

It was nice of the O's to give away the $10 yearbooks. They gave me one for each out of town relative so I could get them in the mail. This is getting to be a yearly event that my family appreciates.

I personally thought this was the best run fanfest of all. I don't wait in line for almost anything and noticed the free lines were crowded but the donation lines were only 4 or 5 deep. I gladly give a donation and save my time and blood pressure.

Thanks!

I plan on registering my son whenever I get a chance. The $6 seats for his mother and I are a steal considering where they put the kids.

D:


Thanks for the news on your chat with Brad. I have not met him, but in a funny snapshot of life, his grandfather walked into my office unannounced a few months ago and was all excited about Brad (and proud about him being in the Majors) and he wanted to thank me for supporting Brad. I had never met his grandfather. (I am also not sure I have done anything for Brad.)

It was a sweet moment. Makes me smile as I write this.

Sometimes life gets uncomplicated and the little and better things about us as humans get illuminated.

Take care. Hope you are well.