Harrisburg vs Bowie - Bryce Harper rehab

I had quite a day today. It started by heading down to Fairfax to get my free oil change...figured it would end up at P-Nats park in Woodbridge to see Bryce Harper rehabbing. Then I read he had moved up to Harrisburg and was playing IN BOWIE, Md. I live in Bowie. So I got my oil change and headed to Bowie stadium. I got there at 2pm, game time 7:05...because you see...I have a plan. Bryce had tweeted a while back about loving Cap'n Crunch and the Wash.Post had ran a story about it a few days back. So I got a box of his fave kind and a fresh baseball. It's not easy to get Harpers autograph...so I figured I needed a gimmick, since I don't have a kid.

2:30pm he shows up and parks down by the visitors locker room/clubhouse place. I drive down and park outside because you can't go past the fence. He had his beautiful white Benz. I got out of my car, lifted that cereal over my head like an insane person, and screamed "Bryce! I brought you some cereal...will you sign my ball?". He yelled back some crap about having to go in, and pointed to the stadium and said "inside!". So I sat...waited a while..thinking maybe he would change his mind and realize a person as crazy as I was deserved an autograph...I am the only person there..come on. Well no luck.

So at 530pm I go wait for the gate to open. Bag check lady asks about the cereal...no food allowed in the park. I told her...Bryce knows I have this and told me to bring it inside...we have a trade working. She was cool and let me in with it. Went down to the visitors side where they warm up and waited. He came out around 6:35 and walked us a few times...ignoring. Ran some warmups and stretches and chatted with the other players. Finally...about 10 minutes prior to game time he walked over...like 10 yards from me...signed about 8 things...then walked straight to me....and the box of cereal...signed my ball and one other and then went to the dugout. LOTS of children got dissed...but I got my signature. That is pretty much the opposite of how it would have gone without that box of cereal. Thanks Cap'n! He did not take the cereal...because obviously I am a crazy stalker and he probably thought I'd poisoned it...well that is cool. I understand, Bryce.

Here are some pictures.

1

and of course....the best pic of all.

HTTP response: 403 | MIME changed to 'text/plain'

Neat story, and some good shots.

nice pics...too bad he signed the ball in black on a side panel

badge wrote in post #16076001
nice pics...too bad he signed the ball in black on a side panel

I'm not into the whole memorabilia thing - can you explain this comment? It has me intrigued.

On a official major or minor league ball black pen tends to bleed into the leather of the ball and appears blurry and genuinely unpleasant. The preferred colour of ink is blue. The best place to have a ball signed in on what's called the sweet spot. It is the black spot where the two seams are closest together (not the spot where the official stamp is placed). Sweet spots are more valuable the side panels. This is what a ball signed on the sweet spot looks like:

badge wrote in post #16076703
On a official major or minor league ball black pen tends to bleed into the leather of the ball and appears blurry and genuinely unpleasant. The preferred colour of ink is blue. The best place to have a ball signed in on what's called the sweet spot. It is the black spot where the two seams are closest together (not the spot where the official stamp is placed). Sweet spots are more valuable the side panels. This is what a ball signed on the sweet spot looks like:

Thanks.

I had no idea...I brought the pen...I have an Ian Desmond signed ball, signed with a Sharpie..and I read that is a bad idea...so I switched to a regular old pen. Did not know about the black pen...I will use blue next time. Can't really control where they sign. I won't sell any of my balls though so the value does not bother me so much. I have Ian Desmond, Gio Gonzalez and Bryce Harper now.

One thing about Bryce, if he says he will sign for you inside (or outside) he does not disappoint - cereal or not - I've seen him do this several times going out of his way to make sure he fulfills his promise, he is one of the best guys in baseball as a person from my dealings with him, he probably would have told you inside either way and fulfilled that promise. They are not supposed to accept food from anyone, especially in today's world, though sure a kid worth 30-50 million can buy all he needs so he's good! Sweet spot is something you have to ask for, or they will ask you, because if they sign the sweet spot on a team ball that spot is reserved for the manager and that can lead to fines or some pole work!

thanks for the info! I did not expect him to actually take the cereal...I just figure it would get his attention and it worked