Seattle Mariners at L.A. Dodgers
9:15-7 p.m.
Day was pretty much a bust. Way too many people — the game was a sellout — so most of the players chose not to do it.
Don Newcombe: 0/1 in the morning going from the clubhouse to the practice fields in a golfcart, 0/1 walking from the stadium to his car “If I sign one then I’m gonna have to sign them all”, 0/1 while in his car leaving the stadium
Tommy Lasorda: 1/1 on the backfields, 0/1 while leaving the stadium in his car at about 6 p.m……I guess every day the Dodgers choose a former player to sign for free. This day it was Lasorda who sat down at a table and signed for more than an hour. My buddy and I were actually the last graphs he signed. Said his handler while pointing to me: “Sign one for this guy who flew here from Florida.”
Rick Honeycutt: 1/1 (card) while walking from the clubhouse to the practice fields and no one recognized him, 1/1 (card) at 6 p.m. leaving the stadium
Ian Snell: 2/2 (’08 Ginter, ’09 Ginter)….might be the coolest player in all of Arizona right now. I asked him if he missed Pittsburgh and he replied, “Ask Jack Wilson if he misses Pittsburgh.” Just a real awesome dude
Blake DeWitt: 0/1 got mobbed
J.D. Closser: 0/1 ….I didn’t even need him but when he left at about 6 p.m. he wouldn’t even sign for the six graphers remaining
Vin Scully: 0/1…..Got him one-on-on but “There’s just too many people here.” Dodgers’ fans treat this guy like a rock star. It was neat seeing him.
Casey Blake: 0/1 followed his car but he wouldn’t roll down his window
Manny Ramirez: 0/1 wouldn’t even acknowledge me
Garrett Anderson: 0/1
Peter Gammons: 0/1
Frank McCourt: 1/1 (whitesheet with “Go Dodgers” inscription)
Chone Figgins: 0/1 while getting into a van after the game
Casey Kotchman: 0/1 wouldn’t even acknowledge me
Ken Howell: 0/1 while in his car leaving the stadium at about 6 p.m.
Manny Mota: 0/1 while in his car leaving the stadium at about 6 p.m.
Mariano Duncan: 0/1 while in his car leaving the stadium at about 6 p.m.
John Wetteland: 0/1…just missed him
Russell Martin: 0/1 wouldn’t stop his car
This and that: Jonathan Broxton signed on the backfields but only for little kids. … Ronald Belisario signed but I didn’t need him. … George Sherrill signed on the backfields before the game but I didn’t need him. … Russ Ortiz, who I can’t believe is still in the big leagues, signed at about 6 p.m. but I didn’t need him. … Mike Brito, the guy who used to hold the radar gun at Dodger Stadium, signed autographs and took pics with. Real cool guy. … Charlie Steiner, the voice of the Dodgers, signed graphs for a good 15 minutes. … Fernando Valenzuela was at the game but I never did see him. … Milton Bradley was very cool and signed but I didn’t need him. … Chin-lung Hu signed but I didn’t need him.
Day would’ve been a complete disappointment had it not been for the Lasorda graph.