Big East/Big Ten Baseball Tournament

Arrived at Al Lang field to find the Louisville game that was supposed to start at 4 was pushed back due to a late finish of an earlier game. I looked up in the stands once I got to the park, and saw the Louisville squad indulging in an order of ChicFilA sandwiches that had just arrived. Singling out Ryan Wright (possible first round pick, Team USA set) was pretty easy since the players were wearing warmups that had their number on them. He was sitting away from the bulk of the team with his family, and I swooped in for the kill. He pounded out 4/4, and was nice to talk to for a bit.

After that, it was on to Dunedin. I'm lucky I was able to leave a bit early since some construction slowed the trip.

I got there and the game ahead of UConn was in the 8th inning. I caught the end of it, and started my hunt for George Springer and Matt Barnes. I assumed Matt Barnes would be the starter so I went right for Springer. He came on the field, was walking around doing nothing, and I asked if he could sign. He looked at me and said can I do it after the game? I wasn't planning on staying since I had a 2 hour trip home, but I shrugged it off and figured I could break him down in the hour that was left until game time. Eventually, after he had all of the walking around doing nothing he could handle, he walked up to me and said "you wanna just do it now" so of course, I whipped out the clipboard. I had 3 of his base set Team USA card, and one jersey card insert from the same set. Same setup Ryan Wright had just knocked out for me an hour ago. He looked at them, and I kid you not, said "which one." I was so dumbfounded that I just got one per'd by a college kid that I had nothing to say, so I just said whichever you want. He hit a set card. I honestly wasn't expecting to have any problem with this kid, though I wish I was prepared for that. I would've coaxed it out of him even if he left hating me had I been expecting that, but seriously? A college kid without the Strasburg-style hype going one per? Is that a first? If that wasn't bad enough, he must have had sweaty hands or something because a card that I took an eraser to at home and did the last minute finger rub on at the game bubbled.

After that letdown, I was having a hard time finding Matt Barnes. The pitcher warming up was a tall kid with an underarmour on, no number on the back, so I figured that was him. He never came close to me, and I wasn't going to wait around for the entire game with a long car ride looming just to get one per'd by a second college kid and have it bubble (can you tell Springer left me sour?)

Thats when a nice guy with a UConn windbreaker on came up and asked me if I was having any luck. I said yeah I got George Springer to sign one (I wasn't going to bash Springer in case this guy was his dad, it was primarily family in the stands) He asked me if I had any Matt Barnes cards, and I said I sure did but I hadn't seen him yet. The guy chuckled and said "he was just standing right next to you!" Dumbfounded for the second time that night, the guy said follow me and I did. He brought me behind home plate to a tall kid in plainclothes, the same kid who was standing right next to me a minute ago, and said "Matt, this guy would like your autograph" Matt obliged, knocked out my two jersey cards and a setter, because thats all I showed him. He probably would have done my two other set cards but I wasn't going to show him dupes in case thats what ticked Springer off, and I did't want a repeat. He was real nice, talked highly of his team USA experience, asked me where I wanted him to sign on the cards, and we shook hands and I was out. I never caught the guy in the windbreakers name, but he sure did make my night.