How to get your ball signed?

Hey batter batter! It's Baseball Season! That's 6+ months of home and away games that many Americans consider a national tradition. Grab some peanuts and crackerjacks! Here are a few tips to get your ball signed!

Go early, like as-soon-as-the-gates-open-early. Each ballpark is different, so check your team's website first!  Usually, there is an entire section on "Autographs" under the team's website. This will give you the proper guidelines as to what you can and cannot do to grab a player's attention. When you arrive early (1-2 hours before the game starts) players come out to warm up (usually on the 3rd or 1st base lines).  This is prime autographing time! 

While you're on the team's website check their promotions schedule to see when they are going to have autographs. *If you live near a minor league team, your chances of getting an autograph just went up by a trillion!  Rookies tend to be much more open to autographing items for fans. 

Do your homework. Is your fave player batting .400 or does he have the lowest ERA ever? Tell him how awesome his home run was during the last road game trip or how sick his curve ball is. Is it his birthday? Does he have a pregame ritual that you dig? 

Be prepared. Sharpies and pens in hand! Have them out and ready... caps off. Ditto for camera-ready selfies. (Bring a friend! One who could care less about your mission but be on stand-by for moral support!)

You might have to raise your voice. "Perez, Smith, Jackson... I'm a huge fan of yours, you're amazing!)

 Make a sign. "(PLAYER NAME) SIGN MY BALL..PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!"  Get creative with it! 

Know a cute kid? If they can talk, teach them, how to ask for an autograph. 

Be polite. They don't come to your job and harass you, unless you work at Hooters or something. Seriously, a Please and Thank you goes a long way.