Celebrity Autographs And Celebrity Addresses

MESA, Ariz. -- As far as Thomas Poore is concerned, the Arizona Fall League should be called the Autograph Fall League.

"I love baseball," Poore said Monday before a game between the Mesa Solar Sox and Peoria Javelinas at HoHoKam Park. "I'm down here [in Arizona] because of baseball. I'm the only one down here from my family. They want me to come back to Ohio, but I say, 'No way.' The weather's great and baseball is year-round down here. The players are nice. It's fun meeting the new guys and learning who they are."

An Akron, Ohio, native, Poore has been going to AFL games since 1997.

"I've got thousands of autographs," Poore said. "They're from the Fall League and Spring Training. I've got 10 5,000-count boxes full of autographed cards. It's all for me, and whenever I decide to have a family, it will go to my son."

The Arizona Fall League kicked off its 14th season on Oct. 4, and it will run through Nov. 12. Games are played at Spring Training ballparks in Peoria, Surprise, Mesa, and Phoenix, and feature some of the top prospects of each Major League team. It's a lot easier to get Cubs outfielder Matt Murton's autograph at HoHoKam Park than at Wrigley Field, or get a chance to ask Yankees catching prospect David Parrish for a signature here than at Yankee Stadium.

There are three kinds of AFL fans -- family, scouts and autograph seekers. The players joke about it.

"I knew the type of people who would be here would be scouts, general managers, agents and autograph seekers," said Reds infielder Joey Votto, who plays for the Solar Sox. "I didn't expect to see 'Joe Everyday' fan. They have to work."

The AFL is a perfect setup for collectors. The crowds are small, it's direct access to the players and pretty laid back.

"I was here last year, and I saw it then," said Indians infielder Ryan Garko. "It's a lot of young prospects, and we're so accessible. If you collect autographs, it's the best scenario because there are no crowds and it's quiet."

It's so quiet, you can sit behind the home dugout and hear a conversation on the other side of the diamond. Because it's an intimate setting, the autograph seekers have to be polite.

"If someone says something, you know who said it," Garko said.

The AFL players may be young, but they are smart enough to recognize collectors who are getting autographs to sell.

"You know," Garko said. "If a guy has a page of 12 cards, you know [he's selling them]. A lot of guys, you get to know them. They like to trade with their buddies on the East Coast. A lot of guys just like to trade them, and it's their hobby. I've always tried to sign. You just respect the guys. If that's what they enjoy -- even if they're going to sell them -- it's something they enjoy and they're going to make the trip to the ballpark to do it, you've got to sign."

The collectors need to watch their timing. Cubs pitcher Angel Guzman was sitting in the stands behind home plate to chart the Mesa pitchers on Saturday night and was constantly interrupted by fans seeking his signature on a ball or a card.

"I know they want our autograph, but can't they wait until we're finished?" said Guzman, who had to put down the radar gun to handle the fans' requests. "I didn't know it would be this way."

After Saturday's game at HoHoKam Park, which is the Cubs' Spring Training headquarters, several people stayed late in the players' parking lot to add to their collection.

"Everybody wanted to go home, but at the same time, it was pretty impressive that those guys were sitting out there at 11:30, midnight, and still wanted people's autograph," said Giants outfielder Dan Ortmeier. "There's going to be a time when people won't want your autograph. It's always nice to have people out here."

For some of the AFL players, this is the first time they're wearing a Major League uniform. Signing is part of being a big leaguer.

"Seeing all these people up and down the lines asking for autographs, it's just like the big leagues," Ortmeier said. "I have been a little surprised [at the number of requests], but at the same time, it's nice. It puts people in the stands. They're very passionate about what they do. They've got a ton of cards and pictures. Sometimes it's cool to see that."

The coaches and managers are included, too. Von Joshua, who played in the big leagues for 10 years, was asked to sign a 1974 card of him from his days with the Dodgers. Someone showed up with 8-by-10 photographs of Joshua in his Giants uniform.

Poore, 34, has expanded his collection and is taking his own photos, which he then asks players to sign. He may trade signatures with his brother in Akron, but he keeps most of them. Poore has collected AFL alums like Nomar Garciaparra and Mike Piazza.

"I got Grady Sizemore -- that's one of my favorites," said Poore, a huge Indians fan.

You won't see any of Poore's souvenirs on eBay.

"I do it because I love the game," he said.