Trip to Fanfest...

I'm a pseudo-anti-social dude...I get out a lot...just not a big fan of formal events or crowded places...you can normally count me out on a 5:30pm Walmart run...but I figure a crowd of Royals fans would be pretty easy going...I had my hopes, and I had my doubts...particularly I didn't really think a 27 year old would feel particularly mature while standing in line to get an autograph from a 22 year old (it would of been a lot funner with a kid, but I kinda felt like a douche with just my wife)...normally, I would set back and just not care, but I figure, "Hey, I spend a lot of my time watching/listening to/caring about/writing about the Royals, so I might as well meet 'em and see what its all about"...plus when I buy a new home soon I'm turning my computer office into a "Royals Room," so I need some more souvenirs to fill it...and I had paid time off from work, so off I went to Fanfest with my pregnant wife...

first impression---CROWDED, way to effing crowded...but it was fun...good time music roaring, people swatting at batting cage zingers, powder blues to the left and right, cotton candy, funnel cakes, friendly ushers/staff, fellow fans, little kids with that gleam of excitement in their eye...I thought, "this is gonna be fun"...I'll just break down my experience:

my main goal for the day was to meet and maybe get a picture with Alex Gordon...my wife got off work a little late, so we showed up a little late (4:45)...jumped in the line for an autograph from Gordon and 5 other Royals...

after standing in line for 30 minutes and moving about 10 feet, I spot Seitzer and McRae signing autographs and the line is somewhat small, and then I see Denny Matthews and a short line...

wife keeps spot in line, while I wait 30 minutes or so for the highlight of the day...met Denny Matthews...dude has a serious handshake...super nice and spent his time talking to each fan...I had my Tales from the Royals Dugout book with me and they (Denny and author Matt Fulks) were impressed...I told Denny I had been listening since I was a kid and that the book was very good...I realized the person with Denny was the co-author and asked him why he wasn't signing anything...Denny was laughing, saying something like, "he wrote the whole darn book and he's just sitting there not signing anything!"...Fulk said, "I'm just having fun watching you," and we all had a laugh...the previously bored Fulks was mildly entertained...while Denny signed my book I told him its good that he did the book, so that people like me (younger/not around for the start of the organization) could get a real feel for how the Royals came to be presently...Matt Fulks signed my book "To Shane-from one fan to another- Matt Fulks" and gave me a very friendly handshake and goodbye...funny that the most meaningful autograph of the day wasn't from a Royal...

back to the other autograph line...so its been roughly an hour for my wife waiting in line...so I buy her a soda and let her walk around...she comes back and we realize we've missed Gordon (lotta people were looking to meet Gordon, if he has a decent year, he will be a star in K.C.), and that we've now been waiting in line for an hour and a half, and just say the hell with it...I mean I didn't want to hang for another 2 hours just to get 6 autographs...I really had hoped to get everyone there to sign my baseball...GRRRR

took in the atmosphere and crowd...checked out the merchandise and it was pretty cool...game worn Monarchs hats and what not...pretty cool stuff for not all that pricey...still, just realizing the excitement around the Royals right now, it was really, really crowded...

very short line for a Bannister picture, so we jumped in...royaldaddy was right about Bannister...first class, top notch dude... shook my hand saying, "Hi, I'm Brian"...really nice, but not that creepy televangelist nice, like that trustworthy "I'm-truly-glad-to-be-here" niceness...convinced my wife to jump in the pic and she was shy as the pic shows, but thought Brian was nice...I said, "you gonna win the Cy Young?"...he said, "NO" and gave me a funny sigh...I said, "well, if you can stay healthy I don't see why you wouldn't have a shot,"...Bannister replied heartily, "Thank You", with a nod...

that wrapped up our day at Fanfest...we left early to go eat and take the dog out...it was fun and extravagant and also mildly disappointing...I think with some changes (single person autograph lines) it would be really good...maybe a bigger area (bet they didn't realize that many people would show up)...thank you for listening to my pseudo-exciting day...I know my grammar is uncalled for, but my intentions are proper  (Bannister pic coming soon)...peace out