Shea Stadium is Warming Up the Wrecking Ball

For a price, Mets fans get a private tour of Shea Stadium to begin calling "Dibbs" on pieces of the old park. Thanks to Amazin' Stories for posting this on their blog.

This Dibbs process is just like the scenario that plays out when a coworker is leaving the company. After the initial shock, people slowly start to look at that person's desk for things they'd like to take. Soon, post-it notes start popping up on staplers, tape dispensers, calendars, and other useless work items!

If you join the MeiGray Group Premier Club for a $2,500 minimum purchase deposit, you can have a private tour of Shea next week to view thousands of items that will be for sale (lockers, signs, etc.). Of course, you have to be at Shea Stadium next week to be a part of the dibbs process.

I called MeiGray Group today and their customer service was great. After the Premier Club tour, the remainder of the Shea Stadium items will be go to a public sale on Mets.com or the MeiGroup web site.

I guess this MeiGray Group deal would explain why Steiner never returned my call. MeiGray is going to send me a catalog of items that do not sell when the tour is over. If you're interested, call 888-463-4472.

Ryan Braun Autograph Session

Chris at the Gavel Chat went to a Ryan Braun autograph session recently has a great video about it. I really enjoy going to autograph shows, meeting the players, and seeing the collections that other people are working on. It's a great place to get ideas and meet people.

Is Ryan Braun worth $99 for the autograph?

It's a tough question to answer, unless you are a huge Ryan Braun fan. He is a Rookie of the Year winner, plays on a winning team with a good, young future, and is headed for his first trip to the playoffs. However, he has less than 100 career home runs, is playing his 2nd position in less than 2 years of MLB service, and is a crash into the wall away from missing significant time on the field.

I typically don't get current player autographs. I think they are priced to high and you're exposing your collecting budget to a lot of risk... especially players who haven't solidified their legacy. For example, Greg Maddux and Randy Johnson are current players, but a legendary resume. I like getting my favorite players once they've retired or entered the Hall of Fame. I'm going to an MAB show this fall where Gary Carter is signing baseballs for $55.

I know the market place drives the autograph fees, but do you think Ryan Braun's autograph is worth $99 on a baseball?

Minor League Ball Parks Leave Their Mark Too

Our stadium focus is primarily centered on professional stadiums closing, but there are plenty of minor league parks in the last 10 years that have also closed for good. While most of the public seem to act like barracuda going after the next shiny object that catches their eyes, I think we lose a little bit of our baseball soul when we close some minor league stadiums.

Last week the Columbus Clippers played their last game in Cooper Stadium. Next year they will be moving a shiny new downtown ball park with a spectacular corporate sponsor name (Huntington Park)!

I went to the Sunday afternoon (9/7) game which was the stadium's second to last game.
To me, there isn't necessarily anything wrong with their current home. No, it's not fancy, downtown, or loaded with new baseball marketing events. It's a normal field, 5 minutes from downtown, with decent seats for a good price. But that isn't good enough anymore I suppose.

I emailed the Columbus Clippers - they said the old Cooper Stadium was in the process of being sold to a developer who is looking to change the stadium to a short race track site. The Clippers official then referred me to the local paper for more information. (Feel free to insert your own joke here about a team official referring me to a media outlet for information on the team.)

Jim Massie of the Columbus Dispatch wrote a great column about the closing of Cooper Stadium. This is a must read for baseball fan.

Holding my breath for Triumph Sports

This is the greeting you receiveing when logging in to Triumph Sports.

Based on the March '09 dates, it seems they will only be doing an Edison, NJ show this year. Last year I went to the Dallas show and got a ton of autographs.

Their web site said to check Sept. 1 for guests and pricing. Hopefully I'll get an email with some good news about guests later this week.

Gene Upshaw Patch - Is this the best the NFL can do?

Haven't we seen the "GU63" patch before? Oh yes, the Washington Redskins did basically the same thing last year when Sean Taylor was killed.

I think the NFL is creating a bad pattern here. When a player, former player, or official in the league or NFLPA passes, the NFL reaches for their Krylon Spray Paint and Avery Label Maker. Is this the best the NFL can do?

Thanks to the Real Sports Bloggers for bringing up the subject.

If the NFL wants to do something significant to mark the accomplishments of Gene Upshaw's life, then they should do more than run to Home Depot for spray paint and a stop at a scrap booking store for stickers.

I think it would have been better to set up a Gene Upshaw fund to help the research of pancreatic cancer and set up some kind of "for every TD scored the NFL donates $." Or at least do something with Upshaw's associated charity, Children's Hospital & Research Center Oakland. This way, the NFL could use its muscle to actually make a difference, instead of making a new jersey patch.

Maybe they are doing more, but after searching the web, I couldn't find anything.

Collecting Stadium Memorabilia

Sports Collectors Digest has an interesting article for collector's waiting to collect a piece of Yankee Stadium and Shea Stadium.

The Yankees and Mets are in negotiations with the city to sell as much of the stadiums as possible before hitting them with the wrecking ball.

I would think Steiner Sports will have some involvement. Steiner sells everything Mets and Yankees on their site from used jerseys to locker room chairs. I sent an email to Steiner Sports today and asked if they would be involved in this effort. I'll post a response as soon as I hear.

I talked to Steiner Sports representatives at an MAB show last year. At the time, they told me they hoped they would be involved and they were also in negotiations with the city and the teams. Rumors on the message boards last year said that NY Mets season ticket holders were offered their season ticket seats for $800 a piece!

I have a jar of Yankee Stadium outfield dirt that I'll blog about later this month. I picked it up during a tour of the stadium in April, 2002.

Steiner also has a deal with the Dallas Cowboys, but so far, Dallas has been selling the seats to Texas Stadium through the team.

If you want real memorabilia from Yankee Stadium, Shea Stadium, or other stadiums that get demolished, don't purchase the "last season" marketing branded t-shits, coins, and plaques. That's not memorabilia or a collectible, it's probably not worth the material its made out of. However, I think it would look great if you get some the last season branded baseballs signed by Mets or Yankees legends.

There's a great article about the new Yankee Stadium in the current SportingNews magazine. It's still on book store shelves if you want to read more about the revenue and how new stadiums have changed the way baseball teams make money.

NY Islanders Blog Box

Congratulations to the NY Islanders for embracing a new(er) medium!

The NY Islanders are welcoming some of the blogs that follow the team them by issuing press credentials to some of their home games. I first read about this story on the WebInkNow site.

Some NY Islander bloggers will receive treatment like anyone else from the press. They'll receive:

• Game notes
• Access to team practices
• Player and coach interviews

This is a great move for the NY Islanders. It proves they want to push their brand to all of the fans, have confidence in their product, and realize that web 2.0 brings them closer to their customer base.

And when I say "confidence" I don't mean they think they'll win every game. I mean they are confident in how they are performing their job, that they are committed to creating a quality organization and are committed to growing their fan base (their customers).

The NY Islanders Blog Box is entering its second season. The team page links to blogs that discuss the team. Last year, they invited and provided press access for the NHL Draft in Ottawa for some of the bloggers in their blog box.

Its easy for all us to say, "why doesn't my team do this?" We should also ask the question, "why doesn't my employer do this?"

In the sports card and memorabilia world, maybe we should ask for this kind of access from the card companies, grading companies, and memorabilia companies?

The NY Islanders Blog Box is a case study for sports organizations and the corporate world.

Links:
http://www.webinknow.com/2008/08/ny-islanders-bl.html
http://islanders.nhl.com/team/app?articleid=318161&page=NewsPage&service=page
http://islanders.nhl.com/blogbox/blog_box.htm

Koyie Hill Returns to Cubs After Battle With Saw

Baseball's September call-ups can bring stories normally reserved for the for small paragraphs in the sports section to the front page of the paper. Koyie Hill's return to the majors is inspiring front page news.

Ten months ago Hill nearly lost three fingers and his right thumb in a fight with a table saw! I joke, but the accident could have done more than ruin his baseball career. It could have altered his way of life if not for the miraculous work of his doctors.

Doctor's were able to reattach all four fingers after they were taken off by the table saw.

Hill had a cup of coffee with the team last September and after a long road of recovery, he's back with the team this year too.

Hill's an inspiration to anyone that deals or has dealt with adversity in life.