All-Star gazing at FanFest
Living legends, memorabilia and fun and games enchant baseball fans
MIAMI BEACH — Waiting in line for more than an hour and a half for Rollie Fingers’ autograph didn’t bother him.
MichaelBugger slid the baseballwith the Hall of Fame pitcher’s signature into a plastic bag, his latest prize on the opening day of All-Star FanFest at Miami Beach Convention Center.
“It was worth it, definitely,” the 42-year-old Cutler Bay resident said, sounding like a kid who’d just braved the housewith the meanest dog on the block to score his favorite candy onHalloween.
Thiswas better than that for Bugger, and not because Fingers, known for a great sinking fastball and better handle bar mustache, was a particular favorite.
But rather because “I’m a baseball fan altogether,” Bugger said. “Interaction with
the players, that’s pretty cool. We came here for autographs. I have a 5-year-old and a 16-year-old out here just having a blast.”
Thatwas the order of the day for fans of all ages who arrived early Friday morning to spend the day — or in Bugger’s case, the first of several planned visits throughout All-Star Week.
After a stop at the entrance to pose for a photo in front of the world’s largest baseball (12 feet in diameter), was a wide range of activities and attractions to appeal to differing interests: collectibles, historical exhibits, artwork, an auction of artifacts, interactive games, clinics and long queues for autographs.
The common thread was baseball.
It was by that giant baseball that “Mr. Marlin” Jeff Conine and Hall of Famer Tony Perez opened the event with a ribbon-cutting. They added their signatures to those of many other MLB legends from past All-Star events.
“This is a tradition that's very exciting for me,” Conine told the crowd of about 200 assembled early. “Let's show the world what kind of party Miami puts on.”
Original Marlin speaks
Pedro Reynaldos, who was raised and lives in Miami, remembers watching Benito Santiago, the catcher whohit the first homerun in Marlins history.
So when he found out that Santiago was speaking to fans at MLB’s All-Star Fan Fest on Friday, the 66-year-old Reynaldos didn’t miss his chance.
Inside a makeshift clubhouse stationed at the center of the Miami Beach Convention Center, Reynaldos sat and listened as Santiago told a crowd of about 50 people about his Marlins debut.
“Thefirst time yougo and put the uniform on,” Santiago told the crowd, “it’s unbelievable.”
A collector’s view
He lifts the brown baseball glove from the pile, the one with the black edges and the soft leather, the one that was used sometime in the early 1900s. That one is for sale. But ask for his Mickey Mantle autographed baseball, the one he got while growing up in New York City, and Scott Hunt’s smile quickly fades.
“I’d never consider selling that,” Hunt said. “I’m still a collector. That’s half the problem.”
Hunt, 65, and his wife, Mary Perkins, 62, are retired. They spend their time traveling the country in a cargo van, carrying hundreds of pounds of baseball collectibles to various events.
The two have sold merchandise at MLB’s All-Star events for the last 14 years, Hunt said. Last year, at AllStar weekend in San Diego, they sold 175 items. On average, Hunt said he sells about $7,000 to $8,000 worth of collectibles per year. But he also buys $2,000 worth of merchandise for himself over that same span.
“I love sports, and I love the nostalgia,” Hunt said.
His favorite item is off to the side, next to the pile of vintage baseball gloves. It’s a pitching rubber signed by Sandy Koufax, the great Dodgers left-hander. Hunt still remembers holding it while standing in line to meet Koufax 25 years ago. Now it’s framed in a black case. Asking price: $600.
“I searched all year long for this one show,” Hunt said.
Clemente auction
In a far corner of the hall, David Hunt, president of Hunt Auctions, is pointing out the premier items of sports memorabilia up for auction during FanFest. The centerpiece is an extensive collection of Roberto Clemente artifacts being offered by the family, including World Series rings and trophies. They will be auctioned Tuesday (bids are accepted online at Hunt auctions. On Monday, there will be an auction of items from some of baseball’s all-time greats, including a pristine 1952 Mickey Mantle baseball card and game-used bats from Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Ty Cobb, Jackie Robinson and others with prices expected to reach up to $500,000.
There will also be daily auctions of lesser-priced memorabilia, and fans can also bring items to be appraised for free.
“It’s a big collection, one of the most significant of hits type to ever be offered,” David Hunt said.
History uncovered
Clara Roberts stood in the Negro Leagues exhibit scanning the faces and reading the stories of the men who followed a different path in baseball before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier. Behind her a uniform Robinson wore with the Montreal Royals in the minor leagues was displayed in a case.
Roberts, a native of Trinidad who lives in Miami, considers herself a longtime baseball fan, but her visit Friday uncovered a past she was unaware of. Such as the team picture of the New York Black Yankees who played in the Negro National League from1931-48.
“I’m enjoying it because I never knew about black baseball players [from the past] besides Jackie Robinson and Hank Aaron. The Black Yankees, I never heard of them before,” said Roberts, who enjoyed watching Gary Sheffield and Dontrelle Willis with the Marlins. Nonetheless, she said, “My favorite player was Pete Rose.”
Official artist
Over 30 years ago, Charles Fazzino visited an art shop in Fort Lauderdale. There, he watched an arts and crafts class at work and saw something hadn’t before — art that utilized different textures and multiple layers.
“Like lasagna,” Fazzino says now.
That inspired him to work on a new form of art, one that incorporates 3D images, bright colors and busy surfaces. He debuted his work at an art show in 1981 along with his other, older compositions, and it quickly became his best seller.
This weekend, Fazzino’s art will be on display at FanFest. MLB commissioned Fazzino specifically to create art to commemorate the All-Star Game.
Fazzino’s artwork for this year’s game is an overhead, three-dimensional image of Marlins Park, surrounded by palm trees and the Miami skyline. Fazzino said he had to rework the painting three different times — the original piece was too cartoonish for MLB, which wanted a more realistic look to represent Miami.
Fazzino’s art ranges in price from a few hundred dollars to thousands, including a $25,000 Derek Jeter painting on display.
“When I started, I really had no idea that this was gonna be this successful,” Fazzino said. “Get a great idea and stick with it, and that’s what I did.”
Eye on the ball
As Fan Fest took place, Derrek Lee and Alex Gonzalez, membersof the Marlins’ 2003 championship team, were at Marlins Park for the presentation of a mobile eye care unit to the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind. One of the legacy projects to benefit the community from this All-Star Game, the mobile unit will be used for free eye exams and glasses for school children whose families can’t afford them.
Shamar Sampe-Dorce, a 9-year-old Miami resident, took the microphone to explain the value of the program. “I received a free eye exam and glasses, and because of it my grades are so much better,” he said.
Sometimes baseball is about more than keeping your eye on the ball.
cldavis@sun-sentinel.com; Twitter@CraigDavisRuns