Where Are You, Chief Wahoo? Save The Chief!

this is going to be my final planned blog for the year 2014 and then i'm taking a good 2+ months off from writing. i think i deserve it after the record-breaking amount of blogs i posted over the previous 12 months =D


have any of you Tribe fans noticed the gradual disappearance of the Cleveland Indians' Chief Wahoo? i'm sure you have. this has been a hot topic of debate for the last few years and i've kept my mouth shut long enough about it. i absolutely HATE how the Wahoo is being phased out in all aspects of baseball, including at Progressive Field, despite what the team states.

photo courtesy of didthetribewinlastnight.com

the Indians organization insists that they are not eliminating the Chief. but the truth is, they've scaled back their self-promotion of it quite a bit (more than i realized until i really thought about it), to the point where even the players themselves are rarely seen rockin' the Wahoo. in spring training, the Indians only wear the C on their jerseys and hats. during regular season batting practice, their shirts and hats, again, only display the C, and all bp gear sold to fans also features the C. as for the game uniforms, players wear the hats with the Wahoo on them with just their blue jerseys and white home jerseys. luckily, the left sleeve of all 4 jerseys still has the Chief, but who knows how long that will continue. their batting helmets recently dropped the Wahoo for the C. even the mini helmets they put the ice cream in at the ballpark concession stands now exclusively have the C on them in place of the Wahoo. come on.

photo courtesy of clevescene.com

photo courtesy of amazon.com

plus, all Indians personnel currently wear shirts with only the block C on them. that to me sends a big message to the world about how they want the Indians to be viewed, and it is NOT by the Wahoo anymore.

photo courtesy of fans247.com

photo courtesy of tribevibe.mlblogs.com

let me give you some more disturbing examples. on the scoreboard at the park, they no longer use the Wahoo in any capacity. looking back at the photos i've taken when i've gone to games over the last 5 years, i can say with confidence that this change happened just this past season, in 2014. now every time the Tribe is represented with a symbol, it's the "C," and the Chief is nowhere to be found.

photo courtesy of monkeywithahalo.com

moving outside of Progressive Field, you'll find the same thing on the TV sports shows and news. when they're talking about the Tribe, you don't see the Wahoo anymore; you see the C. on MLB Network, and probably ESPN too (idk cause i don't watch that channel), when they have their list of topics to discuss on the side, and the Indians are on the agenda, they're represented only by the C. even on the sports websites, the Tribe logo is the C. it may be the politically correct thing to do in the eyes of the media, but it actually came about because this C logo has unofficially become the Indians' primary logo, while the Wahoo has slipped down to its secondary. i say unofficially because the Indians have yet to formally announce this change in words, but these actions all speak loudly and clearly.

photo courtesy of news.sportslogos.net

reflecting back to when the Indians first introduced that secondary C logo, i didn't think much of it. i certainly didn't think one day that would be taking over for the Chief. i'm sure a lot of people see those C hats on fans and have no clue who/what team that represents. C could mean so many different things. but with the Wahoo, you always knew what that was for; the Cleveland Indians were always recognizable by that. and let's face it, the Wahoo is way cuter than some dumb old block letter C lol

the Indians used to be one of 3 teams in baseball that didn't use a letter or letters as their primary logo. now there are just 2 teams left standing, both in the American League, that use actual non-letter symbols to represent them: the Baltimore Orioles and the Toronto Blue Jays. sigh. i suppose it could always be worse. i mean, we could be like the Minnesota Twins. i promise you that someone who's unfamiliar with baseball would never assume that the overlapped "TC" on their hats stands for "Twin Cities" and represents the Minnesota Twins. at least we aren't that confusing i guess.

so why did the C become more prominent in recent years? it's somewhat odd to me honestly, but more and more people have decided the Wahoo is racist and offensive to Native Americans. i always hear about the protesters coming out to Progressive Field before the Home Opener to bring more awareness to their cause. i've never seen them though because i get to the ballpark insanely early, early enough that i apparently avoid running into all that. anyways, it's obvious to me that the Indians are trying to appease the protesters by cutting down on their usage of the Wahoo.

photo courtesy of tattoopins.com

on the contrary, for every person who's against the Wahoo, there seems to be someone IN FAVOR OF the Chief.

photo courtesy of indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com

photo courtesy of usatoday.com

 
i don't know if that makes any real difference, but i deeply hope those people who are outwardly, openly, and proudly throwing their support to the Chief are enough to convince the organization not to entirely rid the Indians of the Wahoo.

this all just begs the question, why is the Chief so offensive now when it wasn't a century ago? smh. the first Chief Wahoo logo didn't appear until 1928. did different groups initially start getting riled up about it back then? or did it all begin when the image took on the present-day cartoon-like Wahoo? because, if anything, i would have thought the evolution into this caricature of a Chief detached it from the group of real life Native American Indians, and consequently wouldn't be offensive to them since it was no longer pictorially tied to those Indians. if you're up on your Cleveland Indians logo history, then you know the first couple of Chief Wahoos resembled an actual Indian. were people just as pissed about that? were they demanding a logo change then, too? cause that i would understand, but considering the design of the current Wahoo, i don't agree with the protesters' stance on the issue.

photo courtesy of thediehardnerd.com

look at all the Tribe logos--carefully. the Chief logo, once it started reflecting an Indian, was revised several times after the first one was revealed. as of 1946, the Wahoos have only contained 1 feather. Walter Goldbach, creator of the cartoonish character, stated that since then, technically, we have all been mistakenly referring to him as Chief Wahoo, when really he is not a Chief anymore because he's no longer sporting a full headdress. i feel like that fact only adds to my case about it being the opposite of offensive.

and can i also quickly address that the Chief isn't even the team's mascot, as some people incorrectly argue? we have Slider, who for all intents and purposes is a made-up kid-friendly fuchsia creature (not even a real animal, mind you), completely unrelated to ALL Indians--the Cleveland team AND the racial group. nobody is dressing up as a Native American parading around the ballpark as an official Tribe mascot. the Wahoo is simply a team symbol. so again i ask, what is all the vitriol about?!

photo courtesy of fathead.com

sadly, the issue isn't even solely with the Chief. he's half of the dispute, but the other half concerns the team name. a lot of people want a name change in addition to a logo change. in my opinion, that's too far. and i can't help but wonder if the protesters recall how the Indians name was established, because there's nothing disrespectful or inappropriate surrounding its formation.

for those fans who don't know the story of how the Indians got their name, i'll tell you. from 1903-1914, the Indians were called the Cleveland Naps after player-manager Napoleon Lajoie, even though he was widely referred to as Larry. after the 1914 season ended, owner Charles Somers was broke and the team needed to cut payroll. (some things never change, huh?) so Nap was traded to the Philadelphia Athletics, literally given away just so Somers wouldn't have to pay his then-expensive $9,000 contact. at that point, it was decided that they needed a new team name. Somers asked several writers from the Cleveland News, the Cleveland Press, and the Plain Dealer to run a contest to rename the team. once they got some names from the fans, they would all get together and make a decision. 30 different suggested names were chosen to mull over, but Indians wasn't one of them.

Somers and the writers couldn't get over the big story of 1914, how the "Miracle" Boston Braves went from last place on July 4 to winning the World Series after sweeping the Phillies. clearly, they couldn't name the team the Braves, but they could name them the Indians. it was remembered that the team was briefly called the Indians back when Louis Sockalexis played on the team from 1897-99. so the Indians name presumably paid homage to the old National League Club of the late 19th century in hopes that the team could be like their National League opponents in turning themselves around. in some fans' eyes, it may also be in honor of Sockalexis and a time when Cleveland's baseball team was really good. and so the decision was made. however, when each newspaper announced the new name as Indians in 1914, they all stated it was a temporary nickname. yet here we are, 100 years later, still called the Cleveland Indians. =D

(btw, if you want even more details about this and the Indians' previous names, i suggest you read Terry Pluto's book "Our Tribe." it's a fantastic read and that is indeed how i learned the true story behind the Tribe's name/naming.)

the intentions behind the name were pure and in no way defamatory. the name was supposed to be an inspiration to the players to play hard and never give up. besides, if some people see it as a tribute to Native American Sockalexis, then how can Native Americans today be upset by that? i am going to be fuming if one day the Indians decide they have to change their name due to all this controversy. i'd seriously be sick.

so with the team name Indians, what other kind of logo would you expect? yes, Cleveland started out with the C, but it needed to be updated. and now that you know how the Indians got their name, you know it was never meant to be offensive and, as a result, neither was the Wahoo logo.

i feel like some people are trying to make way more out of this whole issue than is necessary because they may not have been fully aware of the history regarding the name.

photo courtesy of lefthookjournal.wordpress.com

and once again, how is it that people loved the name Indians back in 1914, but not in 2014? as time passes, we are supposed to be making progress in the area of racism and be more open-minded about things. in spite of this, there are people who remain more sensitive than ever about topics such as this. so i'm confused. are you telling me that a hundred years ago, people were more tolerant than people in the world today? at this point i'm like, everyone who's pissed now can take it up with the people who started this thing in 1914. oh wait, that's not possible.

i cannot and will not tell any group of people how to feel about this subject. i can't change your mind any more than you could change mine. but i can provide strong reasons to back up my feelings. i'll also suggest that maybe all those opposed could try to see the other side and not take the Indians' name and logo so literally to the point of offense. they were never meant to represent the entire group of Native Americans. therefore, is it really something for people to get offended over and protest against?

if you don't agree with that, consider this. by now, the Cleveland Indians have already succumbed to some of the desires of the angry Native Americans and other groups. the Wahoo logo is not nearly promoted as much as it used to be. the protesters have practically already "won" half of their battle. can't we now just leave it be? i wish =(

i personally love the Chief and its attachment to the Indians team. the smiling Wahoo is part of what originally drew me in to becoming a fan (in 1996). i don't think i would have gotten that same warm feeling watching the guys on TV if their logo had simply been C. and i look good in red, white, and Wahoos, so i'm definitely gonna continue to buy and wear as much Tribe merchandise with the Wahoo on it as i can. i do fear that one day all that stuff will be discontinued and not made or sold by the Indians anymore. because as much as they claim the Wahoo isn't going anywhere, i've got news for you--it already has =/

Well Wishes For Bob Tayek

i thought something didn't sound right. literally. it was during the Arizona Diamondbacks versus Cleveland Indians game on August 12, before the rain delay/postponement, that i watched a video from my GameDay. and i could tell that the announcer in the background was not Bob, but i didn't think much of it at the time. he gets games off sometimes, it's not a big deal. shortly before 8 pm, the game was delayed due to rain. after a very long 3 hours and 40 minutes, they finally announced that the game would be postponed and it was rescheduled as part of a traditional doubleheader the next day.

so today, on August 13, before Game 1 of the doubleheader vs. the D-backs, i saw Hoynsie tweet that Bob Tayek would be out for the rest of the season due to personal reasons. and immediately i thought back to the video i watched last night and how that wasn't Bob's voice. that explains it.

but i'm thinking, there's still about 7 weeks left in this season. what kind of personal reason would keep someone out of their job for THAT long? can't be a death in the family. so my mind went right to health issues. and i really hope it's not cancer. now don't misread that, i have no inside scoop on his condition, it's just a process of elimination guess on my part. i tend to fear the worst in these situations, and the big C is definitely one of the worst things a person could encounter in life. maybe he needs to have a surgery that will take him a few months to fully heal from. i don't know, and i'm not going to pretend to know.

i think Bob is a guy who can sometimes be forgotten or taken for granted as part of our Tribe family. but he is very appreciated, as no other replacement voice can quite satisfy and due justice the way his can. so whatever the personal reason, i wish Bob all the best. i hope that the issue gets taken care of with ease and that he fully recovers, if a recovery process is necessary. here's hoping he'll be back at Progressive Field next year and ready to go for Opening Day 2015. til then, we'll miss you.

My 10 Michael Brantley Autographs

i'm not sure if athletes and celebrities truly understand the impact they can have on their fans. it can come in the form of signing an autograph for a fan, or by way of a smile, or maybe even giving out a hug if they're willing. sports often provide a distraction from every day life and the real world for many people. therefore, an encounter with an athlete can literally make someone's day. for some fans, just having a moment with a player, ie. making eye contact and exchanging smiles, can be incredibly special and heartwarming. it's only a few small seconds of their time, but it lasts a lifetime for the recipient. it becomes a memory that nobody can take away, and creates a story that can be shared and cherished forever.

before i got my first Brantley autograph, i had made it my mission to make him smile. i wanted him to know he had a fan and feel good about himself. he wasn't having the best year and was even sent down to Columbus a couple times, but i had his back throughout everything. i knew he was going to become something special, and i was right. but at the time, he needed to know that while some fans didn't know who he was, i not only knew, but was supporting him hardcore. so the night before the game, i made a sign for Michael that i was sure would make him happy if he saw it. i declared myself to him as his #1 fan, and i have upheld that title ever since, proven by my monthly blogging, documentation of Michael's season numbers in a notebook, and of course with my ride or die attitude.

through the Indians 2013 season, i have now obtained 10 autographs from Michael Brantley. that's the most i have from any player. (the second most is 6 from Chris Perez.) sometimes when an opportunity to get a player's autograph comes up, if i know i've gotten that player's auto a few times before, i won't get it again. but that does not go for Michael lol i still have 2 baseball cards that i need him to sign, and once i get his 2014 card, then that will be 3. so i already have an objective for next season. but while i'm waiting for that, let me tell you exactly how i got Michael's autograph 10 times so far.

the first time i got Brantley's autograph was August 28, 2010, before the game against the Kansas City Royals. i have a very detailed account of exactly what went down because i wrote all about it when i got home. so without further ado, this is the story of how my very first autograph from Michael Brantley came about.

i was in the front row in Section 170, waiting for the guys to come out and i had my sign ready. this was the sign i made:

it was a little plain because i really didn't have that much time to work on it, but it was clean and got my point across. my main goal with this was i wanted Brantley to see it while he was warming up. back then i knew not many (if any) fans made Brantley signs, so if he saw that, it would make him happy and he'd definitely know he had someone supporting him here. i also really wanted to make him smile. so i waited.

at 6:45 pm, no one had come out yet. i was starting to freak out because the players are usually out there by then. that made me think 2 things: 1. omg they aren't gonna come out today and 2. if they do come out, it's gonna be so late and Brantley will probably be so focused on stretching that he won't even look over and see my sign.

at 6:47 pm, Matt LaPorta came out. then all these screaming kids ran down to the front row and surrounded me. and they kept screaming for him, so he came over to Section 170 and signed autographs. when he moved over towards me, he read my Brantley sign and smiled. that made me happy because i knew if Matt smiled, then Brantley certainly would. i was hoping that maybe when Brantley finally came out, Matt would be like, "hey, some girl made a sign for you, you should go sign an autograph for her." turns out, that wasn't necessary.

as Matt was signing, Brantley came out. then i got worried and thought oh no, Matty's gonna block me and my sign lol but Matt left after another minute or two. i was watching Brantley doing his running. he walked back towards the baseline and then talked with Joe Kessler and Matt. then he did some stretching. i was getting nervous, looking at the clock every couple seconds and wondering if anything was going to happen. the kids next to me were screaming but they didn't know his name. one kid was like, "who is 23?" facepalm.

after what seemed like an eternity, i noticed Brantley was reading my sign! he smiled and kinda put his head down, then looked away. was he surprised? embarrassed? excited? all of the above? more players started coming out then and there wasn't much time left, so i was focused on trying to snap pics of all the guys running and stretching. then before i knew it, Brantley was walking over towards me. and then he was standing right in front of me! at that point, my nerves really kicked in. he looked at my sign again, then he looked me directly in the eyes and smiled at me. i made him smile!!! he signed autographs for a couple kids next to me, and then he signed my baseball. my heart was racing. i totally froze, i couldn't even say anything to him. he probably thought i was a mute or something lol

as Michael gave my ball back, i managed to say, "good luck tonight" but i was so quiet i doubt he heard me. he seemed pretty shy and i wondered if he signed autos much. but how could he resist signing for me after seeing my sign? lol he signed for 2 other boys and then left because the National Anthem was about to start, so i got his autograph just under the wire. and for the record, Michael didn't smile at any of those kids ;D

i really don't believe he would have come over if i didn't have that sign. (hey kids, you're welcome! =P) i hoped it made him happy. i will venture to say i made the very first #1 fan sign for him, and you never forget your first. regardless of how many other signs like that showed up at the ballpark after that night, i think mine stayed on his mind for a while. during the game, Michael hit a leadoff double (this was back, back, back in the day when Michael was our usual leadoff hitter), and i like to think that i may have inspired him and brought him luck lol

i remember i also tried to get Michael to sign for me in the players parking lot when the game was over. instead, i unnecessarily got Lou Marson's autograph and i was so PISSED because he signed right under Brantley's auto and a little on top of it, too. grrr. i say it was unnecessary because i'd already gotten Lou's auto once before, so it was sort of a waste. anyways, after that fiasco, i was thinking how cool it would be if i got Michael to sign my sign. so i propped it up on a high part of the fence and waited. by the time i realized Michael was out in the lot, he was almost at his car already. not many cars were left and i got nervous AGAIN and i just couldn't yell his name. (back then i thought if he had seen me and my sign again he probably would have come over. now i know better; he rarely signs in the parking lot.) so that didn't go down. for the second time that day, i was just too awestruck and couldn't speak. however, it was still an amazing day that brings a smile to my face every time i think about it.

as time went on, i did not let Michael continue to intimidate me as much. in fact, i became a little bold in some of my quests for his autograph. and you will see that as you continue reading.

i didn't get my second Brantley autograph until the following year.

i told my friend who works at Progressive Field that i was a huge Brantley fan and would love to get an autographed picture of him if my friend could oblige. yes, they do sell these player photos in the team shop, but they aren't autographed. my friend grabbed a Michael photo, then put in a call to someone who could get Michael to sign the photo for me. Michael did, and my friend then mailed me the autographed picture, which i received in the mail on May 19, 2011. i was elated.

on June 4, 2011, i got my third Brantley autograph along the 3rd baseline before the game against the Texas Rangers. i brought my custom made blue Brantley shirt to the game in hopes of luring him over to me. i didn't wear it, i just kinda laid it over me and had the back BRANTLEY name part showing during player warm ups. and he definitely noticed it. i was taking video of him taking practice swings and before i knew it, Michael was walking directly towards me. he signed for 2 boys next to me before signing for me. at that time, all i had for him to sign was my Batter Up!

i thanked him when he handed it back to me, but he didn't reply to me. i remember that bummed me out. i thought he would at least give me a smile because i had his shirt and no one had that shirt back then. i stupidly also thought that maybe he'd remember me and my sign from last year... in any case, it got his attention and gave me my 2nd Brantley auto in 2011 and 3rd overall. (and ftr, i got Grady's auto earlier when he was outside stretching alone and Hammy's after the game in the parking lot.)

i was lucky enough to get Brantley's autograph a record 6 times during the 2012 season. here are those details.

on April 5, 2012, the Tribe's Opening Day game against the Toronto Blue Jays, i got my fourth Brantley autograph. and i have to keep it real, not all of these stories are 100% happy memories. as usual, i was standing front row along the 3rd baseline before the game and Brantley came over towards my area after he did some stretching. first, i took some photos of him when he came over, and then i switched to my Bloggie to take video. Michael was to my left and he signed 2 baseballs before he came to me. my father was also standing next to me on my left, and because he can't ever just stay seated and shut up, he embarrassed me a little bit. i held out Brantley's 2011 baseball card for him to sign, and when he gets in front of me and grabs it, my father blurts out, "my daughter has your card." DA FUCK? why was that necessary? why did he have to make himself known to Michael? and he didn't stop there. as Michael begins to sign, my dad says, "nice, nice, thank you very much!" you know that made me livid. (and whenever i re-watch that video and hear him saying that shit, i get angry all over again >O)

to make matters worse, when Michael began to sign my card, he did so without removing the cap off my sharpie. when he realized that a second later, he took it off and then signed my card. in the past, i did have the cap off and ready to go for him, but this time i didn’t because i was busy taking pics and then video of him. the previous person he signed for had their sharpie cap off, so maybe he just assumed/expected my cap to be off, too. not every fan does that though. in fact, most do not. still, i felt bad and uncomfortable, and like i had inconvenienced him and wasted some of his precious time =/

after Michael signed my card, as he gave it back to me, my dad AGAIN thanked him at the same time that i said, "good luck this year." like last time, Michael never responded to me, but it's safe to assume he thought both my father and i were retarded =( and yes, i had previously told my dad not to say stuff to players while i'm getting their autographs (no, this was not the first time he's done this) because it makes both of us, me especially, look stupid. you can tell me i'm nitpicking and being a shitty daughter, but this shit is embarrassing! and if i ask my father not to do something because it upsets me, you would think he would care enough to cut it out. when we're sitting in the front row and the players come out and over to sign, i don't know why my father feels a need to stand up anyways. he's not trying to get anybody's autograph. why can't he just stay sitting in his seat and be a quiet observer? i can only assume he does this shit because he has a sick constant need for attention. and that sucks for me. but this isn't about the messed up relationship between my father and i, so let me move on.

i got 2 autographs from Michael on the same day, May 28, 2012, before the Memorial Day game against the Kansas City Royals. once again, Michael just happened to walk over towards my section during warm ups. he stood in front of the middle of Section 170 and i was front row at the end of 171. i decided to record him signing autos with my Bloggie. he signed for four people before he came over to me. i got my fifth Brantley autograph on my Batter Up! as he was signing that, i told him he made a great catch on Saturday. (it was a home run robbing catch.) as has been the norm, he didn't say anything back to me though, not even a thank you. again, i have to be honest, that bummed me out. i think he was just still kinda shy around fans at this point. (or else he remembered me and my dad and all that strangeness from last time and decided to ignore me =/)

after he handed my Batter Up! back, he stood there for a sec and lifted up his hat (probably to get some air because it was really hot), before signing more autographs. to my surprise and dismay, my father who of course was standing next to me, then decided to take off his Indians hat and hold it out to get Brantley's autograph! i had to stop myself from smacking him. quick backstory, for a while my father didn't even know Michael's actual name. and when Michael was still struggling as a big league player, my father said he sucked. do you think i was gonna allow someone who spoke ill of my boy to get and keep his autograph? i don't fucking think so. you better believe that hat became mine after the game. so count that as my sixth Brantley autograph.

i took video of Michael signing for one more fan before i stopped because they were just about to announce the Indians starting lineup and i like recording that. so i'm not sure how long he signed for after that. it's a good thing Michael signs so much before games because he never signs after games in the players parking lot.

my next 2 Michael autographs also came on the same day. when i went to the July 4, 2012 game against the Los Angeles Angels and i entered the gates, i was so happy to see that Brantley was finally on the cover of the Batter Up! naturally, i took a ton of those home. i was in my usual spot, at the end of the front row in Section 171. i was taking video of the Indians starting lineup on the scoreboard before the game, when Brantley decided to start signing autos. he walked over in front of Section 170, and it looked like i would get my shot at another autograph. a girl who was standing behind me told Michael it was her friend's birthday, who was standing in the aisle. he then wished her a happy birthday, which was heard in my video. i was just praying he didn't come over to me in the middle of the lineup announcement because i didn't want my video to be incomplete. luckily, the lineup finished right as he made his way in front of me. and it was weird too because there were people in the aisle on my right, including the birthday girl, and he just sort of skipped over them to come to me, i'm not even exaggerating. since i already had my Bloggie recording the lineup, i kept it on and recorded Michael when he got in front of me.

i was prepared in case Michael came over and signed. i had my sharpie cap off and my Batter Up! opened to his featured article, where there was also a nice photo of him. so for my seventh Brantley autograph, i had him sign that page with the photo. and i must have been the only person who thought to do that because when he took the BU and looked at the photo of himself, i saw a surprised expression on his face, as if to say, "what's this?" it's likely he didn't even know that was in there. but i thought it would be much better to have him sign that pic than the BU cover. it was undoubtedly unique.

after he handed back the Batter Up!, he still had the sharpie in his hand so i handed him my 2012 Brantley baseball card. i think he was still in shock from that feature photo lol but he signed my card, giving me my eighth Brantley autograph.

when he gave my card and sharpie back, i thanked him. sadly, like all previous times, he didn't reply. after he signed for me, he backtracked to the people he skipped over before. he signed for the birthday girl, who was then standing next to me, and then her friend. when Michael finished signing for her, he wished her friend a happy birthday again, waved, and then ran over to the baseline just in time for the National Anthem. at that point, i stopped recording. i know this all sounds like a lot, but he literally signed four things in under than 30 seconds. my boy's quick ;D

the ninth Brantley autograph i received was by fate if i ever knew it. i went to the Indians Batting Practice Experience on July 21, 2012 before the game against the Baltimore Orioles, where you actually get to be on the field and watch the Tribe take batting practice. during this time, a few Indians players usually come over and sign autographs for people, but it's a total luck of the draw as to which players are chosen to sign on which day. the night before i was going to this, i imagined what i would say if Michael was one of the players signing on my day. i had some smart, witty dialogue planned. as i took pictures and video of Michael during batting practice, i noticed him looking back towards the BPX line a few times. i wanted nothing more than for him to just come over. so when i saw Michael actually walking over to the BPX line, i almost screamed out loud (i definitely screamed inside lol), i was so happy. when it was my turn and he finally approached me, i smiled at him and said, "what's up, Smooth?" and he smiled back at me and said, "hey, how ya doin'?" as he grabbed my on-field pass and signed it. omg he finally talked to me! haha i should have said more of what i imagined i'd say, but there's just something about Michael, that when he gets around me i get a little tongue tied and the words don't always come out lol so that was all that was exchanged between us.

not only did i get Michael's autograph, but i also got my first photo taken with him! (sorry but i won't be posting that pic on a public forum.) that's a memory that i'll treasure forever and never forget. i even remember the song that was playing during this part of batting practice: The Black Keys' "Gold On The Ceiling." i always smile every time i hear that song, and i probably always will.

when i got my tenth Brantley autograph, it was very unexpected. the Indians played the Texas Rangers on July 27, 2013, and it was Michael Brantley replica jersey giveaway night. Michael signed autos for a few people before the game, but he signed over in front of Section 169, and i was front row in 172. after the game, i went to the players parking lot, as usual, in an attempt to get (anybody's) autographs. many players had already left by the time Michael came out. after standing around chatting with family and friends for a good 10 minutes, he went over to the long fence to sign autographs! i couldn't believe it because Michael never signs for fans in the parking lot, he normally just signs autos before games. maybe because it was his jersey night, he thought he should sign after the game as well. or perhaps he was ordered to do so by his agent (who was also there) to stay in good graces with his fans lol who knows. whatever the reason, i'm glad he did because Michael then signed my replica Brantley jersey--my first and only Brantley autograph of 2013.

he signed for just a few more people before leaving. i don't think he signed for more than 30 people total. so maybe getting that 10th auto in my collection was destined to happen for me that night. maybe because i truly am his #1 fan, it was simply meant to be =D

my desire to acquire Brantley's autograph all started out so innocently. i just wanted to make Michael smile and i really wanted his autograph in my possession. now this has turned into a competition. everything i do, i try to be the best at, and this is no exception. i want to attain Michael's autograph so much that my collection will be untouchable. i want it more times than his school teachers have it lol well that might not be possible, but as long as i continue going to Indians games, and Michael is part of this franchise, i will be seeking more autographs from him. the more i have, the further i can prove my case that i am, hands down, his #1 fan.