All Star Weekend activities got underway with the Fan Fest. Our tickets were for Saturday at 4, which was reasonably good timing. We got a good spot in the cathedral parking lot within easy walking distance of the convention center.
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| Chevrolet’s Tom Sawyer Bench Building Zone |
The fest itself was predictable fare, a fairly even mix of corporate PR, memorabilia sales, autograph booths, batting cages and the like.
We made a handful of old player sightings. The most notable was Cal Ripken Jr. conducting some kind of a fielding clinic. We also saw Dennis Leonard signing autographs, and we would have seen Tom Gordon if he’d bothered to show up.
Overall the experience left me with a strong sense of “meh,” but a handful of spots made the trip worthwhile. I enjoyed the Negro Leagues exhibit, the history of baseball in Kansas City, the Hall of Fame exhibit (though that one was a bit crowded) and the collection of MLB’s various trophies.
I also got a real kick out of the display of caps from all the teams’ minor league affiliates. It was an interesting reminder of just how big baseball really is. Every one of those caps is regularly worn by a team that’s the favorite of somebody somewhere.
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