The Autograph Collectors

On the south side of Nationals Park, as far as possible from the Navy Yard metro station that most people use to go to the game, a group of baseball fans stand sweating, just outside of a closed parking lot. Inside the lot Oliver Perez’s Maserati and Gio Gonzalez’s Porsche SUV sit parked and empty. The fans heads all turn toward the street as a cherry red Volvo SUV slows down to turn into the lot. A guard in a booth behind the gate opens it before the SUV comes to a complete stop.

“That was Anthony Rendon.” Jack Perchell, a 15 year-old fan who is wearing a Rendon jersey, says as he flips through his book of baseball cards looking for the page dedicated to Rendon.

A single No Parking sign provides the only sliver of shade on this 93 degree day and a fan who forgot his hat is trying to hide in its shadow. The fans leaning over bike rack barricades which separate them from the players all have sharpies, baseballs, and baseball cards in their hands and several bottles of water scatter the ground near their open backpacks.

Only 5 people are inside the racks today, but according to Perchell’s uncle Dennis O’Brien, a Nats fan from New Jersey who had also brought his 17 year-old daughter, it’s a chance to meet the Major League baseball players that they usually watch on television.

“It’s her fault.” O’Brien said, referring to his daughter. “She wants to meet Jayson Werth.”

The autograph collectors arrive at the park 6 hours before game time, stand in a 12-by-12 foot area and watch the street for approaching sports cars that might contain one of their heros. They exchange stories of which players they’ve met, which players have already arrived and who is usually the nicest to fans. Some collect the autographs for themselves, some collect for their kids and some hope to sell the signatures to somebody who wasn’t in the right place at the right time.

“A.J. Cole stopped yesterday,” O’Brien said. “We got Tanner Roark earlier today.”

At this time of day there aren’t many baseball fans in the area surrounding Washington’s baseball stadium. Half street isn’t yet blocked to traffic and street parking is still available on M street despite the fact that the Nats are in 1st place and their division rivals, the Philadelphia Phillies are in town. Stadium workers are strolling into the employee entrances with their uniform shirts still in their hands and a lone street vendor is rolling his Igloo cooler full of water toward the area in front of the main entrances. The ticket windows won’t open until 4 p.m. and by that time a lot of his ice will have melted.

“They usually show up between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. for a 7 p.m. start,” O’Brien said. “Some guys stop, some guys go by. A lot depends on the mood.”

As the Nats starting third baseman parks his Volvo, steps out and walks across the short lot toward the players entrance, O’Brien, his nephew Jack and his daughter Rachel lean over the bike racks with their sharpies and cards ready.

“Catch me after the game,” Rendon said, “Too hot out here today.”

As the players entrance door closes behind Rendon, Jack and his cousin Rachel look at each other and smile. “We’re making progress,” Rachel said, “At least he said something this time.”