A North Texas family's spring training tradition
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How it started (2009). Photo: Courtesy of Jodi Campbell
The Campbell family travels from North Texas to Surprise, Arizona, every year with a spiral sketchbook filled with trading cards and dozens of baseballs, ready to be signed.
State of play: The Campbells have followed the Texas Rangers to spring training annually since 2008.
- They've seen fans flock to spring training in 2011 and 2012 after back-to-back World Series appearances. And they've sat in a near-empty stadium during what Rangers fanatics simply call the bad years.
Why it matters: Spring training is the best chance for diehard fans to meet players and see workouts up close.
- It's also big business for Arizona and Florida, drawing more than a million visitors to the states for pre-season games.
Flashback: Steven Campbell remembers casually meeting players like Adrián Beltré, Josh Hamilton and Elvis Andrus when he was a kid on spring break with his parents, Jodi and Scott.
- During their first Arizona trip in 2008, the Campbells turned to spring training regulars for advice on how to organize autographs and meet players.
- They learned the basics, including keeping ink pens for the athletes to use while signing baseballs. Sharpie signatures fade.
The intrigue: The Campbells are nostalgic for previous training camps when fans could get closer and players seemed to enjoy interacting with fans.
- Andrus would sit on a folding chair after workouts to sign trading cards and baseballs. And Hamilton would spend a couple of innings signing and greeting fans after he finished playing in a game.
The latest: Surprise expected a larger influx of visitors this year to see the reigning World Series champs.
- And, like after the Rangers' previous visits to the Fall Classic in 2010 and 2011, the Campbells expected the crowds to balloon this year.
- "When they won the World Series, it was like, 'Alright!!' and then, 'Oh man…" Jodi says of realizing how busy Surprise would be.
What they're saying: Even before the championship, access was changing at spring training. More fencing and barriers have been added to manage crowds.
- "We used to drink from the same water coolers they did," Steven tells Axios.
How it works: The family keeps trading cards organized by player names, so they can quickly find the right card when they see the athlete walk by.
- Jodi watches for players walking out of the batting cages. She scribbles a pen on the inside of her forearm to make sure it works before darting off to say hello and ask for an autograph.
- Steven met Rangers manager Bruce Bochy after workouts and got a baseball autographed. Once the balls are signed, they're stored in individual plastic baggies.
The bottom line: Steven and his parents have managed to collect more than 2,000 signatures during their years of meeting players.
- Each autograph is a reminder of getting to chat with their favorite Rangers.