the reason autograph seeking has "become the domain of middle-aged white guys" is because those middle-aged white guys are the few who know what it feels like to have good experiences meeting players in those settings. Times have changed...."graphing" was fun in the 80s and early 90s but we're now in an age where even mediocre players are getting $20-40 for their signatures at sit-down signings- the better players commanding hundreds per signature and you have to pay extra to get a picture withteh guy now. When memorabilia became big business rather than a hobby the hobby as we all knew it was ruined. There were always some people who sold most of what they got but as I've been more than happy to tell a few players, even if they sat down and signed 100 pieces for me, after the time I put in and what I spent on the items for the player to sign I'd be lucky to break even. The stadium set-ups inside and out, the security staffs and the players in general have become far less fan friendly over the years so when the younger generation goes out for the first time to get an autograph and they get blown off by most of the team, leaving with a signature from that superstar Adam Loewen if they're lucky, they just don't see the fun in it. Those of us who have been doing it for years have to be far more creative in our ventures by learning players tendencies ( what they will and won't sign, on what days they prefer to sign, etc etc ) in order to build any type of a collection and again, the players in general have gotten far less fan friendly. Certain guys only sign on the first or last day of the roadtrip, some only sign "inside" the park, some only at the hotel,e etc etc. For example, I took my 3 year old son and a friend to the Willis McGahee radio show the first week it was held thinking it was a good shot we could get an item or two signed and maybe get a photo with him....well we waited patiently until the event was over, walked outside and waited by his limo in order to not create a mob scene by asking him inside where everyone would have bombarded him if he started signing. He finally comes out, I have my 3 year old son and a football in my arms and I asked him if he minded singing an autograph for us....keep in mind, it's just the 3 of us...his reply was "I can't right now" and he climbed into his limo and sat there for 15 minutes doing nothing while waiting for someone who was riding with him to come out. I understand when guys have family with them or they're in public places away from a team organized function but this was his "welcome to Baltimore" radio show and the best he could say was "I can't right now" and ignore us as we stood there. We weren't some of these dealers you see running around asking guys to sign 5 items- 2 guys in their upper 20s and a 3 year old child and he blew us off. That's just one of many similar examples I could tell you of- I have more disappointing memories than good ones with this hobby these days but you still live for those good ones. I hope my little boy takes on my love for sports and someday gets to experience some of the very cool things I have through it but the players need to know that they hold much of their future success in their own hands- that kid you blow off today might not want to watch your game tomorrow. If he doesn't watch that game tomorrow, he may never end up being that life long fan and season ticket holder or even just that guy who takes his kids to a few ballgames a year and in turn he'll never develop that love for the game to pass along to future generations. Ultimately the game will suffer....Selig can say what he wants about what he considers to be their recent success but it looks to me like the game is struggling in soooo many places, including our own back yard. Keep increasing those prices for autographs at shows, keep building higher fences around the players parking lot, keep blowing off that kid asking for a simple John Hancock and soon enough those "middle-aged white guys" won't be around to pass on their love for the game and ultimately the game will suffer. Mickey Tettleton was my favorite player growing up- I thought his batting stance was coola nd the first time I met him was a time I'll never forget- he was walking off the field from batting practice at Memorial Stsdium in 1989 during hte "Why not?" season- I asked him for an autograph and instead he handed me his bat. I still to this day have that bat and actually had him sign it at a golf tourney last year. I joked around and told him that story and how I never forgot that and for that moment I felt like that excited 10 year old little boy again- The day when those kind of experiences aren't an option because you can't get anywhere near these guys without paying crazy money will be a very sad one....oh guess what, it's already here. Thanks to the good guys who appreciate the fans