In the calm before the rush, Josh Bell picked a black Sharpie off a white tablecloth draped over a folding table in the relatively empty left-field concourse at Hadlock Field.

Bell, a first baseman for the Double-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates located in Altoona, Pennsylvania, was one of the most sought-after signers at autograph sessions Wednesday afternoon before the Eastern League All-Star Game.

Caleb Phillips, 10, of Lisbon holds his autographed ball, signed by players in the Eastern League All-Star Game. Whitney Hayward/Staff Photographer

Western Division All-Stars first baseman Josh Bell signs autographs before Wednesday night's game at Hadlock Field. Whitney Hayward/Staff Photographer

“It’s cool,” said Bell, whose signing bonus of $5 million in 2011 set a record for a second-round draft pick.

“It’s especially cool when there are kids involved. You kind of put yourself in their shoes, aspiring to be in our shoes one day.”

The game and the Home Run Derby were the feature events at Hadlock, but a few thousand folks showed up hours before the first pitch to interact with the All-Stars, to share a snippet of conversation and get a card, ball, photo or bat signed.

Two lines snaked through the concourse shortly after the main gate opened at 3 p.m., with Bell and seven other Western Division All-Stars seated beneath the left-field stands and the rest of his temporary teammates behind the first-base stands. On the field, the Eastern Division team took batting practice.

After 45 minutes, the teams switched positions.

The Jensen family of Tolland, Connecticut, emerged from the tent with dad Adam and his sons, Luke (12), Seth (10) and Garrett (“I’m almost 7), each wearing a Red Sox T-shirt and clutching a white Rawlings Official Major League Baseball covered with signatures.

“My first autograph was Ted Williams and it got me hooked,” said Adam as he placed his youngest son’s ball into a clear baggie so the ink wouldn’t smudge. “I was about 10 years old, right around Seth’s age, and I’m just glad they’re getting into it now. It’s a lot of fun.”

Jensen and his wife, Jennifer, planned their vacation to Old Orchard Beach around the All-Star Game. They said they didn’t know any of the players whose signatures they obtained, but that it was exciting nonetheless.

Moments later, 8-year-old Hayden Collins of Bangor came through the line, clutching a homemade wooden replica of home plate that players had signed. His dad had another plate, still shiny white and inkless, ready for the Eastern Division All-Stars.

Although there were plenty of kids seeking autographs, adults were plentiful as well. Seasoned collectors carried backpacks with binders and easy-to-access baseball cards.

Bill Kearns of Sabattus carried a large piece of cardboard on each side of which he had taped a white homemade poster with the Eastern League All-Star logo. He arrived at Hadlock early Wednesday morning, hoping to catch players as they arrived at the park.

Kearns said he started collecting autographs with his son, Jon, at the suggestion of a friend when Jon, now 20 and a cancer survivor, was 7.

“I don’t have any vices, so I do this,” he said. “And my wife is OK with it.”

Both posters, he said, will go under a glass frame. One will hang in his “baseball shed” behind his house. The other is for a friend.

Jay Gardner, 48, of Whitefield and his stepson, Corey Harris, 30, of Augusta share a history similar to that of Kearns. It was something to do together when Corey was young, and something they continue to enjoy.

“It’s very exciting,” said Harris, who got hooked on ‘graphing when, on a trip to spring training in Florida, Mariano Rivera signed for him. “When you’re going to get one of your favorite players, the anticipation builds up.

“It’s like thrill seekers when they go on a roller coaster. They get so excited and then they’re like, ‘What can I do bigger and better?’ ”

Back at the table in left field, Bell, the Pirates’ prospect, was reflective about what can sometimes be a tedious and certainly repetitive task. He has never asked anyone for an autograph, but remembers the feeling that day when, as a sophomore in high school, he high-fived Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki coming off a basketball court and vowed not to wash his hand for a week.

“It might end one day,” Bell said. “After your career is done, you might go through your entire day without anybody wanting your signature, so you might as well take advantage of the experience and the opportunity while it presents itself.”

Related Stories