Jason Pridie – A Class Act …and Mike Cameron as well

Was at the Mets@Marlins game last Friday night.  Hanging outside Sun Life Stadium after the Mets win since it was Fiesta Friday at the crummy Fish stadium, there were about 10-20 Mets fans, mostly kids – asking for autographs as the players got on the team bus – (some players sped out in their fancy cars with tinted windows out of the enclosed garage area).  But just about every single player walking out onto the bus which was less than 25 feet from where the fans were standing either ignored the fans or barely waived as the kids yelled out their names begging for a simple signature…all players just got right up on the bus, all except but one – Jason Pridie.

Pridie went over to the fans and took literally less than 5 minutes of his time and made sure to go up and down the line of fans signing balls and taking pictures.  It was admirable and you couldn’t help but wonder why some of the other players couldn’t do the same.  It did not take that long and their bus was sitting there forever anyway.

Once the bus took off and the disappointed kids were walking away with just one autograph one last car stopped just before the exit gate.  Ex-Met Mike Cameron made one more spectacular play for these Mets fans and got out of his car and signed for a few fans who stuck around and also took pictures with others.

The Marlins at least have an autograph section on the field level of the stadium before the game where they sit 2 players at random (Leo Nunez and Clay Hensley signed that night). No other players signed after the game.

I always heard of people complaining that players don’t like to sign autographs and never thought much of it – until I saw how little effort it took and how much it meant to those kids that showed up at the game – now this was just one game, I’m sure their signing habits differ and I’ve never stuck around to see who signs and who doesn’t but that one night, none of the Mets seemed to care much about those Mets fans in Miami – none but Jason Pridie …and good ol’ ex-Met Mike Cameron.  (Terry Collins quickly signed a few himself but seemed to be with family and understandably was in a hurry).

Nonetheless, hats off to Jason Pridie and Mike Cameron for making it a more enjoyable night for a handful of grateful baseball fans.