Signed Ball of the Day - Player Appearance Recap : John Ely ( ROMLB Sweet Spot )

Ah, Ely mania. So was the spring of 2010. John came to us via trade with the White Sox for Juan Pierre. He started in the minor leagues but was soon called up to the majors. His first game was forgettable but afterwards for about a month he was the talk of the town. He did well with what he had but after a month the league caught up to him and he ended the season with a 4-10 record. He is at best a 5th starter on an average team. If he was to be on this year's Dodger team I don't even think he would crack the top 10. Once he was demoted to the minors though he flourished and was actually named pitcher of the year for the AAA league. He is a true AAAA player. In the off season he was traded to the Astros.

The Dodgers pounced on his popularity and had him do a public signing in early June of 2010 at an ATT store in Culver City. This was one of a few signings that day and since this one was closet to me I decided to attend this one and meet the new kid. I ventured over and got there about 3 hours before his scheduled time and there were already about 25 people in line. I knew I was in for a wait today. By the time John showed up the line had grown to at least over 200 people. Once in John promptly signed and was pleasant with everyone. Always love meeting the new guys as they are still grounded and not jaded. I brought along a baseball and he signed it for me. In and out within 10 minutes. Once outside I noticed the line wrapped around the building. You just knew there were going to be people going home empty handed. Thanks again John and good luck in Houston.