At the end of January, I went to TwinsFest to see some of my favorite Minnesota Twins and if possible, get Joe Mauer’s autograph. TwinsFest is an autograph and memorabilia show that the Twins put on every year. It normally takes place at the Metrodome, but because of the now infamous roof collapse, it was moved to the National Sports Center in Blaine, Minnesota.

Soon after I arrived, it became clear that getting Mauer’s autograph was going to be impossible, due to his incredible fame in Minnesota. I waited for more than an hour in the cold and was nowhere near the front. I decided to go inside and see what other players were there.

Much to my surprise, I saw Hall of Fame pitcher Rollie Fingers! He was signing autographs in a separate area from all of the other Twins.

I was really excited to see Fingers at TwinsFest, because he never played for the Twins. I knew I would not have many chances to get an autograph from an all-time great. I bought a picture to have him autograph, from when he played for the Oakland Athletics.

Then, I asked Fingers if I could take a photo with him. Fingers was very nice and had no problem posing with me. He still had his signature handle bar mustache, but it was toned down from his playing days.

What an unexpected thrill it was to get his autograph and have my picture taken with a Hall of Fame baseball player like Fingers.