Bring your pen and phone list to FanFest

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Published February 23, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG - The Rays will sell tickets, sign autographs, give tours of their clubhouse and call your friends and relatives during today's FanFest at Tropicana Field.

The annual event, which includes free admission and parking, runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be panel discussions by team executives and other baseball experts; an appearance by Jim Morris, the former pitcher who was the subject of the movie The Rookie; exhibits from the Ted Williams Museum; a baseball card show; a silent auction and numerous baseball and kids activities, including a chance to run the bases.

The highlight is usually the autograph signings. Among the bigger names, James Shields and Matt Garza are signing 11-noon; Don Zimmer, Scott Kazmir, Troy Percival and David Price noon-1; B.J. Upton, Akinori Iwamura and Rocco Baldelli 1-2; Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria 2-3; Carl Crawford 3-4. (A full schedule appears on blogs.tampabay.com/rays.)

Among the new activities is the MetroPCS Phone-A-Friend stage, where from one to three fans can have a player call their friend or relative. There also will be major-league alums signing autographs, including Tom Tresh.

The FanFest also marks the official launch of individual game ticket sales, which start at 9 a.m. at the Tropicana Field box office, on raysbaseball.com and through Ticketmaster outlets. (See rays.tampabay.com for the 2008 schedule.)

[Last modified February 22, 2008, 21:58:45]