New Tips And Triks For You

Early Friday afternoon at the Javits Convention Center, Jim Fitch tried to keep a watchful eye at one of the more unusual exhibits at FanFest, the annual baseball bonanza preceding every All-Star Game.

"People are always trying to pick at the stuff," Fitch sighed, brushing his hand across a small plot of nearly shorn Bermuda grass, the very turf that carpets the outfield at Turner Field in Atlanta.

Fitch, a regional sales manager for Scotts lawn care company, the kiosk sponsor, had adopted a slogan of sorts for prying fingers: You can pet, but don't pick.

And so fans came through - nearly 300 amateur horticulturalists per hour - smelling, brushing, delighting over the soft green samples along the wall.

Could they get their own lawns looking like the plush outfield at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati? Why yes, Fitch would say, directing them to the samples of Perennial Ryegrass, which, inevitably, they poked and prodded.

After all, hands-on could be FanFest's unofficial motto, with no shortage of activities or items for people to swing, toss, try on, rub or smack. There was a kiosk for testing the authentic batting gloves of various major league stars and for swinging official Louisville Slugger bats. There was a kiosk for taking photos with the World Series trophy. There was a kiosk for those who are avid baseball pin collectors.

Fans could meet Rollie Fingers, the Hall of Fame closer for the Oakland Athletics, or Shirley Burkovich, a former pitcher for the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, celebrated in the 1992 film "A League of Their Own."

There was also a large area designated for the history of the Mets, although Jose Rosario, 21, a lifelong Mets fan, sounded a bit disappointed at the meager amount of Mets apparel he saw represented among the crowd. He figured that Javits Center would be teeming with David Wright and Tom Seaver jerseys, worn by fellow fans longing for the opportunity to show their support.

"It's a break - a well-needed break," said Rosario, a lifelong Mets fan. "Shine a little positive light on a franchise that's hopefully improving."

Rosario held a glass-encased ball with autographs from the former Mets John Franco, Ed Charles and Art Shamsky - the main reason most of the attendees seemed to be coming in.

Dan Timberman, 52, arrived when doors opened at 9 a.m. to meet Dwight Gooden, although it took him more than 80 minutes to get his baseball signed. At 3 p.m., he was still at Javits Center, waiting another hour in line to greet Darryl Strawberry.

Timberman, a Yankees fan, attended FanFest ahead of the 2008 All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium and noted that the crowd appeared a bit thinner this year. He was not necessarily complaining.

"I think the players are actually a little more accessible this year," Timberman said. "I think the lines were longer last time. It's a little bit more realistic to actually see a player this time."