Drew Stubbs Should Have Signed the K

Among our many newfound and growing traditions within the Noise Nation is having the opposing center fielder sign a K if he strikes out. We usually get a few confused smiles and maybe some good hearted jokes about why players won’t sign their K but noone has refused like Drew Stubbs did last season at Coca Cola Park.

In a 4 game series against the Louisville Bats, Stubbs played all 4 games in centerfield. In the first night we gave him a healthy dose of LEFT RIGHT LEFT and cowbells but when he struck out the Noise Nation went wild with excitement. After the game, a delegation was sent to the opposing dugout to get Stubbs to sign his K. He gave them some choice words and stomped off. The next day, that same delegation went down to try again and met the same response. A small girl called over, “Pweease Drew.. sign our K” and he still refused. A more sympathetic player on the Bats, I can’t recall his name, came over and gave the little girl and autograph on the K. That night the player who signed hit a home run and Drew Stubbs went 0-5 with 3 strikeouts.

So the next game we tried again. He wouldn’t come near us. So we go to centerfield and he is grumbling to himself, snearing looks directed at us and seems uncomfortable. We decided to take this a little further. We took out our magic markers and some extra poster board and to the right of the OINK sign we made Stubbs his own strike out meter complete with his 5 strikeouts of the series.

Should have signed the K..

The next inning he comes running out and is fuming. He yells up to us that he can’t hear us, we aren’t loud enough and paces in circles until the game ended. We looked over at the Bats dugout and his teammates were in tears laughing so hard.

To a heckler, I feel this is the greatest impact that can be made. Your goal is to impact the end result of the game to favor your team. You want to keep it clean, keep it accurate and just annoy the player you are focusing on until it affects his game. To have his own teammates laughing at him will keep this joke running for a long time to come.

Should’ve signed that K Stubbs… should’ve signed it.