VIDEO: Frankfort Sox Fans Meet Adam Dunn Close to Home

White Sox fans in Frankfort didn't need to drive to U.S. Cellular Field on Thursday, June 21, to get close to one of the team's stars. Thanks to an autograph signing appearance at Triple Threat Sports, residents were able to meet Sox designated hitter Adam Dunn.

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Dunn, who leads the majors in homeruns, posed for photos and autographed baseballs and other memoroblia for attendees. The slugger is one of a series of White Sox players that Triple Threat Sports has brought to Frankfort. and pitchers and have all made appearances at the sports apparel shop this summer, and .

Patch spoke with Triple Threat Sports owner Chris Hubble about the Adam Dunn signing and why his shop does these events among other topics. 

Patch: What made you want to bring in athletes to your store?

Chris Hubble: We're here as a service to the sports fans of the community. Part of that service is letting people come in and meet some of the people they watch on TV.

Why is it great, specifically, to have Adam Dunn come to Triple Threat Sports?

Nobody else in the area can say the Major League [Baseball] homerun leader is going to be in their store. He's a guy who is going to hit his 400th homerun this year. He's going to be in the 500 homerun club. There's never been any allogations of performance-enhancing drugs with him, so he's got a very good shot of getting into the Hall of Fame. Putting him out at $31 and $51 [to sign items] is very reasonable.

What does Triple Threat Sports, as a business, hope to get out of having professional athletes in the shop?

By having the guys out, we're bringing in people that might not have known we were here, moved or existed. The goal is to get people in and have a good experience with the athlete. And maybe in a month, if they want a White Sox jersey, they will come back here.

How does the process work of getting a professional athlete to come to your store?

Every deal is different. It's utlizizing your contacts, hoping that you can reach the player you want, and both sides can reach an agreement with compensation. The key is trying to find an athlete at an affordable price to our customers.

What is the largest amount of money that you would like to charge customers for an autograph?

I don't like to charge $100 for an autograph, but that's probably where we'd be if we brought in a guy like Brian Urlacher [of the Chicago Bears] out. There's a fine line of bringing a player out and keeping it affordable. I think we do a good job of that.

How come there have been a much larger number of White Sox players to come in compared to Cubs athletes?

The problem with brining Cubs players out is there's a lot more travel for them than the White Sox. [The Cubs] play a lot more day games, so it's tougher.

What work goes on behind the scenes on the day of these signings?

We're exhausted at the end of the night because signings are a lot of work for us. People see the athletes signing the stuff. Yet we do service a lot of people who can't make it. There are a lot of mail-order items and drop-off items that come in. Before the signings, we have to arrange everything. After the signings, we have to make sure they all get done and then seperate them by customer.

What would you say is your goal for each individual signing?

If nobody walked out of here unhappy, we got everything we needed done, the player walked out of here in a state where he'd come back again. My main concern is that the customers have a good experience.

Upcoming Signings

SATURDAY, JUNE 23

Who: Former White Sox player an current coach Harold Baines
When: 11 a.m. to noon
How much: Advance autograph tickets are $20 for any item, $15 for inscriptions (limit one per item; inscriptions will not be added to signed items). Tickets will be $25 the day of the appearance.

MONDAY, JULY 2

Who: Cy Young Award-winning pitcher Jake Peavy
When: 7 to 8 p.m.
How much: Advance autograph tickets are $39 for cards, flats and balls; $59 for all other items; and $20 for inscriptions (limit one per item; inscriptions will not be added to signed items). Tickets will be $45 and $65 day of the appearance. 

THURSDAY, JULY 5

Who: Pitcher Chris Sale
When: 6 to 7 p.m. (time is tentative because of the White Sox's day game)
How much: Advance autograph tickets are $29 for any item, $15 for inscriptions (limit one per item; inscriptions will not be added to signed items). Tickets will be $35 day of the appearance. 

Tickets for these signings can be ordered online. Go to  Triple Threat's website and Facebook page for more information.

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