Fans find Roberts and his tattoos worthy of bobblehead
Jun 13, 2011, 4:33 PM | Updated: 5:43 pm
Somewhere on Monday the maker of the Arizona Diamondbacks’ promotional bobbleheads cringed. That’s because the winner of the ‘Fan Vote’ bobblehead was announced by the club and it’s a player that will keep the company busy.
The D-backs announced that fans selected utility man Ryan Roberts to be enshrined in plastic in time for the September 24 giveaway.
Roberts, affectionately known as TatMan, has more ‘ink’ than a newspaper press which will probably be challenging to replicate on such a small canvas as a bobblehead. Think of it like one of those paint by number projects you did as a kid but instead of a huge piece of paper, you’re trying to do it on a postage stamp.
Despite the difficulties the manufacturer faces attempting to create an accurate representation of Roberts’ tattoos, it is quite an honor for a player to have 15,000 miniature nodding replicas of himself handed out at the ballpark. Especially for a player who wasn’t even a contributor in the major leagues just one season ago.
“I want to say thank you to the fans for voting me the winner,” Roberts said. “It definitely means a lot to me. In this game, it is comforting to know you actually have people who recognize you and cheer for you. Winning a bobblehead solidifies the fact you actually have a fan base. I would also like to thank my teammates and coaches for helping me along the way. This honor is another of many memorable experiences I have had and hope to have as a D-back. I am definitely very appreciative.”
Roberts’ fans may have recognized him with their votes but the pressure is now on the makers of the bobblehead to ensure they recognize him, and his trademark tattoos, when they open those boxes in late September.
