By JEFF D'ALESSIO
Florida Today

VIERA, Fla. - There's no better time to mix and mingle with the boys of summer than spring training - the one time of the year when you can walk right up to the stars and ask them to put their autographs on nearly anything.

But there are some guidelines to the chase - and players are willing to share:

1. Be prepared.

Believe it or not, says Houston Astros catcher Brad Ausmus, most players actually enjoy being asked for an autograph. What they don't particularly enjoy is waiting for you to scour through your bag looking for something to write with. "Have the item out and have the cap off of the pen," he said.

2. Buy a program.

"The one thing I'd recommend is to know a guy's name before you yell it out," said Montreal Expos outfielder Matt Cepicky, who two days into his stay in Viera had already been called two names other than his own. "I don't know how many times that's happened to me. It's kind of discouraging."

If you're in a pinch and don't have a roster handy, "Sir" will probably do the trick.

3. Look out for legends.

You never know who you're going to bump into at spring training. Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax, who lives in Vero Beach, Fla., has been known to drop by Dodgertown for practice. Tommy Lasorda and Maury Wills are on Los Angeles' spring training staff. Jim Palmer will be in Fort Lauderdale to call several Orioles' games on TV. Mike Schmidt will join Tug McGraw in the Philadelphia Phillies' camp for a week starting Monday.

4. Don't ask for 10 at a time.

Doug Ennis, an electrical engineer technician from Port St. John, Fla. who runs a Web site for autograph collectors (www.baseball-resources.com) , once got Brevard County (Fla.) Manatees third baseman Vince Rooi to sign 40 baseball cards for him in one sitting.

"A general rule of thumb is two, max three," Expos catcher Michael Barrett said. "You ask for more than three, and you start to really exceed to privileges."

5. Mind your manners.

This one's straight out of Autograph Collecting 101. "Say 'please' and 'thank you,"' New York Mets pitcher Al Leiter said. "That goes a long way."

6. No body parts.

Gloves are great. Cards are cool. Programs are perfect. But start asking for signatures on skin, and not everyone will play along.

"I got a forehead (request) once," Barrett said. "But I wouldn't do it. I'm afraid of ink poisoning or something."

7. Scout out locations.

At Dodgertown, the place to be is the bridge leading from the new clubhouse to the field. So says Orlando fan Bob Ovletrea, who's been to seven Grapefruit League parks and never found a better spot. "People that don't even try to get autographs can get 'em here," he said.

At Disney's Wide World of Sports, the grass berm in left field is a great place to grab your favorite Atlanta Brave.

"The hitting tunnels are close by and, in the mornings and afternoons, the Braves players enter and exit the facility along a sidewalk that parallels the back fence line of the berm area," said Bill Hofheimer, a publicist for Walt Disney World Sports. The general rule on game days: Hang out close to the dugout.

8. Head to the workouts.

Generally, the best time to pin down players is on non-game days after their workouts. Expos manager Frank Robinson signs once a day, usually about that time. "The one thing that the fans have to understand is we're out here to do our work and I'm out here to oversee the work and make sure it's done," he said. "So if I'm over here signing autographs for a half an hour, I'm not doing my job."

Don't ask players to sign while they're on their way from one field to another during practice. And never ask them to sign during games.

9. Don't act like a dealer.

Robinson says it's pretty easy to separate the people who simply want an autograph from people who are trying to make money.

The dealers and their ilk give themselves away by giving specific directions, such as asking him to sign in a particular area or signing a particular way, like "Frank Robinson, MVP."

Robinson's rules: no bats, no jerseys. That's the sort of memorabilia you see hanging on the walls of sports merchandise stores, with a hefty price tag in the corner.

10. Bring a backup writing utensil.

Ennis keeps a stash of 20-30 Sharpies and 50 pens (including, of course, a silver one in case he ever needs a black bat signed). Pens are best for baseballs; Sharpies for bats and cards.

If you're not at Dodgertown - where they sell pens on the premises - you could be out of luck. This isn't NASCAR, where the athletes keep a magic marker in their uniform pocket. But in baseball, spring training is as close as you'll come to that fan-friendly attitude.