View Single Post
  #27  
Old 02-06-2012, 08:06 AM
steve B steve B is online now
Steve Birmingham
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: eastern Mass.
Posts: 8,135
Default

I don't really hunt autographs much, so only two, both when I was a kid.

Bob Feller pitched a home run derby in Pittsfield Ma. in I think 74 or 75. After he sat in the stands with a huge stack of 8 1/2x11 "photos" that he was signing. I got one, and I think one for dad. Most of the kids were making planes out of them. When I asked if that bothered him he said " they're kids, they'll do stuff like that. And they're having fun so it's fine." Then he asked if I played ball, and we spent a couple innings watchingthe game while he explained what the pitcher was doing - different pitches etc.

And Brooks Robinson was at a Sports Illustrated hospitality room at a principals convention in 76. He also spent a bit of time talking baseball, after asking if I wasn't a bit young to be there. When one of the guys behind me said something aboutthe line not moving he looked at him and said "I'm talking to the kid, you'll have to wait" Which is totally awesome when you're 13

Rice and Evans were both at shows, and it was a pretty typical show thing. Hand item to assistant, move over, watch signing, get stuff back, move along. Evans did make a somewhat cryptic comment about the bat, but there wasn't the time to ask what he meant. (I really should have tried though. I'll always wonder what he meant by" huh- yep that's it")

Steve B
Reply With Quote