[mcgwirecom]

My avatar is obviously Joe DiMaggio and I.

I started collecting after my first divorce in 1993. I always wanted to get a DiMaggio autograph, but at that time the price was $300+ for a real one. I found out Joe was signing in AC for $350. So I made the trip so I could meet him. At that time he was the connection between the old days and modern baseball. He played with Gehrig and Mantle both.

At the show I was near the end of the line and I watched as person after person would take a photo of Joe as he signed their items. People were talking about how you had to watch what you say to him and that he wouldn't sign this or that. It seemed like everyone was afraid of him, or that they were meeting God himself. I wanted to be in the photo with him so I asked the guy behind me to wait until I got to lean across the table so I could get in the picture with him. After he signed my ball I said "hey Joe, can I get a picture with you?" He stopped signing, looked up at me and kind of gave me a once over look. Then he said " sure, come around." I didn't even know what to do. The table was set up so it was really long, but I found my way around it finally and got this picture. I think I may have been the only one to get to pose with him. It's not that I collect DiMaggio, I actually collect McGwire mostly, but he was one of the few living legends I got to meet.