JimStinson
 

In bringing back an old thread ...Since I was the one that lined up the first private signing with Mike G. Marshall let me say this. Having completed private signings with the IMPOSSIBLE , Boxer CARLOS MONZON (in Argentina prison), NINO BENVENUTI (Rome Italy), etc etc I was deluged with requests for a signing with Mike G. Marshall which after many YEARS, yes YEARS I was able to compete , His autograph would have otherwise been unavailable ...Like it or not. But when finally it was offered I recieved late night phone calls to tell me what an idiot I was , Hate mail for charging so much. You name it I got it .....so you can't have it both ways.
On a personal level throughout the negotiations Marshall was always pleasent to talk to and a very intelligent man. I enjoyed our conversations but his level of responsibility to you and I was no different than any other athlete or celebrity. To give his 100% best when doing what you paid to watch him do. Nothing more nothing less. Its his choice to sign autographs for free , which by the way is a favor not an obligation. So the next time you watch a commercial for KFC during your favorite NFL game , stroll down there and tell them that since you have watched all of their commericials and assorted propaganda that you are entitled .......ENTITLED to a free chicken dinner , see what they tell you.
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jim@stinsonsports.com

+1

JimStinson
 

Also another ......Non Signer , I offered Actor Marlon Brando ONE MILLION dollars to do a private signing , ONE MILLION and do you know what he said ? NO , I asked for a counter offer and do you know what it was ? NO I am not interested in your proposal at any price .....so there you go , If he agreed collectors would have been required to pay $500.00 or more for his autograph. Just because you watched "The Godfather" does not mean he owed you OR me a favor
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jim@stinsonsports.com

The problem with the chicken scenario is that kfc has always set a standard of Charging for their chicken. What these players do is decide willy nilly wether to sign or charge or whatever. If sir mike didnt want to sign then fine don't. But waiting thirty years and bilking minimum wage collectors is the move of an ahole. Marlon brando made a mill a day for his work on superman. Do you think he gets that because he works hard? No stars get paid big bucks to compensate for living a stars lifestyle of being harassed day and night. So yes it is their duty to sign for the people that generate the money to cover their rediculous paychecks. They are also rich enough that if they wanted they could avoid autograph hounds yet at premiere time they have no problem passing up those people to be interviewed by E!
I'm sure mike marshall probably isnt filthy rich but he put this on himself to have people calling him names for being a hypocrite money grubbing ahole.

Yeah, definitely the issue with Marshall is that his principles appear to be for sale.

At least Brando wasn't for sale at that high price.

I don't even mind being charged for autographs, as it must be somewhat of a pain in the rear to deal with if you're really popular. I have a feeling Mr. Marshall would probably get 20 or 30 requests a year, which seems very manageable.

If he's not going to sign, awesome...who really gives a crap about his signature other than some completists. Claiming to not sign out of some principle and then signing when the check gets big enough is LAME.

JimStinson
 

Its their DUTY ??? come one man ! I don;t know what you do for a living but if I told you it was YOUR DUTY to spend four hours a day EVERY DAY to sign autographs and mail them back to so called fans would you do it ???? time away from your family, your kids , your real life ??? just so some annomous stranger could have your name scrawled on a piece of paper.
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jim@stinsonsports.com

JimStinson
 

and if that still messes you up , Turn the channel and watch womens basketball, last I heard they ALL sign for free
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jim@stinsonsports.com

JimStinson
 

30 requests a year ? try 30 a day thats reality
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jim@stinsonsports.com

For Mike Marshall? 30 a day?

Anyhow, that wouldn't take anyone but a stroke victim 4 hours to accomplish.

Still, sign or don't. My entire point is that he claims he won't sign but then he gets talked into it by a big check. Hard to have respect for that.

I agree. Mike Marshall's "principles" are absurd.

Baseball players DO have an obligation to their fans. We are all aware that baseball used to be a part-time job. Now it enables hundreds of athletes to make more money than they'll ever need in a year, every year. Why the shift?

THE FANS

You want to talk about how your job is to go out there and play baseball and that's it? Fine. Do you know who gave you that job?

THE FANS

Have some respect. Not only for yourself, but for the people who enable you to live the life that you're living. We are all taught from a young age to appreciate what we have, and the people who made it possible for us to have what we have. Why does that stop when you're a professional athlete?

JimStinson
 

respect it or not....agree with it or not ...My job was to convince IMPOSSILE non signers to sign FOR THE HOBBY I am not a doctor I don;t claim to know why. They do or don't SORRY ....But I made them available and I have to think that was a good thing. Otherwise there would be NOTHING as in the case of BRANDO , I did my best
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jim@stinsonsports.com

oh damn Jim, i'm not criticizing you.

my point was only in reference to Marshall.

sorry if it seemed otherwise.

JimStinson
 

I understand 100% but my point is that when everyone was bleeding for it I did it and then everyone complained....Hell if someone wanted MY autograph I'd send it for free but I didn;t win the Cy Young award ...everyone has their own beliefs and quirks
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jim@stinsonsports.com

yes, my heart bleeds for these idiot athletes and celebs who didnt think their life through when they signed their first million dollar contract. When I make $2500 an hour at my job and get autograph requests through the mail, yes I would take the time to sign them. The aholes that say they are too busy is nonsense. I remember James Stewart in his 80's signed EVERYTHING sent to him through the mail and Im sure even in his 80's he was ten times busier then the average person. Groucho Marx in his eighties was asked by his assistant why e takes the time to sign all his fan mail and he said " Because its my job"
I also love when celebs excuse is someone will sell their autograph. if they signed in the first place, though it wouldnt stop people from trying to sell them on ebay, and would turn that 1987 Topps Ricky Wright from a $5200 card into a $3 buy it now

JimStinson
 

Spoke with Clancy Smyres on the pnone I offered Clancy Smyres $500.00 per autograph ...he refused , played 5 games for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1944. Today I get e-mails all of the time offering $2,000 for a Smyres signature , what was his logic ? what did he owe ? I have no idea but I wish I had a few of them ...sometimes this hobby defies logic.
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jim@stinsonsports.com

I don't know what would drive a person to constantly deny regular people who enabled them to make a living the smallest satisfaction of having you write your name on something. Maybe sports attracts sadists more than any other personality types.

I dont think a player owes us anything. I consider myself an huge autograph collector and have been turned down by Hendrick, Jeff Leonard multiple times, Joel Youngblood and have been given attitude by players of even less ability, but they owe me nothing. If the market will allow Marshall the opportunity to charge $150, then so be it. Many people went ot autograph shows in the 90's thinking that all of these autographs were going to be their retirement. Nope. I need Marshall on 2 sets(69 and 76 topps) but willwait it out or pay for a signing. Its up to me if it is worth it or not. Mr Marshall has probably been bothered so often that he caved at a crazy price and we are willing to pay it. Also, good for him making money where people will be putting many of these on ebay anyways.

Paul,
I agree with you. I don't think these players (past and present) owe anybody anything other than signing if they want too or cordially refusing. I can't imagine what it would be like to be hounded all the time for my signature. I can't remember whether it was on this board or another that I told this story.

It was in Atlanta, my wife and I were eating at The Palm restaurant. David Ortiz was in there eating (by himself). All of the sudden three of these hotel hounds show up at his table with stuff for him to sign, while he's eating. Strangely enough, he was cordial and signed an autograph for them. I would not have.

My bet, seeing how these folks operate - they were waiting outside to hit hom again when he left. Unreal.

I understand the privacy issue and not wanting to be bothered when you're living your life. But I feel like most requests come at the ball park / spring training or through the mail, which are requests you can answer at your convenience.

Wow. I've never met him, but I always pictured Bo as a decent guy towards autograph collectors in person, but......maybe not?

Matt

JimStinson
 

Now THATS rude ,,,Its one thing to refuse to sign and another to ruin the photo to be obnoxious. Funny thing I had a woman approach me once to sell me an autograph , her and her husband were at a bar and her husband asked her to get Mickey Mantle's autograph , Mickey politely asked her name and signed the page for her. When she showed it to her husband he was furious , her name was Marilyn and it read "To Marilyn Best wishes and F--K You, your friend Mickey Mantle
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jim@stinsonsports.com

Haha what an inscription.

I spent the bulk of my teen years chasing autographs in person, baseball and hockey for the most part. As I was brought up to respect people, I always asked politely and if they said no, so be it.

Then and even now, I don't hold anyone who holds celebrity status to the idea that they have any kind of requirement to sign autographs. In a way, it made the thrill of catching a Reggie Jackson or Carl Yastrzemski on a "good" day all the more sweet.

At the other end of the spectrum are hockey players. It may be different now in big markets, but back in the day, hockey players were the most friendly, approachable, and accommodating professional athletes I ever came across. I think as a whole, they understand that signing autographs is good PR for the game.

Even Gretzky was a willing IP signer until I think it just got to be too much.

Despite the recent labor stupidity, hockey is about the last sport left where the athletes don't all act like a bunch of individualists.

I see it as this...

Sign or don't sign, change your mind, charge as much as you want, sign through the mail if you want, it all makes no difference to me. But if your going to take my money and sign an item for me, you sure as hell better be nice and cordial when you are doing it. You can be as much as an ass if you want if you sign for free, but not on my dollar, that's just poor taste.

As for appearance fee, charge what you want. People talk about how expensive some people are, think about what it will be like in a few years. Stephen Strasburg just signed for $300 a ball, and all he has done is blow out his arm. Imagine when Mike Trout starts charging, $500 a ball would not be out of the question. If some you hoe wants to pay that, he can waste it, I just won't waste mine.

Hendrick
 

back to Hendrick. About 5 years ago a bunch of us collectors were in the stands at a fall league game and Hendrick entered the stands. W keep cards of about everyone in our cards so 2 of us got cards and each of us sent our wives over- nice middle aged women. He signed a card for both of them. Then he turned everyone else down.
Most of the collectors couldn't believe he signed

I agree 100%. If you are going to do a job don't act like you are doing the world a favor.

As for Marshall and any other player who refuses to sign on "principle" then signs when the money gets big, I call BS. There is an old joke that sums up how I feel about them:

Churchill: Madam, would you sleep with me for five million pounds?
Socialite: My goodness, Mr. Churchill… Well, I suppose… we would have to discuss terms, of course…
Churchill: Would you sleep with me for five pounds?
Socialite: Mr. Churchill, what kind of woman do you think I am?!
Churchill: Madam, we’ve already established that. Now we are haggling about the price.

Reminds me of when I was in high school and my mom would drive my friend and I up to Baltimore to get autographs. Frank Robinson was notorious for never signing, and turned me down more times than I could count. Finally my mom said "give me that card", went up to Robby and he signed for her no problem. For whatever reason he would sign for her every time she asked. She was like 3-for-3 with him, and he'd consistently turn down everyone else.

JimStinson
 

I love Winston Churchill quotes .....:):)

Here are a couple more good ones

Bessie Braddock: “Sir, you are drunk.”
Churchill: “Madam, you are ugly. In the morning, I shall be sober.”

Nancy Astor: “If you were my husband, I would give you poison.”
Churchill: “If I were your husband I would take it.”

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jim@stinsonsports.com

Imagine all the time wasted declining to sign autographs and the process of explaining why. Better off just signing.

Frank Robinson
 

My son batboyed for Frank Robinso when he managed Team Usa. He would talk with Noah for hours. Noah had some team leader cards of Frank and others from the 60's signed by everyone except Frank. Frand would say "maybe you'll get me some day" but never signed them

And there we have the opening lesson of How To Be A Douchebag 101: Alienating your next generation of customers.

Of course if your son goes to the National he can pay Frank for an autograph and finish the card.

Or not...

What would be funny if his son did that.. and said

"Hey Frank, remember me, I talked to you every damn day and you never gave me an autograph. Looks like i had to be pay to "get yours"."

Now that would be good

back in the 80's when I worked in a card shop, the owner and I became friends with O's pitcher Mike Boddicker. One time he asked us to pick him up at the airport since he skipped the team plane from Boston to go home for a day. He asked us if we had room for a couple other guys...thankfully we had a minivan..and out walked Cal Ripken, Jr and Frank Robinson. The stories of Dempsey stealing everyones stuff to give to friends and family was priceless. I think I was too star struck to ask Frank Robby to sign the O's yearbook I was working on, but once he check in and came down from his room to go to the park I asked him...and he said NO!! We should have took the "scenic route" through Detroit and asked him then :D Mike Boddicker ended up taking it for a couple days and got me Frank and the always elusive Alan Wiggins.

Your mom was lucky..I was a hotel troll, but never managed to get Frank to sign.

JimStinson
 

One of the first autographs I ever asked for was as a kid from LEON WAGNER as he was coming into Yankee Stadium, He told me to "F Off" and laughed as did all his bros ....my father and uncle who heard what he said tried to jump him but security grabbed them. That was a nice introduction into the world of collecting.
Another great experience was with Richie Allen , I had two Phillies photos , Johnny Callison who signed his and Allen who told me to wait until he got back from the bathroom and he would sign. It was a hotel Bar. An hour and a half later I went back into the bar and was told Allen went home. In both cases a NO would have been nice instead of a jack job, so it helps when you expect the worst and are surprised at anything otherwise.
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jim@stinsonsports.com

That Allen story cold have been worse, he could have came back to sign without washing his hands :0

I think I only got 1 rude response ever from a player in my years of hitting the hotels and that was Johnny Bench, in for CBS radio, who gave me a "yea, bull s**t!" during our exchange...but he still signed!

I had Reggie cornered at the front desk waiting for a package and he said he didn't want to sign, but when I laid 4 cards out he signed "Reggie J" on them. One of my biggest surprises was with Rod Carew. Another collector and I had lost track of time chatting well past midnight when Rod strolled in with a stunning blonde. She held the elevator door and he signed at least a dozen things between us!

Back in 1980 I was at a Reading Phillies game with some friends.Ozzie Virgil Jr
hit 2 HRs.After the game I went to ask Ozzie to sign my glove.He looked at me and said "I have better things to do." Being 13,I was pretty upset.Then
someone grabbed my arm and said "I'll sign your glove for you."The player signed my glove,talked to me alittle,and thanked me for coming out to see them play.That player was Ryne Sandberg.I guess he didn't have anything better to do.

JimStinson
 

I agree I remember thinking at the time that after 1 1/2 hours it was the longest CRAP in the history of crap or long....:D
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jim@stinsonsports.com

JimStinson
 

A "tape measure" #2
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jim@stinsonsports.com

Ha - I think we all have our own Frank Robinson stories of getting turned down by that jerk! Back in the late 80s, I had Hank Bauer and Brooks Robinson sign the '67 Topps card picturing them and Frank.

So when Frank was in Boston (O's manager), I knew he'd be tough, but I figured with the other two already signed, he may be more obliging. I caught him many hours before the game outside of Fenway, as he got out of a cab with no other autograph seekers around. Seemed like the perfect opportunity.

He looked at the card as I held it, and it went something like this (mind you, I'm a 15 year old kid at this point):

Frank:"Oh, so you already had Brooks and Hank sign it?"
Me: "Yes sir, I would appreciate if you would sign it as well for me."
Frank: "I'll sign it for you tomorrow."
Me: "But this is the Orioles' last day here in Boston."
Frank: "I know!" (walks away laughing)

Seriously - why take the time to talk to me for 30 seconds just to be a jerk? It would've taken a fraction of the time to either just say no or to sign it, but why have a conversation and be an a-hole about it??

Sadly, I think, some folks just enjoy being a dick.

Robinson seems like a sadistic $#@%& a power trip. I'm going to be rude and deny you because I can.

And this was way before "commercialized hounds" and eBay, so that's not even an excuse. I have no respect for guys that are mean to kids.

JimStinson
 

What a jerk I love those stories.... Here is one for you JIM KAAT coming out of a hotel , No one recognizes him but me and I have an 8x10 photo of him in my arsenal of possible players at the hotel. No one for miles except for me and him.
Mr Kaat would you autograph my photo ?
No response
I ask again,
I'm busy he says ...
Then out my my arsenal I remember he likes to golf and I know the guy that owns the pro shop (Can;t remember his name today but lets say its Bob)
I say I'm a friend of Bob's
He says "The golf guy?"
I say yea "figure I got him now !"
He says tell him I said HI (as he gets in his car to drive away)

JimStinson
 

Another goofy autograph story unrelated to baseball......Shortly after the movie TITANTIC came out I am sitting in a jazz club in Holland. Sitting next to me is a woman that looks familer but can't place the name with the face ....she's seated with a guy, and I with a lady ....so I keep looking at her and every time I look at her she looks back, Its KATE WINSLET so finally I point my finger at her like "OK NOW I recognize you" and she smiled and held a finger to her lips ...like keep quiet...lol, so I never asked her for an autograph but was funny because she NEVER was recognized and both she and the guy she was with said Good Bye and thanks before they left
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jim@stinsonsports.com

I don't know if this has ever been brought up in the forum before, but this is one of my favorite autograph stories told by the great Tommy Lasorda.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFYBD-EoCnc

Jim, please write a book on your stories and experiences, because I'd buy the shit out of that book! Lol

JimStinson
 

Much appreciated ...but no one reads books anymore, Just forums and blogs. thats where the money is , Just ask LEON he's probably reading this right now smiling to himself on some island in Tahiti somewhere as a bikini clad nymph serves him a tropical drink with an umbrella in it
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jim@stinsonsports.com

Jim, I didn't know they had red lights in a jazz club? :D

Hey, wait! I have a blog and I have no bikini clad nymph and tropical umbrella drinks!

GREAT thread by the way, makes my lunch break fun!

I was a hotel hound in Boston from 1983 to about 1988 for baseball. I stuck with basketball and hockey into the 1990’s. Since all of the teams pretty much stayed at the same hotel (Sheraton Boston) for most of those years it was easy and difficult at the same time. Players could walk to Fenway Park (15 minutes) and there were multiple ways out of the hotel if they did not want to be seen. Some players I never saw, like Carew, but if we saw them we would ask them. Most of the time they either would sign or not, but rarely were they jerks. Of the toughies; Eddie Murray signed the one time I saw him. Last player I needed on a 1983 team ball. Last day of the season and he left the hotel late. I was able to convince him to sign out on the sidewalk. The only time I ever saw Jerk Brett he signed. My all-time favorite of the toughies was Mr. Ego himself, Reggie Jackson. Never turned me down, four for four with him. He was the second player I ever got at the hotel when I started in 1983. I had a game bat that I had purchased from a card store near Fenway. My friend was a card collector so I went with him to the store. I liked the bat and bought it. I asked him in the hotel after he got off the team bus. He was hesitant, but signed it anyways. I had no clue about clubhouse people taking things and selling them. The second time he walked into the hotel and was hounded. He saw that I had black and white photos of him that I had taken so he asked me to jump into the elevator with him and he signed them all on the way up. He just asked for copies as one of them was of him hitting a home run (386 or 387?).

The third time was my favorite. Anyone who goes to Fenway Park knows that the visiting team is on the left field side and the players loosen up in the outfield. Reggie was the last player out there and as usual all of the kids were yelling at him to come over. I had the June 3, 1974 Time magazine with him on the cover with me. He finished his workout and was doing his usual walk towards the foul line to go into the dugout. He looked casually towards the crowd, but I knew he did not plan on signing. I took the magazine and very casually held it in front of me at waist level. He walked over to the crowd. You can imagine 50 or 60 people yelling at him and holding out balls and cards and the such. He stopped right in front of me and stared at me. I handed him the magazine and a sharpie. He signed it beautifully and handed it back to me. I said ‘Thank you, Mr. Jackson’ he nodded, picked up his bat and glove and walked to the dugout. The silence was deafening.

One of the earlier posters mentioned that hockey players were good. I found that to be true for those years. I got pretty much everyone. Same with basketball, including many of the toughies. Even Jordan was great back in 1984-1985. One of my favorite stories with him signing was when a friend and I handed him a paper grocery bag, one of those ones with handles, filled with magazines, drymounted magazine photos and index cards. He took the whole bag of items to his room and gave them back to us the next morning, 40-50 items, all beautifully signed. What would that cost with UDA these days?