|
I know this is off topic. Roy Orbison and John Denver were the only two who ever flatly refused to sign for me. A year after, Roy dropped dead of a heart attack at 52. And John Denver was killed in a plane crash at 53. Coincidence?
|
Yogi Berra is the only true prick I ever ran into regarding baseball autographs. He would not personalize at a show after promising me he would.
|
I had worked at Wrigley Field as security back when Yogi was coaching the Astros. I wanted to meet the man and get his autograph but I didn't want to do it on company time (against the rules). I took the day off and waited with four other collectors at the corner gate. A taxi pulls up and out pops Yogi with a bit of a scowl on his face. He moved past us and didn't even pay us any attention. He expected us to be stopped by security as he slipped behind the gates of the old ball park but what he didn't expect was me, with my security clearance, to follow him in through the gate. Once we got inside I asked him for his autograph and as he turned to look at me I could see that scowl on his face now turned to anger and he looked at the gate guard and asked him how I got in. I flashed him my badge, told him I always wanted to meet him and stuck out my hand. He grabbed the ball, gave me a very tiny autograph on the least desirable place on the ball and handed it back to me without saying a word. I thanked him as he walked away but was grateful for the opportunity to meet a legend face to face, no matter the circumstances.
I got to thinking of that encounter years later and I guess I can understand where he was coming from. The man has been hounded by autograph seekers a large majority of his life and I am sure he felt that behind the gates, with no fans around he was safe and could let his guard down. I can only imagine how annoyed he found me right at that moment. I still look at Yogi fondly even though the one time I met him did not go as I expected. |
Sandy Koufax 3 years ago.
My father is a pilot and was riding in the back of the plane to get home.Before boarding the airplane, a random guy told my dad, "Hey! You are lucky!" "Koufax is on that plane!".. Dad was confused..he said, "Sandy Koufax?" sure enough, he was sitting 2 rows in front of my Dad. Pretty surprising considering it was a very small airport they were flying to. My dad knew I collected autographs and was going to surprise me with getting his autograph. Dad didn't feel comfortable asking since he was still in uniform(even though he was off duty) and he wanted my brother to get a chance to meet him. So he text my brother ( who was picking him up) telling him that Koufax was on the plane and to bring something to get sign. My dad had no idea about Sandy and how "recluse" he is. In addition, my dad is not an autograph guy. He still thinks anyone who played baseball during the golden era are super friendly. When Koufax was making his way to baggage claim (one on one) my brother asked him politely, " Mr. Koufax could you please sign this?" He looked at my brother and scream "WHO THE F**K are you!?!" "WHO TOLD YA I WAS HERE!!" "HUH!!" My brother who is 30 was so shocked and taken back, that he didn't know what to say. My dad walk over and politely said,"I told him you were on the plane.We are fans of yours and it was a rare occurrence.I wanted my son, to get a chance to meet you sir.Sorry to bother you Mr.Koufax." My dad then took the card, ripped it up, and threw it in the trash can as they left. Granted, I kinda figure that would probably happen, but since my dad was trying to make it a surprise for me, I didn't know about it, or else I would of told him not to try. Sandy could of been alot nicer to my brother in turning him down. At least he got to meet him! ...kinda... |
Reclusive is just another word for being a jerk.
|
Quote:
|
Quote:
|
Quote:
|
Tom Seaver just did a show at Hofstra here last year.
|
As far as I know,It wasn't until maybe 2-3 years ago that Koufax starting showing up to Dodgers spring training( to assist Kershaw). Before that, he didn't want to be in the public eye. Seaver had been doing shows but I believe he is/was battling lyme disease.
Dad mention no recognize him at all. He just looked like another other person. The airport only has 2 gates. I would have to guess he flew into a smaller airport for a reason. It's okay, if he wants to be left alone, it's another to be complete asshole to someone. |
I'm pretty sure last year was Koufax's first year at spring training and from what I hear his being back in a Dodgers uniform has to do with $$$ they're giving him. He used to show up at Mets camp in Florida a lot because he's a long time friend of the Wilpons. Apparently the bad blood went back to a NY Post article that insinuated Koufax was gay. He held the Dodgers responsible because News Corp owned the Dodgers and the paper at the time.
|
Quote:
|
My experiences with him last year at Spring Training were positive. He seemed to be in good spirits and was happy to sign once he got his line established. I guess it's different though when you're out in public than at the baseball field.
|
Gary is correct re: Seaver and Lyme Disease. His health has been compromised and I've heard that he won't probably be doing any more public signings.
Here's hoping that Tom Terrific makes a full recovery from Lyme Disease. ;) BTW, apparently it's easy to treat if caught early, but quite problematic if diagnosed late. We actually lost a close friend whose Lyme Disease was not properly diagnosed, leading to many serious complications and eventual early death. :( |
Quote:
I was their, got a ball signed and asked him to write his hit total on it. He seemed friendly. There wasn't much of a crowd at the time, he and Bob Dernier were talking, Dernier asked him why he wasn't in the Hall, a few other names came up. They mentioned stolen bases. I mentioned his time with the Cubs and how he was pretty much all the Cubs had at the time. He said they had a tough time scoring runs. He seemed like a pretty good guy, just on the quiet side. |
| All times are GMT -6. The time now is 07:03 PM. |