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Of course if your son goes to the National he can pay Frank for an autograph and finish the card. Or not... |
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"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 |
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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. ______________________ jim@stinsonsports.com |
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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
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______________________________ jim@stinsonsports.com |
JimStinson
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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?? |
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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
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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
______________________ 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 |
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JimStinson
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______________________________ jim@stinsonsports.com |
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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? |
Wow, Michael! Great stories!
The one about Michael Jordan is a classic... He signed 40+ items at once?? That's truly amazing! A lot of people were challenged by trying to get Reggie and Carew. I was fortunate, as I got both of them many times when I was a season ticket holder at Anaheim Stadium during the 1980's and 1990's. I certainly saw both Rod and Reggie not sign for others, but I always felt that your approach dictated your result. Eddie Murray never signed for me in 1997, the one year that he played for the Angels, but he did single me out on Fathers Day and gave me his Fila wrist band with his uni number on it. I think that was his way of rewarding me for attempting to get his autograph so many times that year. I will say that 'Steady Eddie" always ackowledged me and my request for him to sign. He always looked me in the eye and said "Thank you and no sir, not today." |
Scott,
I wholeheartedly agree with you about the approach being the most important part. I always say Mr. or Miss and 'may I have your signature/autograph..." I feel that using the first name is rude as it presumes familiarity with the person. When it is opportune I will also talk about other things not related to their sport and I never ever say 'you are my favorite/greatest' or other type nonsense. At most I will say 'I enjoy(ed) watching you play' or the such. The first time I met Kareem Abdul Jabbar we talked about jazz and Islam. John Grubb and I talked about Australia (I have been 5 times). Bob Lilly and I talked about photography. (He is a very dedicated photographer and I have been shooting for 30+ years). I would like to bump into Keith Hernandez as he collects Civil War items and I used to give lectures on it and have visited many battlefields. I do the same with musicians though it is usually about different recordings, other musicians they have performed with or my photos of them. Sometimes a comment can change an attitude. For many years I attended the SGMA sporting goods convention, known as the "Supershow'. There would be hundreds of athletes appearing for the companies that they endorsed. Many would be there to sign, but some were there just to schmooze with the store buyers. One year when I was at the show in Atlanta in the late 1990's I saw one of the young stars for either Atlanta or Philadelphia, Ron Gant, David Justice or Ricky Jordan possibly. I asked them to sign and they said they were not there to do that. I completely understood said thank you and mentioned that I saw them play up in Old Orchard Beach, Maine, home of the AAA Phillies in the early 1990's. They stopped and said 'The place with mosquitoes the size of birds, I'll sign for you then.' You never know what can work. |
Frank Robinson
My last encounter with him was 2 years ago at the winter meetings. I told him I was Noahs dad- his batboy from Team USA. He asked how he was doing and we talked for awhile. I asked him to sign something for Noah and he said no. I paid $65 for him to sign a picture of him (at a signing) and Noah in the dugout. I had a great one of him with his arm around him posing and the Ritz Camera store lost the roll of film (pre digital) so had to settle for one of them talking in the dugout. When I paid I asked for Frank to incribe it and put one of the chants Noah taught Frank that Frank used to yell at the players from the dugout (Frank had heard Noah use it and started using it himself) and he wouldn't do it despite having paid.
He was very personable all the time but don't know why he was so against autographs. |
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