Don Drysdale, 1961,
 

Stark field, El Centro. I was going on nine. The Dodgers and Angels would come through town once a year on the way to the Dodgers spring training site in Palm Springs. The guys would hold a clinic for us kids, literally a couple of hours, then back in the bus they would go. No pen, no cards, just me, my beater glove and Red Ball Jets. My Dad said I met Koufax but all I remember was Drysdale was so TALL, me being around 3 1/2 feet or so at the time. And these guys threw hard, I mean my jaw hung the whole time Drysdale was throwing. His herky motion scared the crap out of me, thinking about hitting. I think I learned about mortality that day. Man, that was a blast.

Hof
 

The earliest HOF inductees I've met were Bob Feller and Ralph Kiner. Met both of them while attending Sports card & Memorabilia shows. Got autographs of both, and a picture with Kiner; didn't have my camera for Feller. Living in NYC, I've had the opportunity to attend many shows over the years.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...pslhqrecj9.jpg

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I shook Phil Rizzuto's hand when he was walking thru a show near Boston, when he was on his way to the autograph signing area.

Wonderful names. Edd Roush and Carl Hubbell! I saw Stengel at an old timer's game, but my oldest conversation buddy is Pie Traynor. Spoke with him 2 or 3 times since he was often at the ballpark in the late 60's and early 70's. Most memorable one is Roberto Clemente, who spent some time talking with me when I was 10.

Tough one because I don't know the dates.

But in the early 1980's I met Mantle, DiMaggio, Williams, and Aaron at different card shows.

Then at the Hall Of Fame Induction weekend in the early 80's I also met Lefty Gomez along with Williams, Roberts and several others.

Then at a SABR meeting one time I met Buck Leonard and several other Negro League players like Sy Morton (although not a HOFer). Now they were awesome. It was great talking with them and they were just so willing to talk for hours one on one with you.

Robert

The Oakland Oaks in 1946 spring trained in the City of San Fernando. My Dad, who had the contract of moving their equipment, introduced me to Casey Stengal and Babe Herman. I still remember Shaking hands with Herman. His hand was bigger than my 1st basemans glove.

I haven't met any HOFers (yet) but I ran track in high school with a guy whose mom was a professional photographer. In the 80s she was hired to cover a show with Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio. So she went and spent the day an arms length away from the two of them, making small talk, and at the end of the show, they offered to sign as much stuff as she wanted, for free. She declined, because she was not an autograph collector.

My son and I met and got autographs from Al Kaline and Gordie Howe at events in town around 25 years ago. As I remember both were very nice. My son was very excited to meet them.
My son and I play golf with Dolly Konwinski's (Dolly Niemiec) sons. She played in the AAGPBL and still signs at shows. She was at the Chicago National this year.

Mickey mantle around 1982. He was completely drunk signing autographs at a department store. If you bought a pair of Lee jeans he signed an autograph for you. My mom actually made a comment to him about showing up at an event for kids in his condition which started an argument between him and her. I was 7 at the time and totally embarrassed. Looking back I understand now. He was a total a-hole then but he ultimately made amends for his behavior. My mom and I share a laugh From
time to time about her shouting down the Mick

Started going to the HOF induction ceremony in 1970 -- met people Like Rube Marquard, Harry Hooper, Lefty Grove, Jesse Haines, Joe Cronin, Satchel Paige, Cool Papa Bell, Max Carey, Zack Wheat, Earle Combs, Lloyd Waner, Frankie Frisch, Burleigh Grimes and Buck Leonard just to name a few. Did the same thing that a previous poster mentioned --hung out in the lobby of the Otesaga Hotel.
Here are a few photos of me as a kid with Buck Leonard, Lefty Gomez, Stan the Man, Rapid Robert and Lefty Grove.

Greg

HOF......Not really....
 

Around 1994 I showed one of my neighbor's son my small vintage Yankee collection .....he was impressed to a point.... being young I wasn't sure he knew or really cared about the 30's Yankees .....A couple weeks later his mother saw me playing catch in the front yard with my oldest son so she brought her father, who was visiting from out of town, over to meet me.... I remember that he was in his 90's and his nickname was Smoke .... He played football at Columbia with Lou Gehrig... Smoke is in the team picture that appears in a couple of the books on Gehrig....Smoke was a smallish halfback and he remembered and commented on the size of Gehrig's thighs and how very strong he was....This was 1922 and if you have that picture Smoke is top row, second from the right.....as close as I will ever get to my favorite player Lou Gehrig.......

I assume you meant Baseball HOF
But I've met Rocket Richard , Jean Beliveau, Johnny Bauer all great guys....

Stan the Man
 

For a few years in the late 1980's there was an annual televised awards show called the "Jim Thorpe Sports Awards." I lucked into tickets one year, watched the show and then when it was over everyone hung around and mingled, included the various athletes - Riddick Bowe, Emmitt Smith, Jackie Joyner, Jim Courier, etc.

I moved around in the crowd getting signatures, shaking hands and just generally being in awe. At one point I look around and notice an older man in a red jacket sitting alone by himself in the front row. Right away I see it's Stan Musial. Stan Musial! No one's paying any attention to him at all and he's just kicking back watching the scene. I walk over and all I can say is something like "Wow, you're Stan Musial!" He says "that's right!" and then pulls out a stack of postcard sized cards with a full colored photo and lots of stats and info. He asks if I'd like an autograph and even had a sharpie ready to go. We had a brief chat and I moved on. Felt like I'd found hidden treasure.

It was cool to see all the great athletes, but as a baseball loyalist, having a chance to meet up with Stan Musial was easily the highlight.

Ron Santo (go figure)
 

I used to work at a valet parking lot one block from Wrigley Field. It was a mom and pop operation, just my boss and I would park around 30-40 cars in a grid. When I first started in 2005, he told me Ronnie occasionally would pull in the driveway and he'd fetch him a couple beers from the garage fridge, as we were on Ronnie's way back to the Kennedy expressway.

Sure enough, after one of the games that summer a black, 2004 Chevy Tahoe with full tints pulled over into the driveway and beeped a couple times. My boss immediately began waving and told me to go intercept it with a couple MGD cans out of the fridge. The window rolled down and there was Ron Santo. His setup was quite unique-all the vehicle's controls were on the steering wheel, just like the hand grips on a motorcycle. So imagine driving on cruise control with the brakes and all! He slipped me a sawbuck. I still wish I would have got to interact with him more than the three times I saw him that year. But I think I deduced why he never really came through again.

Much to my horror, I grabbed one of those MGD cans for my walk home one night, cracked it, took a sip and recoiled-it was absolutely disgusting. I checked the expiration date and it was well past one year. I figure it was about 18 months from brewing. I was so embarassed. I had been giving Ron these absolute shit beers. As the years have passed though, there's no doubt. He will always be my favorite vintage Cub-RIP

Many....
 

My earliest was Charlie Gehringer at HOF Weekend. He would not sign for anyone. I was about 16 years old and loved old baseball stats so when i approached him and his wife my friends were howling and saying "forget it, you are wasting your time". I started telling Charlie all of his stats (like he forgot! ha!@)......he kept refusing until his wife said something like "just sign the damn ball Charlie so this kid will go away!". Signed a beauty on the sweet spot and I was forever immortalized by my buddies! :)

Peace, Mike

Mine would be Kirby Puckett and Jim Rice down in Florida around 1989 or 1990

My best friend and I had collected baseball cards since first grade together. Everything was baseball between us and during the winter he and his dad planned a trip down to Florida to watch some spring training games and get autographs and they invited me to come. I couldn't wait for spring to get here.

Finally spring arrived and we headed out from middle Georgia down to florida...we visited the Twins site and they had a practice field across the parking lot from their stadium so you would go to the practice field early and they would all sign autos when they walked across the parking lot...I managed to get Kirby Puckett to sign 4 cards for me while my friend was busy chasing down someone else(he didn't see puckett was leaving, and Kirby was in his top 3 favorite players)...so now I had 4 autographs and knew I could get something great from my best friend in trade if I made him sweat...so when he asked I told I him I would think about what I want in trade for a puckett

We then went to the Red Sox camp and after the game, all the players were peeling out in their cars(oil can boyd had a sweet Mercedes 450) and not signing ...so as me and my best friend stood there at the fence we saw a batboy walking a huge trash can of bats out to the dumpster....and we noticed the fence gate was still open where they were letting the players drive out...so me and my friend walk into the stadium and over to the dumpster and my buddy hops in and starts throwing out bats to me....when I hear "You boys supposed to be back here?"....I turn around and its Jim Rice....I say "no sir"......and Jim Rice says "well don't get caught"..and walks over to his baby blue chevy bel air, cranks it up, and drives off.

Was an awesome trip that created incredible memories for two 17 year old boys that had been baseball fans all their lives, played little league together every year of their lives, etc....

Unfortunately a week and a half after we got back, my best friend contracted spinal menigitus(sp) and passed away 2 days later. After his wake, me and his father went back into the room where he laid in his casket and I took out a Kirby puckett autographed card and put it in his hand. He was buried with Kirby in his hand.

Bob Feller, Whitey Ford, Gaylord Perry, Fergie Jenkins. Might be missing a couple of guys.

Whitey Ford, Lou Brock

Nice old thread
 

Wow: Clark Griffith and Edd Roush!! Who here knew Tim Keefe and Bid McPhee? Earliest I can do is Pie Traynor, who used to be at a lot of games during the last days of Forbes and the first days of 3 Rivers Stadium. He was as approachable and friendly as could be.

In the mid 50's I was allowed to tag along with my big brothers baseball team to go watch Creighton play. They played at Fontenelle park. Bob Gibson was pitching and struck out at least 2 guys every inning. My brothers coach knew Creighton's coach so after the game we were allowed on the field. I went up to Bob, shook his hand and congratulated him on a great game.

In the early 90's my wife (a doctor) was helping to organize a Diabetes awareness/education conference. She asked me to go pick up a Mr. Hunter and chauffeur him to his hotel and to the conference. I assumed it was some doctor. It was Jim "Catfish" Hunter. We talked about family and hunting. I took him to the airport the next morning and he gave me a signed baseball.

Joe DiMaggio in or around 1961. He was doing a promotional tour for the Air Force Commissaries and visited our Little League association at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi. He autographed my first baseman's mitt as well as a drawing of him in my copy of "Big Time Baseball".
He then wanted to hit a home run on our Little League field. The fence was 220' and his first swing was a ground ball down the first base line. His next swing was a hr.
Great memories!!

Early 60s...Yogi Berra at his bowling alley in Clifton, NJ. It was a promotional event of some sort and my father took me. He signed Yoo Hoo promo cards. I wish I knew where mine was.

Slightly OT:

In football, I was up-close-and-personal with a bunch of the Baltimore Colts during training camp a few times. Unitas, Berry, John Mackey..but I can't say I really 'met' any of them.

My only real extended encounter with a Hall of Famer was with one of my favorites.... Here is the abridged version of my 'brush with (somewhat drunken) greatness' in the person of Kenny Stabler. My wife and I attended Nolan Ryan's Houston Astros' debut game in 1980. Ryan went six and walked that many but homered and the game lasted 17 innings with the Dodgers winning, 6-5. We left early as we were going to Gilley's Club in Pasadena east of Houston for a show.

We were sitting at one of those 'picnic-style' tables near the front waiting for the show to start. Then a guy came up and asked us if we'd mind sharing our table with Kenny Stabler (he was the Oilers qb back then) and his group. Hell, why not?!?! And so he sat down with a couple of other people and introduced himself and said thanks for letting them sit there.

Stabler bought a couple of rounds of beer as I recall and had a guy fending off autograph requests while the live show was going on. He signed during the break and he signed an Astros cap my wife was wearing and a Gilley's bumper sticker I dug up. We felt like big shots. LOL

I've met Stan Musial, Warren Spahn, Duke Snider, and Johnny Mize that were all from around the same time frame. Which one is earliest? Probably Musial is the earliest inductee in that group I would guess.

Big Johnny Mize broke in '36, 5 years before Musial.

Brooks Robinson

At card shows over a period of a couple of years a long time ago I met the big 3 centerfielders of my youth in NY, Mantle-Mays-Snider. I guess the Duke came up first so he would be the oldest, but Mickey was my favorite. It was great meeting them though and getting their autograph, and when you meet guys like this at a card show just saying one sentance to them and having them respond is something you remember your whole life. I got them to sign cards for me and I built this display for them to go along with the song about them, Talking Baseball, Willie, Mickey, and the Duke.

Bill Dickey
 

I met Bill Dickey (1954) at a card show in the early 80's and got a ball signed. He was a gentleman

That's true, but I said inductee. Musial was inducted before Mize.

Dizzy Dean in an elevator of the Chase Park Plaza Hotel in St. Louis on 8/31/64. He was doing the telecast. Me: "Who's gonna win today, Diz?" Him: " I gotta go with that big ol' boy Drysdale. " End of meeting.

Mine was Lefty Gomez. It was 1958. I was in LL. He came to a sporting goods store in Lemon Grove, Ca., east of San Diego, on a product promo appearance. Lefty then was a rep for Wilson Sporting Goods. He signed a ball for me which is gone. At the time, no idea who he was, other than just an old BB player. What I do recall is unlike now, there were only about 10 kids present.

Not baseball, but I had the rare and exciting experience back in the 1950's, through a business associate of my father's, to visit the NY Giants (football) locker room after they defeated the 49'ers at the old Polo Grounds. Met and gathered autographs from the likes of Charlie Connerly, Kyle Rote, Frank Gifford and Sam Huff. What is forever seared in my memory, though, was the image of Rosie Greer coming out of the shower and parading naked through the locker room, which made quite an impression on this 10 year old.

I don't really have much of a collection anymore, as a dealer it just doesn't make much sense to me. I do, however, have one piece I would never sell. I started doing shows at 14 years old in the mid 80's. The Mall and Hotel circuit in North Eastern PA, & Jersey. At one Mall show Phil Rizzuto was the guest. I didn't have much vintage at that point and what little Rizzuto stuff I had sold out in short order. I wanted to get an autograph though so on a piece of poster board I quickly drew a picture of Rizzuto and the Yankee logo. When he signed it he was curious as to where it came from and I had to tell him that I had just quickly drawn it in Sharpie.

"Holy Cow, that's great" which was about the coolest thing he could've said.

So for years it sat in a closet and then I moved out and kind of forgot about it. 2 years ago at Christmas my parents had gotten it professionally framed and it was under the tree. Had almost forgotten all about it. It had survived through a couple of moves and everything else. One of my prized possessions now, and not a half-bad drawing either!

Scott, how about showing us a pic of it?

Carl hubbell.

Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio late 80's. Back in the day complaining on paying $15-$20 for an auto thinking it takes literally 10 seconds to sign your name on a ball - I wish I bought three dozen of each player. :)

In the late 60's Gene Hickerson was signing for a promotion at Higbee's Department Store outside of Cleveland. No one was in line and he was signing anything however giving away these 5x7 autographed photos. After going in line once, my brother and I went around the corner and changed coats, hats, etc. - to present a "different look" for Mr. Hickerson to get multiple photos signed for friends. He must of thought we were idiots - looking back, should have asked him I have several friends who could not attend tonight would you mind signing 4-5 other photos? No eBay, no forgeries, back in the day - probably would not have been an issue asking for multiples.

Maybe I'll bring it to Chantilly! Will try and get a pic too though.

Posted when this was a new thread. Without reading the whole thread, has anyone topped Casey Stengel yet? :D

The Meal Ticket

Early HOF Inductees Met in Person
 

Rube Marquard, Harry Hooper, Red Ruffing come to mind at the 1974 HOF induction ceremonies.

Keith H Thompson

Scooter will be at Chantilly for your viewing enjoyment!

Can't remember if it was 1955 or 1956, but Ty Cobb was speaking at a banquet in Abilene, TX. My dad took me up to meet him afterwards. I got his autograph but it must have been thrown out since I've never been able to find it.

Companion Thread
 

1993 Spring Training in St Petersburg FL.

Cardinals had Ozzie Smith at SS and Joe Torre manager.
Orioles were at the same spot and met Ripken as well.

There was an old timers game with Mize, Feller and Palmer too.

Went to a signing with Roberto Alomar in early 90s and saw Paul Molitor in Toranto in early 90s.

Whitey Ford, Bob Feller, Fergie Jenkins, Gaylord Perry, Phil Niekro.

Guess Feller is the earliest of this group followed by Ford.

Harry Hooper! I met him at his Cooperstown induction (1973) and even got him to sign a baseball.

I got to sit on Hank Aaron’s lap when I was 4 in 1985. If we are talking born the earliest, Al Barlick.

Orlando Cepeda.

My favorite HOFer I ever met was Monte Irvin. I got to slide for him at a show. One of the nicest people I ever have had the pleasure of meeting. 14 year old me got visibly upset when he told stories about traveling with in the South. He told me “don’t worry son, I promise I’m not treated like that anymore”

Bob Feller on April 24, 2010 at his Museum. I bought a membership just to meet him after viewing his Studio 42 Interview with Bob Costas. I grew up in North Dakota and just never traveled prior to 2005, so this was a big deal. Also met Earl Weaver that same day.

Does John Goodman in character as Babe Ruth count?

Willie McCovey in the mid 80s
He and my Dad were playing golf in Birmingham and my Dad allowed me to tag along!

Mickey Mantle in 1967/68, one of those years. He was signing baseballs outside the old Yankee Stadium, it was ball day.

Bill Dickey 1954
 

Bill Dickey and Lefty Gomez did a show together, maybe late 80s? Got a ball from both. Very neat

I meant Mr. Mathews at a card show in St. Louis and he treated me like an old buddy. What a guy!

Hof
 

Jim Bunning. Before he was in the Hall of Fame at a card show in Toledo, Ohio. I had my 2 young daughters with me. I was standing in line waiting for him to sign and I told him he pitched in the first came I ever went to at Tiger Stadium. After he signed my ball, he asked me to stay and we talked about the game. He was great.

Also, Bert Blyleven before he was in the hall. I had him sign a Sporting News cover with and Jeff Reardon on it. He asked me if I wanted him to sign Jeff's name for him. Hilarious!

Hank Aaron 1975 getting on the Brewers team bus for a game vs the White Sox. We used to go to the visiting team's hotel for autographs. Once gave Lou Piniella a ride to Comiskey Park when he missed the bus. The next day he gave me a game used bat. Pretty cool for a nine year old at the time.
Also - Feller, Appling and Lopez in the mid 70's too.

First one I ever met was Lou Brock at a Sears store in Pontiac, MI around 1977 when he was hawking the Brockabrella. Got his autograph.

First guy elected to the Hall I ever met was Ernie Banks. Met him at a card show in Pontiac around 1984, maybe 1985. Got his autograph on an SSPC Hall of Fame card.

First one I ever met who was in the Hall when I met them was Al Kaline. Met him when he was signing autographs at a bank in 1980.

The only other HOFer I've ever met was Wayne Gretzky, much later.

oldest HOFer
 

In the mid to late 1970s I thought I was going to be the next Larry Ritter and there were a few dead ball era guys in Michigan and Ohio who gave me some interview time.

Waite Hoyt was very gracious. He would have been 80 years old. I guess he figured anyone who would spend ten hours on the road (round trip) was serious about meeting him. Waite Hoyt wasn't shy about sharing his opinions regarding baseball, by the way.

Ray Fisher isn't in the Hall, but he was the oldest man I met, having been born in 1887. The guy played for Frank Chance and Hal Chase. Think about that.

The one I kick myself about was Frank Bowerman's son. Bowerman was one of the last of the old Orioles and had been dead for 25 or 30 years, but his son was very much alive and for some reason, I had this opportunity to talk to him and I simply dropped the ball. UGH.
lumberjack

Earliest inductee: Bob Feller at a show

Next earliest inductee: Stan Musial in the men's bathroom standing next to him at a urinal. True story...

Bronko And Robert
 

In 1962 I met Bronko at his International Falls Standard Oil service station. And to reiterate a previous poster ....those hands were unforgettable. He signed the Cubs book I was reading. Bob Feller was at this UP card show signing items. He was very conversational and friendly. I was getting a ball signed for a friend whose card shop had been burglarized 2 weeks previously and he took great interest in the story and details then proceeded to "Personalize" the ball. But was very sympathetic and dismayed that a sports card shop could be violated

I found Gaylord Perry to be most gracious. Same with Phil NIekro and Fergie Jenkins. Whitey Ford and Bob Feller as well. Mr. Feller did plug his museum non stop though!

When I read the title to this thread quickly, I thought it said "ugliest" and I was like ...

Wow! Two pages on who the ugliest HOFer is! Can't believe the thread got that many responses!

Guess I need to improve my reading comprehension skills,
Patrick