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If a player's attitude is I don't want my signature sold, that's fine and I respect that. But then don't turn around and sell your signature to Steiner. Because then all you're really saying is that I want to be the one making the money. And if you're a professional athlete upset that regular people may or may not sell whatever it is you just wrote your name on, you need to take a look around and become just a little bit more self aware of the position you're in.

Speaking of Jeter...Last night I picked up a shadowbox from Michael's and put this together....

Quote:

Originally Posted by packs (Post 1092516)

Quote:

Originally Posted by 36GoudeyMan (Post 1092495)

Last week, I saw Gio Gonzalez, on several occasions, stop and sign literally everything stuck in front of him, for nearly an hour each time. he says its "part of his job"...

Good for him.
It is part of his job.

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Atkatz (Post 1092695)

Good for him.
It is part of his job.

I disagree. Show me in any baseball contract where it says "must sign autographs for XX amount of time." I'm glad guys like Gio exist (he's the MAN by the way!) but I also understand how guys don't want to sign ALL the time. That said, I believe they SHOULD sign because at the end of the day it's not taking away the millions they are making playing a kids' game, but I wouldn't ever go so far to say as I expect them to sign because it's part of their job because it's not. Quite simply, their job is to play the game of baseball at the highest competetive level, win games and not get into trouble off the field.

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Originally Posted by packs (Post 1092516)

+1...I'm looking at you Dr. Mike.

I love Gio, he is by far one of th nicest/kindest human being I have ever met, regardless of him being a ball player. He loves interacting with the fans, and just an absolute caring person. We need more Gio's, not just in baseball, but in life. Reminds me of Puckett from when I was growing up, always interacting and caring about the fans. Truly a class act

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Originally Posted by I Only Smoke 4 the Cards (Post 1092244)

I'm 26. I grew up in Florida. When I was in middle school my aunt dated the son of a higher up in the Yankees brass. One summer I went to a game with my dad. We had great seats behind home plate. After the game my dad and I waited for the players in the player parking lot. I walked over and asked Jeter for an autograph. Jeter said "you don't have enough money, kid" and walked away. My dad has hated him ever since.

i don't believe this. seems like something frank robinson would say, tho.

It is not technically part of his job but it is something that a decent ball player would take the time to do, knowing how people feel about him. If he wants to eliminate the obvious profit makers that is his choice but the average fan is not trying to make money from his signature.
The players should realize how much it does mean to the people who are paying the freight and at least a modest accommodation would be the right thing to do.

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Originally Posted by RichardSimon (Post 1093118)

Now this I totally agree with. Good people tend to do good things for others.

In the "This sums it up about Jeter and 3000" thread, Exhibitman made some very intelligent comments that I strongly agree with. The parts I think are specifically relevant to this thread are in bold...

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Originally Posted by Exhibitman (Post 909275)

I don't think it is wrong for Jeter (or anyone else) to charge for autographs at a show, through mail order, etc.--it is a service rendered and if it is overpriced or unwanted, don't buy it--but I do think it is wrong when the prevalent view among athletes becomes that an unpaid autograph is something to be frowned upon, wheither you call it a freebie, brand dilution, leakage, etc. It is called "public relations" and at the right time and place is part of being in the entertainment industry.

As a public person/celebrity who earns millions trading on the goodwill of the public as a product endorser, one of the things Jeter accepts as part of the deal is the duty [yes, it is a duty] to do right by the people who support him. I find it appalling when a ballplayer refuses to sign for a fan (unless the situation is very, very inappropriate, like in a bathroom), especially when the justification is that the fan might sell the item.

If an athlete makes millions playing baseball and endorsing products that he expects kids to purchase based on his endorsements, guess what, the athletes is a role model and with that privilege comes responsibility. One of the reasons I have gone from a rabid fan who had season tickets to a person who rarely watches the game and never attends is the attitude towards the fans exhibited by players and management.

Not wanting to be taken advantage of goes both ways.

George Foreman is a good example of someone who doesn't want greedy people to just turn around and sell but still wants his fans to have his autograph.

He has an address you can send in your own photo, or request a photo that he provides, to be autographed. He marks down your name and address and tries to limit the autographs to one per person. He generally only signs with a personalization. It's a compromise so people who are his fans get an autograph that says "To bob," but if bob's a fan and isnt looking to resell it, i dont think bob minds. If foreman is out in public he personalizes also, but he signs when he can he just says that it has to be personalized and he does it in a nice way.

i dont know of anyone who is disgusted at george foreman for doing it this way, and i have never heard from someone who has criticized Foreman for being a jerk about signing autographs. He reads and answers his own emails from fans too.