Looking for Mays and Aaron signings
 

Anyone know of a Willie Mays or Hank Aaron signing in the next 6 months or so?

Thanks for any info!

Christian

Don't waste your time or money, unless you have a multi-signed item to be signed. They are both dicks and charge up the ass for signings, don't acknowledge you etc. So I wouldn't, unless you have a sweet item you need signed.

+1

Yeah, I'm trying to get autographed versions of all the 1958 all star cards. I don't want to go meet them :)

I'd just like to send cards to a signing.

Thanks!

Right, and their signatures have deteriorated significantly as well. Only worth it if it is a must have multisigned. And they could very well end up ruining the piece... Especially Mays who seems to relish not accommodating requests for color, placement, etc. He might just sign over someone else.

As much trouble as I've had with Mays on several occasions, I will give him the benefit of the doubt on some of this stuff because I believe he's half blind these days and can't always tell where he's signing. No excuse for the old days though.

Mays
 

I needed Mays on the 1964 Topps Giants set when he was charging $100 through the mail. He signed the back nof the card

He's a real prince. :rolleyes:

He did an Alsburg show in the orange county fair grounds years ago. He said he would chage 300 to sign a five hundred hr jersey. The sent the money and recived the ticket. When he came to the show Mays said six hundred or no deal. Bill told him no signiture to rest of his money for the show. He signed it and the smudged it with his finger. No money and almost got himself killed. He always felt he was being cheated and Mantle made more.

friggin asshole....I don't give a shit how many HR's you hit...you terat a man like a man...otherwise you're a chump-ass bitch.

Good point without the fans he would have been playing for free.

I have never been one to go to signings, but have always found observations of the players interesting. For those of you who do attend them, who would you say was your worst experience?

Mays without a doubt, followed by Aaron and Rose. There have been several that were great, but the standouts were Brooks Robinson, Carlton Fisk, Gary Carter (R.I.P.), Bobby Doerr, and surprisingly Eddie Murray (I read bad things about him but he was very very nice to me).

Agreed, in regards to Brooks Robinson. What a terrific person!

I find Rose surprising seeing that the autograph signing business is essentially his job now. Was it a long time ago that you had the issue with him? One of the couple that I have done was with Harmon Killebrew (RIP), who couldn't have been a nicer guy.

My top five> Killibrew,Kiner,Mantle,Robinson and Lefty Gomez.
Worst, Mays, AAron, Schmidt,Dimaggio and Bench.
There are many more bad guys than good.

That is exactly why I choose not to meet them. I don't want to take the risk and ruin any admiration that I have for them as players.

Shelly---

I have a question for you re: Gomez on my 1941 Yankee ball thread. Could you address it when you have a chance, please?

Thank You!

Top tw0 people that no longer do public signings. Ali, Koufax


I l left out one of the greate persons ever to do a signing with and have as a guest. Lets Play Two.:D

Pete Rose signs in Cooperstown every year. He used to be a real jerk but now can be very accommodating especially with kids. My worst experience was with Bench. He is a real jackass. My brother and nephew were with me. He actually insulted an eight year old kid. It is no exaggeration to say that I restrained my brother from punching him out.

Tom - maybe you can take some solace in this:
years ago Johnny Bench was shilling for Home Shopping and he would actually get on TV and say "here is my autograph, it is worth $xxxxx but you can buy it here and now for only $xx." The NYC Dept of Consumer Affairs opened an investigation into Home Shopping and fined Bench $5000 for his lies. :o
Home Shopping was also fined.

mays worst, bert blyleven very nice.

Richard, Thanks for the information. That made my day.

Happy to do it, be sure to tell your brother :).

Best: Ashburn, Kniekro, Dykstra, Spahn, Stargell
Worst: Shilling, Luzinski, Allen, and (alas) Schmidt.

Been a while since I have done shows (promoters used to give free autographs to table holders in the good old days) but Brooks Robinson and Lefty Gomez were the best show guests that I saw.
I used to take Polaroid photos of my son with the guests and when he posed with Brooks I took one shot. Brooks got up from his seat came out to the front of the table where my son was standing and said to me "take another one, so you get a good one." A real class act.
Lefty insisted that my son (who was about 7 at the time) come behind the table and sit on his lap for the picture. A really great gesture.

Richard---
 

I have a 1941 Yankee ball thread that has a Lefty Gomez pictured. Would you take a look & see if you think it's authentic or "clubhouse"?

The ball also has Arthur Fletcher on it, which in your latest Sales list you state as RARE. Do you consider any of the other listed sigs as scarce or rare, such as Red Branch or Charlie Stanceau?

I appreciate any comments you may have--Thank You!

There is one more that I should have mentioned. Nolan Ryan great with people.

My best experiences were with Boog Powell (hands down), Jim Palmer, Wade Boggs, Phil Niekro and Carlton Fisk.

I once traded Wade Boggs a beer for an autograph and I watched Phil Niekro take a shot from a ski with 3 fans.. Cooperstown is a fun place.

My absolute worst experience was with Bob Gibson.. He wouldn't shake my hand (seriously) and when I asked if he could sign my jersey in black, he grabbed a blue marker and said, "it'll look the same."

Hank Aaron signs a couple of times a year for Steiner but he is very expensive. I paid 300 for him to sign one game worn cleat. I would have preferred that he sign both but could not justify 600 for that.

My best autograph experiences were with Joe Morgan, Kirby Puckett, Al Kaline, Cal Ripken, Willie Stargell, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, and Bob Feller.

Berra was by far the most entertaining. I met him at a signing in Bellevue WA about 24 years ago. He and Whitey Ford spoke with me for about 15 minutes during a break. He was pleasant, down to earth and very very funny. At one point a rather well endowed young lady walked by wearing a low cut blouse that could barely contain her talents. Berra looked at Ford, grinned, caught me staring and laughed out loud. He said,"Wouldn't you like to stick your nose in there and root around a bit?

Worst experiences were with Pete Rose and Johnny Bench. They both lacked even the most rudimentry people skills and basic manners.

Awesome experiences with both Ken Griffey Jr. and Roger Clemens...both in 1991...in Boston...both guys smiled, said hi and could not have been nicer to this THEN 14-yr-old.

I agree with Mays being the worst. Blyleven use to be very cool until he made the HOF. Since he made the HOF it is all about the dollar.

I would say best are:
Killebrew
Feller
Banks
B Robinson
Kiner
Gomez
Josh Hamilton

The two worst by far for me were:
Mays
Bench

MAYS - I love the ball player - not the person he has become
 

Quick story on Mays ... got him to signed a few dozen baseballs for me 2 years back ... he (and his bitch of a assistant Renee) told me the baseballs were $250.00 and $25 for HOF 1979) ... I decided to get him to signed "Willie Howard Mays" and he then refused to sign any baseball for under $300 ... I ended up buying (30) baseballs at $300 with only (10) Willie Howard Mays and (5) HOF ... the rest were regular Willie Mays and yet I still was charged $300 plus S&H and the baseballs so it was a tough pill to swallow ... but when I got the baseballs back, he signed them all in black sharpie ... totally screwed up his signatures and wrote on the side panels

Such a shame that the greatest living player is also the toughest person to deal with

I bet he did it on purpose too.

I can't believe nobody has mentioned Buck O'Neil as the absolute best to be around. The man oozed joy and love.

If we can spread this to other sports, Chuck Bednarik is great, too.

Ken

I have heard so many bad experiences with Bench but I have to share a good one.

Wrigley Field, 1972 (or so) and a nine year old kid is standing right next to the visitors dugout during batting practice, baseball in hand and begging for anyone to sign his baseball. Bench was coming towards the dugout after finishing his swings in the cage and a large crowd suddenly engulfs the nine year old child as they all swarm in an attempt to get an autograph from Mr. Bench. Mr. Bench sees the kid being squished by the crowd but still wide eyed at literally being face to face with one of the stars of the Major Leagues at that time. Mr. bench takes the kids baseball, signs a beautiful signature, hands it back to the kid and disappears into the dugout, ignoring all the other screaming fans.

Yeah, that little kid was me and even though I have heard the terrible stories of this guy over the years I just remember back to that sunny summer day and remember that at least once in his life, Johnny Bench wasnt all about himself and the money his autograph commands.

I have seen him at numerous shows over the years and have wanted to show him the ball and share my story but I know he would just stare at me like Tommy Lee Jones and say....... "So"?