You might say I planned ahead, for this post.
I've had this autograph book for 69 years. I don't even remember asking for it, but mom obliged.
My elementary school was 1/2 mile or less from Jack Russell Stadium where the Phillies played their spring training games. By the time school was over, the games were usually in the 4th inning. Admission was free after the fourth inning.
The visiting teams came by bus and parked about 25 yards from their locker room door. This is where I solicited the Killebrew autograph shown earlier in another recent thread here. Fortunately it was the pre-Sharpie era, but my ballpoint pen was less than ideal as well.
They're not all Hall of Famers within, but the book contains quite a few. In addition to Killebrew, it contains Snider, Alston, Campanella, Minoso, Ashburn, Doby, Stengel and Malzone to name a few and many other names you would recognize. All obtained in person, but I didn't have a camera or my cell phone with me at the ballpark. No one ever stole my bike either. Those were the days.
