Only two I've met, both when I was a kid.
Bob Feller pitched a home run derby between games of a double header in Pittsfield Ma. He was handing out autographed 81/2x11 pictures in the stands afterward. Many of them ended up as paper planes, some kids tooks bunches of them. When I asked if that bothered him he said "no, they're kids having fun" I ended up sitting with him for an inning or two hearing explanations of what the pitcher was doing. Didn't help my ball playing any, but what fun.
Brooks Robinson was one of the guests at a Sports Illustrated hospitality suite. 3 guests, autographs and plenty of booze to ease the sales pitch trying to get SI into schools. Started at 10, which was a bit late for a 13 year old. When I got to him in line he asked if I wasn't a bit young for the hospitality suite. Then he asked about baseball, and talked to me for a bit.
At one point a guy back in line grumbled about the delay and he said "Hey, I'm talking to the kid about baseball! you'll just have to wait. " So it's a pleasant story for me, and proably one of the few less than great ones about brooks for the guy behind me.
Steve B
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