First, the good ones:
Juan Marichal was great - at the Astrodome as a kid, you could throw anything over the outfield fence and he would sign it and throw it back up. Also, one of the friendly guys AFTER the game outside the visitors' exit.
Sparky Anderson - did whatever he could to sign for a kid. I remember as the Reds' bus was leaving, he was stretched as far as he could out the door (while seated inside) to sign stuff up until the last second.
Not a HOF'er, but after Stan Bahnsen's ML career he continued to pitch in Triple A. What a friendly guy - seemed to love interacting with the fans.
The bad. I've got a couple, but Pete Rose takes the cake.
Pete Rose - hugest asshole on the planet, in my opinion. First experience - outside the Astrodome in '73, he was walking toward the bus with his suit bag over his shoulder, told the kids he had to go put up his suit and he'd be right out to sign. Needless to say, he went to the back of the bus and simply smiled out the window at all the kids - kind of a 'F You' to us. Years later, when he was player/managing the Reds in their annual game against the Denver Bears, we were screaming for him to go in and bat - after all, it was an exhibition. He refused. What a jerk. Then the Bart Giamatti thing came up - needless to say, I've got no use whatsoever for this blight on the game.
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