MLB players who played an active role in your youth....tell us your story

[Jayjones82]

When I was a kid (probably 10) my dad taught at a high school near Niekro's home. He came by the school one day and my dad struck up a conversation with him. I was fairly new to the card scene (this was around '92) and my dad mentioned something about it to Phil and told him I played. He invited my dad to bring me by his house one day, so my dad took him up on the offer (though I don't know that they'd set a specific date).

We drove up to his house (nice place on a lake) and my dad knocked on the door. No one answered immediately, so we just kinda stood around for a few min. My dad and sister walked down to the lake just to kill a few more min before we left and I started to walk back the car to put away the baseball and cards I'd brought to be signed. On my way back, Phil walks out, calls my dad by name, and proceeds to spend the next 20-30 minutes showing me how to throw a knuckleball, signing some stuff, and just talking. I've see him a few times since and, suprisingly, he's always remembered my name. He does a lot of great stuff for his local community (I can't say enough) and he left me with a great childhood memory.