Your experiences with HOF'ers

[jt39]

Last one was at an Ed Keetz show in Polish home in Albany NY years back. Scooter was a guest and I had a yankees stadium postcard to have him sign. He asked me where to sign it, I pointed to the sky, and he said right up there where Mick was right now. Also, a card show years back in my old HS w Scooter. A big line was forming for him, in the hall outside the signing area. Phil came down the hall w a rep and a little boy rushed up to him, w no autograph ticket. He asked Phil if he could sign the ball. Sure Sonny. The promoter then runs up to Phil and says "he didn't have a ticket for that" Phil's reply. "You Huckleberry, I'll sign for the kids anytime I please" . Made me smile.

I mentioned this in the through-the-mail thread already, but figured I'd piggy-back on the story about Rizzuto signing for a kid who hadn't purchased a ticket. I sent him a check for $15, which I'd read he charged, along with a baseball. In addition to signing the ball, and inscribing it with a whole host of nifty things ("Holy Cow!", "Scooter," etc), he cancelled the check, signed it as well, and wrote: "No fee, that's just what the agents say!" This is now one of my favorite items ... not least because $15 was a lot of money for me back then!

I did have one in-person story to share as well. Went to a local mall probably 20 years back where Jim Palmer was signing, and ended up near the front of the line. He asked me some questions about baseball, reached across the table and tussled my hair, signed the 1970 Topps card I had brought along, and then shook my hand. It was a great experience for a young fan.

Almost all of my collecting was done through the mail rather than in person -- it always seemed forced and uncomfortable to me, not to mention requiring a parent to drive and cash out of my pocket. Now, I regret somewhat that I didn't make an effort to go meet some of the players from the 40's and 50's that I was always most fascinated by.