Who's the earliest HOF you met in person?

[KingKongBundy]

I attended the 1981 HOF inductions in Cooperstown. I remember seeing Cool Papa Bell in a drug store, quickly buying a pen and pad, and asking him for his autograph before he left. At this point in time, the public was allowed inside the Otesaga Hotel where I take it most of the HOF'ers stayed during induction weekend. So, my father took us there to have breakfast one morning, where we were seated next to Earl Averill and Freddie Lindstrom. Both were gracious enough to sign an autograph. I met a bunch of other players that day and still remember Jocko Conlan sitting in a big chair in the hotel lobby. I wrote him a letter a few years later mentioning that I met him at the hotel and requesting an autograph on an 8x10 and he sent it back personalized to me with the inscription 'Be Good to Your Parents' - three decades later, I get it.

[deadballfreaK]

Edd Roush. He lived in Oakland CITY, Indiana which was just about 10 miles from where I grew up. I'm gonna say it was about 1972. My buddy (who was a baseball nut like me) and I were thinking about how to get his autograph. One of us suddenly came up with the idea: "Hell, why don't we just drive over to his house?" Brilliant. Well, we did and we met Edd. He was just an on old man reading his newspaper or something. Nice. He signed a '61 Fleer for me and something for my buddy. Then he pulled out a stack of signed HOF postcards and gave us each one. Very cool, but I regret that I was so starstruck that I was a mumbling idiot. Could have asked him a thousand questions. But no.

[hoot-owl]

Jim Konstanty was great friends with my grandparents. During the mid-1960s my family would spend a week a summer at his cottage at six-mile point on the west side of Otsego Lake. He would take my two brothers and me down to Doubleday Field to teach us baseball fundamentals before our annual visit to the HOF.
In late July 1966, we went for a day trip--a surprise visit to Shea for an old timers game in which "Uncle" Jim was playing followed by a Cubs-Mets tilt. We had lunch in the Shea Grill room. Still have the menu with autographs from Phil Rizzuto and Casey Stengal. I know Konstanty brought other players over to our table--but don't necessarily recall who they were.

[jimtigers65]

Ted Williams back in 1982. I attended a local show in Flint, Michigan. Very nice to me, ask me how high school was going and what did I plan on doing after graduating. A month or so later I meet Willie Stargell at a mall show.

I worked part time at a grocery store and remembering asking myself if I why am I spending $20 on a Williams auto? That was a lot money back then.

[Frank A]

Warren Spahn was the friendliest HOF'r I ever met. Found him to be really friendly and a little crazy. had me laughing. As for the worst it had to be Reggie Jack@ss. What an arrogant snot. Frank

[quinnsryche]

Bronko Nagurski in the mid 70's. My God he was a HUGE man. Hands the size of Christmas hams. Very nice man. Me and my dad used to go to Canton to get autographs for his collection. Also met Johnny "Blood" McNally and George Halas was on the plane ride back to Chicago and got to meet him close up and personal. Those old NFL guys were all very nice.

[MacDice]

Bob Feller