Who's the earliest HOF you met in person?

[tachyonbb]

In the mid 50's I was allowed to tag along with my big brothers baseball team to go watch Creighton play. They played at Fontenelle park. Bob Gibson was pitching and struck out at least 2 guys every inning. My brothers coach knew Creighton's coach so after the game we were allowed on the field. I went up to Bob, shook his hand and congratulated him on a great game.

In the early 90's my wife (a doctor) was helping to organize a Diabetes awareness/education conference. She asked me to go pick up a Mr. Hunter and chauffeur him to his hotel and to the conference. I assumed it was some doctor. It was Jim "Catfish" Hunter. We talked about family and hunting. I took him to the airport the next morning and he gave me a signed baseball.

[BruceinGa]

Joe DiMaggio in or around 1961. He was doing a promotional tour for the Air Force Commissaries and visited our Little League association at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi. He autographed my first baseman's mitt as well as a drawing of him in my copy of "Big Time Baseball".
He then wanted to hit a home run on our Little League field. The fence was 220' and his first swing was a ground ball down the first base line. His next swing was a hr.
Great memories!!

[commishbob]

Early 60s...Yogi Berra at his bowling alley in Clifton, NJ. It was a promotional event of some sort and my father took me. He signed Yoo Hoo promo cards. I wish I knew where mine was.

Slightly OT:

In football, I was up-close-and-personal with a bunch of the Baltimore Colts during training camp a few times. Unitas, Berry, John Mackey..but I can't say I really 'met' any of them.

My only real extended encounter with a Hall of Famer was with one of my favorites.... Here is the abridged version of my 'brush with (somewhat drunken) greatness' in the person of Kenny Stabler. My wife and I attended Nolan Ryan's Houston Astros' debut game in 1980. Ryan went six and walked that many but homered and the game lasted 17 innings with the Dodgers winning, 6-5. We left early as we were going to Gilley's Club in Pasadena east of Houston for a show.

We were sitting at one of those 'picnic-style' tables near the front waiting for the show to start. Then a guy came up and asked us if we'd mind sharing our table with Kenny Stabler (he was the Oilers qb back then) and his group. Hell, why not?!?! And so he sat down with a couple of other people and introduced himself and said thanks for letting them sit there.

Stabler bought a couple of rounds of beer as I recall and had a guy fending off autograph requests while the live show was going on. He signed during the break and he signed an Astros cap my wife was wearing and a Gilley's bumper sticker I dug up. We felt like big shots. LOL

[GasHouseGang]

I've met Stan Musial, Warren Spahn, Duke Snider, and Johnny Mize that were all from around the same time frame. Which one is earliest? Probably Musial is the earliest inductee in that group I would guess.

[Mark]

Originally Posted by GasHouseGang

I've met Stan Musial, Warren Spahn, Duke Snider, and Johnny Mize that were all from around the same time frame. Which one is earliest? Probably Musial is the earliest inductee in that group I would guess.

Big Johnny Mize broke in '36, 5 years before Musial.

[VintageBen]

Brooks Robinson

[dabigyankeeman]

At card shows over a period of a couple of years a long time ago I met the big 3 centerfielders of my youth in NY, Mantle-Mays-Snider. I guess the Duke came up first so he would be the oldest, but Mickey was my favorite. It was great meeting them though and getting their autograph, and when you meet guys like this at a card show just saying one sentance to them and having them respond is something you remember your whole life. I got them to sign cards for me and I built this display for them to go along with the song about them, Talking Baseball, Willie, Mickey, and the Duke.

[GasHouseGang]

Originally Posted by Mark

Big Johnny Mize broke in '36, 5 years before Musial.

That's true, but I said inductee. Musial was inducted before Mize.

[riggs336]

Dizzy Dean in an elevator of the Chase Park Plaza Hotel in St. Louis on 8/31/64. He was doing the telecast. Me: "Who's gonna win today, Diz?" Him: " I gotta go with that big ol' boy Drysdale. " End of meeting.

[pclpads]

Mine was Lefty Gomez. It was 1958. I was in LL. He came to a sporting goods store in Lemon Grove, Ca., east of San Diego, on a product promo appearance. Lefty then was a rep for Wilson Sporting Goods. He signed a ball for me which is gone. At the time, no idea who he was, other than just an old BB player. What I do recall is unlike now, there were only about 10 kids present.

[Yoda]

Not baseball, but I had the rare and exciting experience back in the 1950's, through a business associate of my father's, to visit the NY Giants (football) locker room after they defeated the 49'ers at the old Polo Grounds. Met and gathered autographs from the likes of Charlie Connerly, Kyle Rote, Frank Gifford and Sam Huff. What is forever seared in my memory, though, was the image of Rosie Greer coming out of the shower and parading naked through the locker room, which made quite an impression on this 10 year old.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

I don't really have much of a collection anymore, as a dealer it just doesn't make much sense to me. I do, however, have one piece I would never sell. I started doing shows at 14 years old in the mid 80's. The Mall and Hotel circuit in North Eastern PA, & Jersey. At one Mall show Phil Rizzuto was the guest. I didn't have much vintage at that point and what little Rizzuto stuff I had sold out in short order. I wanted to get an autograph though so on a piece of poster board I quickly drew a picture of Rizzuto and the Yankee logo. When he signed it he was curious as to where it came from and I had to tell him that I had just quickly drawn it in Sharpie.

"Holy Cow, that's great" which was about the coolest thing he could've said.

So for years it sat in a closet and then I moved out and kind of forgot about it. 2 years ago at Christmas my parents had gotten it professionally framed and it was under the tree. Had almost forgotten all about it. It had survived through a couple of moves and everything else. One of my prized possessions now, and not a half-bad drawing either!

[ValKehl]

Scott, how about showing us a pic of it?

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Maybe I'll bring it to Chantilly! Will try and get a pic too though.

[qed2190]

Carl hubbell.

[Tony2311]

In the late 60's Gene Hickerson was signing for a promotion at Higbee's Department Store outside of Cleveland. No one was in line and he was signing anything however giving away these 5x7 autographed photos. After going in line once, my brother and I went around the corner and changed coats, hats, etc. - to present a "different look" for Mr. Hickerson to get multiple photos signed for friends. He must of thought we were idiots - looking back, should have asked him I have several friends who could not attend tonight would you mind signing 4-5 other photos? No eBay, no forgeries, back in the day - probably would not have been an issue asking for multiples.