Fake Rube M. Are these bad Ted Williams???

[steve B]

Originally Posted by Smanzari

Ted used a stamp for TTM responses for years and good handful of those (ok, all of them) appear to be that stamp

I haven't seen examples, but a season ticket holder I know who also got autographs told me about the stamp being used in person when he was at Fenway too.


Just ask for an auto, no way. (Maybe for a kid? Maybe I forget)

"Hey ted, here's $5 for the jimmy fund.".. out comes the stamp.

25+ If I remember it right got an actual auto

[tha-rock]

Here's my Williams stamped signature from a mail request back in the 1970s:

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by steve B

I haven't seen examples, but a season ticket holder I know who also got autographs told me about the stamp being used in person when he was at Fenway too.


Just ask for an auto, no way. (Maybe for a kid? Maybe I forget)

"Hey ted, here's $5 for the jimmy fund.".. out comes the stamp.

25+ If I remember it right got an actual auto

That's pretty horrible. Surprised Willie Mays hasn't done that, maybe use extra ink so a blob could run down over other signatures.

[mr2686]

Originally Posted by Runscott

That's pretty horrible. Surprised Willie Mays hasn't done that, maybe use extra ink so a blob could run down over other signatures.

LOL...I haven't laughed so hard in quite some time. Thanks for that!

[steve B]

Originally Posted by Runscott

That's pretty horrible. Surprised Willie Mays hasn't done that, maybe use extra ink so a blob could run down over other signatures.

I don't recall them mentioning it, but I'd like to think that Ted was a decent enough guy to not simply stamp something that had multiple signatures.


It was late 70's, maybe early 80's? Whenever he was some sort of special batting coach. Most of what I saw people trying to get signed back then was balls, programs and cards. none with autographs already on them.

Apparently he did pick up a decent bit of cash for the jimmy fund that way.

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by steve B

I don't recall them mentioning it, but I'd like to think that Ted was a decent enough guy to not simply stamp something that had multiple signatures.

It was your comment about him using the stamp while 'signing' in person that was stunning to me. If it was known up-front, no problem - then it would just be plain strange.

[steve B]

Originally Posted by Runscott

It was your comment about him using the stamp while 'signing' in person that was stunning to me. If it was known up-front, no problem - then it would just be plain strange.

From what I recall, it was known to the people with season tickets who went after autographs. Probably not known to the people who were casual collectors. From what they said, he was very open about using the stamp. I don't know how consistent that use was, but it seemed pretty consistent.

It's possible the donation changed situationally too. The guys I knew were pretty regular and were always looking for autographs. So they may have gotten a big upcharge being regulars. They also took photos, and got an invite onto the field after giving one player a photo they'd taken.


It's all going off a roughly 40 year old memory of stuff I was told about. I wasn't an autograph hunter back then, and have really only made a handful of tries in situations other than shows. (And not many there either)