Brush with HOF fame...

[mets41]

I had a run-in with Frank Robinson in the mid-80's. I had purchased a partially autographed 1969 Mets team picture. I decided to go thru the card show circut and have all of the pictured players and coaches add their autograph. Also I'd get as many noteables from the Brave and Oriole squads the Mets beat in the post season to sign for as long as space permitted. When I showed the picture to Robinson to autograph, if looks could kill, they'd have to take me out in a body bag and Robinson out in handcuffs.

[Buythatcard]

First of all, that pic of Bench/Bush that PolarBear posted was hilarious.

Back in the late 80's, I was working in Manhattan. One day, while walking thru midtown, I passed a card store(remember those?). There was a sign out front saying that Mickey Mantle would be signing his book. I decided to go in and take a peek. When I walked in, the store was empty and there in the back was a small table with Mickey Mantle sitting behind it. I couldn't believe that I was the only one there with the great Mickey himself. I bought his book and went over to get it signed. Since I was the only on line at the time, I figured I tried to say something to him. I said to Mickey, is that your World Series ring that you are wearing? He looked at me and said in a mean tone "NO, it's my Hall of Fame ring". That was the end of our conversation. It left a real sour taste in my mouth after that. It bothered me for years until I heard about his drinking problems. I started feeling bad for him and finally forgave him in my heart. I still love Mickey.

[Exhibitman]

Not baseball but:

I saw Vitali Klitschko in a Whole Foods Market. Kinda hard to miss since he's
6'7" and built like a mountain. He bought a drink and jumped into a waiting SUV idling in the parking lot. I didn't have anything to write with so I couldn't get an autograph.

Speaking of tall, when I was in school in San Francisco I went out on a Friday evening and saw David Robinson in a club in the Marina (I think he was still in the service at the time). He was literally a head and shoulders taller than everyone else in the place and happily dancing by himself.

Even taller, Chuck Nevitt, 7'5". He was the 12th man on a few of the great Lakers Showtime teams, and a fan favorite because if he came in you knew the game was over. I met him on the campus of UCLA one summer when I was using UCLA's jobs center to look for work and he was working out at the campus. I was a sprightly 6' even back then and I remember his leg seemed to reach nearly to my shoulder.

Back in 1979 my parents and I went to see All That Jazz in Westwood (near UCLA). As we were leaving the theater we ran into John Belushi. My father angrily said "Hey, you keep my kid up late at night." Belushi did that shrug thing he used to do and mumbled something in "Samurai".

My wife and I had a week where we could not avoid Michael Chiklis. First we saw him in a local restaurant with his family a few tables from ours. A few days later we saw him at the Aquarium of the Pacific with his kids. Then on Saturday my wife and her sister went to see Mama Mia and he and his wife were sitting right behind them. My wife finally turned around and asked him if he was following her.

Back when my daughter was still a baby my wife and I went to a religious service where we had to sit in the very back because of the baby. Dustin Hoffman and his wife come in and sit down beside us. We wish each other "good yuntiff" which is Yiddish for happy holidays. He then spills a bottle of water and is frantically trying to deal with it. My wife gave him a diaper and I got to watch Dustin Hoffman mopping up with my daughter's diaper. And yes, it was a clean diaper.

[mr2686]

Hi guys! I'm usually over on the memorabilia side of the house but thought I'd drop by. A couple of quick stories to show both sides. First off, I am ALWAYS very respectfull when getting an autograph...yes sir, no sir, please and thank you. I've never demanded that a player sign or take a picture...asking politely, but not demanding, etc. Anyway, first big Card/Autograph show I attended back in the 80's...had something like 15 HOF'ers. All of them nice until I got to about the 10th one...Willie Mays. I was such a big Mays fan and he was a complete jerk. I can't remember his exact words but I do know that I just wanted to skip the rest of the players and call it a day...totally deflating. Fortunately I stuck around and the next player was Brooks Robinson...totally the best, nicest, warmest person I could have meet. He talked with everyone for a a minute or two and made everyone feel great.
The other story is Carlton Fisk. I must admit that I was never a Fisk fan. Maybe because he played for the Red Sox (sorry!) but I just always had this opinon of him that I didn't like him. Anyway, I was in Cooperstown a couple of years ago and he was signing autographs. As I was walking up to him he saw my Padres cap and starts talking to me about them. Did I think they would be trading so and so soon, can you believe that their pitching is holding up this well, etc. I mean c'mon, here's a guy that had played in the American league and knew what was going on with the current Padres...he is obviously a baseball fan and was a great guy to talk to. That one 3 min conversation has made me a Carlton Fisk fan for life. A really, really nice guy.