One famous 'fake' Babe Ruth autograph

[timzcardz]

In the light of all that has been coming to light, has anyone else wondered about the DiMaggio autographed Monroe issue of Playboy?

Story as published in the NY Times:

His friendship with Joe DiMaggio produced an autograph adorning the otherwise unclad photo of DiMaggio's former wife Marilyn Monroe in the first issue of Playboy, from 1953. One day, when DiMaggio was visiting his home, Mr. Halper showed him an original copy of the magazine. As Mr. Halper told Ira Berkow of The New York Times in 1998: "Joe said - he didn't look too thrilled - 'What do you want me to do with this, sign Best Wishes?' I said, 'No, but I'd love to have you sign it.' He said, 'O.K., but I don't want anyone to see it in my lifetime.' I promised I wouldn't, and I haven't."

I haven't seen the autograph, but doesn't this story seem a little too far fetched?

Ask DiMaggio to autograph his dead ex-wife's nude image and get him to agree? Just as long as it isn't shown until after DiMaggio is dead?

Makes for another detailed story, and once DiMaggio was dead he couldn't dispute it, right?

[Vintagedegu]

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[Gary Dunaier]

Originally Posted by Vintagedegu

Been a long time, but didn't Joe refuse to speak to Halper (stomach turns) after that? The story I heard ended with something to the effect that he never would return his calls or anything. I sure wouldn't.

If memory serves me right, the story was that Halper arranged for DiMaggio to "come along for the ride" while giving someone a tour of his collection. DiMaggio grudgingly agreed as long as there was no press. So when DiMaggio found out a reporter from Sports Collectors Digest was also going to be on the tour, he left - and from that moment Halper was on DiMaggio's permanent s***list.

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

Originally Posted by Gary Dunaier

If memory serves me right, the story was that Halper arranged for DiMaggio to "come along for the ride" while giving someone a tour of his collection. DiMaggio grudgingly agreed as long as there was no press. So when DiMaggio found out a reporter from Sports Collectors Digest was also going to be on the tour, he left - and from that moment Halper was on DiMaggio's permanent s***list.

IIRC, baseball card manufacturer Score conducted a draw. Lucky winners were to go on an intimate tour of the Halper collection with Joltin' Joe "as host". It was strongly stipulated that DiMaggio would NOT be signing any autographs during the event. SCD (or Tough Stuff, I think) did have someone there to cover the event. I recall reading that article, but no mention was made of the falling out. Perhaps this is when it happened, however.

[David Atkatz]

DiMaggio's "permanent shitlist" was, at the time of his death, the world's largest. What a prick he was.

[thekingofclout]

Originally Posted by David Atkatz

DiMaggio's "permanent shitlist" was, at the time of his death, the world's largest. What a prick he was.

Of course he was David. Nice guys never get women the caliber of Marilyn Monroe... N E V E R !

[David Atkatz]

That may be. But being such a prick was the reason why he couldn't keep her.

[Gary Dunaier]

Originally Posted by Gary Dunaier

If memory serves me right, the story was that Halper arranged for DiMaggio to "come along for the ride" while giving someone a tour of his collection. DiMaggio grudgingly agreed as long as there was no press. So when DiMaggio found out a reporter from Sports Collectors Digest was also going to be on the tour, he left - and from that moment Halper was on DiMaggio's permanent s***list.

Found the story... it appeared in Richard Ben Cramer's Joe DiMaggio: The Hero's Life, pages 464-465.

When Joe finished signing the baseball cards for Pinnacle, there were two hours left on his contract. And the company had nothing more for him to sign.

But they got an idea. They would run a nationwide contest, a promotion with Toys "R" Us, and the winners would get to meet Joe DiMaggio. In fact, the five winners would come to New York for a baseball weekend: a skybox at Yankee Stadium, lunch at Mickey Mantle's restaurant...and a tour of Barry Halper's storied baseball collection, with Joe DiMaggio as their special guide.

Joe agreed: he owed them, by contract. So, Pinnacle ran the promotion, and brought the winners to New York. It was June 4, 1994. The tour at Barry's house was the Saturday morning highlight. They showed up in five limousines: five winners and their five guests. And the Pinnacle people showed up, of course, and a handful of suits from Toys "R" Us. So there were quite a few cars out front. By the time Joe got to Halper's door, precisely at ten A.M., Barry could see, the Clipper was in a foul mood.

"How many people here - a hundred?"

"Joe, it's just ten people."

"Ten! I thought it was five."

"Well, five and a guest, and..."

"All right, all right."

"C'mon, Joe. Sharon's makin' your favorite lunch with the shrimp..."

So Joe walked in, the tour began. But it was not to be. Joe kept looking around, until he saw it: one of the suits. He was taking notes. Toys "R" Us had brought a reporter from Sports Collectors Digest. They were putting Joe on display.

Joe stopped in mid-sentence, and made for the front door. Halper ran after him, out the door, onto the front walk. "Joe! I didn't even know! It wasn't my idea. Joe! Listen!..."

But Joe wasn't going to listen. That was in his contract: no press. He got into his waiting car - and he was gone.

Halper was off the team, too.

The pages themselves can be seen here, on the Google Books site.