Your experiences with HOF'ers

[sicollector1954]

Joe Dimaggio was a product of the depression. If you want to read what he really was like...check out the October 23, 2000 Newsweek Issue....The Dark Side of Dimaggio by Ben Cramer. "Behind the scenes, Joe Dimaggio trusted almost no one and spent his last years obsessed with money and privacy."

A sample of what is in the article....Any tickets for baseball games/All-Star/World Series he ever received--he sold through a banker who deposited the money in his account.....50 plus sets of brand new golf clubs/shirts, etc. which were given to him when playing Pro-Am tournaments in the 60's/70's were found in his garage upon his death neatly lined up in rows but full of dust having never been moved....when the earthquake hit in 1989 in San Francisco, he went to his residence and went upstairs--calmly came down with a garbage bag--went to the Presido Club to stay for the night as a precaution.. was an honorary memberthere so he did not have to pay for anything--sleptthe night there with the garbage bag which in fact held six hundred thousand dollars cash! He was truly a product of the depression.

This photo was taken at the Sun Times show on 11/17/96. He never took the shades off or had a pic with anyone or said a word...only once that I saw yelling at an older die-hard lady who seemed to be a devote Yankee fan for holding up the line because she was taking too many pictures while getting closer and closer to the table! That lady went away with a different impression of Joe D. and so did many other people that day.

[sicollector1954]

Let me start by saying that for every bad experience I have ever had with meeting sports stars or getting autographs, I have also had many good ones as well! This is just another which seems to stand our in my mind of a bad experience.
At one time, I collected signatures of players who appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated. I would send a self-addressed stamped envelope along with the S.I. if I had an address and sometimes would get them back in the mail. On this occasion, I already had two signatures on the cover (Rose/Perez), so I just sent a letter of inquiry asking if it might be alright if I sent the issue to Joe Morgan. You can see my answer.
I then waited until a sports show near where I live where he was appearing...paid my $22.00 fee and stayed until I was the last person in line not wanting to attract any extra attention...Once he signed the mag, I put this note in front of him and asked what the problem was...didn't think he wanted me sending anything to his work place at ESPN so just wanted clarification......I think he was caught off guard as he said something to the effect that his fan mail once had gotten mixed with his house payment and other bills and it really messed him up. Wow....a house payment for Joe Morgan...wonder which house?? I believed that story.

Another example...when the camera is on....the person appears as a really nice guy...but behind the scenes...a total jerk....I also heard he was not too happy when Ryne Sandberg was elected to the Hall and did someone vote not to put Santo in recently as well??? 15-1 or something....gee....could the 1 have been??
This sounds alot like Lee Trevino as well....total jerk but then there is Arnold Palmer as well---a really class act or in todays world...Tiger and Phil..

[Scott Garner]

Originally Posted by sicollector1954

Let me start by saying that for every bad experience I have ever had with meeting sports stars or getting autographs, I have also had many good ones as well! This is just another which seems to stand our in my mind of a bad experience.
At one time, I collected signatures of players who appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated. I would send a self-addressed stamped envelope along with the S.I. if I had an address and sometimes would get them back in the mail. On this occasion, I already had two signatures on the cover (Rose/Perez), so I just sent a letter of inquiry asking if it might be alright if I sent the issue to Joe Morgan. You can see my answer.
I then waited until a sports show near where I live where he was appearing...paid my $22.00 fee and stayed until I was the last person in line not wanting to attract any extra attention...Once he signed the mag, I put this note in front of him and asked what the problem was...didn't think he wanted me sending anything to his work place at ESPN so just wanted clarification......I think he was caught off guard as he said something to the effect that his fan mail once had gotten mixed with his house payment and other bills and it really messed him up. Wow....a house payment for Joe Morgan...wonder which house?? I believed that story.

Another example...when the camera is on....the person appears as a really nice guy...but behind the scenes...a total jerk....I also heard he was not too happy when Ryne Sandberg was elected to the Hall and did someone vote not to put Santo in recently as well??? 15-1 or something....gee....could the 1 have been??
This sounds alot like Lee Trevino as well....total jerk but then there is Arnold Palmer as well---a really class act or in todays world...Tiger and Phil..

Wow! Nice!!! I love the envelope.

[Hot Springs Bathers]

I should have put Al Kaline in my top 10 somewhere. My daughter and I waited in a light rain for him at a minor league baseball game. The other signers were Brooks Robinson and George Kell.

The signing ended early when Mr. Kell got tired, he would pass a few months later. We were about 30 people away in line, when we passed Mr. Kaline he signed a ball and my Hall of Fame 50th Anniversary book with a broad smile. He then turned and along with Brooks guided Mr. Kell to his car.

It was obvious they really cared alot obout Mr. Kell.

[Gary Dunaier]

This is a great thread! I'm really enjoying the anecdotes, both the positive and the negative ones. Keep 'em coming!

Originally Posted by sicollector1954

Looks like this photo was taken behind Plexiglass. What was the deal with that? I can understand a Tensabarrier to keep some distance, but am I thinking too far out of left field to guess that DiMaggio asked that his signing area be separated by Plexiglass?

[GrayGhost]

Once a few yrs ago, I met Hockey HOFer Bobby Hull at a card show in CT here. I got a photo signed by him, and man, he looked like he could still play again. BIG SMILE and he nearly crushed my hand. haha. Anyways, I told him his son Bret was really good, he's like "yeah, he's pretty good, isn't he? haha. GREAT GUY.

One more I recall was HOFer Eddie Mathews. I h ad a ball for him, got a business like hand shake, thas bout it. Course. he had a cigarette in one hand, and a mixed drink near his other hand. so didn't have much time for Frivolity

[scmavl]

As the most contact I've had with a HOFer is an email from Harmon Killebrew, I'm really digging this thread.

More! More!

[stlcardinalsfan]

I used to collect autographs with my twin brother starting in the early 80's ( I was about 8). I would go 5 hours before the game and ask players to sign baseball cards or a team baseball as they walked from their hotel to the ballpark about 3-4 times a year at St. Louis and 2 times at Chicago. I would guess at least 95% of all MLB would sign if you saw them in this situation up until the early 1990's. Many would chat as they signed cards and seemed happy that I would ask for their autograph. Here are some quick stories about some HOFERS

1. Bob Gibson Told me he would sign my ball if I knew who he was. Then he went to spot away from the crowd a signed my ball. A few years later he wouldn't sign anything he perceived as valuable.
2. Ozzie Smith always nice and would sign for 30 minutes if he had to.
3. Ripken signed at spring training for 1 hr plus down spring trainging 3rd base line..
4. RICKEY HENDERSON WITH NO ONE AROUND EXCEPT ME AND MY BROTHER "I don't sign autographs little boy" He was the only A's player that didn't sign that day (Eck, Mcgwire very nice)
5. Clemens sat and talked to me for 5 minutes but wouldn't sign because he was pitching that day he too was very nice and apparently superstitous. EVANS RICE BOGGS SIGNED AND WERE NICE
6. Strawberry Gooden signed with an entourage around them
7. Gary Carter would sign any baseball card older than 1983 I think... He auctioned the other newer cards off for charity.. Super nice guy
8. All of the Braves and Astros always signed for everybody in the early 1990's Chipper, Maddux, Smoltz, Glavine, Biggio and Bagwell. (Maddux I think remembered me from the year prior when I got his autograph he is very detail oriented.)
9. Barry Bonds never signed a thing for me when I was a teen ager. Told me I should have gotten him a couple of years ago when he did sign.
10. Matt williams was super nice.
It would get old to sign day in day out. That is why I only bothered them while they were walking to the ballpark.

[JollyElm]

Not a HOFer, but...
In the early 80's my friends (one of which is a huuuuuuge NY Giants fan) and I were in a Burger King on Long Island having a good old time, when the largest hand I have ever seen in my life reached from behind me past my head and snatched my friend's NY Giants emblazoned wallet right off the table. I reacted instantly and quickly turned myself around and who was standing there?? Why, Mark Gastineau with his wife, holding his baby daughter. This was during the height of his popularity. The 'New York Sack Exchange' was in its prime and all of us Jets fans idolized this guy!! He flipped the wallet back on the table, chuckled and said, "What's the point? There's probably nothing in it." My friend looked him dead in the eye and replied, "No, Mark. It's full of money from betting on the Giants." (I guess it's important to note that you gotta be a New Yorker to understand the extreme rivalry between Jets and Giants fans.) It was frickin' awesome!! He laughed and chatted us up for a couple of minutes before he went on his way. What a terrific guy.

And I, too, will jump on the Brooks Robinson bandwagon. Met him at a show in the 80's and he was the nicest guy on the planet. Clearly appreciating everyone for coming out to see him. I was glad my Mets beat him in '69, but I became a big fan of his that day.

[sicollector1954]

Just did not bother to remove the photo from the 4X6 plastic holder! LOL.

I agree with another person who added to this thread. When I was 9 or 10--went to a Reds/Cards game and afterwards--waited by the bus and out came Pete Rose. I asked if he would sign the scorecard I had from the game. He told me he was not Pete Rose...a second later...Jack Billingham also came out--signed the scorecard and then asked the other person--Hey Pete, want me to save you a seat on the bus? Enough said.

Feller-Ripken-Kaline-Spahn-Killebrew-Dr. J-Bobby Hull...all class.

[Writehooks]

I've had the privilege of sitting down to chat with Fergie Jenkins on a couple of occasions, and he's truly a gentleman. Upon learning I was a fellow Montreal Canadiens fan, he immediately wanted my thoughts on the upcoming NHL season and the Habs' prospects for making the playoffs. Fergie is also a former member of the Harlem Globetrotters and really enjoys talking hoops. Great with young fans, too.

[7nohitter]

I am loving this thread!

Before a game against the Twins at Fenway in the early 90's I was by the visitor's dugout with about 100 other people. Everyone was yelling Winfield, Winfield" and the guy would not turn around. Me, being a brash lad of about 14 yelled, "Hey David, come sign some stuff!" Oh boy, he did not like that. He spun his head around faster than the girl in the Exorcist. He shoots me the dirtiest look and shook his head 'no.'

Guess he doesn't like being called David

[Scott Garner]

Great thread all!

I was always a stadium rat, chasing players down for autographs at Anaheim Stadium and other venues in Southern California for more than 25 years. Baseball players were a major focus. I had similar experiences with many of the HOF players mentioned previously.

I've got to say that Nolan Ryan has to have been the most friendly, consistent and prolific HOF signer that I ever came across.

During the peak of his popularity (1989-1993), I never saw him come to Anaheim where he wouldn't exit the Doubletree Hotel in Orange and sign for everyone in the massive line that surrounded the hotel. He would only sign once for each person and would stop only if the crowd got out of control or discrespectful. The way that he knew that he had gotten everyone is that he looked at each person's shoes. Once he spotted the same pair of shoes, the session was over and he would wave to everyone and head off to the stadium to put in his legendary exercise regiment. In 1992-1993, there were literally hundreds of fans that would line up out in front of the hotel. What a signer!! On September 17, 1993 I was fortunate to have gotten Ryan's last sig before he pitched in his last game at Anaheim. In this game, Ryan got his last career strikeout- # 5,714. Pretty cool!!

Cal Ripken, Jr. was a signing machine in the stadium, especially towards the end of his career. Both of these players (Ryan and Ripken) absolutely understood the value of giving back to baseball fans throughout America.

Rickey Henderson never signed for me even though I asked him politely dozens of times in different settings. He would always say that he would sign in the stadium, but would not. I would see him sign for black kids occasionally. That was the only exception.

Rod Carew was difficult to get after his playing days, but he did sign for me several times and was always cordial. The key with him was how you treated him.

Reggie Jackson has a bad rap, but I found him to be a great signer in a variety of venues and always willing to talk baseball and cars. He loves his cars!

Eddie Murray played for the Angels in 1997 only and I was determined to get his autograph. He never did sign for me in 1997, but thanked me every time for asking for his autograph. When he left the stadium after the game on Fathers Day 1997, he scanned the crowd of autograph seekers looking for me. Once he spotted me he handed his FILA wrist band with his uniform number on it and then winked. That was Steady Eddie's shout-out for putting in the consistent effort to get his sig. That was awesome!

There are many others, but those are the one's that stand out the most in my mind.

[matty6]

One of my favorite stories...

I went to the Atlanta National a few years back and decided to get a hot dog and a coke. Got my food and looked for a place to sit outside. There was an elderly couple sitting down at a table with an open seat. I asked if I could sit down, and they cordially agreed.

We got to talking and the gentleman asked me my name. When I said, "Andrew Parks." He said that's our last name, too! He introduced himself as "Dallas Parks." I looked at him and said, "There was an AL umpire with that name." He said, "Yeah. That's me." Earl Weaver was signing at the convention and he said he came to see him!

I asked if he saw him yet and he said that he had. He added that "Earl said the nicest thing he ever said to me" that day. I asked what that was and looked at me dead in the eye and said, "He said, "'How ya doing, Dallas?'"

That was it! I laughed so hard, I about peed myself. Earl always did hate umpires. Also, it was during the time the umpires went on strike. I asked him about that and he said, "It's bull shit. We never would have thought to strike."

Later I skipped outside to have a smoke and while I was standing there this elderly woman walked up to me and asked me for one. We got to talking, and I asked if she was enjoying the convention. She said that she was and explained she was there because she used to play in the All-American Girl's League! She was a Rockford Peach! I asked her what she thought of the movie A League of their Own, and she said, "All the girls loved it. It was 95% accurate." Very cool!