[Northrunner]

Hi guys,
New member here...I've got a neat opportunity and could use some advice.

I have access to a very famous baseball player from the 1950's. Yesterday he said he'd sign a ball for me. Sure I can go buy a new ball for this but another idea I have follows. My Dad, sadly now deceased, was an avid baseball fan and got me interested in the sport at an early age. Dad played ball in college and I have some of his old game balls with his teammates signatures, some with notes such as "picked man off first in last of 9th with tying runs on & won game", etc. I also have a ball from this era (1949) that has no signatures but has been played with & has the usual grass and dirt discoloration.

Now I am not looking to attain this signature for profit. I thought it might be great to have this player's signature on one of my Dad's old balls but I don't want to offend this man by handing him a less-than new ball. Do you think he may be offended by that? I don't know him personally, he frequents my wife's place of business and she will be handing him the ball. She says he can be a bit gruff these days so that's why I'm trying to be respectful to him.

For these elderly famous hero's of the sport, would asking for a signature on a "soiled" ball be taken like a "slap in the face" by this gentleman? I think if I was there and had time to explain to him the reason for the soiled ball...my hope would be that he'd appreciate the sentimental value and be cool with it but I can't be there and my wife will not have the time to go into it with him because of the brisk nature of her job environment.

Any thoughts?