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mikemmichaelsI'm trying to say pretty much what everyone else has said. This is my story: I had buddies with older brothers who had Clemente autographs and whatnot. I was always the goofup on the team, the guy who'd get a couple of hits early and then strike out in the ninth. So when I was about 13 in 1981 and Ray Burris of the Expos got within an out or two of a nono, I wrote him a letter telling him how sorry I was that he got so close and didn't get it.
I was home visiting my folks a couple of months ago and found a box of crap. Ray's letter and signed photo was in it. The cute part was that the stationary said "From the desk of Raymond Burris". Not worth a million dollars, but how much more authentic can you get?
I don't think I asked for a signed photo, or a million dollars, or a game used bat, but Ray sent me what he had, which was a photo and a note. It didn't make me rich, but as a guy who came within an out or two of a legimate LL victory 4 or 5 times with nothing to show for it, it meant more than anything else.