I also set up at shows during the 80's where the two were appearing, alone and together. When they would announce time for a DiMaggio signing, they would announce all the items that Joe would not sign and warned that he would immediately end the signing if someone approached him with one of the "forbidden" items. Once you got to him though, he was, let's call it "all business - light". He did get "grumpier" as the years progressed and he realized people were making money by reselling his autographs. That's when he started limiting signed baseballs (tickets for which that some promoters handed out to their "friends" via a dubious lottery).
I think DiMaggio's attitude was best epitomized by the story of him being upset with the Simon and Garfunkle song that included the line "where have you gone Joe DiMaggio?" As told by Paul Simon, "“I happened to be in a restaurant and there he was,” recalls Simon. “I gathered up my nerve to go over and introduce myself and say, ‘Hi, I’m the guy that wrote “Mrs. Robinson,” ’ and he said ‘Yeah, sit down . . . why’d you say that? I’m here, everyone knows I’m here.’ I said, ‘I don’t mean it that way — I mean, where are these great heroes now?’ He was flattered once he understood that it was meant to be flattering.”
Mantle was always gracious. But sadly, the question going around the room when he initially took his seat was, "had he had a drink yet?" He was actually in a better mood if he had. But as said above, his signature was always impeccable and he would shake your hand and be gracious. (see photo attached.)
Confession, my hand shook like a little boy's when I handed either of them something to sign. A grown man, nervous about meeting an icon. But that's what they were to so many of us.
|