Let's see some pics from signings in the 80's and 90's

[Scott Garner]

This one just barely qualifies, but this is a photo of HOF Robin Yount, my good friend Tom Duino (left) and me (right) taken after finishing up a round of golf on The Leatherstocking GC at Cooperstown in July 1999. I played golf in the foursome behind Robin and his brother Larry the day before Yount got inducted into the HOF with Nolan Ryan, George Brett and Orlando Cepeda.

I have a sharpie in my hand because Yount just knocked out an autograph for me on a Leatherstocking GC golf ball. We had a chance to talk with Robin and Larry a few times throughout the day. Robin Yount is truly one of the nicest players that I ever met and he's one hell of a golfer to boot!

Did anyone know that Robin Yount actually considered quitting baseball to persue a career as a PGA pro at one point? One terrific athlete and a great guy with no attitude.

[byrone]

Originally Posted by Scott Garner

This one just barely qualifies, but this is a photo of HOF Robin Yount, my good friend Tom Duino (left) and me (right) taken after finishing up a round of golf on The Leatherstocking GC at Cooperstown in July 1999. I played golf in the foursome behind Robin and his brother Larry the day before Yount got inducted into the HOF with Nolan Ryan, George Brett and Orlando Cepeda.

I have a sharpie in my hand because Yount just knocked out an autograph for me on a Leatherstocking GC golf ball. We had a chance to talk with Robin and Larry a few times throughout the day. Robin Yount is truly one of the nicest players that I ever met and he's one hell of a golfer to boot!

Did anyone know that Robin Yount actually considered quitting baseball to persue a career as a PGA pro at one point? One terrific athlete and a great guy with no attitude.

Any idea how Larry views his (very brief) time in the big leagues? Must have been awfully tough to get so close (even worse than Moonlight Graham's story)

[whitehse]

Back in the 80's and early 90's me and my two partners ran some successful mall shows in the suburbs of Chicago and we would try and bring local athletes in to sign free autographs for the show guests. We tried to bring in some decent names but never brought the current athletes in because we could never afford them as we were giving the autos away.

Here are some of the guests we had. Excuse the pictures as some got really beat up and my scanner really sucks.

1st up is Ray Meyer, head basketball coach of DePaul and a Hall of Famer. Great guy and even asked me what much of his memorabilia collection might be worth. He had every basketball from his milestone wins and he was thinking about selling them.



Next up is the man that practically raised me. Jack Brickhouse is the voice I always wanted to hear on a summer day because that meant baseball was on WGN television. Jack was the broadcaster for the Cubs for many years and the White Sox as well. I got to spend three hours with him and found out he was so much more than a baseball announcer. He interviewed presidents, queens, kings, popes and just about anyone else in between. The man is a Chicago legend and I am glad I got to know him a bit.



The next guest we had was Notre Dame's Heisman trophy winner Johnny Lattner. Johnny came into the mall pushing a shopping cart and was looking for me. After shaking hands I finally realized what he had in the shopping cart....THE Heisman Trophy!! I almost fell down right there. He was one of the best guests we ever had and he let everyone touch the trophy and pose for pictures with it. I have one some where where I was actually holding it but cant find it right now. That thing was heavy. One of the best moments of my life.....sports speaking!!

The photos are beat up and I have to have new copies made. (I am the fat guy on the right!!)





The last one I have pictures of (I have to dig more out) was Dottie Ferguson Key. She was a Rockford Peach and told us she was one of the inspirations for the "Dottie" character that Geena Davis played in League of Their Own. Dottie had an incredible grip and you just knew she would kick your ass if she wanted to. She was the Canadian Skating Champion in the 30's and was due to go to the 1940 Olympics before they were cancelled because of the war. Her husband, Donald Key, who is sitting next to her in this picture was also a Canadian Olympian and a damn fine athlete himself.



I will have to dig out more pictures.

[GrayGhost]

Great Job guys. Cool thread. I got you all beat tho.

From a special kids only section of the signing. c 1996 Pennsylvania. Event was put on by Lee and Scott and Ted and the gang from Coach's corner. Special on site COA's issued by Government secret FBI agent, Chris Moorales.

[mr2686]

Did Lou sign right handed?

[GrayGhost]

Seems so

[jgmp123]

Originally Posted by GrayGhost

Great Job guys. Cool thread. I got you all beat tho.

From a special kids only section of the signing. c 1996 Pennsylvania. Event was put on by Lee and Scott and Ted and the gang from Coach's corner. Special on site COA's issued by Government secret FBI agent, Chris Moorales.

Wow Scott! Which kid are you? Also, can Coaches Corner still get a signing set up? I would love for my children to meet Lou.

[JimStinson]

Great Photo of Lou !!! Is that a young Richard S. (the kid with the tie) in the photo ??? And I thought I had been around the hobby a long time
Unlike the Babe , Rumor has it Lou was not too fond of kids so probably had to be "shoe horned" into that photo opt.
Yes Lou signed Right handed

[Lordstan]

Originally Posted by jgmp123

Wow Scott! Which kid are you? Also, can Coaches Corner still get a signing set up? I would love for my children to meet Lou.

James,
Forget the kids. I want to meet Lou Gehrig.
I've a whole lot of pictures to get signed.

[travrosty]

For a grandma dottie looks like she was at the gun show. she could crush a beer can with her bare mitts.

[Scott Garner]

Originally Posted by byrone

Any idea how Larry views his (very brief) time in the big leagues? Must have been awfully tough to get so close (even worse than Moonlight Graham's story)

Brian,

I did not go there with regards to asking Larry about his close brush with the bigs. I have read that both Larry and Robin were extremely disappointed that Larry got so close, but got the rug of fate yanked out from under him. Yount's HOF acceptance speech actually touched on it and I recall him getting a bit choked up as he covered it.

It was obvious to me that Robin and Larry are very close and share a great bond together, FWIW.

[byrone]

Originally Posted by Scott Garner

Brian,

I did not go there with regards to asking Larry about his close brush with the bigs. I have read that both Larry and Robin were extremely disappointed that Larry got so close, but got the rug of fate yanked out from under him. Yount's HOF acceptance speech actually touched on it and I recall him getting a bit choked up as he covered it.

It was obvious to me that Robin and Larry are very close and share a great bond together, FWIW.

Thanks for your reply.

It must be tough to have made it so far in a dream vocation, only to miss out.

From "Field of Dreams"...
Ray Kinsella, speaking to Dr. Archibald "Moonlight" Graham: "Fifty years ago, for five minutes you came within... y-you came this close. It would KILL some men to get so close to their dream and not touch it. God, they'd consider it a tragedy."

[travrosty]

can someone tell the larry story for us who dont know?

[whitehse]

Originally Posted by travrosty

can someone tell the larry story for us who dont know?

Taken from Wikipedia

"Lawrence King "Larry" Yount (born February 15, 1950 in Houston, Texas) is a former professional baseball player. Yount (whose younger brother is Hall of Famer Robin Yount) holds the unique distinction of being the only pitcher in Major League Baseball history to appear in the official record books without ever actually having faced a batter. In his only major league appearance on September 15, 1971, he had to leave the game during his warm-up pitches due to injury."

[Leerob538]

But He did do something infamous in Brooklyn Dodger History. That is me on the right. & ( yes am I old enought to have rooted for da bums) It would be fun to see if you young whipersnappers can guess who it is & what he is infamous for. this pic was taken in 1987. Fred Young is barred from the contest since he knows who it is.

Regards,

Len