Willie Mays at Philly

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Posted By: Tim

I have to agree with CS. Tony Gwynn was signing at a local San Diego auto dealership in 2007. This was a week after he was elected to the Hall of Fame. The lines were long, and he took his time with everyone....looking people in the eye, smiling, and joking. He was an absolute delight. He was only supposed to sign for 90 minutes, but he continued to sign much longer, not wanting anyone to go away disappointed. What a gentleman....and my 11 year old son has a great memory.

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Posted By: Jodi Birkholm

Actually, from what I gather, Gwynn still has some sort of affiliation with a San Diego Ford dealership. If you write a polite letter to him in care of the dealership, Tony has been known to sign an item for free as recently as a few weeks ago. Collectors have normally been sending gum cards, but Gwynn has even signed a ball or two as well. He charged $95 to sign a gum card at last year's National. Sorry, I don't have the address on hand at the monent. I'm sure anyone could find out which dealership it is if they were curious enough.

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Posted By: Richard Simon

Was Feller's lackey an older man wearing a cowboy hat?
=

I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent.
Unknown author
--
We made a promise. We swore we'd always remember.
No retreat baby, no surrender.
The Boss

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Posted By: Richard Simon

Best experience - I was set up at a show in Staten Island. Brooks Robinson was an autograph guest. This was in the days when dealers actually were given free autographs by the promoters.
My son (probably around 9-10 yrs old at the time) worked with me at my table and would get on line to get the autographs. I had a camera with me to take a picture of the guest with my son. When Robinson saw that I was taking a photo he stopped the line, came out to the front of the table to pose with my son. He then insisted that I take another picture to make sure I got a good one.
A truly classy guy.
==

I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent.
Unknown author
--
We made a promise. We swore we'd always remember.
No retreat baby, no surrender.
The Boss

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Posted By: Scott Sarian

"Steve,

Sigh....yes, almost 40 years ago. Your right about Bobby. Went to Sacred Heart grade school in Watertown (now closed) and Bobby would show up for our school bazaar every year. What a treat for me at 8-12 years old and what a person. Yaz on the other hand is a little gruff.... "

Michael, you're from Watertown? Same with me - I went to the Hosmer School but of course I remember Sacred Heart. Bobby Orr was EVERYWHERE around the area back in those days, literally appearing around Watertown at every bank opening and school possible. I remember wishing they'd have other players come since I had seen Orr so often. Great guy too - those were the days!

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Posted By: Jerry Spillman

It appears that Willie Mays' personality has not changed over the years. While getting Willie's autograph the fan asked him if his wife could take their picture. The fan was quite disappointed that Willie paid no attention to his request. This was at the Armenian Church Baseball Card Show in Manhattan about 1980.


I do not collect autographs. The only time I ever waited on an autograph line was by happenstance in 1982 (Aaron & Chandler HOF induction) in the Otesaga Hotel in Cooperstown NY. The line lead to the hotel patio where about a dozen or so HOF members were seated at three separate tables giving autographs. Unprepared, I just grabbed a piece of hotel stationery for the signatures. Stan Musial did not sit at any of the tables; instead he walk along and signed for those that were waiting in line.


Warren Spahn was a gracious autograph signer. He would also come up to the hotel hospitality room during the (Plymouth, MI) baseball card show to chat.


Here are a few pictures of an autograph session at the NSCC in Cleveland in 1997.

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

I had some really nice conversations with all these ballplayers at various shows..........


Johnny Mize............1981....my table was next to his at the Meadowlands, NJ show

Joe DiMaggio...........1982-86.....at several New Jersey shows

Ted Williams............1984.....at the Valley Forge show

Phil Rizzuto..............1977-94.....at several Jersey shore shows

Richie Ashburn..........1981-93.....at the Philly show and several New Jersey shows

Don Larsen..............2001-06.....Cooperstown HOF weekend events

Chuck Connors.........1989.....at a New Jersey show

Ernie Banks.............1985.....at the Valley Forge show

Billy Martin..............1982.....at an Atlantic City, NJ show

Bill White................1989.....at an Asbury Park, NJ show

Roy White...............1984.....at a New Jersey show

Craig Nettles............1991.....at a Jersey shore mall show

Sparky Lyle..............1987.....at a New Jersey show

Reggie Jackson.........1993.....at the Hawaii show

Johnny Unitas...........1990.....at a Jersey shore mall show



TED Z

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Posted By: Bob

We have all at some point run into some celebrity at a card show. They were a lot of fun and an affordable way to meet a star athlete. What has happened since as far as greed goes is something that I can't even explain. In the old days, a big star would sign for $20 and they would actually sell out some 800 tickets, like Rose. If Rose did a show, he would probably sell out at $20, but when you start charging $60,70 and up for a signature (more for extras and premium items), you see a small crowd and maybe 30 signatures will be sold with much of their time being spent behind the curtains signing for other companies through private deals. I once saw Phil Simms sign at $85 a pop and he must have signed 20 signatures. He's like a $15 autograph, tops...not even a Hall Of Famer who is cordial when met and signs via the mail.

My least favorite person on earth is in fact Willie Mays, but Warren Spahn is second. When he's the charming man, he's an act. The three times I met him, he was obnoxious and surly and he did have a few pops in him. He was at a charity dinner and he at one point screamed "if you have a (another word for penis), I'm not signing for you anymore! I have had it! Women only!"

Like everything great (especially the joy I had in collecting current cards) in the 1980's, great things are always ruined by greed and when I see autograph lineups, I can do what many do and laugh and ignore the idea of getting something signed at that price.

Robert

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Posted By: davidcycleback

In some defense of these athletes, a large percentage the free autograph requesters turn around an put the autograph for on eBay. It would bother me to be signing as free and friendly gestures only to discover the people's only interest was to turn a quick profit.

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Posted By: CS Bolay

Hi Richard, Feller's lackey was kind of a middle-aged pudgy guy, brown hair (which could be about 3 billion people ). No hat that I recall. Guessed he might be a relative, but really not sure.

Gwynn was so cool, he talked with everyone, and he volunteered to stand up and do a pic with me.

And I can't believe I forgot Minnie Minoso. He actually went around shaking hands and saying hello when he entered the room. Wonderful fellow.

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

The only autographs I collect are team signed minor league balls, My collection ranges from the 1930's to the present and on all of the vintage balls I can read nearly every single signature.....on the newer baseballs I can barely read a single name. I go to enough Lincoln Saltdogs games to get team signed balls every year and I can't read the names on any of them. I write the date right on the balls otherwise I'd never be able to tell what year they are from.

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Posted By: Jodi Birkholm

When he was out in public, Minoso used to wear a pin that said "Just Ask, I'll Sign". He must have chucked that thing over 20 years ago, as I believe he's been charging a fee since the very early 1990's at the latest.

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Posted By: Jason

My 2 best experiences: Bob feller was at a card show near Atlanta in the mid-nineties (I was maybe 12) and was very cordial and easy to talk to; My dad met Phil Niekro (who lives not too far from my parents) at some event and invited us down to his house one day. Well, we took him up on his offer and he spent a good bit of time with me, showing me how to throw a knuckleball and signing some stuff (this was in the mid- to late-nineties). Niekro's a class act and very easy to approach. He does a lot of stuff for his local community.

Worst: Tom Glavine. I waited in line at a sports store for about 2 hours and when I'm about 4 people from him, he just gets up and walks out. He passed me and I asked him for an auto and he just ignored me.