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Old 01-15-2022, 03:49 PM
Scott Garner's Avatar
Scott Garner Scott Garner is offline
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Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Midwest
Posts: 6,613
Default States that I have chased autographs

Not including paid signings at shows, Nationals, etc. here are a few that come to mind:

CA: Certainly where most of my 'graphing occurred, since I'm from there and attended too many Angels games through the years. Ryan was my favorite target, although I chased down the autographs of any player that I thought was cool. I probably got him to sign 100 or more times through the years.
A few other players that stand out: Don Drysdale, Steve Garvey, Ron Cey, Fernando Valenzuela, Frank Thomas several times, Ken Griffey, Jr., Cal Ripken, Jr., Kirby Puckett, Barry Bonds, Rod Carew, Phil Niekro, Tony Gwynn, Alan Trammell, Orel Hersheiser (59 innings of shutout ball in 1988) and Angels no-hit pitchers: Mark Langston, Mike Witt, Bo Belinsky.
Basketball HOF'er Jerry West at a Laker game when he was the GM during the Showtime era.
Lots of golf autographs including Tiger Woods, Greg Norman and Johnny Miller that all stood out as interesting or great experiences.

AZ: A few players at Bank One Ballpark during the AZ Diamondback's 1st year.
Basketball player Dan Majerle and his bar near the BOB after a game in which I saw him hitting before the game (the dude had power!). Majerle was apparently a two-sport star (baseball and basketball) at Central MI.
I was able to get former Twins player Rich Reese to sign 13 items for me on top of his Corvette out in front of a Walgreens near his home. Rich Reese was Nolan Ryan's 383rd strikeout in 1973, which is the all-time record for a single season.
I was able to get Ryan's 3rd no-hitter catcher Tom Egan to sign a game used bat in AZ just after he took out the trash (according to his wife) in bare feet, t-shirt and shorts. All of these experiences were rich with some great conversation about their careers. All great guys!

FL: Brad Mills, Ryan's 3509th strikeout victim, passing Walter Johnson for career strikeouts at an Astros Spring Training game the year that Mills skippered for the Astros.

GA: Phil Nevin (also a fellow CSUF graduate) at Fulton County Stadium, Atlanta.

HI (Big Island): Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Ray Floyd at the Sr. Skins Tournament in 1997. I also was fortunate to play 18 holes behind Palmer at the Grand Opening of his new golf course Hapuna.

MD: Boog Powell at his BBQ kiosk at Camden Yards.

MI: Brad Mills, Ryan's 3509th strikeout on a game used bat. Greg Myers, Ryan's 5,714th K (last career K) on a game used bat, ball and ticket from his last K that I attended as an Angels season ticket holder. Both Mills and Myers were gracious about adding great inscriptions to all. Justin Verlander and other Tigers and ex-Tigers at Tigerfest. While on vacation in 1996, my Tigers ticket stub was signed by both Tigers owner Mike Illich and acting AL President Gene Budig while we ate hot dogs during a rain delay that preceded the game. Both guys were very nice, BTW.

NY: (Cooperstown 1999 Induction) Robin Yount at the Leatherstocking GC.
I played golf in the foresome directly behind him and his brother Larry the day before the HOF Induction that had Ryan, Yount, Brett and Cepeda.

OH: HOF Jim Palmer, Denny McLain (31-6 in 1968), Bob Feller all at Toledo Mud Hens games. No-hit pitchers Carlos Zambrano, Bob Milacki, Juan Nieves, Devern Hansack (unofficial no-hitter). All of these were autographs near or at Toledo Mud Hens games. Mike Hessman (all-time minor league HR King- 433 dingers!) at a Mud Hens season ticket holder event at a restaurant in Toledo. Angels combo no-hitter pitcher Jose' Arredondo at the visiting team hotel over in Cleveland in 2009.

TX: Nolan Ryan many times in Arlington and Alvin, TX.
George W. Bush x 2 at the last game at Arlington Stadium (1993).
Sparky Lyle and Fergie Jenkins in the bar at the Marriott after the last game at Arlington. Former MLB pitcher and scout Red Murff in Alvin, TX. Murff was the scout that signed Nolan Ryan to his 1st ML contract.
Reggie Jackson at the airport in Dallas boarding my American Airlines flight.

WI: Ryan 2nd no-hit catcher Art Kusnyer in the new Brewers stadium in the 1st game ever, which was an exhibition game between the Brewers and the CWS just before the regular season. Kusnyer signed and inscribed 2 items for me. MLB Commish Bud Selig in his office on the day that the new stadium opened- a ball that he signed and inscribed with the date.

UT: Several players in a Salt Lake City Bees game that I attended in the 1990's.

Extra Credit:
Canada (Toronto): Andres Galarraga on my ticket stub at a game between Montreal and Toronto on Canada Day around 2002.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg Mike Hessman signed 433 HR poster.jpg (37.6 KB, 306 views)

Last edited by Scott Garner; 09-11-2022 at 06:18 AM.
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