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Frank WakefieldThe Mantle was in a box of UD All Time Heroes. I had a stack of the packs on my desk at work, and while on hold on the phone I'd open a pack or two. I'd stack up the pulled cards beside the packs, so I had 2 piles going, cards and packs. One day I came across that white card, with a hologram on the back. A few days later I called UD, gave them the #, my name, answered some questions... and the guy was about to say goodbye. I asked about my autographed card, he said I already had it, it would be in the pack with the white card. I hung up the phone and started going through the card pile. No idea who's autograph I'd have. I finally saw blue ink, and it was on a Mantle card... on the back was a matching hologram.
Stanky signed for me after a Sun Belt baseball game, at Western Kentucky University, in Bowling Green, KY. The game was over, I walked onto the field with pen and card in hand. Stanky saw me, smiled, and ambled towards me, a young college player at his side. The player said, "Look coach, he's got a damn antique!" as I held out the card. Stanky smiled, signed the card, and asked me where I got the card. That would have been in 1983, I think, which I believe was his last of 14 years as coach for the University of South Alabama, he had a 488-193 record there.
Bunning signed his rookie card for me when I mailed it in. A classmate of mine was doing an internship with him in DC. He first signed a baseball for me while he was visiting the President's office at Northern Kentucky University, only minutes from his home in Southgate. He was pleasant and happily signed.
