Which players made you work for the autograph?

[MacDice]

Bill Buckner was a minor leave coach for a while. He would always rush through the ballpark to try and avoid signing. He would sign one per and would do so on the move. I handed him a ball one time and asked him to personalize it to my son, Billy. Without a second he deadpan asked me how to spell it and like an idiot I started spelling Billy to Bill Buckner. Classic

[kmac32]

Originally Posted by MacDice

Bill Buckner was a minor leave coach for a while. He would always rush through the ballpark to try and avoid signing. He would sign one per and would do so on the move. I handed him a ball one time and asked him to personalize it to my son, Billy. Without a second he deadpan asked me how to spell it and like an idiot I started spelling Billy to Bill Buckner. Classic

Bill Buckner was signing autographs left and right for the Fergie Jenkins foundation on Monday. Only thing requested but not required was a donation to the foundation. Believe to amout recommended was $20.00. You are righ that he was not very talkative.

[RelicSports]

I believe it was in 2000 I was at the Western Open trying to get Tiger Woods sig. I noticed in the previous year or two, after the 18th hole, he and about 10 police officers would cut through the ropes about 25 yard in front of the green (the typical player exit is right behind the hole) to avoid a massive rush and screams for his autograph...so that day, I recognized Tiger's girlfriend and a marshall sitting quietly in a cart approx. 75 yards away without anyone around. I decided to make my way to them and sit tight. Lo and behold, the crowd parted and Tiger and his cops made their way to his girlfriend/cart where he stopped long enough to sign for me . Mind you I was 19 at the time, but of course, he asked "what's your name son?" and inscribed the magazine to me with his signature...I figure it was meant to impress his then girlfriend. That was the only autograph he signed before he was off to wherever...

[packs]

Last spring training while I was at the Dodgers camp I inadvertently annoyed Adrian Gonzalez. He felt like I cut in on people or something and passed me up maybe 10 times while I followed him down the line. Finally he took my ball. But when he signed it he used a sharpie and signed the side panel.

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by packs

Last spring training while I was at the Dodgers camp I inadvertently annoyed Adrian Gonzalez. He felt like I cut in on people or something and passed me up maybe 10 times while I followed him down the line. Finally he took my ball. But when he signed it he used a sharpie and signed the side panel.

Classic!

Who does he think he is, Willie Mays?

[RTK]

Originally Posted by kmac32

Bill Buckner was signing autographs left and right for the Fergie Jenkins foundation on Monday. Only thing requested but not required was a donation to the foundation. Believe to amout recommended was $20.00. You are righ that he was not very talkative.

I was their, got a ball signed and asked him to write his hit total on it. He seemed friendly. There wasn't much of a crowd at the time, he and Bob Dernier were talking, Dernier asked him why he wasn't in the Hall, a few other names came up. They mentioned stolen bases. I mentioned his time with the Cubs and how he was pretty much all the Cubs had at the time. He said they had a tough time scoring runs. He seemed like a pretty good guy, just on the quiet side.

[djson1]

Originally Posted by MacDice

Bill Buckner was a minor leave coach for a while. He would always rush through the ballpark to try and avoid signing. He would sign one per and would do so on the move. I handed him a ball one time and asked him to personalize it to my son, Billy. Without a second he deadpan asked me how to spell it and like an idiot I started spelling Billy to Bill Buckner. Classic

Ha..that is funny. But I wouldn't be too hard on the guy. At least he signed it for you and I'm sure he's more experienced in running into folks who have unorthodox spellings of common names. I've seen my name, "Jason", spelled "Jaison" and "Jayson". I'm sure there are odd variations of "Billy": "Billie", "Billee", etc.

[MacDice]

Originally Posted by djson1

Ha..that is funny. But I wouldn't be too hard on the guy. At least he signed it for you and I'm sure he's more experienced in running into folks who have unorthodox spellings of common names. I've seen my name, "Jason", spelled "Jaison" and "Jayson". I'm sure there are odd variations of "Billy": "Billie", "Billee", etc.

He was just joking with me. I found it amusing. Great story to go with the ball.

[Gary Dunaier]

Back in 1985, I was waiting outside Shea Stadium after a night game. It was pretty late and it was just me and maybe two or three other fans left. Ray Knight comes out and, quite angrily, refuses to sign for us. One of the other fans yells out, in frustration, "We pay your salary!" to which Knight replied "No you don't!"

His wife, the golfer Nancy Lopez, comes out and Knight orders us not to ask for her autograph.

Maybe he had a bad day that day, I don't know. But considering that there was just a handful of people there, Knight's attitude was too much. I mean, if some of you out there had positive experiences with the man, that's all good and well. All I can do is share my experience - which, in this particular case, was not a pleasant one.

[1963Topps Set]

I know this is off topic. Roy Orbison and John Denver were the only two who ever flatly refused to sign for me. A year after, Roy dropped dead of a heart attack at 52. And John Denver was killed in a plane crash at 53. Coincidence?

[1963Topps Set]

Yogi Berra is the only true prick I ever ran into regarding baseball autographs. He would not personalize at a show after promising me he would.

[whitehse]

I had worked at Wrigley Field as security back when Yogi was coaching the Astros. I wanted to meet the man and get his autograph but I didn't want to do it on company time (against the rules). I took the day off and waited with four other collectors at the corner gate. A taxi pulls up and out pops Yogi with a bit of a scowl on his face. He moved past us and didn't even pay us any attention. He expected us to be stopped by security as he slipped behind the gates of the old ball park but what he didn't expect was me, with my security clearance, to follow him in through the gate. Once we got inside I asked him for his autograph and as he turned to look at me I could see that scowl on his face now turned to anger and he looked at the gate guard and asked him how I got in. I flashed him my badge, told him I always wanted to meet him and stuck out my hand. He grabbed the ball, gave me a very tiny autograph on the least desirable place on the ball and handed it back to me without saying a word. I thanked him as he walked away but was grateful for the opportunity to meet a legend face to face, no matter the circumstances.

I got to thinking of that encounter years later and I guess I can understand where he was coming from. The man has been hounded by autograph seekers a large majority of his life and I am sure he felt that behind the gates, with no fans around he was safe and could let his guard down. I can only imagine how annoyed he found me right at that moment.

I still look at Yogi fondly even though the one time I met him did not go as I expected.