Brush with HOF fame...

[tedzan]

Bill

Nice encounter.

I have run into Jim Bunning on a couple of occasions on HOF weekends in Cooperstown. I found him
to be a very fine gentleman, willing to spend some time talking with you on any subject....baseball,
the economy, his perfect game on Father's Day in 1964, and of course....the Phillies.

But, I know better than to bring up the end of the 1964 Phillies season.


TED Z

[scooter729]

I used to collect autographs in person around Fenway Park for many years while growing up, so I was fortunate to see many Hall of Famers. But I'll relate one of my strangest stories, which happened in September 2008 (as copied from a post I made on the CU boards at the time).
=====
I went last night to the Boston University Bookstore for a book signing by Johnny Bench. I was planning on buying his book and having it signed, but my real goal was to have him sign my HOF bat. I've been working on this bat for about 15+ years, where I have been getting as many Hall of Fame people to sign it. I'm close to 30 now. (My experience has been that at book signings, usually the people will only sign their book and not other things, but I figured I'd take a chance.)

I went into the signing area and left the bat in my car, and figured I'd ask Bench to see if he'd sign it first. (It's pointless to ask bookstore people, since they'll just say no.) So I waited in the small line, went up to Bench, had him sign my book, then asked him:

Me: Mr. Bench, I have a bat out in my car that I've had about 30 Hall of Famers sign. I would be thrilled if you would sign it for me as well.
Bench: Ah, well, ask my son what he thinks (pointing to back of room).

His son is about 20 years old and goes to BU - hence the appearance there. I'm confused, but I do as he said and go talk to his son. I repeat the story to the son, and he says sure, although he's not sure why Johnny told me to ask him. I go back out to my car, get the bat, wait at the back until the last 10 people or so get their books signed, then I go up to the front where Bench is, by himself.

Me: Thanks to you and your son for agreeing to sign the bat for me; I greatly appreciate it.
Bench (taking my pen and signing my bat): My son told you I want fifty bucks for doing this, right?
Me: Excuse me?
Bench (somewhat snapping at me): I'm here to sign books, not your bat. I want fifty bucks.
Me: No one said that to me. I had no idea.
Bench (angry now): Don't give me that crap. If you've had 30 people sign this, you know how it works. You want it signed, you pay up. (He's now holding my bat, not giving it back.)
Me (opening my wallet and showing him): I've got 24 bucks on me; I came in with 50, but just spent 26 to buy your book. And honestly, I haven't paid anyone else to sign my bat.
Bench: So you think I'm here to just sign your bat for free? Ridiculous. (Rolls the bat back across the table at me.) And to think I tried to give you a break - go to my website next time, and you'd have to pay 100 bucks.
Me: So do you want my 24 bucks?
Bench: Get out of here, will ya?

[Matt]

Wow. Sometimes it's better to not meet the players in person so they don't ruin your boyhood memories.

[chris6net]

That is sad. What a disgrace some people can be. CN

[barrysloate]

Scott- that's an awful story. Bench is obviously a jerk, asking you for fifty bucks like that.

[jb217676]

Wow! My Barkley story is the opposite of the Bench story. Sir Charles posed with us for pictures and signed autographs (including my jersey) for anyone who asked. I was still working at the same golf course the following year when Barkley made another appearance and was able to get him to sign my picture.

[scooter729]

Yeah, that Bench incident was surreal when it happened. I've heard from others since then that Bench is notorious for this sort of behavior; had I known that, I would never had tried to get the bat signed.

Tons of other HOFers have been total class acts and happy to sign for free, such as Bobby Doerr (who still signs for free through the mail at age 92!), George Kell, Brooks Robinson, Warren Spahn, Luke Appling, etc. whom I used to be able to obtain when they played in old-timers games at Fenway.

I miss that the Red Sox don't do old-timers games any more; they used to be a great way to see older players. Do other teams still do these, or is it a thing of the past?

[AndyG09]

I cannot believe Bench would suck that bad. I loved the "Baseball Bunch" when I was a kid. Bernie Carbo was my barber when I was young. He wasn't a Hall of Famer on the field, but he sure was to me when I was young. I don't remember much about the haircuts, but he was about as gracious a person a kid could meet. He would let me swing his WS black bats and he always had a cold one for my dad when we came in. Once he said in the mid 80's, "Bring me in a couple of baseballs and I will get you Ted Williams and Bobby Doerr." He was going to Florida to do the fantasy camps with the Sox. When he got back into town he apologized for not getting me Bobby Doerr. He got me two from Teddy Ballgame instead!

[leaflover]

It was 1946 when my Dad introduced me to Casey Stengal and Babe Herman. I especially remember, and will never forget, Herman because his hand was as big as my first basemans glove.
My Dad was in the moving business and he got the contract to move the Oakland Oaks equipment from Oakland to the City of San Fernando for spring training.

[Exhibitman]

Where did they train in San Fernando?

[GasHouseGang]

Scooter, I guess Mr. Bench was trying to be nice and give you a deal by only asking for $50 to sign your bat. I knew he was actually a nice guy. Here's a recent price list for an appearance the weekend of 10 July.

Johnny Bench
14 time All-Star
1968 NL ROY
1970 & 1972 NL MVP
10 time Gold Glove Winner
2 time World Series Champion
1976 World Series MVP
HOF 1989
balls and flats up to & including 11x14: $79.
large flats: $99.
equipment: $119.
bats, jerseys & original art: $149.
inscriptions: $25.

[BCD]

Originally Posted by barrysloate

Scott- that's an awful story. Bench is obviously a jerk, asking you for fifty bucks like that.

Barry,that is a sad but nothing compared to the piles of stories I could post here about Mr. Nasty October. I assure you over the years where I live he has made a name for himself.....a bad one at that.

[tbob]

I guess it's just like people in life, some players are a**holes and some are extremely nice.
I have had the opportunity to meet and talk to Brooks Robinson, Warren Spahn, Ernie Banks, Bob Gibson (!), Lou Brock, Andre Dawson, and others who were all extremely nice and cordial. Gibson was a little intimidating but very pleasant, maybe I caught him on a good day.
I would have to say the best conversation and meeting I ever had was with Enos Slaughter, RIP, who sat in a restaurant booth with my dad and I years ago and signed a ball for us and regaled us with many stories of his career. My dad (86) was a Minneapolis Miller fan and they talked for an hour about guys who played in AAA and Enos' experiences in the minors. He was extremely cordial.
I was very happy when Dawson made the Hall of Fame because not only did he have the numbers but he took time out to talk to my then young daughter at a show and made her day. He is a terrific person and I am very happy for the "Hawk."

[slantycouch]

David, really enjoyed your story! Glad you still have that ball.

I've posted this elsewhere, but my buddy is a musician and travels a lot. He sent me this story one day after flying out to LA. Cracks me up:

***********

Yesterday, I boarded my Southwest Airlines connecting flight, Dallas to Houston, then on to LA I was unfortunately relegated to the "B 30-60" boarding group, meaning it was highly likely that I would be getting a middle seat. I boarded as B 59 and was looking for the first available overhead bin for my bags when I stepped onto the plane - it happened to be the first seat as I walked on - in the middle. Upon taking my seat and getting situated I realized that I was sitting next to Hall of Famer and greatest lead off man and base stealer ever, Rickey henderson. UNreal. Though my interaction with Rickey was brief, it contained a few of the following bits of information and dialogue which solidified him as one of the best pro athletes ever, OFF the field.....hope you get as much of a laugh out of this as I did........

**When I realized he was Rickey henderson, I simply said, "hey, are you Rickey henderson?" (great opening line) And he said, "yeah man" and then kept looking out the window (he was wearing terminator style sunglasses - the full reflector kind ....on the plane - it was raining outside) and some leather loafers with no socks with a few tasteful gold chains and he is still totally jacked up like a pro athlete.

**I asked him where he was headed and he said "LA" and then proceeded to mumble that he was mad because there was no first class on Southwest and that...."Rickey always flies 1st class". I followed that up by asking him if he was going to try and play again and about his stint with the Newark Bears... he simply said, "Nah man, I'm in the Hall of Fame, I ain't doing that no more". I didn't have much response after that. Meanwhile I was trying to think of a way to get a picture with him without acting like a putz - I didn't get the picture because I think he would have pummeled me if i had asked - the guy just did not look happy -- However.....

**When we landed I handed him one of my CDs (like Rickey henderson would give a damn about my CD), and I said, "I don't know if you are much of a music fan or not, but I wanted you to have one of my new CDs because I have been a big fan of you throughout the years".....at that moment, he took a pen out of his pocket and signed my own CD with HIS name and handed it back to me and walked off the plane without really saying anything else. Let me recap. I gave him my CD then he signed it with HIS name and gave it BACK to me.......CLASSIC - one of the smoothest and best moves ever......RICKEY IS TRULY THE GREATEST.

[quinnsryche]

WOW that Bench story SUCKS! Sorry to hear that. My stories have better endings for me. My father used to produce card shows back in the mid 80's to early 90's and I got to sit with many players to help them get the stuff signed and move the line along. I was able to spend the afternoon with really great guys like Duke Snider, Eddie Mathews, Stan Musial (he bought ME lunch and we sat and talked, just the 2 of us), Fergie Jenkins, Bob Gibson (a real jerk to the paying customers but super nice to me), Don Drysdale, Robin Roberts, Billy Pierce, Ray Dandridge, Steve Garvey and the biggest ass of them all Pete Rose. He was a complete douche the whole time.

[PolarBear]

You're not the only one who had that problem.

[FUBAR]

i would have thrown his book back to him and told him where to put it! \i have no respect for guys that act like a douche!

Never met any baseball players, actually, not many here would believe, i have never been to a MLB game. Been to lots of NHL and a few NFL but never a ball game. Its on my to do list.

I met Grant Fuhr when i was a kid and he was fanatastic...met many other Oilers over the years... Met a few UFC guys, all have been great.

Sucks to hear Bench is an A**, he is one guy i always liked. After hearing this, he joins Bonds, Rose in the Douche-mobile.....

Should any others join that club?

[jb217676]

Originally Posted by FUBAR

i would have thrown his book back to him and told him where to put it! \i have no respect for guys that act like a douche!

Never met any baseball players, actually, not many here would believe, i have never been to a MLB game. Been to lots of NHL and a few NFL but never a ball game. Its on my to do list.

I met Grant Fuhr when i was a kid and he was fanatastic...met many other Oilers over the years... Met a few UFC guys, all have been great.

Sucks to hear Bench is an A**, he is one guy i always liked. After hearing this, he joins Bonds, Rose in the Douche-mobile.....

Should any others join that club?

Randy Johnson. The most miserable athlete I have ever met. I was "in his presence" when employed at a different golf course. He was golfing with Heathcliff Slocumb when both were members of the Seattle Mariners in the late 1990's. Johnson wouldn't acknowledge anyone, no autographs or pictures... nuthin'. Slocumb was the opposite and was almost apologizing for Randy's behaviour. Also, I have to say hockey players are by far the nicest athletes you could ever meet. Very down to earth guys.

[canjond]

I've also been pretty lucky to meet many HOF'ers and other athletes in my time, especially when I was younger and working for a show promoter and then agent.

One of my favorite stories, however, was with Reggie Jackson. As a kid, I would spend my summers in Cooperstown. One day, when I was maybe 12, I was walking past the golf course when I saw Reggie on the green. I always carried a baseball and pen with me so I waited for Reggie to sink his put. He must have nailed a 20 footer and was pretty happy about it because he was one of the nicest players I ever interacted with. Reggie signed my baseball and spent at least 5 minutes with me asking me what position I played, who I wanted to play for when I hit the major leagues, and so on, before finally excusing himself to go onto the next hole. A very a-typical Reggie day, but I will never have anything but good things to say about him.

Another interesting story happened with Yogi and Scooter. I was working an autograph appearance when I was probably 16 or 17. I was sitting between Yogi and Scooter. One of the personal items I had to get signed was a "best position players" book for kids from the early 1950's that featured the best player of each position and tips as to how to emulate the stars. Yogi was in the book at catcher, and Phil as a bunter. However, Yogi's name was featured in the book as Lawrence "Yogi" Berra. So, I asked Yogi if we would mind signing his page "Lawrence 'Yogi' Berra" and he politely agreed and did so. I then turned to Phil, who was featured in the book as "Phil Rizzuto" and asked if he would mind signing Phil Rizzuto. Phil gave me this look of disappointment and asked me if he could sign the book "Phillip Francis 'Scooter' Rizzuto" since quote "Yogi got to write his full name"! I, of course, agreed!

[FrankWakefield]

Maybe you caught Mr. Bench on a bad day. He graciously signed for me through the mail, free. But that was several years ago. His website now says $125 for a bat. Ouch...

I sat beside Mr. Bunning, and across from his wife, at a political gathering about 16 years ago. They were both very nice.

Mr. Musial was a true gentleman and an ambassador of the game the one time I met him. I think that has been the experience most folks have with him.

I've been face to face with Ozzie Smith, Feller, Mathews, Reese, and most recently Steve Carlton. All were pleasant, or nearly so.

It's a fickle thing. Back when it was just signing it was different. I can't recall anything that I got signed with which I've parted. It will go some day, though. But obviously, some stuff gets signed one day and is on eBay the next. Gotta be frustrating to an old HOFer who played when the Miller Money would only buy a steak supper. Nowadays it's 6 figure money.

[alanu]

I saw Frank Robinson blow off a little kid who asked for an autograph in the lobby of a Kansas City hotel when the Orioles were visiting the Royals, it was after his playing days when he was working for the Orioles. Left me with a bad impression of him.

[GasHouseGang]

That Bench story is amazing. My wife used to work the ticket counter for TWA out in Palm Springs. Bench came through and she really didn't know who he was, but knew he was a baseball player. She got him to sign a TWA ticket jacket for me. I didn't hear anything about him asking for $50 bucks! I guess he figured we wouldn't try to sell it.

[53Browns]

I actually have two more brushes with a HOFer's I should mention. This is actually a much better one than my close encounter with Mr. Bunning. In the summer of 1984 I was a sophomore in high school and had just obtained the latest Baseball Address List by Jack Smalling and was feverishly writing to every ball player I could. The first encounter was when I wrote to the Chicago Cubs great Hank Sauer. His wife actually wrote me back and sent back the photo autographed by him that I had sent, along with a nice letter thanking me for being a great fan. This was in November. In December I got a box in the mail from "The Sauers". I opened it and there was a wrapped Christmas gift inside. I opened it and enclosed was a photo album that Mrs. Sauer had put together for me. It was full of re-printed photos and news clippings of his career. Some of them autographed. I couldnt believe it! Now that's a classy thing to do. I still have it!

The second encounter was the most exciting. That same summer, in August 1984 I noticed in the Baseball Address List that Waite Hoyt just lived across the river from me in Mt. Adams (Cincinnati). I wrote to him and let him know what a big fan I was and maybe sometime I could meet him. I expected him to send an autographed photo back. He didnt. He actually handwrote a shorrt letter back to me. The letter said he and his wife would love to meet me and he gave me a date and said why don't I come to their house and we can make a day of it. He included his home telephone # and asked me to call him. I about fainted! But then a horrible twist of fate happened. I got the letter in the mail late that evening because I was out all day and was planning to call him the next day to set up a meeting at his house. My Dad was watching the 11 o'clock news and I heard him call me from the other room. He told me to look at the TV. I did and the newscaster was reporting that earlier in the day Waite Hoyt, the hall of fame Yankee and long time Reds announcer was rushed to Jewish Hospital. A few days later he died. He never came out of the hospital. I was so close to meeting this legend. I still have the letter.