Your experiences with HOF'ers

[theshleps]

I am serious about the Mantle story. I cried on the subway ride home. I since have heard at least one other similar Mantle story

[Mr. Zipper]

Originally Posted by theshleps

I am serious about the Mantle story. I cried on the subway ride home. I since have heard at least one other similar Mantle story

Stunning and saddening. So hard to believe he would do that to anyone, let alone a kid.

[Hot Springs Bathers]

Just read a wonderful essay by Fritz Peterson on his friend Brooks Robinson at www.baseballhappenings.net I think it will reinforce all the nice things said in this thread about my favorite ball player! Best wishes to Brooks, get well soon

[71buc]

This has been one of my favorite posts since joining this board. My initial post on this thread dealt with my experience with baseball players. After reading the positive comments on interactions with boxers I thought I would share my own.

I took my son to an Oakland A’s spring training game about ten years ago. He was twelve at the time. I’m a third generation Indian and Pirate fan. He broke with the family tradition and adopted the Oakland A’s. He now has his own personal hell and he can at least relate to his father’s pain. During the game Mohammed Ali made a surprise appearance. When he entered the ball park you could hear a pin drop. It was surreal. The game stopped and the players applauded him. The crowd chanted Ali, Ali! He sat a few rows away from us and an autograph line quickly formed. He signed between innings. Those in line knelt to avoid obstructing the view of others during the game. My son asked why people were kneeling. My wife smiled and told him you do that before royalty. I told my son that this was an autograph opportunity he should not miss. At that time he was painfully timid but with a bit of coaxing he stood in line by himself for two innings. When it was his turn to receive an autograph play resumed forcing him to kneel and wait. Ali looked over at him and motioned to him. My son approached Ali rather nervously. He told my son to sit next to him in a vacant seat. He then opened a bag and pulled out a large oatmeal cookie broke it in half and handed half to my son. He sat with Ali eating that cookie for a half inning. At the end of the inning Ali smiled at him and threw a quick jab his way. He then signed the autograph and thanked my son for sitting with him.

When we returned home my shy son shocked us with the announcement that he wanted to be a boxer. My wife and I cringed but he was persistent so we relented. He boxed for a few years and although he was an average boxer the sport changed him in a positive manner. He became assertive, disciplined, and extremely confident. He has grown into a young man I am very proud of. I have to attribute some of that to boxing and his fifteen minutes with Ali.

[thebigtrain]

As a shy 16 year old going up to Mickey Mantle in 1967 as he was standing alone in front of the hotel he lived in while in NYC (I was the only one there) I had a Sport magazine photo already signed by Casey Stengel and I said "Mr Mantle can you please sign this" and he looked at me and spit in my face and walked off- that I will never forget .

Yet the rotten, miserable, ignorant old drunk got to "cut in line" for a liver transplant, while others who had cancer through no fault of their own died waiting. Sad, and pathetic.

[Scott Garner]

Originally Posted by 71buc

This has been one of my favorite posts since joining this board. My initial post on this thread dealt with my experience with baseball players. After reading the positive comments on interactions with boxers I thought I would share my own.

I took my son to an Oakland A’s spring training game about ten years ago. He was twelve at the time. I’m a third generation Indian and Pirate fan. He broke with the family tradition and adopted the Oakland A’s. He now has his own personal hell and he can at least relate to his father’s pain. During the game Mohammed Ali made a surprise appearance. When he entered the ball park you could hear a pin drop. It was surreal. The game stopped and the players applauded him. The crowd chanted Ali, Ali! He sat a few rows away from us and an autograph line quickly formed. He signed between innings. Those in line knelt to avoid obstructing the view of others during the game. My son asked why people were kneeling. My wife smiled and told him you do that before royalty. I told my son that this was an autograph opportunity he should not miss. At that time he was painfully timid but with a bit of coaxing he stood in line by himself for two innings. When it was his turn to receive an autograph play resumed forcing him to kneel and wait. Ali looked over at him and motioned to him. My son approached Ali rather nervously. He told my son to sit next to him in a vacant seat. He then opened a bag and pulled out a large oatmeal cookie broke it in half and handed half to my son. He sat with Ali eating that cookie for a half inning. At the end of the inning Ali smiled at him and threw a quick jab his way. He then signed the autograph and thanked my son for sitting with him.

When we returned home my shy son shocked us with the announcement that he wanted to be a boxer. My wife and I cringed but he was persistent so we relented. He boxed for a few years and although he was an average boxer the sport changed him in a positive manner. He became assertive, disciplined, and extremely confident. He has grown into a young man I am very proud of. I have to attribute some of that to boxing and his fifteen minutes with Ali.

Mike,
That is really a beautiful story about your son and Ali. Thanks for sharing it!
BTW, has your son seen Moneyball yet? I finally just caught it and can tell you that it's definately worth seeing. Perfect for an Oakland A's fan, since it involves the A's franchise.

[GrayGhost]

Moneyball is an awesome movie, and that story bout Ali is GREAT. Wonderful thread continues.

[smotan_02]

Originally Posted by 71buc

This has been one of my favorite posts since joining this board. My initial post on this thread dealt with my experience with baseball players. After reading the positive comments on interactions with boxers I thought I would share my own.

I took my son to an Oakland A’s spring training game about ten years ago. He was twelve at the time. I’m a third generation Indian and Pirate fan. He broke with the family tradition and adopted the Oakland A’s. He now has his own personal hell and he can at least relate to his father’s pain. During the game Mohammed Ali made a surprise appearance. When he entered the ball park you could hear a pin drop. It was surreal. The game stopped and the players applauded him. The crowd chanted Ali, Ali! He sat a few rows away from us and an autograph line quickly formed. He signed between innings. Those in line knelt to avoid obstructing the view of others during the game. My son asked why people were kneeling. My wife smiled and told him you do that before royalty. I told my son that this was an autograph opportunity he should not miss. At that time he was painfully timid but with a bit of coaxing he stood in line by himself for two innings. When it was his turn to receive an autograph play resumed forcing him to kneel and wait. Ali looked over at him and motioned to him. My son approached Ali rather nervously. He told my son to sit next to him in a vacant seat. He then opened a bag and pulled out a large oatmeal cookie broke it in half and handed half to my son. He sat with Ali eating that cookie for a half inning. At the end of the inning Ali smiled at him and threw a quick jab his way. He then signed the autograph and thanked my son for sitting with him.

When we returned home my shy son shocked us with the announcement that he wanted to be a boxer. My wife and I cringed but he was persistent so we relented. He boxed for a few years and although he was an average boxer the sport changed him in a positive manner. He became assertive, disciplined, and extremely confident. He has grown into a young man I am very proud of. I have to attribute some of that to boxing and his fifteen minutes with Ali.

This is my favorite. Great thread, keep them coming!

[Exhibitman]

Great Ali story, Mike; that's why he's the greatest. He could be all pissy and self-pitying over his ailment but he's been a joy to his fans for decades instead. It's his personality, just like being a selfish turd was Mantle's personality. I remember seeing Ali at a card show shortly before he was diagnosed. He did not look well at all and was not his usual gregarious self but he stayed and signed as the 'free' guest for hours past his quitting time to make sure everyone got a signature. I remember seeing the ink stains on his white shirt cuffs [he was wearing a suit] and wondering at how much a major celebrity cares about his fans to stay on and keep signing for free like that.

Another guy who impressed me with his caring for fans was Steve Garvey. When he was at the height of his fame here in L.A. I saw him and his family one Sunday morning at a local deli in Woodland Hills. Kids were lined up 20-deep at his table to meet him. His wife was visibly pissed off but he not only signed everything as his eggs sat getting cold, he engaged each kid in conversation, sat them down next to him, etc. Although I was a Dodgers hater at the time [they were playing my beloved Yankees in the W.S. three times in those years] I was really impressed with him.

Another one who's always been good with fans even when he was the biggest star around is Sylvester Stallone. I ran into him a couple of times here in L.A. in the 1980s and he was always polite and nice to his fans and signed whenever he was able. I was so tongue-tied that all I could sputter out was that I'd seen all his movies. He thanked me and signed my autograph for me.

[Mr. Zipper]

Despite the upsetting story about the Mick, this has been a great read!

Love the Ali stories.

Keep 'em coming!

[whitehse]

Another quick story of my time working in the major leagues.

I was assigned, along with another co-worker to be Pete Rose's shadow on the weekend in which he came to Wrigley Field and would eventually tie Ty Cobb's hit record. Pete had received death threats and various other threats and they thought it was a good idea to put two of the larger guys on him all weekend wherever he went. Pete would show up at the ballpark and we would literally follow him around wherever he went. The cool thing was I was able to see him in his everyday baseball glory. He was actually very nice to us and engaged us both in conversation the whole weekend. It was very odd to be hanging around the guy that I hated as a kid but he actually won me over.

The cool thing of the whole experience was that Pete would have a press conference every day leading up to the record setting game. We escorted him, on field, to the right field corner where a press conference was being held under than stands. After the presser ended we headed back, on field towards the Reds dugout. Batting practice was going on and we were walking in right field when a ball was hit our way. It was one of those line shot one hoppers that came right at me and I reached out and grabbed it bare handed. Pete looked right at me and said "wow nice grab"! I couldn't believe that I caught the ball AND Pete Rose was complimenting me. It took a few seconds but I realized my hand and arm were on fire from the pain of catching a major league line shot one hopper with no glove but there was no way I was going to show Mr. Rose that I wanted to cry like a baby!! LOL It was a huge thrill for me, as someone who loves the game of baseball to have this massive star not only talking to me and asking questions about my experiences but to compliment me on a great catch!!

I have heard stories of Pete Rose and how much of a turd he could be but for that weekend, he couldn't have been more pleasant and engaging to me and my colleague. He did cause the game of baseball to be cast in a bad light when he bet on baseball and do the crap he did but I did gain a measure of respect for him that weekend.