Mike Marshall signing

[JimStinson]

Originally Posted by dgo71

Piazza is not really that tough at all. In fact, I am 5-for-5 in IP experiences with him over the years. Maybe I'm lucky but he's been pretty friendly every time I've seen him. He's not even in the same galaxy as Dr. Mike, in terms of toughness.

George Hendrick is another notorious toughie. Rarely signs IP but at least you can break him down every once in a while. When he does sign IP, he will usually sign only Cardinals items for some reason.

The George Hendrick experience ! When he was playing in the senior league in Florida when ever he was asked for an autograph he'd politely say "No Thanks" ....I had a $50.00 bet with another collector that he could NOT get Hendrick to sign.

One day in the parking lot he found Tom Paciorek's wallet and it had about $400.00 in it, he returned it to Paciorek personally and the Tom kept thanking him over and over , couldn't believe the guys honesty. So Paciorek reached over and gave the guy that returned his wallet one of his bats as a way of saying thanks. The collector politely refused and said there "IS ONE FAVOR you can do for me" determined to win his bet he asked Paciorek if he could get Hendrick to sign a ball for him, Paciorek looked at him like....."Thats all you want ?" and grabbed a baseball trotted over to Hendrick and we all sat there in stitches laughing as Hendrick kept shaking his head NO ! Tom Paciorek was so furious we thought he was going to deck him...lol. Finally red in the face he trotted back over and said you are going to have to settle for one of my bats .....
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jim@stinsonsports.com

[HOF Auto Rookies]

Originally Posted by JimStinson

The George Hendrick experience ! When he was playing in the senior league in Florida when ever he was asked for an autograph he'd politely say "No Thanks" ....I had a $50.00 bet with another collector that he could NOT get Hendrick to sign.

One day in the parking lot he found Tom Paciorek's wallet and it had about $400.00 in it, he returned it to Paciorek personally and the Tom kept thanking him over and over , couldn't believe the guys honesty. So Paciorek reached over and gave the guy that returned his wallet one of his bats as a way of saying thanks. The collector politely refused and said there "IS ONE FAVOR you can do for me" determined to win his bet he asked Paciorek if he could get Hendrick to sign a ball for him, Paciorek looked at him like....."Thats all you want ?" and grabbed a baseball trotted over to Hendrick and we all sat there in stitches laughing as Hendrick kept shaking his head NO ! Tom Paciorek was so furious we thought he was going to deck him...lol. Finally red in the face he trotted back over and said you are going to have to settle for one of my bats .....
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jim@stinsonsports.com

That is hilarious! Jim, you need to write a book based off your stories and experiences, I definitely would be one of the first in line to buy it lol

[mr2686]

Jim, what year was that? I know Hendrick has signed at a couple shows in the last couple of years so I wonder if his position has changed...or maybe he just wants to be paid for them.

[Deertick]

Originally Posted by mr2686

Jim, what year was that? I know Hendrick has signed at a couple shows in the last couple of years so I wonder if his position has changed...or maybe he just wants to be paid for them.

And I have seen him ocassionally sign at Rays games.

[JimStinson]

Originally Posted by Deertick

And I have seen him ocassionally sign at Rays games.

That would have been 1989-90, the league went broke I think part way through the 1990 season. Mike Marshall played in 1990 and even he signed SOME, not alot but he signed. Bake McBride was tough too but he signed sparingly , I never witnessed Hendrick sign ANYTHING he was considered the toughest autograph in the league at that time. Since then I think he did a private signing or two and is not such a hard case as he was then.

The FUN guys were Rick Wise and Fergie Jenkins who played for Winterhaven , I'd show up with 10 or 20 photos of them and Wise used to tell me to set them on the edge of the dugout and he and Fergie would sign them BETWEEN INNINGS OF THE GAME ...is that a hoot ! and Wise would ask me , so what do these sell for these days and I'd tell him and Jenkins and him would chide each others who's photos were selling for more.

The first private signing Bill C. and I did together was in the senior league it was with Mike Cuellar, Cesar Cedeno, Pedro Ramos and another I can't remember. I lived in Ocala Florida then and so did Earl Battey and he and I became friends , He loved to talk baseball and we'd drink coffee and he's smoke his Salem's and tell me some of the funniest damn baseball stories I've ever heard.
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jim@stinsonsports.com