Most Unusual Signature On A Ball?!?!

[Allie Fox]

I was browsing through Seth Swirsky's website and was amazed at his amazing collection of autographed baseballs including balls signed by the Beatles, Apollo Astronauts and every President since Nixon.

Does anyone else have any unusual signatures on baseballs?

I was thinking of starting one with all of the Georgia Governors (at least since Jimmah) I think it's doable.

[xholdourownx]

The Georgia Governors does sound pretty doable. You should try to get them on the type of baseball that was being used when they were in office.

[Gary Dunaier]

I used to actively collect non-baseball players on baseballs for a while in the early 1990s. Don't remember everyone I have but here are some, listed in Alphabetical order for your convenience...

Phil Donahue
Rush Limbaugh (who actually worked for the Kansas City Royals as director of promotions for a short time)
Jim Shooter (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Shooter) (former editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics)
Curtis Sliwa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtis_Sliwa) (Guardian Angels) and Lisa Sliwa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisa_sliwa) on the same ball
Mark Stutzman (designer of the 1993 Elvis Presley postage stamp)

If I have a chance to dig up my collection I'll see if there are any others.

[shoreyart]

I have 5 baseballs that dont make much sense, but they are interesting anyway-
1) former Boston Bruin Ken Hodge
2) '93 UMaine Black Bears 2 players (Martin Mercier & Cal Ingraham) but I also did manage to get the late legendary coach Shawn Walsh
3) model Christie Brinkley (its a stretch but she did do some baseball cards for Pinnacle years ago, so that counts for something)
4) ball signed by the members of the Flying Karamazov Brothers (famous jugglers) (if there actually is such a thing as a famous juggler....hehe)
5) and the ball that has absolutely the worst reasoning....(but 3 are players) Tampa Bay Devil Rays logo baseball with Jim Perry, Goose Gossage, Rich Rollins, and Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh (WHAT THE???????) (I guess if I just get Kevin Bacon to sign it I could connect everybody on the ball......)

[Allie Fox]

The Georgia Governors does sound pretty doable. You should try to get them on the type of baseball that was being used when they were in office.

I would get all the signatures on the same ball.

If I had only thought of this fifteen years ago. I've met Zell Miller, Roy Barnes and Sonny Perdue in the course of my job but never thought to get them to sign a baseball.

[CorduroyCalves]

Good thread.

I have two notable non-baseball player sigs on balls. The first is Tim Conway. The year was 1993 and I was spending time at the Blue Jays spring training camp. One day I spotted a film crew on one of the practice fields and upon further inspection noticed Conway "buried" up to his waist. I had seen his "Dorf" videos before (not very funny, BTW) and figured they must be doing one for baseball, so I hung out for a little while longer and he saw me and a few others by the fence and came over to sign.

The other is Meatloaf in 1994. He was doing an in-store at Strawberries, a now-defunct music chain in New England. Coincidently, he attended the Red Sox game that night. I remember it pretty well because Bush One was there as well, not to mention that the Sox got POUNDED by the Rangers that night! :laugh

Later that summer, when I went to the BBHOF induction cermonies, I got Phil Rizzuto's auto on the same ball. For those who might not know the connection, it's Rizzuto's "play-by-play" on Meatloaf's "Paradise by the Dashboard Lights". It's a good conversation piece.

[Gary Dunaier]

The other is Meatloaf in 1994 . . . . . Later that summer, when I went to the BBHOF induction cermonies, I got Phil Rizzuto's auto on the same ball. For those who might not know the connection, it's Rizzuto's "play-by-play" on Meatloaf's "Paradise by the Dashboard Lights". It's a good conversation piece.

I heard that when Rizzuto found out exactly what the song was about, and the nature of the particular "play" inquestion - I guess he was unaware of the song, or someone just asked him to record the play-by-play - he said something to the effect of he was sorry he contributed to the song. Don't know if the story is true or not, but you've got a great piece. Do both signatures display easily at the same time?

Meanwhile, I found two more non-baseball men whose autographs I got on baseballs... George Plimpton and Maury Povich.

[CorduroyCalves]

I heard that when Rizzuto found out exactly what the song was about, and the nature of the particular "play" inquestion - I guess he was unaware of the song, or someone just asked him to record the play-by-play - he said something to the effect of he was sorry he contributed to the song. Don't know if the story is true or not, but you've got a great piece. Do both signatures display easily at the same time?

Meanwhile, I found two more non-baseball men whose autographs I got on baseballs... George Plimpton and Maury Povich.

Gary, I haven't looked at the ball in a while (it's in storage at my folk's house in NH, I'm living in Denver), but Meatloaf is on the sweet spot, and Rizzuto is on the loop underneath, I believe. I didn't realize that Scooter had those feelings regarding the song, though he didn't seem phased when he signed it.

BTW, if you're interested in trading that Plimpton ball, be sure to let me know.

[howiek]

Garth Brook the country singer. He was singing the national anthem at Shea one year. I got him outside Shea before the game. He must have signed for about 30 min.
Howie Long the HOF Football player. I had these insane seats behind the 3rd base dugout at Yankee Stadium. Howie was sitting a section over from me. I don't think anyone realized who he was at the time until I went over to talk to him. He was very nice. He signed the SS and added HOF for me.

[Allie Fox]

I didn't mention the ball I have signed by Prof. John Preskill and Prof. Kip Thorne. Along with Prof. Stephen Hawking these guys are the leading theoretical astrophysicists in the world. They are noted for their bets that place with each other; one of which was partially conceded to by Hawking. The pay-up? The 8th edition of Total Baseball: the Ultimate Baseball Encyclopedia.

Thorne-Hawking-Preskill Bet (http://www.theory.caltech.edu/people/preskill/info_bet.html)

I would love to have it imprinted with Hawking's mark but I just don't think it's feasible anymore.

[Captain Cold Nose]

I have one of Manon Rheaume, who played in a couple exhibition games for the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning, the first female player to do so.

[Zito75]

I've got a Kevin Costner signed ball somewhere here in my office- A buddy of mine had Bill Clinton sign a ball for him a while back.

But the Flying Karamazov Brothers? That's a winner right there!

[howiek]

I forgot about my Costner ball. I also have James Earl Jones

[HexsHeroes]

.
.
Perhaps my most unusually signed baseball is one signed by both Ty Cobb (not unusual) and his son, Ty Cobb Jr. at Detroit Tigers spring training camp, in 1933.

Evidently, the Cobbs were just visitors. I also have a trio of album pages signed by the Detroit team at that same Spring Training camp too. Both Cobb (Ty Sr. & Jr.) signatures are present on one of those pages. Both the signed baseball and album pages came from the same individual (fan) who personally obtained the signatures as a youth.

[Allie Fox]

I didn't mention the ball I have signed by Prof. John Preskill and Prof. Kip Thorne. Along with Prof. Stephen Hawking these guys are the leading theoretical astrophysicists in the world. They are noted for their bets that place with each other; one of which was partially conceded to by Hawking. The pay-up? The 8th edition of Total Baseball: the Ultimate Baseball Encyclopedia.

Thorne-Hawking-Preskill Bet (http://www.theory.caltech.edu/people/preskill/info_bet.html)

I would love to have it imprinted with Hawking's mark but I just don't think it's feasible anymore.

So much for that last statement. I received in the mail last week a baseball imprinted with Prof. Hawking's right thumbprint.

[BSmile]

I heard that when Rizzuto found out exactly what the song was about, and the nature of the particular "play" inquestion - I guess he was unaware of the song, or someone just asked him to record the play-by-play - he said something to the effect of he was sorry he contributed to the song. Don't know if the story is true or not, but you've got a great piece.

I've always heard that he got a kick out of being on it. (Perhaps a lot more so when it became a huge hit!). Meatloaf even sent Phil a Gold Record...which Phil auctioned off (with his whole collection) a few years back.

http://scoop.diamondgalleries.com/public/image-browser.asp?ai=51813&whichpage=4&whichimage=115290

[whoisonit]

The only non-baseball autograph on a baseball we have is the Ray Ramano my son got on a Church LL ball.
To his credit, the guy was awsome, posing for scores of pictures with the kids and their families and hanging around to sign for every last kid who was crowding around.Even the ones who said "who are you ?" as they handed him stuff to sign, hahaha. Nice guy.

[shoreyart]

oh yeah---i forgot one---
i got Paul Williams, the groundskeeper at Fenway that got into that bullpen fight in 2003- he taught at my daughters school---- ive since gotten a ball of Karim Garcia and one of Jeff Nelson to go with it-