Who gave you your favorite autograph?

[abolishthedh]

In baseball, who gave you your favorite autograph? In other words, I am assuming that you are not collecting for the sake of selling the autograph at any time, but for the fun of collecting and the thrill of meeting a ballplayer!

For me, it was at age 13 in 1973 when I had Bobby Bonds sign in a hotel in Pittsburgh. He had a wonderful signature, with large loops and a lot of style. Its true he was my favorite player at the time.

[AutographCollector]

Originally Posted by abolishthedh

In baseball, who gave you your favorite autograph? In other words, I am assuming that you are not collecting for the sake of selling the autograph at any time, but for the fun of collecting and the thrill of meeting a ballplayer!

TOUGH question. But after sitting here and pondering for a minute or two I would have to say that it's a tie. Between Bob Feller & Ralph Kiner
Many years ago I went to several card shows throughout the Northeast and obtained both autos on 8x10's. Both men are true gentlemen, and are very nice.
On a side note: I too despise those who get autographs and sell them for a profit. I do this for the love of the game and the hobby.

[Ichiro51]

Too many to name as I've obtained autographs from many players. I scanned the one that were very nice to the fans/collectors, while I'll scan some of the one from this season (2005) sometime after the World Serie.

[VIBaseball]

I'd heard stories before, and have since, about how Seaver can be none too pleasant. But I caught him in a good mood at a Chemical Bank event years back. I waited until he came out of the men's room (!) and he was as jolly as could be while signing the '69 Mets ball I'd compiled. We talked about the one-hitters he threw as a Met, and I mentioned the one against the Padres that Leron Lee broke up in the 9th. He popped me with a question, "Who was the catcher?" When I gave the correct response -- Duffy Dyer -- he said with genuine delight, "Very good!"

[tonjes]

the most memorable signature i've seen is bob gibson's on a bananna. i'm not making this up.

while gibson still attends most cardinal games, he prefers to keep to himself rather than spending portions of the game signing autographs. because gibson's autograph is such a novelty, this old guy who hangs around the stadium, gus, decided that it would be funny if he forged gibson's signature onto a bananna.

i'm pretty sure that bananna is nothing but rotten mush by now though.

[RuthMayBond]

Broks Robinson. Smiled, shook my hand, ASKED me where on the baseball I wanted him to sign, what to write, talked for a while. Charged about six-eight bucks, not fifty. Never met a nicer guy.

[Chisox73]

Originally Posted by RuthMayBond

Broks Robinson. Smiled, shook my hand, ASKED me where on the baseball I wanted him to sign, what to write, talked for a while. Charged about six-eight bucks, not fifty. Never met a nicer guy.

I totally agree on Brooks Robinson here.I got his autograph about 10 years ago.He is such a nice guy.

[runningshoes]

Yaz. He didn't charge me a dime.

[MetsFan11368]

Billy Martin.

I can still see him smiling and asking me how long I'd been a Yankee fan while autographing my hat.

He was the perfect gentleman.

[RuthMayBond]

Originally Posted by runningshoes53

Yaz. He didn't charge me a dime.

Tell us about it

[Zito75]

I've never paid for an autograph... Ever.

As far as my favorite one... I would say Reggie Jackson. I caught him outside the Kingdome before a Yanks - M's game back in 1995 when he would travel with the team as an "advisor." He shook my hand and was very low key and friendly. He even answered a few questions.

Other favs are Rickey Henderson, Wade Boggs, Eric Chavez and Eddie Murray who is a notorious tough signer.

[runningshoes]

Originally Posted by RuthMayBond

Tell us about it

It was before a game in Toronto in 1980. It wasn't at a show. I made that comment because I've been reading latley about players and what they charge to sign a ball. It's special to me cause he's one of my favourite players of all time. Williams is obviously my fav, but I got his ball from his web site, so it's not as special as my Yaz ball. I wish I had more personally signed balls, but we don't get too many shows in Canada and I've been out of the counrty for awhile now.

I have close to 100 signed balls, but the majority of them were purchased either on ebay or from Steiner.

[trosmok]

I've been fortunate to accumulate a number of autographed balls, all in person, from stars and soon to be famous ballplayers. Most recent was Richie Hebner, what a character! Harmon Killebrew was cool but friendly, Roy White is a perfect gentleman, (even though he was a Yankee), Willie Stargell signed a ball he launched skyward that landed with me in the basket at Wrigley, and Cecil Cooper was busy at the time, but never too busy to sign and chat for a few. All time favorite though, has to be Dodger great Carl Erskine. Oisk and his son Jimmy come to the park here a half dozen times a season, and the ball he signed for me became a prized possession of mine for only a few months. Over the winter I met an octogenarian who is a huge Brooklyn Dodger fan that shared long but fascinating tales of the Dodgers exploits and his own loyalty with me. As kind of a surprise for him, I brought the ball with me to his home, at first intending to just let him look and handle it to feel that Brooklyn magic once again. His eyesight is failing but he readily made out the distinctive Erskine scrawl, and I knew instantly it was his for keeps. I guess those are the best gifts, the ones you would really like to keep for yourself; besides, I'll likely have another opportunity to get another.

[Southlake CubsFan]

mine would have to be my mark prior rookie baseball card, my grandpa, got me a signed one, it was awesome!

[Captain Cold Nose]

I did have to pay for my Yaz autograph, but it was great. He was signing with Fergie Jenkins (who would get practically ignored that day and probably would remain so until he missed HOF election in his first year of candidacy.)
I had a first edition copy of his 1968 autobiography, and he signed it not only on the front facing page, but on the blank page a couple pages after that. Needless to say, I was thrilled.

I've gotten Feller's autographs at shows twice, the last time for free. Very opinionated about a lot of stuff, and enjoyable to talk to. Stan Musial is as classy as they come, another of baseball's true gentlemen. Non-baseball, the first autograph I got at a show was hockey superstar Bobby Hull, who was also first class.

The most memorable, though, was not mine, but witnessing my brother chase down Cal Ripken Jr. and his date as they went to their car in the Tiger Stadium parking lot after a night game. Ripken was shocked someone would make that much of an effort for him.

[runningshoes]

Originally Posted by trosmok

I guess those are the best gifts, the ones you would really like to keep for yourself; besides, I'll likely have another opportunity to get another.

Nice Story. Good for you.

[west coast orange and black]

orlando cepeda's is one of my favorites.

the signing was at a card show -- the first of two that i have ever attended. after talking for quite a while (this was a few months before cepeda was voted into the hall by the vet committee and everyone was pretty much there for stan musial) cepeda broke his own rule by adding "the baby bull" to his name on one side of an item and "el perucho" on the opposite side. he told me that he rarely did that.

cepeda ended up giving his home number to me and i went to his home the following week where we talked baseball for hours. while i was there, willie mc covey telephoned twice (he recently had had one of his dozens of knee surgeries and was bored) and juan marichal telephoned to ask cepeda if he wanted to go fishing. cepeda even asked me if i wanted to go with them.

a very memorable day, because cepeda commissioned me to make a personalized, custom keepsake chest for him. and also because cepeda was my dad's second-favorite player.

[RuthMayBond]

Originally Posted by west coast orange and black

orlando cepeda's is one of my favorites.

the signing was at a card show -- the first of two that i have ever attended. after talking for quite a while (this was a few months before cepeda was voted into the hall by the vet committee and everyone was pretty much there for stan musial) cepeda broke his own rule by adding "the baby bull" to his name on one side of an item and "el perucho" on the opposite side. he told me that he rarely did that.

cepeda ended up giving his home number to me and i went to his home the following week where we talked baseball for hours. while i was there, willie mc covey telephoned twice (he recently had had one of his dozens of knee surgeries and was bored) and juan marichal telephoned to ask cepeda if he wanted to go fishing. cepeda even asked me if i wanted to go with them.

a very memorable day, because cepeda commissioned me to make a personalized, custom keepsake chest for him. and also because cepeda was my dad's second-favorite player.

Awesome story, Tony

[kearns643]

Easy.....the one that my young friend gave to me that he got from Tim Wakefield......The boy, thirteen died of cancer shortly after but thought of my son and I before he did. Give that card up.....not in my lifetime...it's worth more than a Ruth is to me.

[Zito75]

Originally Posted by west coast orange and black

because cepeda was my dad's second-favorite player.

Great story. So who was your dad's #1 favorite player?

[trosmok]

1979 HOF inductee, ROY, NL MVP (twice), 1971 Roberto Clemente award winner, 1951-57 NY Giant, 1958-'71 SF Giant, okay part of '72 also, former Negro League great.....Say Hey?

Just a wild guess.

[Coal Cracker]

Clete Boyer. I met him when he had a restaurant in Cooperstown. He signed a photo for me and we chatted for about two hours.

[ElCaminoSS]

eric gagne a couple of days before he blew the save streak

[RuthMayBond]

Originally Posted by ElCaminoSS

eric gagne a couple of days before he blew the save streak

So it was YOUR fault

[hellborn]

Luis Tiant on my ticket a few weeks ago, he signed it at his food stand just outside Fenway. The pressed Cuban sandwiches are quite good.
Come to think of it, that's my ONLY player autograph. I guess I don't get into the hero worship stuff too much. Tiant was a very gracious person, though, he put up with a very rude person in front of me without the slightest sign of irritation.
I did buy a Sports Illustrated autographed by Mark Bellhorn at a baseball dinner last year, but he didn't sign it for me in person. That's $100 invested in something probably worth about $3.95 now...wait, I also have an autographed photo of Killebrew, but, again, not in person.