Be a name dropper!!

[Tigerfan1974]

I have a small collection of autographs and memorabilia.

I have met some great stars over the years.

Most of the 68 World Champ Tigers including –
Kaline, Lolich, Horton, McLain, Northrup, Freehan, et al.
Other Tiger greats include - Anderson, Trammell, Fidrych, Regan and many more.

Beyond the Detroit crowd, I have met:
HoFers - Marichal, Perry, Gibson, Killebrew, Berra, Brock, Newhouser, Rizzuto, B Robinson.
Others of note – Rose

I live in Dallas and would love to meet Banks who lives here.

I am just wondering who are some that you have met.

[SouthSideChamps05]

I've talked with a lot of players briefly while getting autographs, but i don't think that counts. But since my uncle owns a popular downtown chicago restaurant, i have met Carlos Lee and Ozzie Guillen's family, who I see there a lot.

[Sleepless]

I have met Cal Ripken Jr. on several occassions. Though it is very likely it wasn't notable for him. I was his server once at Burger King when I was 15 and he lived right behind my uncle when I was growing up (In Hunt Valley, Maryland).

[Greenevansj]

I had the pleasure of meeting Joe Morgan at Dodger Stadium last season. Even though he was just minutes from doing the broadcast for ESPN, he took the time to talk, sign autographs and pose for 2 pictures with my friends and I. Of all of the people that I could have met, I was extremely glad to meet him. My Dad told me my whole life about how his Grandpa took him to see Morgan play in the minors and how much he loved watching him as a teenager. So, it was great to be able to tell him so.

Another great person that I've met was Jose Lima. He sat pretty close to me at the 2004 All-Star game. He was fairly intoxicated and spent most of the game dancing to any latin music that was played. He was constantly leading cheers and signed autographs and posed for pictures the entire game. For that reason, I didn't want to bother him. But, finally, when everyone else had left, I went ahead and asked. Just then, some really up tempo latin music started playing and he made me dance with him. When we were done his friend/bodyguard took a picture of him, basically hugging me. It was pretty fun to dance with a Big Leaguer, I must say.

I'm also attaching two pictures.

The first is an example of what happens when you finally get to meet your hero but, he doesn't speak English. Therefore, he didn't hear me ask him to take a picture with me.

The second is a few friends of mine that I also met at the All-Star game.

[Utter Chaos]

Got Mickey Mantle's autograph back in 1977 when the Yankees played an exhibition game against the University of Florida in Gainsville. Mantle was a spring traing hitting instructer. Also, got Reggie Jackson, Billy Martin, and Whitey Ford.

[Good Men wear Black and White]

the only players iv met and talked to for a matter of minuts have been cris singleton and jon adkins, iv also talked to ozzie's kid for a while

[Coal Cracker]

I met Clete Boyer at his restaurant (now closed) in Cooperstown a couple of years ago. Real nice guy, chatted with me and my grandpa for several hours about baseball, life, etc. I also met Johnny Blanchard at a card show in Harrisburg last year.

[Chisox73]

Let's see here;

I've met Brooks Robinson,Ernie Banks,Dick Allen,Pete Rose,Kirby Puckett,Tony LaRussa,Ozzie Guillen,Bill Melton,Minnie Minoso,Robin Ventura,Rollie Fingers,Ozzie Smith,and Harmon Killebrew just to name a few.

[RuthMayBond]

I guess I might as well give it a whirl, picking from guys who are the top xxth at their position from my lists:
Gaylord Perry
my brother met Bert Blyleven at Cleveland Stadium
Mike Mussina goes to my uncle and aunt's church
Bob Feller, several times
Tiant signed for me outside of Cleveland Stadium
I think Tommy John, Bob Lemon & Doug Jones signed for me once
Mike Jackson tossed me a baseball in pregame warmup in one of the last games at Tiger Stadium
I MIGHT have met Javy Lopez if the LF foul pole had not knocked down his 1997 A-S HR because I was just waiting for it to come down so probably not even one top catcher
Jim Thome signed for me before the '97 A-S game
Pretty sure I met Mike Hargrove
Joe Morgan signed for me at Cleveland Stadium when his playing career was winding down, when he was with Oakland
Red Schoendienst
Wade Boggs was waiting in a Cleveland hotel and looked kinda disgusted but still signed for me
Brooks Robinson (the NICEST guy you will EVER meet
Bill Madlock
Lou Boudreau
Julio Franco, one of my mom's favorites
I "met" Jim Rice over the hotel phone when he refused to even have a baseball sent up to his room so he could sign in and send it back down
Minnie Minoso
Albert Belle
Almost met Dusty Baker twice. First time, he whirled around in the '81 A-S game warmup and tossed a ball into the crowd, I got it. Next year, my family saw the Dodgers on vacation. He was signing, coming down the line, I was next, then he said, Sorry, I gotta go warm up
Willie Mays
Hank Aaron & Pete Rose (if you wanna call it "met", you hand your item over to security goons, they walk it way down to where the guys are signing, then walk the item back to you
Eric Davis signed for me in spring training
Rocky Colavito (back when his sig was reasonably priced
Then there's the time I got Rick Waits mad at me, but that's ANOTHER story
Contrary to popular opinion I did NOT know Abner Doubleday when he was a baby

[Captain Cold Nose]

Originally Posted by Coal Cracker

I met Clete Boyer at his restaurant (now closed) in Cooperstown a couple of years ago. Real nice guy, chatted with me and my grandpa for several hours about baseball, life, etc. I also met Johnny Blanchard at a card show in Harrisburg last year.

It's closed now?
Shoot. I was planning a visit some time this year, and I was hoping to eat there. I collect menus, and was unable to get one when I went five years ago.

[kjb23]

Originally Posted by RuthMayBond

I guess I might as well give it a whirl, picking from guys who are the top xxth at their position from my lists:
Gaylord Perry
my brother met Bert Blyleven at Cleveland Stadium
Mike Mussina goes to my uncle and aunt's church
Bob Feller, several times
Tiant signed for me outside of Cleveland Stadium
I think Tommy John, Bob Lemon & Doug Jones signed for me once
Mike Jackson tossed me a baseball in pregame warmup in one of the last games at Tiger Stadium
I MIGHT have met Javy Lopez if the LF foul pole had not knocked down his 1997 A-S HR because I was just waiting for it to come down so probably not even one top catcher
Jim Thome signed for me before the '97 A-S game
Pretty sure I met Mike Hargrove
Joe Morgan signed for me at Cleveland Stadium when his playing career was winding down, when he was with Oakland
Red Schoendienst
Wade Boggs was waiting in a Cleveland hotel and looked kinda disgusted but still signed for me
Brooks Robinson (the NICEST guy you will EVER meet
Bill Madlock
Lou Boudreau
Julio Franco, one of my mom's favorites
I "met" Jim Rice over the hotel phone when he refused to even have a baseball sent up to his room so he could sign in and send it back down
Minnie Minoso
Albert Belle
Almost met Dusty Baker twice. First time, he whirled around in the '81 A-S game warmup and tossed a ball into the crowd, I got it. Next year, my family saw the Dodgers on vacation. He was signing, coming down the line, I was next, then he said, Sorry, I gotta go warm up
Willie Mays
Hank Aaron & Pete Rose (if you wanna call it "met", you hand your item over to security goons, they walk it way down to where the guys are signing, then walk the item back to you
Eric Davis signed for me in spring training
Rocky Colavito (back when his sig was reasonably priced
Then there's the time I got Rick Waits mad at me, but that's ANOTHER story
Contrary to popular opinion I did NOT know Abner Doubleday when he was a baby

I wanna hear the Rick Waits story.

[RuthMayBond]

Originally Posted by kjb23

I wanna hear the Rick Waits story.

I was at a batting practice in Cleveland Stadium when somebody hits one over near us. Waits came over and we begged him for the ball. He said he had promised it to someone else. So he took it, and a little later someone hit another one our way. Waits comes over again, we begged him, and we mockingly said, "You promised!" I don't know if anyone realized we weren't serious but it was a stupid thing to say and he told us he didn't want us showing him up (and rightly so). What can I say, I was a stupid young kid, I apologized. Near the end of BP, Waits comes over, points to me, and tosses me a ball. Rick Waits, CLASS ACT

[BoweryBoys]

Hey Tigers Fan 1974, you may appreciate hearing this in light of your nickname and what you posted.

Back in the 1960s I grew up in the west San Fernando Valley in what was then called Canoga Park, now West Hills. For most of that decade my family lived next door to an auto mechanic named Henry (Hank) Tracewski, his wife, and their four children Hank Jr., Bobby, Janice and Joey.

They were the older brother, sister-in law, niece and nephews of Dodgers, later Tigers, utility infielder Dick Tracewski.

Many of the guys you mention meeting who were on the Tigers back then would come over with Dick to his brother's house when they were in town to play the Angels because Hank's wife was such a good cook. My older brothers and I, and many other kids on the block, would play catch with some of those guys in the back yard when they were over. That goes back almost 40 years now and I was fairly young then so I can't recall specifically which players that I met that way.

Also, My dad's hometown is Aliquippa PA where some former MLB players also grew up including Tito Francona and George "Doc" Medich. "Doc" knew one of my brothers from back then and attended the wedding when my brother got married there back in 1974.

[kjb23]

Originally Posted by RuthMayBond

I was at a batting practice in Cleveland Stadium when somebody hits one over near us. Waits came over and we begged him for the ball. He said he had promised it to someone else. So he took it, and a little later someone hit another one our way. Waits comes over again, we begged him, and we mockingly said, "You promised!" I don't know if anyone realized we weren't serious but it was a stupid thing to say and he told us he didn't want us showing him up (and rightly so). What can I say, I was a stupid young kid, I apologized. Near the end of BP, Waits comes over, points to me, and tosses me a ball. Rick Waits, CLASS ACT

Good stuff. Nice to see some players still appreciate the fans.

[Coal Cracker]

Originally Posted by Captain Cold Nose

It's closed now?
Shoot. I was planning a visit some time this year, and I was hoping to eat there. I collect menus, and was unable to get one when I went five years ago.

Yeah. Johnny Blanchard informed me when I told him about my meeting with Clete.

[vasprtsfn]

Washington Nationals: Ryan Zimmerman, Brandon Watson, Jose Guillen, Brian Schneider, Brad Wilkerson

Virginia Sports Hall of Famers: Al Bumbry, Jim Coates, Jim Lemon, Gene Alley

[Tigerfan1974]

Originally Posted by BoweryBoys

Hey Tigers Fan 1974, you may appreciate hearing this in light of your nickname and what you posted.

Back in the 1960s I grew up in the west San Fernando Valley in what was then called Canoga Park, now West Hills. For most of that decade my family lived next door to an auto mechanic named Henry (Hank) Tracewski, his wife, and their four children Hank Jr., Bobby, Janice and Joey.

They were the older brother, sister-in law, niece and nephews of Dodgers, later Tigers, utility infielder Dick Tracewski.

Many of the guys you mention meeting who were on the Tigers back then would come over with Dick to his brother's house when they were in town to play the Angels because Hank's wife was such a good cook. My older brothers and I, and many other kids on the block, would play catch with some of those guys in the back yard when they were over. That goes back almost 40 years now and I was fairly young then so I can't recall specifically which players that I met that way.

Also, My dad's hometown is Aliquippa PA where some former MLB players also grew up including Tito Francona and George "Doc" Medich. "Doc" knew one of my brothers from back then and attended the wedding when my brother got married there back in 1974.

Nice stories. Thanks

[brewcrew82]

Dave Nilsson, Graeme Lloyd, Mark Hutton, John Jaha, Dave Stewart and Reggie Smith.

I must admit I was completely in awe of Dave Stewart, I was too nervous to approach him at first but with a little shove I chatted with him for a good few minutes.

[Zito75]

Originally Posted by brewcrew82

Dave Nilsson, Graeme Lloyd, Mark Hutton, John Jaha, Dave Stewart and Reggie Smith.

I must admit I was completely in awe of Dave Stewart, I was too nervous to approach him at first but with a little shove I chatted with him for a good few minutes.

The former Oakland A, Dave Stewart???

[Utter Chaos]

A woman my dad worked with invited our family over for dinner sometime around 1977. Her two daughters both invited their boyfriends. The older daughter was dating the catcher from Florida State University, Terry Kennedy (who played for the Padres, Cardinals, Orioles and Giants). The younger daughter, Lisa (who looked pretty hot to this 13 year old! ) was dating a high school kid named Steve Lombardozzi (former Twin and Astro). Lisa and Steve left after dinner but Terry stuck around and I was able to play catch with him. It was neat watching their careers evolve.

[brewcrew82]

Originally Posted by Zito75

The former Oakland A, Dave Stewart???

The one and only!

[mlazar]

Joe Charboneau and Rick Manning

[RuthMayBond]

Originally Posted by mlazar

Joe Charboneau and Rick Manning

Well, at least one of those lasted more than 650 AB

[Captain Cold Nose]

Originally Posted by RuthMayBond

Well, at least one of those lasted more than 650 AB

What does that have to do with this thread?

[RuthMayBond]

Originally Posted by Captain Cold Nose

What does that have to do with this thread?

The first post mentions "great stars"