I have been lucky and seems like all my experiences have been good ones.
Some of the nicest players:
Rod Carew: Met my idol about 20 years ago, right after he retired. Was very friendly to me and my mom, signed many items free (free public appearance at an appliance store), shook my hand.
Denny McLain: Friendly and enthusiastic with everyone. Signed my card "To Andrew, Be Good! Denny McLain"
Troy Percival: Signed a program at an Angel game once. We chatted a little and talked about his hometown, which was where my grandparents lived when I was a kid.
Dan Ford: One of my favorite players, extremely friendly. We talked about the Twins, Angels and artificial turf! Someone else asked him about his nickname, "Disco Dan", he kind of grimaced and seemed embarrassed by it. A couple years ago I got one of the Fleer Nicknames autographs of him signed, Dan "Disco Dan" Ford.
Other great guys were:
Richie Ashburn, Lew Burdette, Joe Adco ck, Del Crandall, Brian Downing, Bob Welch, Jim Fregosi, Richie Scheinblum, Ellis Valentine and Jim Wynn.
The good:
Richie Ashburn - though it helps that he and my dad were both from Tilden, Nebraska. We even got to go up to the broadcast booth in Philly to visit him. We sent a number of letters back and forth as well.
Ryne Sandberg - signing at the players' entrance in St. Louis back around... 1990? Only a few Cardinals fans there at the time, but he signed for all of us. Hot summer day, so he brought us inside the door too, so we could all be in the air conditioning while he signed.
Enos Slaughter - sweet guy. I even gave him my dup of his Pacific Baseball Legends card which he hadn't seen before.
Joe Aversa - Cardinals minor leaguer from a while back, but still...
Bob Tewksbury - still the only time I have ever had a major league ballplayer come up to me and ask if I wanted his autograph! He had drawn a cartoon of Ozzie Smith and put it on t-shirts to sell for the children's hospital in St. Louis. Next Spring Training, I was by the hitting cages, and I heard someone to the side call out, "Hey, nice shirt!" He came up and asked if he could sign an auto for me. Talk about backing up your product.
Rich Batchelor - way too long of a story... but fun.
And my favorite piece of baseball memorabilia - my dual signed Appalachian League baseball of Hub Kittle and George Kissell. Both of them very kind.
The bad:
I'm sure I am in the minority here, but Cal Ripken stole my Sharpie!!! (and didn't sign.)
But I am sure it was an isolated incident.
Some of the best I have met--most were on trips to games where I was in the same hotel as the road team
Yankees at a hotel in Toronto
Don Zimmer- I met him in a hotel lobby after a Yankee game when he was having some health problems. He still came over and signed an auto and posed for pictures with me and some other people that were there. You could tell he wasn't feeling great, but he still took the time.
Ken Singelton- Same trip as Zimmer.......He stood outside the hotel for quite awhile and signed autos and talked with fans. A very nice guy.
Derek Jeter- He was mobbed by fans everytime he went through and while team/hotel officials were trying to clear everyone out, he did everything he could to sign autos, take pictures, etc. He seemed to be angering the "officials" because HE wasn't cooperating with them to get all the fans out. On the way out of the hotel, he walked by me and I said a simple "Good luck Derek".......he had just passed me, but he turned around shook my hand and said "Thanks".
Braves at a hotel in Montreal
Javy Lopez- For some reason, he came down the hotel lobby and was just hanging out by himself. I was with my wife and another couple and we all went over to him. He signed for all of us and posed for a few pictures. he was a very quiet laid-back guy, but was very nice. Oh yeah.....my wife said he smells GREAT.
Don Sutton- Saw him mentioned above.....He was in the hotel bar with Skip Caray and the other announcer at the time (Pete Johnson??). I think he had had a few drinks, but when he got up to leave we asked for autographs. He came over, cracked a few jokes with us and was a real good guy.
I also have met quite a few guys at Cooperstown as I live about 45 minutes from there. Bob Feller, Warren Spahn and Enos Slaughter stand out as some of the nicest guys I have met there.
I haven't had too many bad experiences........mostly just guys who weren't willing to sign at different times. For the most part I respect that and as long as they aren't rude about it, I am OK.
NECpilgrims8 Wrote:Nicest:
Micah Owings
Chris B. Young
Manny Ramirez
James Loney
Fernando Perez
Not-So Nice:
Michael Coleman
Stephen Drew
Vlad Guerrero
I cannot agree with you on Guerrero, he is a charitable person who is active in the community.
He does not speak hardly any English, so he is hard to approach.
I haven't really had a bad experience with ballplayers...other collectors and a general lack of hygiene, thats another story.
NewHannibal Wrote:I haven't really had a bad experience with ballplayers...other collectors and a general lack of hygiene, thats another story.
Funny you should mention. Last weekend at the Marlins vs. Royals game the guy next to me with the giant binder with team roster/10 cards of every player, etc. Well, he smelled like manure.
Nicest- Tanyon Sturtze (When he was a Yankee)... I'd say maybe 4-5 years ago I went to an Orioles/Yankees game. He came out to warm up, and I said "Hey Tanyon" and he said "Yea buddy" and I asked him for a ball and he said "Sure, When I'm done warming up" and when he was done he pointed to me and threw me the ball. He didn't end up going in the game, and when the game ended I asked him to sign it and he did.
Worst- Don't remember the guys name, probably around the same time period. He was a Marlins pitcher and it was at an Orioles game. I asked him for a ball, and he shook his head yes. Then when the game was over he looked up at me, and threw the ball to someone else. I was like 10 or 11 at the time and I cried all the way home.
waxheaven Wrote:NewHannibal Wrote:I haven't really had a bad experience with ballplayers...other collectors and a general lack of hygiene, thats another story.
Funny you should mention. Last weekend at the Marlins vs. Royals game the guy next to me with the giant binder with team roster/10 cards of every player, etc. Well, he smelled like manure.
Its a reoccurring theme for alot of collector related events (shows, signings, ballparks). Sometimes being polite isn't enough, going the extra step with a slab of speed stick helps as well.
Phil Rizzuto...my father hired him many years ago to sign at a card show. Of course Mr. Rizzuto got paid, but for my father and his partner it was just as much about meeting the players they loved as it was about making money. When the show was over and it was time for Mr. Rizzuto to get paid, he asked if my father had a profitable day. He offered to give up some of his pay if they hadn't (they broke even, but didn't care).
justin masterson is a great guy i have been to two portland games, He signed for forever the first game. The second game was like 4 days after his mlb debut and people were coming up to him with books of photos and cards to sign. he signed everything he also held a conversation with you.