Owning something game used from the first pro athlete you ever met

[metsbats]

Thought it would be interesting to see how many of us own game used item(s) from the first pro athlete you ever met.

I'll start.

On 9/27/1975 I attended our little league annual awards banquet and met then Yankee centerfielder Elliot Maddox. He autographed a cardboard sheet of paper for me and it was the first in person autograph I ever got from a baseball player.

I've been fortunately enough to have in my collection Elliot's 78 game used road jersey when he was a Met and 77-79 HB game used bat.

[Jags Fan Dan]

On May 15, 1989 I was 12 years old and was at a home Reds game against the Pirates. Lenny Harris came over and signed my ticket stub. I was not seeking an autograph, but he was standing right in front of me and signing, so I handed him the stub. I still have that stub, it is the only in person auto I own.

Ever since, I have always rooted for Lenny and I now own one of his game used Reds hats, a GU Reds jersey, and probably 5 or so GU bats.

Good idea for a thread! A lot of fond memories for me!

[metsbats]

Nice Dan! I was 12 too in 75 when I met Elliot Maddox!

[sox83cubs84]

On May 15, 1989 I was 12 years old and was at a home Reds game against the Pirates. Lenny Harris came over and signed my ticket stub. I was not seeking an autograph, but he was standing right in front of me and signing, so I handed him the stub. I still have that stub, it is the only in person auto I own.

Ever since, I have always rooted for Lenny and I now own one of his game used Reds hats, a GU Reds jersey, and probably 5 or so GU bats.

Good idea for a thread! A lot of fond memories for me!

Lenny is a superb guy and is one of my Facebook friends. He gave me a Marlins cap in 2003 and I bought a 2015 Marlins road coach's jersey on eBay a few months ago.

Dave Miedema

[CampWest]

As far as I know, the first pro athlete I met was a neighbor, Royals 1st baseman and OFer Pete LaCock. I do have a team signed baseball from 1978 that he gave me, back when I was just 3-4 years old. However I've never picked up any of his game used gear.

After that, next ball player I can recall meeting was George Brett at an autograph signing at a KMart in like 1980. I have since picked up a few Brett items... :D

[TBM]

The earliest ball players I remember meeting were Royals players from the early 1990's. I got autographs from all of them. Mark Gubicza, Garry Gaetti, and a couple others. I think I met most of them during an autograph day. The ones that still stands out all this time later is meeting Bob "Hammer" Hamelin. It was a great day I had gotten several autographs (still have them all too). I saw Bob alone talking to one guy behind home plate. I waited for him to get done talking to the other fan and politely asked for his autograph. He said sure, so I handed my card through the netting with a ball point pen. He tried to sign it but it was a glossy card so there was no ink transfer. He looked up at me and said sorry kid it did not write. I looked at it and was not disappointed. You see even though there was no writing on the card there was still the impression from the ball point pen. R.J. Hamelin, I could see it clear as day. I said that was OK, showed him the impression and gratefully thanked him for his time and effort. Can't remember the card that I tried to get signed, I still have it but it is in a book that I'm not digging out at this time.
When I started collecting Game used items I had always wanted on from Bob Hamelin. I finally got that last year with this bat. Not much use on it but is still a bat I proudly hang on my wall.