Your BEST Experience Dealing with an Athlete

[bigtruck260]

Here are a few more:

Gary "Sarge" Matthews:

I was sitting at a the bar of a local Japanese restaurant with no television. The only other person there was this older black gentleman - and we struck up a conversation about sports and baseball. I asked him if he was a Cards fan and he said "NO!" - he shrugged at me and said "SH#t man, I'm the hitting coach for the Chicago Cubs."

It didn't register. I laughed and said - lemme see your ID.

His response - "Why would I lie about something like that"?

Me - "OK - so who are you"?

Him "Gary Matthews"

Me - Sarge! (I loved him as a kid - though he was a Cub.) I told him a story about how I got kicked out of a little league game for throwing off my helmet the way he did after hitting a homer...

Him - "I only did that on base hits"...

We talked for at least an hour about his kid, the best players ever...and coaching Sammy Sosa on hitting.."everyone has holes sometimes".

He was not bothered by my chain smoking or Saki-talk. We got a little buzzed together as he waited for his drop dead gorgeous lady to arrive.
I never asked him for an autograph or a photo. It was just a neat experience. I had two witnesses too - whom I introduced him to - unfortunately, they are both hockey fans, and had no idea who Sarge was.

Not really an athlete per se, but still a fun time was meeting my childhood idol, Bill Dance - the bassmaster. My dad and I talked to him at a boat show, and he had us in stitches. I don't have many autographs left from my collection, but I still have Bill's personalized auto stashed somewhere.

[uwmrules09]

My best experience has to go along with my PC collection. Carlos Villanueva from the Milwaukee Brewers. He is a little known prospect for the Brewers that is one of their starters this season. Anyways last season I wanted to start collecting game used items and decided to pick a player from the Brewers so I chose Carlos since he is an up and comer and one of the nicest guys on the team. Whenever I was getting autographs before a game he would come over and sign for everyone there and even carry on a conversation. Well anyways he liked the 8x10s and stuff I had him sign and he agreed to trade me a pair of his cleats for some 8x10s and rookie cards and stuff. Throughout the season we would talk and I would show him his gu items I picked up which he always thought was sweet that someone was collecting them. We pretty much became friends. So at the last game of the season I asked him if he was giving out any of his gear since I had yet to get his shoes, he said we'll see with kind of a smirk on his face. So I watched the game and went down to get game used stuff after the game was over since Brewers players usually hand stuff out (its a madhouse down there), and needless to say I couldnt get close enough to get anything or to get Carlos' attention. So I left the stadium bummed and waited after the game for autographs. Well after most of the team had gone when he pulled up on a cart to his car and put all his luggage in and began to look around, I got his attention and he signaled me over to the parking lot where he game me his cleats like he promised and signed each one for me. He thanked me for the photos I game him and stuff saying that his family really loves them and he hoped I picked up more of his stuff during the offseason so he could see it next season. Anyways here are a picture of the cleats he game me too....





I have many other good stories too but nothing like this, its the first time I really became friends with a player.

[Rob L]

One of the coolest encounters we had was with Troy Percival in 1998. My son, who was 4 at the time, had been emulating the Percival pitched since he was 2. We went to see him at a local signing and got there a little early. Percival pulled up with a guy from Mizuno and my son and I walked over by the car. My kid was star struck. Percy came over, talked with him and took a photo with him. About a six months later, my wife's grandmother showed the photo to a neighbor who was the head of player development for the Angels. He took the photo to Percy who looked at indicated that he remembered talking with us. He signed the photo also (not the copy shown here). As a side, McGwire hit HR #60 while we were driving to Percival signing.

In 2001, I was at the Big A with my son and 1 1/2 year old daughter, sitting in the row immediately above the bullpens. The Angels were playing the Blue Jays. In the late innings, Lance Painter got up to warmup. A s**tload of kids around us started badgering him to give them the ball. My daughter was sitting on my lap and my son was sitting quitely. After warming up, Painter looked up at us, pointed to my daughter and tossed us the ball. Even though we are Angels homers, we did root for Painter that inning.

Rob L

[Dewey2007]

This was a very brief experience but still one of the best I've had. Here I was after a GS Warriors/LA Lakers game in Oakland getting disappointed by none other then Magic Johnson himself who had promised me his shoes after the game telling me he didn't have them anymore. When out of the blue James Worthy walks by, pulls his gamers out of his bag and just hands them to me as he heads for the team bus. I can't remember if I even got out a thank you I was so shocked and excited. Definitely nice of Big Game James to make a kids day!!

[Tedw9]

Great stories everyone! Thank you for sharing.

I grew up a Red Sox fan, third generation, in small town America and my idol was Dwight Evans. When I played ball I tried to use his stance and I would spend DAYS throwing a baseball just to get my arm strong like his.

Fast forward 20 or so years and I find out Dwight was doing a signing down state. I drove almost 4 hours just to meet my childhood hero. I shared my story with the store owners and they were kind enough to put me near the front of the line and let me stay after the signing so I could spend a few moments with Dwight. He was everything I hoped he would be, and then some. What a super nice guy. It was nice to find out that Dwight was worthy of me looking up to as a kid. And I got to admit, standing there with him, I felt like I was 9 years old again!

A week or so after the signing, I sent him a letter telling him I was the guy who met him after the signing and I explained how much he meant to me as a kid growing up. I just wanted to thank him for being a positive role model for me and for being a good guy. I didn't ask or want anything, other than to convey my story and appreciation to him.

A couple of weeks later, I got a package in the mail from Dwight! He sent me a signed and inscribed photo and a note thanking me for such a nice letter. He said it meant a lot to him and thanked me for being a fan. Needless to say, that photo is one of my prized possessions.

No, it's not game used or super valuable, but to me, it's priceless.

[davetiki]

Rob,

Percy is a very cool guy for sure. I met him at Angel Stadium in 05 at game 5 of the ALDS against the Yanks. It was the first year of his retirement and he was hanging out in left field in front of the bullpen drinking a beer getting ready for the game. What was special, is that the stadium lady who worked that area in front of the bullpen had known Percy for years and years. She was so happy to see him and for the first time ever she got to ask him for his autograph and take a picture with him. I guess there is a policy against that for the players and employees. She is probably the only who respected that policy I guess. He hugged her and gave her the auto and took a picture with her. She was so touched and happy afterwords that she had tears in her eyes. Then Percy got spotted and he was swarmed for his autograph and he signed them all. I didn't ask him though. Instead I bought him a beer.

Dave Z

[godwulf]

In 2002, I was at a signing by David Dellucci, then a utility outfielder for the Diamondbacks, and as I was waiting outside the card shop for my turn in line, the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen walked by. Every male head turned, and jaws dropped to the ground in unison - it was actually pretty funny.

Turns out that it was Gena Lee Nolin, of Baywatch and Sheena fame, and she was going out with Dellucci at the time.

She signed a baseball for me - "Love you always, Gena Lee Nolin, XXOO".

Oh, yeah...Dellucci was nice, too.

[stlbats]

I have a great story that isnt about a player, but an umpire. I was about 17 at the time and went to Arlington, TX to the '95 Allstar game. After the Allstar game, my buddy and I were playing catch in the hotel parking lot when a car pulled up and parked. This man got out and starting talking to us. After a while he told us he was the plate umpire for the allstar game that night. It was Durwood Merrill. He went back to his car and pulled out several new and used allstar game balls and gave them to us. We had him sign one. After I got home, I looked him up and sent him a nice letter, not asking for anything but I did include my address and phone #. About a week later I got a phone call from him. We talked several times on the phone and the next year met him in Baltimore where he left us tickets to all 5 games he was working. (right behing the plate) I spoke with him several times over the years. What a great guy. Sadly Durwood passed away a few years ago. What a great guy and person. He was a big league ump for 25 years. That signed ball is one I will always have.

Jason

[jshortt]

I have had several great experiences with guys like David Wright, Brandon Phillips, Ryan Braun, Hunter Pence, Jeff Keppinger, Gilbert Arenas, and Jermaine O'Neal, but hands down, my best player experience was with Josh Hamilton.

I had been following him since Tampa, and through all his troubles, so when the Reds took him in the Rule V last year, I was ecstatic (since I'm a season ticket holder)!! Once I found out what number he was assigned, I had an authentic jersey made up, and went down early on Opening Day to show him.

Since it was at an odd time of the afternoon, neither team took BP, but Josh was out taking practice cuts and shagging balls, so I walked over by the dugout to wait for him to finish. As he was coming off the field, I yelled "Hey Josh!! What do you think?," and turned to show him the back of the jersey. His eyes nearly bugged out of his head, he pointed his bat at me, and he shouted "THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN' ABOUT, RIGHT THERE!" He came over, signed a ball for me, and while he was signing for others, chatted me up about the jersey, where I got it, etc. Jokingly, he told me to get all my friends to get Hamilton jerseys, too. I told him I would, and then, jokingly, told him to keep me in mind if he cracked any bats in the near future. We both laughed, and as I turned to leave, he yelled after me "Hey man, would you mind sticking around for a bit? My family is coming down the steps, and I want them to see your shirt." Shocked, I told him no problem, and hung out. A few minutes later, his family came down, he talked to them and then pointed to me. His family went nuts. I ended up talking with them for another half-hour, and even taking pics with them.

From that point on, Josh and I talked just about every game. I started making supportive signs for him, which always made him laugh. One night in mid-May, I had seats right behind home plate. Josh saw me during BP, and came over to chat. As he was leaving, he told me to hang on, and that he would be right back. He comes back carrying a bat, and hands it to me. To this day, I'm not sure what I said, but it was something to the effect of "@#$!, seriously?" His response was "Hell yeah. Oh, and that's the bat I hit 2 homers with against the Rockies." (his first-ever multi-homer game) It was a cherry colored CTG (which to my knowledge, is the only one of that kind he ever used), which he signed and inscribed "To Josh, Thanks for the Support." Needless to say, I never asked him for another autograph.

From then on, he always went out of his way to talk to me, no matter where we were, and we kind of became friends. On one of his injury rehab assignments in Louisville, he came out, saw me there, came to the rail, and talked to me for 45 minutes during pregame. I was soooo disappointed when the Reds made the decision to trade him, but Rangers fans, you have a class act in Josh. I've never seen him turn down an autograph (though I've seen some that he should have), and he is truly one of the nicest guys in the game.

Sorry for the long post,
Josh

[bubbrubb25]

I have had several great experiences with guys like David Wright, Brandon Phillips, Ryan Braun, Hunter Pence, Jeff Keppinger, Gilbert Arenas, and Jermaine O'Neal, but hands down, my best player experience was with Josh Hamilton.

I had been following him since Tampa, and through all his troubles, so when the Reds took him in the Rule V last year, I was ecstatic (since I'm a season ticket holder)!! Once I found out what number he was assigned, I had an authentic jersey made up, and went down early on Opening Day to show him.

Since it was at an odd time of the afternoon, neither team took BP, but Josh was out taking practice cuts and shagging balls, so I walked over by the dugout to wait for him to finish. As he was coming off the field, I yelled "Hey Josh!! What do you think?," and turned to show him the back of the jersey. His eyes nearly bugged out of his head, he pointed his bat at me, and he shouted "THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN' ABOUT, RIGHT THERE!" He came over, signed a ball for me, and while he was signing for others, chatted me up about the jersey, where I got it, etc. Jokingly, he told me to get all my friends to get Hamilton jerseys, too. I told him I would, and then, jokingly, told him to keep me in mind if he cracked any bats in the near future. We both laughed, and as I turned to leave, he yelled after me "Hey man, would you mind sticking around for a bit? My family is coming down the steps, and I want them to see your shirt." Shocked, I told him no problem, and hung out. A few minutes later, his family came down, he talked to them and then pointed to me. His family went nuts. I ended up talking with them for another half-hour, and even taking pics with them.

From that point on, Josh and I talked just about every game. I started making supportive signs for him, which always made him laugh. One night in mid-May, I had seats right behind home plate. Josh saw me during BP, and came over to chat. As he was leaving, he told me to hang on, and that he would be right back. He comes back carrying a bat, and hands it to me. To this day, I'm not sure what I said, but it was something to the effect of "@#$!, seriously?" His response was "Hell yeah. Oh, and that's the bat I hit 2 homers with against the Rockies." (his first-ever multi-homer game) It was a cherry colored CTG (which to my knowledge, is the only one of that kind he ever used), which he signed and inscribed "To Josh, Thanks for the Support." Needless to say, I never asked him for another autograph.

From then on, he always went out of his way to talk to me, no matter where we were, and we kind of became friends. On one of his injury rehab assignments in Louisville, he came out, saw me there, came to the rail, and talked to me for 45 minutes during pregame. I was soooo disappointed when the Reds made the decision to trade him, but Rangers fans, you have a class act in Josh. I've never seen him turn down an autograph (though I've seen some that he should have), and he is truly one of the nicest guys in the game.

Sorry for the long post,
Josh

Great story! Do you have a pic of the bat?