Memories of your favorite game used/autographed item you own

[lehmsbobby]

I wanted to see how all of us have come across our favorite piece of memorabilia. Did you buy it, or was there more of a sentimental event when you got it.


I'll start- In 2000, I was at a Giants game in great seats near the dugout. Without asking, Barry Bonds handed a bat through the dugout, seemingly to the late Giants majority owner Sue Burns. However, Bonds motioned her to me, and gave me his famous Sam Bat, uncracked with heavy use. His generosity and kindness that day, amid the scandals and bad rep, will stay with me forever.

[murfsteve25]

That is a very awesome and unique story. I can see why you would have positive feelings towards Barry.

In 2002, my dad took me to a Oakland vs Reds game in cincinnati. We went cause i wanted to watch my favorite player, David Justice. I took a ball and a photo of him when he played for the indians in hopes i could get him to sign one of them. Even wore my Justice T-shirt. We ended up getting to the game right after the national anthem, so we missed batting practice. I was p1ss3d. So after the game was over, we went down to the player parking lot. I picked a random spot to wait along the fence, and there was a black hummer right in front of me on the other side. Another guy waiting for autographs saw my T-shirt and asked if i was waiting for Justice. After i told him i was, he said that the Hummer was his, and that he lives in Cincinnati. I was hopeful at that point. Sure enough, Justice came out with Terrance Long and Jermaine Dye. The other 2 hopped in the hummer while Justice signed for a few minutes. I held a ball up barely over the fence (i was a young guy in 2002) and was relieved when he grabbed it. I watched him signed the ball and hand it back to me. Then I went and showed my dad the ball, but when i got to him he showed me the picture that i had also brought. While i was trying to get the ball signed, he went and got the picture signed. I didnt even know! So the day turned out great and it was a great experience for my dad and I. The ball and picture will go with me to my grave. They are currently in a pretty nice display case along with the ticket to the game.

[oakesc8855]

I wanted to see how all of us have come across our favorite piece of memorabilia. Did you buy it, or was there more of a sentimental event when you got it.


I'll start- In 2000, I was at a Giants game in great seats near the dugout. Without asking, Barry Bonds handed a bat through the dugout, seemingly to the late Giants majority owner Sue Burns. However, Bonds motioned her to me, and gave me his famous Sam Bat, uncracked with heavy use. His generosity and kindness that day, amid the scandals and bad rep, will stay with me forever.

Just wondering, was there a reason why he gave you this? Were u a cute little kid or did you have a cast for a broken arm? or in a wheel chair or something? Thanks just wondering why he would choose you.


And the Murf story is a classic! haha

[emann]

In 1988 or 1989 (I was about 13), I went to a Sox/Royals game at Fenway. Stood outside the player parking lot trying to get a ball signed... A number of players passed by not signing or I couldn't get near them quick enough (I was near the back of the crowd of about 100 kids). As most of the players have already entered the park, a taxi pulls up and George Brett gets out a few feet away from me and about 20 ft from the gates, lucky placement! He was the one I had hoped to see being a huge Brett fan (he was really the player I wanted an auto from), but had heard stories (even without the internet) that he rarely signed autographs and was kind of a jerk...

Brett started to walk thru the crowd to get in the player entrance and a sea of arms went up with things to sign. I meekly held my baseball up when he went past and he stopped, took the ball, grabbed somebody else's pen and started to sign it for me.

I was thrilled!

Then, without missing a beat and never looking up, he simply dropped the signed ball and pen onto the ground and kept walking. It was lost in a sea of people, moving & yelling for autographs... My heart sank and I dropped to my knees in the crowd to look for the ball.

I was shocked when I actually spotted the ball kicking around on the ground. A kid picked it up and I basically screamed "HEYYYYYYYY, that's my ball!!!" and he kindly gave it back to me (I remember is excitement, followed by the adrenaline rush of panic).

I did love that ball for years though as it was clearly the only auto Brett signed in a crowd of people, even if he was a total jerk for dropping it. It made my year...

Epilogue: I was in Cooperstown a couple years back and saw George Brett on the street. He was walking on the same side of the street as I was and was all alone (it was nighttime and he had just done a lecture series)... As we approached each other, I began form a sentence in which I would thank him for signing a ball for me as a kid and that it really meant alot to me... When I got about 5 feet from him, he put his cell phone to his ear, glanced over at me and pretended to be in deep conversation.

I see it as his loss.

[suicide_squeeze]

Just wondering, was there a reason why he gave you this? Were u a cute little kid or did you have a cast for a broken arm? or in a wheel chair or something? Thanks just wondering why he would choose you.


And the Murf story is a classic! haha

Barry probably mistook him for the son of his steroid dealer.....

[joelsabi]

In 1988 or 1989 (I was about 13), I went to a Sox/Royals game at Fenway. Stood outside the player parking lot trying to get a ball signed... A number of players passed by not signing or I couldn't get near them quick enough (I was near the back of the crowd of about 100 kids). As most of the players have already entered the park, a taxi pulls up and George Brett gets out a few feet away from me and about 20 ft from the gates, lucky placement! He was the one I had hoped to see being a huge Brett fan (he was really the player I wanted an auto from), but had heard stories (even without the internet) that he rarely signed autographs and was kind of a jerk...

Brett started to walk thru the crowd to get in the player entrance and a sea of arms went up with things to sign. I meekly held my baseball up when he went past and he stopped, took the ball, grabbed somebody else's pen and started to sign it for me.

I was thrilled!

Then, without missing a beat and never looking up, he simply dropped the signed ball and pen onto the ground and kept walking. It was lost in a sea of people, moving & yelling for autographs... My heart sank and I dropped to my knees in the crowd to look for the ball.

I was shocked when I actually spotted the ball kicking around on the ground. A kid picked it up and I basically screamed "HEYYYYYYYY, that's my ball!!!" and he kindly gave it back to me (I remember is excitement, followed by the adrenaline rush of panic).

I did love that ball for years though as it was clearly the only auto Brett signed in a crowd of people, even if he was a total jerk for dropping it. It made my year...

Epilogue: I was in Cooperstown a couple years back and saw George Brett on the street. He was walking on the same side of the street as I was and was all alone (it was nighttime and he had just done a lecture series)... As we approached each other, I began form a sentence in which I would thank him for signing a ball for me as a kid and that it really meant alot to me... When I got about 5 feet from him, he put his cell phone to his ear, glanced over at me and pretended to be in deep conversation.

I see it as his loss.

its great how you got the ball signed. why didnt brett just hand you back the ball?

[mattmueller]

I was a huge Mark McGwire fan (still am a fan) as a kid living in Wisconsin, and my family would typically go to A's games when they played the Brewers. Of course, I always wanted to get an autograph from McGwire. After four years of unsuccessful attempts to get an autograph, I went to a game along with my parents, sister, and her boyfriend on my 16th birthday. I waited by the A's dugout during BP, but no luck again. As I was leaving, my sister and her boyfriend told me that I should just sit by the dugout and wait for the A's to come off the field and get A's coach Rick Burleson's attention. So, despite being yelled at by ushers clearing the way for ticket holders at the start of the game, I waited and when Rick came to the front of the dugout I stood up and waved at him. He asked me if I was Matt, I replied that I was. He told me to stay there for a second, he would be right back. He went into the dugout for a few minutes, and when he came back he told me "happy birthday" and tossed me a baseball. I looked at it, and it was a brand new ball, autographed on the sweet spot by Mark McGwire. Even better, it was inscribed with birthday wishes on the side panel. As it turned out, my sister's boyfriend worked on Rick Burleson's pit crew at a road race and got to know him. He had spoken to Rick during BP and arranged for me to get the autograph.

Despite collecting some other rather nice pieces of game used and autographed items, that remains by far my favorite piece.

[emann]

its great how you got the ball signed. why didnt brett just hand you back the ball?

It may have been a ploy to distract the crowd. He probably figured if he signed one and dropped it, the crowd would be busy going after that ball and he could escape. Didn't work.

[emann]

Matt- great story.

[lehmsbobby]

[QUOTE=oakesc8855;153202]Just wondering, was there a reason why he gave you this? Were u a cute little kid or did you have a cast for a broken arm? or in a wheel chair or something? Thanks just wondering why he would choose you.


I was a kid and just got lucky, it was my birthday also, but that probably didnt play a factor.