Your experiences with players who validated (or didn't validate) your game used items

[BergerKing22784]

I forgot to mention that he was disappointed that I only paid $400 for his jersey.

"Is that all this was worth"?

I think sometimes players get this idea stuck in their heads that anything they touch or sign turns instantly into gold. When for the vast majority of the players in the league it really isnt. I in no way am a big money spender in the way of game used and have only spent over $400 on a jersey once the rest I got for roughly the same price it would cost you to get just an authentic jersey from a retail store.

[godwulf]

Today at Phoenix Muni Athletics vs the Brewers. I had a Jonathan LuCroy bat that I got during Arizona Fall League last season and I took it out for him to sign it and he grabbed it and said "oh man thats my baby right there" showed a coach the bat also who remarked how great a shattered bat was. He then told me that he like like 3 or 4 home runs with that bat and signed it for me (he had given the bat to me after an Arizona Fall League game)

I'm thinking of coming out to Phoenix Muni during ST to try to get Jack Cust to sign a couple of his old bats for me. Has he been in evidence this year, and what do you think my chances would be of getting close enough to get him to do that?

Jeff
godwulf1@cox.net

[OaklandAsFan]

hey Jeff,

go up there on a day that they have an away game at like 930 AM (unless they are playing in Tucson because then they would be taking BP down in Tucson). He will most likely sign them all for you after bp. He is pretty good about signing. If you go on a game day just get there before 11 (gates open at 11) and head over to the A's side (first base) but go to the bleacher seats outside the tunnel to their clubhouse. The nets along there scare many people away but they are cut or ripped in many places down at the bottom so you can pass things to players to sign with no problem.

[godwulf]

I wasn't aware that they took BP at their home stadium before going on the road. Do they charge you to get in on those days, since there's no game being played?

[OaklandAsFan]

I wasn't aware that they took BP at their home stadium before going on the road. Do they charge you to get in on those days, since there's no game being played?

nope, with the exception of the games in Tucson, all teams take their BP at their home parks and them come to the stadium for infield practice and the game. If all you are interested in doing is getting some autographs and not into catching a game I would suggest just going to the stadium of the away team early in the morning. Best part is that many times you will be one of less than 10 people in the stands so graphs are easy pickins. Plus you will see the guys who won't travel to the game that day.

[godwulf]

Well, maybe I'll give that a try next weekend. I see the A's are playing the Giants at Scottsdale next Saturday - maybe I'll show up at Phx Muni about 9:30 with the Cust bats and see what happens.

I've looked over the rosters of the 14 teams playing ball in the Valley right now (including the non-roster invitees and the coaches) and there are no fewer than 40 former Diamondbacks here - eight with the Brewers alone - and I've probably got unsigned bats for at least three-fourths of them, including some players I thought I'd never see again, like original DBacks Jeff Suppan and Hensley Meulens.

Thanks for the tip!

[OaklandAsFan]

Jeff,

The A's are playing split squad games on Saturday one away (in Scottsdale) and the other at home so going to watch bp the way we discussed won't happen that day.

[Danny899]

I had Rickey Henderson sign a Yankees jersey years back and asked if it were bloodstains on the front of the jersey from headfirst slides. He then proceeded to identify the stains as iced tea that he had spilled on it! I've had him sign some pretty rare items over the years and he always appeared to be pleased at seeing some of these pieces. Contrary to what many have heard, Rickey was always an absolute pleasure to interact with and gave you a top notch auto on your piece.

[godwulf]

I actually tried it this morning; I just got back about thirty minutes ago. Things did not go according to plan, and I have no one to blame but myself, but I'm still really pissed off. I wasn't going to post here about it, but maybe "venting" will make me feel better.

I decided to play hookey from work for a bit, and took off for Phoenix Muni a little after 9 - my work is only about twenty minutes away -and got there about 9:25. There were a few other autograph-seekers near the dugout, so I asked a couple of them if they had seen Jack Cust today; one of them pointed him out, just about the time all the players went out onto the field to do calisthenics (or the MLB equivalent). When they came back in, Cust was fairly close, so I called out to him, and he said "After" - in other words after BP. Okay, so I was stuck watching BP for the next ninety minutes.

After BP, I figured that he'd have to come back onto the field to pick up his bag, glove, etc, but instead, he heads down into the tunnel. People are poking stuff through the holes in the netting, so I head over there with my 2001 Sam bat and a gold paint pen, thinking, well, at least I can get one of my two bats signed - I couldn't see trying to get him to sign both of them under those conditions. After he'd signed for several people, there was a girl who also had a couple of his bats, and he was signing for her, even taking a minute to look over one of her bats and take a practice swing, so I thought, "Hey, I'll grab the Carolina Clubs bat, too." It probably took me no more than ten seconds to walk over, grab it and come back, by which time Cust was walking away. I called out, "Hey, Jack", and he said, "That's all, man" and walked away.

I got greedy and screwed myself, I guess. Really put a damper on my day, so far. Venting didn't really help very much, either.

[suave1477]

I am going to get Pudge Rodriguez to sign one of his bats when he comes to my area next month. It is the first signing he has ever done in New York and I have always wanted to meet him. I normally do not get gamers signed but this one I got cheap off Ebay and I have no interest in nongame used signed items anymore so I will get it signed and see if I can talk him into adding a g/u inscription for free. I will let you all know how it goes and post pics on here if I can figure out how.

Legal Where in New York is he signing? I know he has done a few recently in New Jersey.