Player vs a former team

[godwulf]

Have you ever encountered a player who refused to sign items that were associated with one of his former teams?

I asked Tommy Gregg to sign some cards the other day, and he came over as though he was going to, but then he looked at them and said, "I don't sign Braves cards any more." He wasn't rude or angry about it - he just said it very matter-of-factly, and I just said, "Oh...okay."

Makes you wonder what the team did (or didn't do) to piss somebody off that much, doesn't it?

I understand that it's the player's prerogative, but it just seems kind of silly to me. I mean, if a guy is pissed off at the Braves, for instance, how does refusing to sign his cards (or a photo) in a Braves uniform, or a Braves bat or jersey or whatever, hurt the team in any way? I really don't get it.

[jake33]

Re: Player vs a former team

Jason Isringhausen....
Great guy, but did not like signing Mets photos related to Generation K, as he felt it was bad luck.

George Hendrick
George puts on a rough exterior, but he really is a very kind and generous person. George is the current 1B coach for Tampa Bay, and he rarely rarely signs anything. He does at fan fest once a year, becuase he is required to by the team. He won't sweespot baseballs either. He will only sign St. Louis Cardinals cards. Reason is that he has a very soft spot for the franchise. Willie McGee forced him to switch positions, which he feels added 3-5 years on to his career. George states Willie is his favorite St. louis Cardinal. I saw a regular 1988 topps card of George sell for $100+, which has him in an Angels uniform. People who want card sets signed by all players, know his signed 88 topps card is painfully rare. George also did a signing in 2001 for topps archives set in a A's uniform and he donated all that money he got for it to Children's hospital.
Former All Star, top pick for Oakland, about 2000 career hits, and had a huge 1982 World Series as well.

Brett Favre for a while would not sign Falcons mini helmets, but that has changed over the years.

Did Marcus Allen ever have an issue signing Raiders helmets?

A pal of mine is goign to a Steve Michael appearance this weekend and he is going to ask him to sign a Packers mini helmet and write "Go Bears" on it, so we will see if he does it.

[jake33]

Re: Player vs a former team

Also,

Ron Kettle refuses to sign 1984 topps cards. He said he only does it for a $20 fee and it goes to a local Chicago charity. I had a friend ask him and then he pulled up his 83 topps traded XRC and Kettle was happy to sign that.

[sox83cubs84]

Re: Player vs a former team

I don't think it's the case anymore, but after the Astros let him go, Jim Wynn would not sign Astros cards or photos for the remainder of his career.

Another one was former closer Randy Myers. Once a team traded him or let him go, he would decline to sign any cards from that team.

Dave Miedema

[godwulf]

Re: Player vs a former team

I still don't get it. How does a guy think that he's hurting his old team in any way by doing that? He's only disappointing his fans. What's the point?

[mdube16]

Re: Player vs a former team

I don't think it's the case anymore, but after the Astros let him go, Jim Wynn would not sign Astros cards or photos for the remainder of his career.

Another one was former closer Randy Myers. Once a team traded him or let him go, he would decline to sign any cards from that team.

Dave Miedema

unrelated, Myers also would always personalize and wouldnt sign baseballs on the sweet spot

[godwulf]

Re: Player vs a former team

unrelated, Myers also would always personalize and wouldnt sign baseballs on the sweet spot

Do you think most players who do that are trying to minimize the value of the items that they're signing? Why else would someone do that?

A couple of years ago, at Diamondbacks Fan Fest, there were big signs by the autograph lines stating that the players were being REQUIRED to personalize all items. (I know, it's usually the reverse, right?) As it turned out, none of the players paid the slightest attention to this bizarre rule.

I think I've only ever had one player insist on personalizing something, and, oddly enough, it was a minor leaguer. The Reno Aces were playing down in Tucson a couple of years ago, and I asked Cole Gillespie to sign a baseball for me, and he sort of insisted on putting my name on it. I thought that was kind of strange.

[sox83cubs84]

Re: Player vs a former team

unrelated, Myers also would always personalize and wouldnt sign baseballs on the sweet spot

Myers was one of the quirkiest signers in recent memory. He would often date his autographs, and wouldn't sign SGA items, either.

Dave M.

[shaunharr]

Re: Player vs a former team

Tommy Gregg hasn't signed Braves cards in years. I believe the Braves released him while injured, or something of the sort.

[trsent]

Re: Player vs a former team

Ron Santo often refused to sign White Sox cards but sometimes he would break down and do it.

[xpress34]

Re: Player vs a former team

i have a 2003 Florida Marlins WS Poster (heavy cardboard stock) that I picked up at a Book Sale at my kid's school during the Holidays in 2003.

When the Marlins came to town the next year, they all signed it (Beckett, Cabrerra, Pierre, Willis, etc) although Beckett would not put WS MVP - his statement - 'That was last year'... I think he was on a contract...

That said, the Marlins traded Derek Lee that off-season. Every year - for the next 7 years - I would go when the Cubs came to Denver and Lee blew me off. Didn't matter if I was the only person or part of a group. If he was signing, he would see the poster, stop signing and leave.

In 2010, he came with the Cubs and blew me off, but got traded to Atlanta and came back to Denver again. All of a sudden, he went out of his way the 1st day to sign my poster 1st...

No explanation... just weird...

[mbrieve]

Re: Player vs a former team

Doug Flynn apparently has rarely signed his 1986 Topps card:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UW2xI4IgbAQ

[Wrigley2010]

Re: Player vs a former team

Doug Flynn apparently has rarely signed his 1986 Topps card:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UW2xI4IgbAQ

Great video!

[dscards]

Re: Player vs a former team

David Wells would only sign Blue Jays cards when he was playing. I've heard a handful of different reasons for it over the years, one being that he knew his Yankees cards would be worth the most and he wanted to only sign those for his kids or something similar. Creating demand by limiting supply. I've also heard he didn't like his time with the Blue Jays and thought scribbling on their cards defaced them. Who knows.

Orlando Hudson won't sign Dodgers items or his 08 A&G (it's an error card with the wrong player shown). He seems to be pretty cool about it. I've seen a note come back from him TTM that said something along the lines of "I don't sign Dodgers cards but feel free to send a different card and I'll be happy to sign it."

[geoff]

Re: Player vs a former team

I had a Phillies Jason Werth jersey and he told me he does not sign Phillies stuff anymore.I said come on really and he just looked at me.This was a few years ago.