Best/Worse signers

[OaklandAsFan]

Amazing hearing stories that go right along with my experiences...

Nolan Ryan (my #1 guy - see my board name)... I've met Nolan quite a few times, but last year at Spring Training in Surprise, AZ took the cake... if he is at the game, a line forms about the 5th inning and Nolan will sign one auto and do a photo with everyone in line after the game ends. Well, at the game I got him at there were some 'pros' working the line with CASES of OMLB balls asking every adult if their kids were all getting autos. If not, they were asking them to get a ball signed 'for their kid/niece/nephew'... anyway, after getting my CUSTOM Made Ryan Bat (I use to work for Rawlings and I hand turned this bat) auto'd, I went out near the practice fields where the players drive out and walked up to the closest point. When Nolan drove out, I held up my Ryan BP jersey and he smiled, waved and drove past. I wasn't mad - he'd already signed my Bat - but as he got to where the road curves, he realized I was the ONLY person out there, stopped, backed up while rolling down his window and waving me up. he signed not only my Jersey but my Mini-Mitt as well. ALWAYS a class act.

Another amazing guy was Mike Modano when the Stars are here in Denver. First time I met him it was raining/snowing at the hotel and when he came out he waved and siad in a few minutes - well, half the crowd left bitching that he was getting on the team bus and blowing us off. About 2 minutes after they left, he comes back around the bus - signs EVERYTHING anyone had, took pictures, chatted us all up and then he looks at his watch and says, "Hey guys - I have about 10 more minutes before the bus leaves. Does anyone have anything else they need signed or any other pictures?" Talk about a Goddwill Ambassador to your sport!

Other TOP guys that I have met and either gotten auto or picture or both:
Matt Holliday (I will have to write aanother paragraph about Matty), Juan Pierre, Luis Gonzalez, Jeff Bagwell, Sean Casey, Gabe Kapler, Don Mattingly, Vin Scully, Don Sutton, Doug Brocail, Sandy Alomar, Ron Gardenhire, Joe Mauer, Mark Grace, Tony Gwynn, Eric Young (Sr and Jr) and YES - EY Sr is a GREAT guy, Vinny Castilla, Taylor Buchholz, Clint Barmes, Aaron Miles and many others...

NOW, for my NAUGHTY List - with a few stories mixed in - Randy Johnson (almost got in a fight with him - another story), Eddie Murray, Kirk Gibson, Sammy Sosa, A-Fraud, Scotty Bowman (JERK!), Steroid Bonds, Austin Kearns and a few others, but my TOP TWO are:

Rafael Palmiero - 1st meet was 1990 card show in Dallas. $3 admission and Raffy AU. He was taking everyone's cards and folding them in half before he signed so 'no one would be selling his auto in the dealer room.' 2nd meet was at Surprise, AZ Rangers 1st Spring in AZ. My wife and I were the only ones on the rail at the time and he walked by and told us he'd be back - then he sat in the dugout alone for like 20 minutes and kept looking to see if we were there, then blew us off (for ONE card) - blew us off again later at the batting cages... 3rd time - Orioles are here for Interleague with the Rockies. ALL 3 days he would hide behind a pillar or ignore the few people that were there until his cab came and THEN have the audacity to looka t us and say, "I'd love to sign guys, but my cab is here now" like he couldn't see or hear us earlier. I noticed he became a ghost after his steroids issue came up - GOOD RIDDANCE!

#1 on the BAD GUY list - Frank Robinson. And not even because he wouldn't sign - I already knew that, I'd heard the stories - but his LAST year with the Nats, I was the ONLY person at the team hotel looking for autos - Zimm signed as well as others - and the Frank comes out. All I did was be courteous and yell out, "Hello Frank. How are you today?" (Notice, I did NOT ask for an AUTO) And do you know what the so called 'Dean of Discipline' did to me? Not only did he not even ackowledge me, he scowled at me and TURNED HIS BACK on me until his limo came. I'm sorry, but I'm a human being too and he is no better than any of us. What an @$$!!!! Again, I was the ONLY person there working the team that day!!!!

I'll tell more stories (Matty and Big Unit) later...

All the Best -

Chris

Raffy has always been great for me while visiting Oakland. He gave me a bat a few days after hitting his 400th HR and I asked him to sign it and he said "when I get back out" as he was walking into the clubhouse. Of course I figured that was the typical ballplayer blowoff but sure enough when he came out right before the game I could tell he was looking for me over the visiting dugout and he waved at me and told me he would sign the bat now. I slid the bat and silver sharpie down and he not only shook the sharpie to make sure it was ready he also used his coffee cup to check and make sure it was writing really good before he signed the bat

Frank Robinson also you may have caught on a bad day or I just caught with a great story and entertained him. I had originally gotten Frank on the sweet spot of a OMLB when he managed the Expos. When they came to Oakland Ron Washington got it for me during BP. Well that (along with a ridiculous amount of other stuff) disappeared during my divorce (not even like half and half split, it literally disappeared, she stole it from a locked closet at our house and sold it and I never could find it) Well in 2007 during the Arizona Fall Leauge they had a Pat Tillman fundraiser and he was there. I initially asked him to sign a baseball and he told me no. I then pressed him a bit as we walked along the concourse in Phoenix Municipal Stadium and explained that I had his sig at one time and it was stolen by my ex wife. He then took the ball from me and signed it and told my current fiance to keep her hands off it if we broke up and then he laughed and then spent about 10 minutes playing with my son in his stroller before heading up to the offices at the park.

[redoctober]

In my experience with notable players...

Best:

Sean Casey, Pete Rose, Tom Glavine, Chipper Jones, Andruw Jones, Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell, Barry Larkin, Don Sutton, Roy Oswalt, Adam Dunn, Mark Grace, Tony Gwynn, Dave Righetti, Greg Maddux, Billy Williams.


Worst:

Barry Bonds, Ken Griffey Jr, Ken Griffey Sr, Mike Hampton, Larry Walker, Randy Johnson, Mike Piazza, Roger Clemens.

[redoctober]

Mark Wohlers was a total ass as his career was doing a swirly here in Richmond.

Not a fair assessment of Wholers in my opinion... I got his sig many times in Cincy when he was attempting a "comeback". Was always GREAT to me.

[redoctober]

Well I know from stories that Barry Bonds is a jerk, but now he may need to to paid signings to pay the bills Karma is so sweet. As an A's fan I know Nick Swisher was a GREAT signer and a fan favorite. I went to the occasional game a few years back and EVERY game he was signing and I got his auto. I also got Sammy Sosa when he was on the DL for the Rangers. Nice guy (from the bits and pieces I got of his Spanish.)

My experience with Sosa is interesting... in the heat of the '98 HR race (he was at 56 at the time), he gladly signed a bat for me beautifully and actually thanked me for my comment on a great season. One year later in '99, he refused to sign a ball for me, but went on to sign cards and lesser value items for the half-dozen others nearby. I eventually got an 8x10 signed at this time, but noticed that he also refused to sign a jersey. It was clear that he was avoiding anything of "value".

I wonder if his stance has now changed, as the last 10 years have been unkind to his popularity.

[marcab]

Gotta defend Willie Mays. I drove from LA to San Diego just to get his sig at a show a few years ago, and when I showed up I was literally one of the only people in line. I bought my jersey, walked right up to him, he signed on one of the 4's on the back, and then asked my opinion of how the signature looked. I told him it looked great, but he disagreed, and so insisted that he sign the other 4, which to me, looked just as good as the first one.

Among my other best experiences: Joe DiMaggio was amazing, Raymond Berry though that was special circumstances

Worst: Mike Schmidt, Mike Piazza, Bob Uecker didn't seem thrilled when I approached him at spring training but he signed. I hear Hank Aaron is bad, though I didn't have a bad experience. Just met Reggie Jackson but didn't get sig, though he came off as a little standoffish

Am trying to think of more. I definitely usually have good experiences rather than bad ones

[skyking26]

Gotta defend Willie Mays. I drove from LA to San Diego just to get his sig at a show a few years ago, and when I showed up I was literally one of the only people in line. I bought my jersey, walked right up to him, he signed on one of the 4's on the back, and then asked my opinion of how the signature looked. I told him it looked great, but he disagreed, and so insisted that he sign the other 4, which to me, looked just as good as the first one.

Among my other best experiences: Joe DiMaggio was amazing, Raymond Berry though that was special circumstances

Worst: Mike Schmidt, Mike Piazza, Bob Uecker didn't seem thrilled when I approached him at spring training but he signed. I hear Hank Aaron is bad, though I didn't have a bad experience. Just met Reggie Jackson but didn't get sig, though he came off as a little standoffish

Am trying to think of more. I definitely usually have good experiences rather than bad ones

Aaron was an a*s when I met him. Years back he did a show in MI and I attended. It was the 90's and well attended. He sat outside in a limo til beyond the start time watching college football while we all waited. Then when he came in he what not friendly at all. As I approached, I asked if he'd write 755 HR after his name. He sat there, reffered to his henchmen on either side and exclaimed, "I thought you guys informed these people I will only sign Hank Aaron, nothing else!!! (as if I was not there).

One work for Hank... J E R K.

[geoff]

I go down early sometimes to Camden Yards as a Hobby when I go to Orioles Games and try to get autographs.Its fun for me and even get to talk with some Players and I alot of Fun doing this.I like Autographs but I don't go crazy like some people down there do.

Worst Signer I can think of this Year was BJ Upton.He even covered his face so nobody could take pics of him.He said another Time that he was not going to sign because the day before someone said something Racist to him.

Best Signer that I can think of was Nick Swisher.He was nice as can be and joking around about the Staff on the Players lot.He was happy to take a pic with me.

Huston Street was also very nice as I asked him inside the Park and he told me after BP.I said okay to him and I would be standing right here.As soon as BP was over he came right over to me and signed my Ball.I thought that was a nice thing to do as most say they will sign later or inside the Park and they never do.

[nealdevelopment@yahoo.com]

Worst signer. TONY GWYNN.
He is a great guy until you hand him his own equiptment.
Then he cries like a baby. I almost had to call the police on him because he would not give me my (his) equiptment back.
Then after he verified it was a gamer he refused to write it because he did not want it to be more valuable. Not my fault you filed bankrupcy.
He signs fake stuff with a smile. What a jerk.

[mvandor]

Worst signer. TONY GWYNN.
He is a great guy until you hand him his own equiptment.
Then he cries like a baby. I almost had to call the police on him because he would not give me my (his) equiptment back.
Then after he verified it was a gamer he refused to write it because he did not want it to be more valuable. Not my fault you filed bankrupcy.
He signs fake stuff with a smile. What a jerk.

Uh, the bankruptcy was 19 years ago. When did you have him sign this, what was it, and what was the basis for him giving you a hard time? I'm a San Diegan and this is the FIRST negative story about Gwynn I've EVER heard.

[skyking26]

I go down early sometimes to Camden Yards as a Hobby when I go to Orioles Games and try to get autographs.Its fun for me and even get to talk with some Players and I alot of Fun doing this.I like Autographs but I don't go crazy like some people down there do.

Worst Signer I can think of this Year was BJ Upton.He even covered his face so nobody could take pics of him.He said another Time that he was not going to sign because the day before someone said something Racist to him.

Best Signer that I can think of was Nick Swisher.He was nice as can be and joking around about the Staff on the Players lot.He was happy to take a pic with me.

Huston Street was also very nice as I asked him inside the Park and he told me after BP.I said okay to him and I would be standing right here.As soon as BP was over he came right over to me and signed my Ball.I thought that was a nice thing to do as most say they will sign later or inside the Park and they never do.

Was at a Sox-Tigers game last year in Detroit. Swisher and another guy, name escapes me but I think his first name is Aramis? were GREAT. Big disappointments were Thome and Konerko. I was down with my 7 year old daughter from 1 hour before BP til end of game. Neither Thome nor Konerko came near anybody and went out of their way to avoid the VERY SMALL crowd...