Best Item an Athlete has Given You or You Have Given an Athlete (No $$$)

[Dewey2007]

Re: Best Item an Athlete has Given You or You Have Given an Athlete (No $$$)

Best item an athlete has given me with no $$$ involved was the George Brett bat that Larry Gura gave to me during a game in 1981 at the Oakland Colisuem. It was my first bat ever and unfortunately I sold it with my original bat collection a few years back.

The most meaningful items I have received have been from a couple of former Cal Bears athletes. Former NFL player Chidi Iwouma gave me a Lions jersey he had in storage and former Florida Marlins player Chris Clapinski sent me a bat. These guys didn't have to do it but I am grateful for their kindness.

I once gave Terry Kennedy a couple of baseball cards of his dad Bob Kennedy at the team hotel when I was getting autographs as a kid. I remember he was very thankful when I told him that I brought them for him to have because it didn't seem that he had any cards of his dad at the time.

Dewey

[Klattsy]

Re: Best Item an Athlete has Given You or You Have Given an Athlete (No $$$)

I gave Brett Ronenberg I heap of his trading cards at the Australia vs Canada World Cup qualifier (we lost ). I actually got him to sign some cards the game before, and he said he was chasing some of his cards, the next night I gave him about 6 cards including a refractor and a WBC numbered one...it took me a year to track them down again He told me his ebay username and now I send him links if I see them online How I wish i'd swapped them for a GU item...

Mark.

[WadeInBmore]

Re: Best Item an Athlete has Given You or You Have Given an Athlete (No $$$)

Not a game used story by any means but a moment in time I will never forget. The past job I did in Detroit had a couple of surprises instore for everyone. I'm use to being the only person with a baseball past on a film set however when the job started and baseball came up I was quickly encouraged to go and introduce myself to the key grip because "he used to play.". A very peculiar statement in the very least. So I go and introduce myself and low and behold he is former major league shortstop/utility infeilder journeyman Ross Jones.
Over the course of the next 6 weeks Ross and I had many a great baseball conversations. He even scored us comp tickets to a tiger rays game (6 rows behind home plate)!!! So, as a customary tradition on movie sets, I decided I wanted to get the crew a wrap gift. After talking with a good buddy who was on the job with me, we both decided to purchase a bunch of Ross Jones baseball cards that we could give to everyone.
After some searching on Beckett.com I made a bulk purchase of 100 1988 tools Ross jones baseball cards!!! The cards were a bigger hit then I ever couldve guested. The crew, the actors, and even the producers and director were all buzzing about these cards. It really put a smile on my face when I realized that 100 grown-ups were excited about a baseball card and that's all anyone was talkin about. For the last week of the show, roughly, Ross happily signed his autograph to every card are nervous and excited crew members approached him with his card. Ross said his baseball career was a lifetime ago, but to see grownups revert back to their childhood as they embraced our national passtime and the thrill of the autograph was priceless!
Ross came up to me with a smile on his face as he asked HOW MANY cards I had brought in!? He said at first he saw only a couple of cards but then a steady stream of cards up til lunch!!!
It was an awesome moment and the best value a 25 cent card has given a group of grownups!!!!

Wade