Your Worst Experience Dealing With An Athlete

[jkalathas]

Re: Your Worst Experience Dealing With An Athlete

Reggie Jackson is a complete ass. I went to a show last year to have him sign a print, paid I think it was 100 bucks for his signature and inscription. I drove 4 hours to get to the signing each way. Reggie showed up 2 hours after he was to start signing for the public (although he was in the building, he was upstairs doing the mail in items and watching tv). He doesn't give a darn about the fans. Anyways, he comes and sits down 2 hours late and starts signing. I get up to meet the guy, doesn't even look up. I hand him a silver sharpie to use to sign my photo, and asked him if he would please use it and not the paint pen that he had been signing with. He then says "what you think this is the first autograph I ever signed?" I said no, but I would really appreciate if you could use my silver sharpie and not the paint pen. The jerk starts to sign his name with the paint pen and half way into signing Mr. October the paint pen goes dry. Exactly what I figured would happen. He gives me the photo back and I tell him congratulations on living up to his reputation for being an asshole (pardon my language). On another note, Melky Cabera and Robinson Cano were at the signing and are both very friendly. I asked Cano for an inscription and his agent said NO WAY, Cano didn't listen to him and signed the inscription anyway. He also took photos with everyone. One of the best guys of all time is Mariano Rivera. Signs a perfect signature for every time. He is a shy guy but a very great guy and loves his fans.

[bigtruck260]

Re: Your Worst Experience Dealing With An Athlete

Regarding Jorgenson...

I would write a letter to team owner Bill DeWitt and copy Jorgenson's immediate supervisor within the organization. Explain the situation exactly and tell him you weren't trying to re-sell it (although why anyone in their right mind would think you could get much of anything for one of that guy's bats). Good business people don't want people like that working for them. It reflects poorly on the organization and the Cardinals are not the shining star they were a couple of years ago. They have a new ballpark & need to keep those seats filled. They're also fairly community minded.

Obviously since you tried multiple times and the result was the same, the Cardinal organization can't say it was "an isolated incident", blame it on a "bad day" or some other nonsense.

Yo Jeff!

Jorgenson is a jerk - you are not joking. He has every right - I mean, he was such a star during his time that I am certain he was mobbed by fans everywhere...

The post about DeWitt is not far off at all. I sent him a letter regarding an autograph from Albert that did not pass PSA (back when I cared what PSA thought). I got a call from John Mozeliak within a week and he bent over backward to make sure I got another card - and understood my position as a collector/customer. Jorgenson is at that event for a charitable cause - and his bats are basically firewood unless you were putting together a collection such as you were.

If I were you, I would have drawn an "X" through the previous signature with a big NO next to it. The fact that he smirked at you is just plain nutty. I would have pointed out the lack of ball marks and asked him to inscribe "1985 - .195 AVG, 0HR".

Dave

[Ripken]

Re: Your Worst Experience Dealing With An Athlete

Regarding Jorgenson...

I would write a letter to team owner Bill DeWitt and copy Jorgenson's immediate supervisor within the organization. Explain the situation exactly and tell him you weren't trying to re-sell it (although why anyone in their right mind would think you could get much of anything for one of that guy's bats). Good business people don't want people like that working for them. It reflects poorly on the organization and the Cardinals are not the shining star they were a couple of years ago. They have a new ballpark & need to keep those seats filled. They're also fairly community minded.

Obviously since you tried multiple times and the result was the same, the Cardinal organization can't say it was "an isolated incident", blame it on a "bad day" or some other nonsense.

[mvandor]

Re: Your Worst Experience Dealing With An Athlete

I understand athletes tiring of the autograph thing, especially when 90% are just hustled in auctions and not kept these days. But at an organized or paid event, to screw up a valuable item by not signing where asked? Personally, that'd be throw down time for me, fame or no fame.

Since I'm not Joe Frazier, maybe I should collect just athletes 65+ - just in case.

[godwulf]

Re: Your Worst Experience Dealing With An Athlete

Players who seem to go out of their way to screw something you own up...like Jorgensen with Jeff, and Randy Johnson with me...I don't understand what they're thinking, either.

With Johnson, I just figured he saw this middle-aged guy with one of his gamers, getting it signed for about 1/50 of what he normally charges for an autograph, and he assumed "Dealer" - he probably figured it was going to be on eBay by the end of the day, and he wanted to do whatever he could to try to decrease its value. It's like he's paranoid about anybody making money from his signature, and he just assumes that everybody who wants it is looking to make a buck.

I've been told, by people who've met him in social situations, that Johnson can be a really nice guy until somebody asks for an autograph, and then it's like he just freezes up and gets really hostile. Of course, he has his own collection of signed balls and bats...but I guess he's entitled, or something.

[AWA85]

Re: Your Worst Experience Dealing With An Athlete

Glad to hear that, look forward to meeting Jack THE RIPPER.

[Birdbats]

Re: Your Worst Experience Dealing With An Athlete

Ever had any experience with Jack Clark signing? He is coming to town and doing a free signing and was looking forward to meeting him for my first time.

Funny you should ask. Clark is great. He was at the Warm Up this weekend -- I'm not even sure he was a scheduled guest, but he was walking around the vendor area signing for anyone who asked. I had a Clark gamer on my bat rack and my friend Wade asked if I wanted him to ask Clark to sign it. So I gave him the bat. He returned a few minutes later with my bat, signed "Jack Clark, The Ripper, 340 HRs, Game Used." I've had Clark sign several bats -- he's always nice, always adds his nickname without being asked and recently has started adding "340 HRs" without being asked.

[AWA85]

Re: Your Worst Experience Dealing With An Athlete

Jeff that story about singing the back of the bat would get me. Really wonder what the players get out of it by doing such a thing. Ever had any experience with Jack Clark signing? He is coming to town and doing a free signing and was looking forward to meeting him for my first time.

[Birdbats]

Re: Your Worst Experience Dealing With An Athlete

I typically get several autographs each year at the Cardinals Winter Warm Up, and the players are almost universally great to deal with. The past two years, nearly every player I asked gladly wrote some kind of notation under their signature about being 2006 World Champions. But, each year, you can count on one guy being a total jerk -- Mike Jorgensen. Jorgensen played on the '85 NL championship team and has been part of the team's front office for several years, which is why he attends the event.

The first time I got his autograph on one of his GU bats, he spun the bat 180 degrees and signed it on the back.

The next time I got him to sign a different GU bat of his, remembering what happened before, I asked him to sign on the front. Again, he spun the bat and signed the back.

The next year, I returned with the same bat and, again, asked him to sign on the front. Once again, he turned it around... only to find his signature from the year before. He looked up at me, smirked and then wrote his name just above the previous signature.

I'd planned to take the bat back again and again until he made it around to the front, but I sold my '85 team collection and no longer own any of his bats.

This year, my buddy had a red mesh BP shirt from when Jorgensen was the Cards' manager. His daughter agreed to get Jorgensen's autograph for him and they decided having him sign on one of the white numbers was preferable to getting a sig on the mesh material. I shared my tales of woe regarding Jorgensen and warned her to be prepared for disappointment. Sure enough, he signed on the red mesh, above the numbers, and didn't even acknowledge her. Tool.

[kenozebi]

Re: Your Worst Experience Dealing With An Athlete

Frikativ54,
If you are serious I would love to buy a Pence gamer. I have met him at the last two tri star shows in houston and had the exact opposite experience. he was always smiling and stopped to take a picture with everyone that wanted one. He even stayed two hours after the first Tristar show ended so that evereyone could have an autograph and picture that wanted one (granted, he got paid, but no one else was willing to stay late).

Maybe he was just having a really bad day. I would tell you he's not like most of the other guys out there, but if you are really ready to give up on him I would love to take that bat off your hands

[frikativ54]

Re: Your Worst Experience Dealing With An Athlete

I never mentioned my Dad's worst experience dealing with an athlete. This took place back in 1998, when Randy Johnson had been traded from the Seattle Mariners to the Houston Astros. They were doing a TV special on the Big Unit, so he was signing autographs for the PR.

My Dad yelled "Randy, we miss you in Seattle." The Big Unit, seeing that we were together, refused to sign for either me, my Dad, or my brother. Then, my dad shouts again, "Randy, we miss you in Seattle!" at which point R.J., having had more than enough, screamed back in a gruff voice, "Okay, enough, I've heard you already!"

Of course, the TV cameras caught what my Dad said, editing out Randy Johnson's response. It was funny when family called, telling us that we were on TV. Of course, we then offered the rest of the story.

[CardinalsFan]

Re: Your Worst Experience Dealing With An Athlete

One experience that stands out for me was at Spring Training for the Cardinals is 2006. My daughters and I were waiting for the players to drive out from practice and coach Hal McRae stopped to sign. There were serveral adults who virtually pushed kids out of his way to get the autograph. I actually let several kids go in front of me until I was the only when left in line. When I politely asked him to sign he said that was it for the day, even though he had seen me let the kids go first.

[mvandor]

Re: Your Worst Experience Dealing With An Athlete

It's interesting how the same players (or entertainers) have been listed under both the good and the bad.... Even Barry Bonds! While Willie Mays and Barry Bonds are obviously legendary for their disdain of autograph seekers, some of these players are just victims of timing and what's going on in their lives at the moment I would imagine.

I had the chance to meet Ray Nitschke in Denver at a show shortly before his death. The line for his autograph was very short, and Mr. Nitschke took the time to sign a throwback jersey and pose for a photo with me! During the photo shoot, a couple of middle-aged burnouts wearing Packers caps started heckling me, saying I wasn't even old enough to see Nitschke play (which was true, I was one year old when he retired). Well Ray, in that Wisconsin voice of his, lobbed a few back at those guys, telling them their comments were uncalled for.

It was the first (and probably the last) time a Pro Football Hall of Famer ever defended me!

Nice jersey too, I'm betting you'll go to your grave wearing that one!

[bigtruck260]

Re: Your Worst Experience Dealing With An Athlete

Rob Halford's significant other (he set off the burglar alarm in the house at least three times a day)

I am certain that this would have been worth taking photos of.

[Yankeefan01]

Re: Your Worst Experience Dealing With An Athlete

Several good and bad, but here are the one's that come to mind first.

Worst: Another Kirk Gibson. This was back in the late '80's to early '90's at Tiger Stadium after a game. I was there with my then 10-12 year old nephew. He was getting Tiger autographs as they left the clubhouse after a game. Gibson walked past without saying anything to anybody so I told my nephew to run up to him and ask. His response "get lost, kid". All around great guy eh?

Best: Another Cal Ripken. This was outside Doubleday Field in Cooperstown. The Orioles were in town to play in the HOF game. This was back when they did it on HOF Induction weekend. There were about 1000 people out in front of this small stadium and Ripken didn't even enter the stadium, he was signing all game out there. Standing next to me was a woman who was going to try and get a Ripken bio signed for her future husband. When her turn came, she told her story to Cal and he said "would you like a pic with me to add to the book?". She said sure. He then took her camera, gave it to the security guy escorting him and said to take their picture. He lifted the rope that seperated the fans from him and took her away from the crowd. Made a great pic I'll bet. He autographed my Camden Yards CBC bat for me. he made alot of people happy that day.