Autographs

[junk]

I was just wondering if anyone else used to do this. Back when I was a kid, I would frequently send letters with a card and self addressed stamped envelope to players (via the team) to see if I could snag an autograph. Who knows if they were real autographs, a stamp or some player's secretary, but that wasn't really the point. It was a fun thing for a kid to do. If anyone has kids now, it might be a fun thing for them to do.

Anyway, a few of the guys who actually responded to me. Some were kind of surprising:

Troy Aikman - Cemented his spot as my favorite player with this effort on his part.

Daryl Johnston - My second favorite.

Nolan Ryan - Didn't send the card back, but sent an autographed ~5x7 black and white card.

Cam "Sea Bass" Neely - Tried a new thing with him where someone suggested sending a player two cards offering that he keep one for himself since players like cards of themselves and didn't get a chance to get them often. Neely signed both and sent them back.

Jeff George - Yep, still surprises me.

Brett Hull

Anyone else ever do this?

 

[Juke99]

For sure...

I have a bunch of Joe Pepitone autographs...my fav.

I also have Hank Aaron (he even took the time to personalize it)...Roberto Clemente...

I had Chuck Howley but lost it.

It was a simpler life back then....

 

[jksmith269]

Actually some players still do I have a card that Julius Jones signed for me like that.

 

[Juke99]

Actually some players still do I have a card that Julius Jones signed for me like that.

Where did you send it?

 

[Nors]

I did it as a kid in the 70's.

I have: and some were photo's with copied auto's. Some actually personally signed them.....

My collection: I'd say I actually received 20% on requests in that era...

Vida Blue
Jack Clark
Pete Rose (signed)
Willie McCovie (signed)
Jim Rice
Bobby Bonds

My highlights

 

[Avery]

Problem is that nowadays, a lot of players have contracts with companies that they can only sign certain cards (ex. Lebron James and Upper Deck).

Also disturbing is the fact that counterfeit sports memorbilia is running rampant since forgers can fool even the best grading companies like PSA/DNA, TriStar, etc.

 

[Chief]

I did this in the early-1970s.

I got quite a few little 5x7 black-and-white publicity shots (in action poses with their helmets off), but most of them weren't signed ... Calvin Hill, Rayfield Wright were two that I remember.

Roger Staubach sent his back with a fresh autograph in blue ink ... I have it in a frame.

A few years ago, I got Drew Pearson to sign a photo of the Hail Mary catch and I got Tony Hill to sign a play diagram of the winning TD against the Skins in 1979.

I have a football signed by Drew, Hill, Michael Downs and Billy Joe DuPree and a baseball signed by Nolan Ryan.

I got to spend about an hour with Duane Thomas a few years ago (he talked the entire time) he signed my hardback copy of his book "Duane Thomas and teh Fall of America's Team."

He wrote, "Always remember and keep in mind that a real, true friend is hard to find."..... lol. What an interesting character.

I really don't just seek autographs, but I like to have books signed by the authors and occasionally I'll have a photo or a ball signed.

 

[WV Cowboy]

I was never into autographs, but I love to shake a man's hand when I can.

Tom Landry - twice
Roberto Clemente
Randy White
M. Irvin
I was right beside Emmitt at one training camp at Witchata Falls, I could have reached out and smacked his bald head, but chose not to. I was star-struck, .. chickened out and just watched him walk by.
Too Tall Jones
Paul Stanley (KISS)
Jimmy Carter

..seems like I am forgetting somebody.

 

[Chief]

I was never into autographs, but I love to shake a man's hand when I can.

I agree. I think that's better than getting some ink on a piece of paper.

I've shook the hand of quite a few Cowboys, including Jerry Jones.

I enjoyed meeting a couple of actors ... Clay O'Brien Cooper and the late Richard Farnsworth ... as well as Gloria Estefan, and four New Mexico governors.

Cooper is a world champion team roper who was a child actor in the early 1970s and starred in two movies with John Wayne (The Cowboys and Cahill) and one with Roy Rogers (Mackintosh and T.J.) I was more starstruck with Clay than anyone I've ever met.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

I was never into autographs, but I love to shake a man's hand when I can.

Tom Landry - twice
Roberto Clemente
Randy White
M. Irvin
I was right beside Emmitt at one training camp at Witchata Falls, I could have reached out and smacked his bald head, but chose not to. I was star-struck, .. chickened out and just watched him walk by.
Too Tall Jones
Paul Stanley (KISS)
Jimmy Carter

..seems like I am forgetting somebody.

Was it you that said they got to meet Chuck Howley once or have I got the wrong guy?

 

[WV Cowboy]

Was it you that said they got to meet Chuck Howley once or have I got the wrong guy?

Yes, I was very young but I did shake his hand. I didn't actually meet him though, just shook his hand and told him "good game".

 

[junk]

I have been fortunate enough to meet quite a few people (considering I live in the sticks and have always lived in the sticks).

Steve Largent - He opened a ShopKo.
Charles Haley - When I went to Dallas, got an autographed pic of Haley with his five SB rings.
Jevon Kearse - Saw him in Vegas. Shaking this guy's hand is liking shaking hands with a bunch of bananas.
Dexter Coakley
Dale Hellestrae
Billy Davis

Drew Pearson - He used to do a radio show in "The Corral" after games at Texas Stadium. During commericials he would come out to sign autographs and shake hands. No idea if he still does this.

Mike Tice - Met Meathead back when he was still a player with the Seahawks. I need to dig out the autographed black and white I got and hang it on my wall of shame.

Saw Adam Vinateri in a bar and Romeo Crennel in an airport, but didn't talk to them.

 

[Yeagermeister]

I stood beside Sherman Helmsley aka George Jefferson in the Tampa Airport once....does that count

 

[junk]

I stood beside Sherman Helmsley aka George Jefferson in the Tampa Airport once....does that count

I think that you may be the big winner. Quite simply, I don't know if anyone could beat Sherman Helmsley.....unless they met Burt Reynolds.

 

[Yeagermeister]

I think that you may be the big winner. Quite simply, I don't know if anyone could beat Sherman Helmsley.....unless they met Burt Reynolds.

Some idiot skycap kept pointing him out to people but he was very nice and signed autographs and took pics with anyone who asked.

I have also seen Switzer :jerk:, Theisman and John Lovitz

 

[WV Cowboy]

Jeff Hostetler & Sinbad !

 

[TruBlueCowboy]

I've been told by people that a lot of athletes get the ball boys or other people to sign those autograph requests so you never really know if they're authentic or not.

When I was a kid, I was more into collecting baseball cards so some of the ones I can remember:

Best current Rangers I got were probably Nolan Ryan and Will Clark, and I think Will Clark was the only player I remember who went on the record as saying he always signed the stuff himself.

I bought a book that had the mailing addresses of many former players and I got a lot of good signatures from Hall of Famers.

Some of the past greats I think I picked up sigs from were:

Warren Spahn
Lou Boudreau
Bobby Doerr
Harmon Killebrew
Pee Wee Reese

I was shocked at some of the big name HOFers that took time to sign the cards I sent them. I think had a special HOF series where I was able to find a lot of these guys.

The coolest autographs I got through the mail were:

Charlie Hough - I sent him a pic I had taken with him as a kid at a Rangers spring festival where you got free pictures with all the Rangers. The picture was actually a special momento to me and I was hesitant to send it through the mail but he sent it back and even personalized it with my name.

Cecil Espy - Most of you probably don't even remember who he is unless you were a diehard Rangers fan in the late 80's, early 90's. He was a rookie who was having some troubles getting used to the big leagues. He was supposed be the ideal leadoff man for the Rangers but it just wasn't happening. I don't know why, but when I was a little leaguer who dreamed of playing in the bigs, one day, I sent him a letter encouraging him to not give up, and keep trying to reach his dream. He sent back the card personalized to me with a message thanking me for the words.

And the crappy thing is I don't know what happened to most of those autographs. The best 8x10 I still have left is a Bob Gibson autograph who was my hero growing up, even though he played well before my memories, because after hearing all the stories about batters that were scared blankless to face him, I modeled myself as a pitcher after his tough head-hunting intimidation style. (This didn't go well with my coaches. )