Positive interactions with players

[Hollywood42]

Inspired by a certain thread in the basketball section, I thought it would be fun to share some positive interactions people have had with players. It can be something as big as mouschi meeting Canseco, or as small as running into someone on the street and saying hey. I'll share 2 to start-


The first one that really sticks out in my mind is when I met Justin Morneau at the first time at Twinsfest. This was probably back almost 10 years ago, so I was pretty young at the time. Anyways, he was my favorite player, and I brought a jersey for him to sign. I wait in line and get to the front, hand over the jersey and manage to say hi despite being transfixed of being right in front of my idol. I was wearing a shirt with a picture of Morneau on it, so he says something like "Nice shirt, handsome guy on it huh?", and at that point I don't even know what I said as I was was awestruck that he was talking to me. That was my first experience meeting a ballplayer and really cemented Morneau being my all time favorite player

Second one I'll mention was also at Twinsfest, though only a few years ago when I was much better at actually speaking to the players I went through a line with Chris Herrmann (talked to him a bit, though this was early on in my collecting of him so didn't say as much as I would today), but that station also had Scott Diamond as well. He was just a super nice guy. Said hi, how's it going, thanked me for coming out to Twinsfest. He initiated the conversation as well, which I was really impressed with, as most players don't say anything until you do (and some don't say much after that anyways). I didn't know a lot about him and didn't have a long conversation or anything, it just really struck and impressed me with how nice he was. Probably the nicest ballplayer I have met, and have always liked him since then (though he hasn't done much in the league in a few years). Really goes to show how one interaction and make someone a fan even without having a strong opinion of the player either way beforehand


Those are 2 of my stories, let's hear some of yours!

[ArsonCuff]

The only baseball player I can recall meeting is Tom Henke. He was at a rural card show in Missouri when I was in like the 6th grade or so. My parents paid him for a signed picture, hi, bye, and we moved along.

[tchronis24]

You mean like this one? http://www.blowoutcards.com/forums/b...l-players.html

[Hollywood42]

Yea, like that one. I'm sure people have had more experiences in the past 2 years

Originally Posted by tchronis24

You mean like this one? http://www.blowoutcards.com/forums/b...l-players.html

[tchronis24]

Originally Posted by Hollywood42

Yea, like that one. I'm sure people have had more experiences in the past 2 years

It was a joke. That one can provide a nice bunch of interactions for you to read though as well.

[JohnRyno]

I sat next to B.J. Surhoff on an Amtrak train from philly to bmore the day after 9/11. His family settled not far from my parents when he was playing for the O's, so we had a couple mutual acquaintances. He was with the Braves I think, and I had just started college, so it was comforting to speak with an adult. Negative circumstances obviously, but definitely a positive interaction.

[skydasher15]

The best experience I ever had with a major league baseball player was with Curtis Pride- one of the only deaf major league baseball players ever. When I was 11 years old, Curtis Pride was a guest speaker at a convention for users of cochlear implants in my area (Cochlear implants are like artificial ears, and are for people with profound or total hearing loss). I use cochlear implants, and I'm also an avid baseball player, so I was ecstatic to get the chance to meet him. I got to talk to him personally and play a game of wiffleball with him, and it was was one of the most impactful moments of my life. I've never forgotten how kind and thoughtful he was to everyone, and he gave an amazing speech about how his experiences with hearing loss impacted his career in baseball. He was a true gentleman.
I still remember one hilarious story that he told us. It was about how he pulled an umpire's mask away from his face during a minor league game to try to read the umpire's lips, but then he lost his grip on the mask and it sprang back and smacked into the umpire's face. Amazingly, he wasn't ejected.
I credit him as the reason that I'm still playing baseball in high school. I also still have the hat and baseball that he signed for me, and no sum of money would convince me to sell them.

[speedyjg13]

I went to a game once, Angels v Rangers, and saw Kenny Rogers outside of the stadium. I recognized him and asked for an autograph. He said he didn't want to be recognized or want attention but asked that I walk him to the restaurant across the street (kinda like of we are friends) and he'd give me an auto once he got to the restaurant. I did (5 minute walk), we talked baseball, and when we got to the restaurant, he gave me an auto on the back of the game ticket and gave a $100 bill which was folded up in a square!!! I was in shock.

[JWBlue]

I met Kevin Elster in a bar. I used to think he was an a** but he was pretty personable.

Of course we talked a lot about the 1986 Mets. Told him that I read in Lenny Dykstra's book "Nails" first published in the late 1980s that he would bang girls in the clubhouse before games. He said not to tell his girlfriend who came by later. She was very friendly.

We talked about steroids. He said a lot of people thought he did them after the season he had 24 HRs and 99 RBIs. These days those are not that incredible numbers but during his time that was pretty amazing for a shortstop. He said he that it was a case of learning to hit.

He actually was pretty down to earth. Most baseball players seem pretty cool.

[JustinVerlander07]

Went to Cleveland to get some Autographs from the Tigers, Phil Coke had a thing of joking with all the guys looking for Autographs, gets us all in a circle in the middle of the street and begins telling us a story about some guy at Comerica Park was heckling him one day so he bet the guy that he couldn't make contact once if Coke threw him Fastballs. He even invited him down under the clubhouse to do it, something happened and when Coke turned around the guy was gone. Phil Coke is a character.

[glassnickels]

They have a separate little lounge area at the Cubs Convention for season ticket holders where there are various former players signing throughout the day. Usually not the "big" guys, but solid major leaguers and fan faves. Last year John Baker was there. He's a craft beer fan like I am and I follow him on untapped (social beer tracker app). I asked him to sign a Cubs bottle opener with his untapped handle and he thought that was cool. We chatted a bit and he noticed I was drinking a Daisy Cutter and said how much he liked that beer. So I gave him the extra one I had in my bag. It was funny seeing all the photos on Twitter, etc.of him the rest of the day at the public signing with my beer next to him. Super nice down to earth guy.

I also had Kyle Hendricks sign a ball with "go lions" and he obliged though he looked confused. When I told him it was because I went to a rival school with that mascot he just laughed and said you got me. Glad I got him last year when there were like a dozen people in line. This year will likely be different.

[TarjetasBéisbol]

Originally Posted by JustinVerlander07

Went to Cleveland to get some Autographs from the Tigers, Phil Coke had a thing of joking with all the guys looking for Autographs, gets us all in a circle in the middle of the street and begins telling us a story about some guy at Comerica Park was heckling him one day so he bet the guy that he couldn't make contact once if Coke threw him Fastballs. He even invited him down under the clubhouse to do it, something happened and when Coke turned around the guy was gone. Phil Coke is a character.

When I saw this thread I thought of Phil Coke, one of the easiest to get an autograph from in just about any park. I went to watch the Tigers at the Orioles and he walked from the left field corner all the way to the dugout signing tons of autographs on the way. He would stop and take pics and just took his time signing for a good 45 minutes before the game. I saw him do this several times while he was a Tiger.

[CoolG]

Jay Bell awesome guy. Hope he gets the D backs job.

[BostonNut]

These guys just want to be treated like the normal human beings that they are. They eat, sleep, breathe the same air, and poop....just like you!

For the superstar that he was, Pedro was amazing with fans. I saw countless times when he would go out of his way to surprise people.

[mouschi]

So, there was this one time I met Canse.... but I've probably said that one before

One weekend at a card show, I was able to get Tom Glavine, Craig Biggio and Frank Thomas to sign my customs. It was a fantastic experience. They all seemed to like my customs, but Thomas was the greatest when he saw the cards. Customs are a GREAT ice breaker!

[dbackschamp2001]

Originally Posted by TarjetasBéisbol

When I saw this thread I thought of Phil Coke, one of the easiest to get an autograph from in just about any park. I went to watch the Tigers at the Orioles and he walked from the left field corner all the way to the dugout signing tons of autographs on the way. He would stop and take pics and just took his time signing for a good 45 minutes before the game. I saw him do this several times while he was a Tiger.

He wouldn't share his burrito with me at Taco Bell!

Not me directly, but still a good moment. I went to a Brewers vs Cubs game at Wrigley a couple years. The bleacher bums were really giving Carlos Gomez the business. There was a girl probably about 12 in the 3rd row with a Gomez shirt on and she was cheering him on, but you could tell the crowd was starting to really bother her. He was waving to her all game. At the end of the game he threw her a ball and she just started crying. She was so happy.

[Wrightfan85]

God, I have a lot of them. I'll just share a few right now:

-One of the first players I ever met was Hank Bauer (Yankee OF from the 40's and 50's) at the Westchester show. He told me some stories about being in the second world war. Really interesting guy.

-Pat Zachary (who was the main guy in the Tom Seaver trade) is one of the funniest guys I ever met. Real joker who made me insanely comfortable. If you ever get a chance to meet him, do so.

-Probably my favorite experience though was with Pedro Feliciano at a Mets game in Shea. I had just gotten a Mets media guide days before from a teacher at my high school and had him sign it. When then struck up a 5-10 minute conversation. Will always have a soft spot for him.

[Skipscards]

I met Rickey at The National this year. I was walking out of the hotel restaurant and he was walking in. We shook hands and he was gracious enough to let me get a picture. He spent a few minutes chatting with me and was "as cool as the other side of the pillow". He looks like he could still play.

[tkraft24]

A couple years ago, my wife and I tagged along with friends to meet Michael Brantley after a game. My buddy's wife had a mutual friend with Brantley's wife who arranged the meeting in the player's parking lot.

It was Brantley jersey night (giveaway) at the stadium but all 4 of us arrived at the stadium too late to receive a jersey. Brantley came out with two jerseys for our friends but was quick to notice my wife and I didn't have jerseys either. He ran back and grabbed two more for us and asked if we wanted him to sign them and took a couple pics.

Genuinely nice guy.

[shermanation]

When I was five our family moved to Des Moines, and the apartment complex we moved into was the same one that a bunch of Iowa Cubs players lived in. We got to know a few of them pretty well, including Shawn Boskie and Laddie Renfroe. I remember seeing one of the guys working on his car using a bat to hold the hood open.

Once Shawn Boskie invited us over, and was going to give us bats and gloves and some merchandise, and I told him "no thank you. My dad can buy us that stuff."

Then, during that year we went out to Colorado for a wedding. We went to a Cubs/Zephyrs game at Mile High. Laddie was pitching. We got there in the second inning and he had already been pulled, just couldn't get an out. On the way out, my dad commented to my uncle on how he thought our neighbor had pitched. So, the next time I saw Laddie in the hallway, I told him, "My dad says you pitched like..." . That was when I learned to write an apology letter.

In 1993, we only went to a few games, but I remember it was the year my dad taught me to keep score. In the first game I ever kept book, Tuffy Rhodes hit a walk-off homer, and then signed my scorecard after the game!

We moved back to Colorado a few years later. Every summer we would go to Broncos training camp at the Univ. of Northern Colorado. It was always fun to get the autographs when practice finished up, and the guys were always really friendly. I still have a Terrell Davis. but it was also fun to get the guys who knew they might not make it out of camp, they were just happy to be there.

[7nohitter]

In high school and college I worked at a supermarket in a town where many Red Sox players lived or lived nearby. I met guys like Danny Darwin, Lee Smith, Rich Gedman, Jeff Reardon and Dennis Eckersley.

Eck came into the store one night and the manager was too scared to ask for an autograph, so I walked down the aisle, grabbed a sign off the shelf, ripped it in half and asked Eck for two autographs. He could not have been nicer.

Also met former Celtics coach KC Jones at the store as well.

[dboll20]

I am good friends with Chad Billingsley. His last 4 seasons in the league I was his offseason catcher and workout partner as he lives near me and the college I played at. Awesome guy who treated me very well when i was cathing for him. We are still friends golfing quite often and I am in his fantasy football league. My picture is when I went to dodgers stadium and he brought me and my friend down to the field.

[katho54]

Ive met Kent Tekulve,Harmon Killebrew,Enos Slaughter,Mudcat Grant,Sweet Lou Williams,Bobby Bonilla,Mike lavalliere,Andy Van Slyke and a few that im sure Ive forgotten,But everyone one of them were super classy guys

[charnick]

i interviewed the last of the 30 game winners, denny mclain a couple years ago for a documentary i'm directing about my father, as they both spent time in prison together in the 80's. a bit guarded, understandably, since we were discussing his criminal past, but seemed a like a decent enough guy, and he is caring for his wife who is sick, so i definitely give him credit for that.

[Bhenry4]

When does the documentary release?