What Is The Best Autograph You Were Able To Get?

[Yankee4Life]

I guess this doesn't just have to be about getting a baseball player's signature. Anyone really. So the question is what is the best autograph you were able to snag and the details?

 

I'll start off.

 

1. Hank Aaron.

It was near the end of the 1986 International League season and Aaron came to visit the pennant winning Richmond Braves who just happened to be playing at Silver Stadium in Rochester.

 

The visitor clubhouse at that ballpark was down the right field line and under the stands. I was there early just trying to get some autographs and another guy was with me. We saw Aaron go into the clubhouse and we looked at each other and said did you see who just went in there? We then agreed not to say a word about it to anyone else there because if we did there would have been a madhouse. So we shut our mouths and waited. Finally after about twenty minutes Aaron came out and he signed for the both of us and immediately after that a swarm of people came by him. That's when the ushers shooed everyone away and we both knew we had a once in a lifetime opportunity and didn't blow it.

 

2. Mike Torrez.

You may think this would be an odd choice and you are probably also thinking that I broke out in a dance in front of him laughing about the 1978 playoff game. Not even close. I shook his hand and said thank you. He asked me "for what"? And I told him that I can understand his name is mostly linked with that famous playoff game but I wanted to thank him for what he did a year before that. You see, in the fifth game of the 1977 ALCS at Kansas City Torrez came on in relief of an ineffective Ron Guidry in the third inning and pitched 5 1/3 innings of scoreless baseball and by doing that the Yankees shut down the Royals the rest of the way and were able to win the game and pennant in the ninth inning.

 

That's why I said thank you and I after I said it I could tell it meant a lot to him.

[seanzarelli]

I have never been able to grab an autograph in person, however, I'm an avid baseball card collector. I've purchased a few autographs straight out, but, most of them come from these things called "Box Breaks."

A Box Break is where someone buys an entire box of cards and then sells each individual team before the packs are opened. Well, I ended up spending $35 on the Rangers for a set of Topps Tier One...When I watched the video of this card being pulled, I went absolutely nuts because it was such a sweet card!

[Yankee4Life]

That card really does look nice.

[Kccitystar]

My 1998 Yankees Program book has signatures from Joe Torre, Paul O'Neil, Chuck Knoblauch and a handful of other guys.

All I know is that I hated Chad Curtis (not as much as I hate him now) because he never gave autographs. He gave us a signed card with his biographical information on it. Screw him.

1998 was a great year. I think I got Shane Spencer's autograph too.

[zzcoolj21]

I used to have like a shoe box of cards from 1985-2010. I lost it when I moved but it had all these wood bat chip cards and jerseys cards. never an autograph tho, But, my uncle had a million dollar Babe Ruth jersey card. he let me see it when I was like 7-8.

[dcstadium]

Vince Lombardi.

[sabugo]

I have many from soccer players, some through my dad, some signed in person by the players.

I guess getting an autograph from a baseball player is on my bucket list, along with visiting Yankee Stadium and calling A-Rod ugly to his face.

[tomk30816]

Larry Doby, when he was with the Cleveland Indians. At that time, you parked in the same place as the ball players. My Dad, brother and I talked to him before the game in the parking lot. My brother told me to ask Larry to hit a home run. I did and I remember him saying, "I'll try". Sure enough he did, I often wonder if he remembered that. I sure did!!!

[Yankee4Life]

I'd have loved to been able to get Doby's. And the same goes for Lombardi that dcstadium got.

Another one for me was George Steinbrenner. It was on July 5th, 1976 and it was my first visit to Yankee Stadium. We were standing at the player's entrance watching them walk in and I saw Chris Chambliss but I wasn't fast enough. Then Steinbrenner arrived and I asked him to sign and he gladly did. I was pretty happy for the rest of the day even though the Yankees lost that day.

[royhobbs]

I lived down the road from Mike Piazza's parents. So one Sunday, at church, I notice the family and a fat white haired guy with em. Tommy Lasorda, was visiting them and came with them. Waited til after church to get it.

Then my junior year at pitchers/catchers practice, got a surprise guest. Mike Piazza stopped by to get some tee work in. Had a catch and got some practice time with him. And of course the autograph.

[DonSPa]

I had quite a few autographs over the years while going to see the pirates,but my fav is from one of my fav pirates players and that was willie stargell.And then I was able to get one of my fav pitchers and that was steve blass.The way I got his was in my senior year at high school,steve was a representative for Jostens and not only did I get a autograph but also got my class ring from him as well

[Yankee4Life]

Another one for me was Wade Boggs. It was September 2nd, 1981 and it was the last day of the International League season. Not a lot of people were in the ballpark that early at Silver Stadium even though it was a really nice day.

 

As I mentioned in the first post, the visiting clubhouse was down the first base line and underneath the stands. I'm standing near the dugout on the first base side just waiting for someone to come out. The only people out on the field were groundskeepers*. I was just about to leave to get myself a cold one - yep, a Coke with plenty of ice. But then I saw a ballplayer walking slowly in my direction. It was Boggs, the 1981 International League batting champion.

 

Well, young Y4L put his Red Sox hating ways on pause and asked Wade Boggs for an autograph. I got it and we ended up talking for about ten minutes before he had to get ready for the game. It was a pleasure. And then fifteen years later he rode on a horse to celebrate the Yankees 1996 championship. Every time the YES network shows that clip it reminds me of the time back in Silver Stadium when I got his autograph.

 

Other people that I got were Ken Boyer and Frank Robinson, both former players who managed the Triple A Red Wings.

 

* One time I even got the head groundscrew man to sign my book because when I was a little kid I thought he was the one who owned all the baseballs and I kept on asking him for one.

[Homer]

my favorite memory was when kevin mitchell played in seattle. after one of the games he stayed all night to sign autographs while everybody else went home. he stayed there for hours, and we kept thanking him for doing so. everyone told him how awesome he was, and i remember him saying something like "not like I used to be". it made me a little sad but was very appreciative that he stayed. after he left, he went to the garage and left. as he pulled out, he stopped his car for more autographs. i swear we were there all night, but however long it was it was just nice to see how humble he was.