Bo Bounds had a decent friday topic...

[CochiseCowbell]

In the 4th grade my father & I took a tour through the Grapefruit League. We stayed at the same hotel as the WS Champs Cincinnati Reds, so '91, in Plant City, FL. By the pool I got autographs from Lou Pinella, Rob Dibble, Chris Sabo, Eric Davis, Jose Rijos & some others I can't recall. I, unfortunately, didn't see Larkin. Got some more at the many games from a lot of different teams, but can't remember now. Helluva trip. It was so laid back then. Gentleman, take your sons.

10 years later went back with my father & grandfather. Was too old to ask for autographs, but I was smoking before the game, by some empty picnic tables, I guess near the clubhouse exit to the field. The players trotted out to start warming up & I hear this voice say, "You need to quit smoking, kid." I turned & saw the back of his jersey as & replied, "I'll quit when you learn how to throw to first, Knoblauch."

Herschel Walker was at an Augusta State or Augusta College basketball game for some reason in the late 90's. A group of us got him to sign the program. I think I gave that to a Georgia friend.

Great thread.

 

[Muttley]

Only autograph I have ever gotten. Went to the Winston 500 at Talladega and sat in the fuel company suite with pit passes and garage passes. After the race was over as we were getting ready to leave in comes Dale Earnhardt, who won the race, Richard Childress and Dale's crew chief. Got a Winston 500 hat signed by all three and several pictures with them. Two years (I think) later Earnhardt was killed at Daytona.

 

[thekimmer]

I know. Forgot **

I think he meant the whereabouts of the autographs, but I read it that way too at first.

NM

 

[Bigdawghouse83]

I hear ya....went to the old Candlestick one day with the Clark jersey on and MSU baseball cap and arrived really early so i could get an auto graph or a quick chat. He comes out and doing some light jogging in the outfield, and all I got was a slight tip of the cap from him. I will NEVER forget the disappointment. My first job out of college was with Bennigan's and the Director of HR who did my first interview was Tommy Pharr

 

[She Mate Me]

I hear ya....went to the old Candlestick one day with the Clark jersey on and MSU baseball cap and arrived really early so i could get an auto graph or a quick chat. He comes out and doing some light jogging in the outfield, and all I got was a slight tip of the cap from him. I will NEVER forget the disappointment. My first job out of college was with Bennigan's and the Director of HR who did my first interview was Tommy Pharr

It's pretty well known that Clark could be a Richard in his prime. He's acknowledged it since. Having an autistic son really grounded and matured him it seems.

 

[MarkDallas]

MSU v Arkansas in Little Rock 1999. I was with the FMB. Someone recognized Ben Stein in the next section. So every few minutes someone would go over to talk to him. Finally he just came over to us and went up and down the aisles talking to everyone.

Super super nice guy. Everyone he talked to, he would ask them something about themselves and then discuss some fact pertaining to it. I told him I was from Vicksburg and he noted that it was the "Gibraltar of the Confederacy."

Win Ben Stein's Money was on at the time, so we all got dollars signed.

 

[Tripper123044]

Bret Favre eating dinner at Doe’s Steakhouse in Greenville.

 

[missouridawg]

I haven’t asked for an autograph since I was a kid. But a close friend, who happens to own a big car dealership gave me a Stan Musial autographed baseball. Apparently, they routinely buy sports memorabilia to give away for people who buy cars. When Stan passed, they bought like 900 of them from his estate sale.

The next autograph I’ll ask for is for Pujols to sign my World Series 2011 game 3 ticket.

 

[dawgoneyall]

Sitting in Smith-Wills, watching the Jackson Mets with my little league teammates. My coach looks over, does a double take, and, with a wide-eyed look of shock announces, "That's Willie Mays sitting right over there!" Coach proceeds to gather all of us up, instructs us to find something ... anything ... to write on and then marches all of us over to the poor guy for autographs. I remember that none of us kids had any idea who he was. I remember he didn't say a word. He just signed napkins, scraps of cardboard cupholders, pieces of pages torn out of a game program, and a couple of hats. I came home with a Willie Mays signature on a ripped out program page. I showed it to my Dad and he lit up telling me how impressive Mays was and that I was lucky to have gotten his autograph. I remained unimpressed. Couldn't tell you where that scrap of paper is now. Jackson Mets. I'm dating myself. Was it Dave Kingman that we watched launch missiles into the pines behind left when the bigs came in for the exhibition? Memory fades.

One of the two greatest players in baseball. Period. All the rest are pretenders.

 

[dawgoneyall]

The 1991 (92?) alumni baseball game where they honored Clark, Palmeiro, Thigpen, and Brantley.

I was a huge Clark fan, and I wanted to get his autograph. I had brought cards for everyone, just in case. As we walked up to the stadium, you could tell someone was signing with about 10 kids around him in the area between DNF and the Hump. It's Raffy. I rush right up to get his autograph on a rookie card and then hand him a ball to sign. He looks up, as if if to say, "I already gave you one." and signs it anyway. I was about 12 and looked much younger, so I didn't know what to think of it.

We get in the stadium, and Clark is on the field signing autographs at the fence. The rail was about 5 kids deep. There was no chance. Clark was just moving around, signing something here and there. Within 5 minutes, he stopped and started warming up. He was my biggest childhood hero, but I never forgot how Raffy was out in the open signing for everyone and Will wasn't.

Saw about the same when Giant played Cubs... Will was an *******. Sorry but that is the way it was/is.

 

[dawgoneyall]

I'm not big on asking for autographs... about the only one I remember: I was raised an ole miss fan (grew up 20 minutes from oxford). I'd been to the Memphis zoo with my best friend, and I guess his parents stopped at Kroger or some grocery store in Oxford on the way home. We saw Joe Harvell there so I got Joe Harvell to sign my LA Dodgers cap (I was a Darryl Strawberry fan and he'd just signed with the Dodgers). I was probably 10 or 11 at the time so that was the coolest thing that'd ever happened to me.

Never asked for an auto. Not a bearshark fan but went to see Pete at the Sad Pad and Kessinger (sp) was there and getting 810 out of Chicago made me a fan (really a Dodger fan). He was never able to watch the game due to the kids (OK) but the pricks keeping him busy for autographs. Even though I was 15-16 I said then I would never do that. Never have.

 

[Mayor of Little London]

One of my best pieces of MSU memorabilia is a piece of the goal post from the 99 egg bowl with signatures from Jackie, Joe Lee and Sparky Woods. I walked (with a group of about 25) with a good sized portion of the goal post until we found someone with a skill saw that didn’t mind going through a hand full of blades—only request was part of the post. Cut it up in a yard close to the old Flo & Eddies location. I wasn’t there when the coaches signed it. Met those guys at different times but at this time I sent it with a girl I was seeing that was interning in the coaches offices. Was told joe lee asked if he could keep it or if I had another one.
15 years later, when Jack Crystal was signing books along with Sid Salter, I brought it along with a few other items and got jack to sign it. He also asked if I had another one for him.

 

[Spiderman.sixpack]

your best autograph story.

Buddy of mine ran into John Bond at the Landing back in the '80's. Walks up and says.....

"Hey John Bond, how about an autograph?"

Bond says "sure"

My buddy takes out a pen and a card out of his wallet, signs HIS name on it, and hands it to Bond.

 

[kb549]

One of my best pieces of MSU memorabilia is a piece of the goal post from the 99 egg bowl with signatures from Jackie, Joe Lee and Sparky Woods. I walked (with a group of about 25) with a good sized portion of the goal post until we found someone with a skill saw that didn’t mind going through a hand full of blades—only request was part of the post. Cut it up in a yard close to the old Flo & Eddies location. I wasn’t there when the coaches signed it. Met those guys at different times but at this time I sent it with a girl I was seeing that was interning in the coaches offices. Was told joe lee asked if he could keep it or if I had another one.
15 years later, when Jack Crystal was signing books along with Sid Salter, I brought it along with a few other items and got jack to sign it. He also asked if I had another one for him.

Holy smokes! I was there with you that night when the guy cut it up. I think someone said it was the guy who owned Flo’s. I was on the post when it fell. Got a pretty nice piece myself. No signatures on it though. Wasn’t smart enough to think that through.

Also have a smaller piece of the 3rd and 57 FL goal post from 2000.

My best autograph story was from the same year (99). I went to Abners one night for CJWS call in show. When they went to break, everyone rung their bell. This is way before Battle Bells. My bell was something I dug out of my great grandfather’s barn. Likely 100 years old. I have a huge handle on it that really gives some leverage to a hard ring. It was thick and heavy and had a loud distinctive ring. Anyway, as the show goes to break, we start ringing. Jackie puts his head down to write something on his pad. He jerks his head up and scans the room for the unique sound. Finally he locks in on me, points me out, and motions for me to come up there.

He said, “Son, where’d you get that bell? That’s the loudest thing I’ve ever heard. If we had 50,000 of those in the stadium ringing when the opposing offense has the ball, we’d never lose a game.” I had brought a sharpie and he signed it.

I have since retired the bell after years of abuse put a crack in it and it lost its sound. I had just worked up the nerve to let Mullen sign it, and was planning on it this year. Glad I waited.

Sat next to Smoot on an airplane. Good guy. Funny guy. He praised Jackie as a coach. Said he thought Croom was probably a good guy, but not a good head coach. Already had a signed card from him. Let’s just say he passed them out at the hospital where my wife works like a guy who passes out cigars, so I don’t break HIPPA laws.

 

[MTNDawg.sixpack]

When I was a kid, I would ride my bike down Pear Orchard to the K&B Drugs to buy baseball cards with any money I could scrape together. Lou Brock was at the Jitney Premier across the street one day - I believe for the grand opening - so I have a signed baseball and Cardinals hat that sit in my office to this day.

Also, I believe there was a publication with contact information for many of the MLB teams back then. I sent cards to as many of the professional baseball players as I could. I didn't get many remarkable responses, but the White Sox (due to the Big Hurt) were my team at the moment, and Craig Grebeck sending back my card and including an autographed White Sox shirt along with it was pretty cool to a young middle-infielder.

 

[willi13]

I’ve never been into getting autographs after I reached puberty. However, I’ve seen them obtained.
1995 at the Canon Open Pro-Am, I’m playing with Dan Forsman and Billy Andrade. We just finished the first and are walking to #2 tee box. There’s this cute little girl with pigtails and holding her autograph book up to Greg Norman. He just looks at her and says “I don’t sign **** when I’m on the course.” I haven’t like that ******* ever since.

 

[smurphdawg]

Not to pile on Clark, but I did have a memorable interaction with him at the end of the 1985 (I think) season, which would have put me at 9 years old. After the last game of the year the players were standing around the infield signing autographs and of course Will had a massive crowd of kids around him, including me. He's signing away in silence, I'm sure just trying to get as many done as fast as possible. Not exactly chatting it up with the dorks like me shoving various items to sign in his face. I didn't care as I was star struck just being in his presence. Anyway, the PA guy is announcing scores from around the league, and I guess Will was listening intently due to the effect the last day's results would have on who made the SEC tournament and how they were seeded. As one score was announced (I remember it as Auburn losing to someone else, could be mistaken), he paused, looked up, and yelled out in that high pitched coon-*** voice, GEYAHD DEAMMET! He then calmly went right back to signing as if nothing had happened. Shocked me as a sheltered little kid with a very conservative upbringing, but it makes me laugh every time I think about it now.

 

[cowboydawg]

Another Will Clark...

1989 when he was The Man in MLB, we went to St. Louis to watch him play the Cardinals. I was 9 and my older brother that was 12 was a huge Will Clark fan.

After the game, I caught him walking outside the stadium by himself and yelling to my brother I scream "there's Will Clark"! I was the first one to get to him followed by a mob. Had a card with me I got him to sign. By the time my brother got to him he was yelling at everybody to get away from him and saying he wasn't Will Clark. My brother was devastated.

Side note...this was the game that Kevin Mitchell made the one handed catch and we had a great view. Awesome experience all around...for me.

 

[Moe Cabelle]

If you’ve ever seen the movie Rattle & Hum, when U2 is playing in Sun Studio (Angel of Harlem), I was standing on other side of curtains in dazed awe, slightly hammered. This was back in ‘87 - year of the Joshua Tree & Bono was near godlike status at the time.

Bono came out afterwards and greeted the handful of us there. I tossed my self respect aside, reached for a brown bag, genuflected, held it forward and he was kind enough to sign it and speak to us a bit.

I was the envy of all my friends. It was all by chance as I was out hosting a recruit at the Peabody hotel, stayed in the lounge far too late for a work night. In any case, I stopped for gas on Union across from sun studios (it was far less the spectacle back then). It was near 2:00 am and as I pay for gas, I notice a limo semi hidden behind the store.

I asked the counter dude, what gives? He simply said, supposedly U2 is recording across the street.

Not believing it, cause I’m the biggest fan in the world, I glance across the street to the dark studios and just then the door opens to let two youngsters in.

i ain’t missing this, so I leave my car at the pump and scrambled across the street, peeked into the same door and was met by some dude who simply motioned to us to keep quiet & be cool.

I made sure I was cool, along with 8 -10 other stunned fortunates, sharing what seemed like the most unbelievable story. Along with the autograph, The movie which came out much later proved any doubters wrong. None of us are in the flick, but that seen was what we were watching.

Oh - Ran across Mike Stipe (still had the locks) at the Exit Inn in Nashville and played pool with Bill Berry at old poplar lounge in Memphis. I kinda got around at one time

 

[HammerOfTheDogs]

When I was in Junior High school, Dad got some Saints-Cowboys tickets

We stayed at the Marriott in New Orleans the night before. Anyway, the Dallas Cowboys were staying in the same hotel. Got a bunch of autographs (none of Roger Staubach nor Tom Landry), mostly around midnight when they were coming back in for curfew.

Got some more the next morning while the players were waiting for the team bus going to the game. Was talking with Hollywood Henderson and Ernie Stautner, Steelers Hall of Fame lineman in the 1950's and then a Cowboy assistant coach. Because I knew everything about the NFL, I asked Stautner for his autograph. Hollywood asked me why a kid would want Stautner's autograph...I told them I knew about him from the history books.

Dallas won 24-6. Only TD for the Saints was by Tony Galbreath and they missed the extra point. That was the year Archie was on injured reserve for the season.