Most prized Reds possessions?

[Ltlabner]

I guess it's a bit hokey but I'm currious as to what are peoples favorite Reds stuff they have collected over the years (and the stories behind them if they are interesting). Since there are people here who have been around a bit I figured there might be some really neat stories about collecting autographs, HR balls, cool reds give aways or whatever.

BTW, while not linked to any superstars, I have three foul balls I acquired while a youngster attending ball games with my father at Riverfront. See my signiture for more details.

[dabvu2498]

Ticket stubs and programs from 1975, 76 NLCS and World Series (given to me by my dad) and 1990 NLCS and World Series. Throw in all the front pages from the newspapers from those times also.

[Gallen5862]

I have Ken Griffey Seniors autograph.

[scounts22]

I used to love Bret Boone when he was with the Reds. I was probably around 13 at the time and got to buy one of his broken bats from the gift shop at the Westin. I know his image is a bit tainted these days, but I still love it!

[dougflynn23]

:) My uncle was a freelance photographer for the Dayton Daily News in the 1970's. He took field level photos during the 1976 season, many of which showed up in the book "Royal Reds". Knowing what a huge fan I was at the age of 12, he gave to me for Christmas a photoboard (aka poster) of all of the players, coaches, and even Marty & Joe with each picture about 2"x2". It took me 15 years, but I got every photo autographed, had the board professionally laminated and framed, and it hangs in my office to this day.

[Dunner44]

My Wily Mo bobblehead. Being a poor college student, I can't afford any of the expensive stuff, and my dad never used to take me to games. That bobblehead night last year was something else though. I remember driving home on 75 sticking the bobblehead out the window and yeling "Wily MO" to any car that looked like it was coming from the park, and they;d yell Wily Mo right back. Awesome feeling.

[Tom Servo]

I have no real souveinirs, so I'd just say my 1965 Topps Pete Rose card and my 1957 Topps Ted Kluszewski card with the awesome looking sleveless jersey.

[OldRightHander]

I have some cards from the 70s and 80s, a few bobbleheads, an unopened Wheaties box with Johnny Bench on the cover and a few foul balls. I used to have a Perez home run ball, but that was lost in a house fire when I was in high school.

[Caseyfan21]

I'd say my favorite possessions would be the items in my autograph collection. I probably have about 500 or so different players' autographs that I've gotten during my life (I'm 20 now). I also have a bunch of baseball cards, a lot of them autographed, that I would never sell and intend to keep for my kids/grandkids eventually. My big plan is take all of my autographed balls/posters/memoribilia and create a Reds room in a few more years when I get my first house.

My favorite is probably the sign I stole from Riverfront at the end of the last game. I ripped off one of the stadium alcohol policy signs up in the red seats and used a couple shirts to wrap it up and get it out past security. I then took it to a few games the next year as well as Redsfest and got several players from that 2002 team to sign it. The autographs on it are Larkin, Casey, Kearns, Dunn, and Boone. The best part of it was the players reactions when I told them how I got it. At Redsfest Dunn just burst out laughing and called security over to report me...:laugh: Just the stories behind getting it out (with two parents who were flipping out) and getting all the autographs make that my favorite of collection. The only other items that are up there are probably the 5 or 6 balls I've caught during games including one from Casey that I got autographed.

Edit: I just read through this and realized I totally forgot about the bobbleheads. I have just about everyone of them except for Gapper, Harnisch, and Graves. Those, no matter how stupid they are, are fun collectibles.

[marcshoe]

Classic Bobblehead I picked up at my first Reds game, June 28, 1975. Reds beat the Padres on a 10th inning home run by Foster. Sitting in the Red seats in right field, I pretty much trusted that the ants playing ball down below were who the PA announcer said they were.

[paulrichjr]

When I was around 15 I answered a question on Reds Hot Stove League that was actually picked for the week's drawing...the win netted me a dozen Cincinnati Reds Pizzas (frozen - sold at Cincinnati stores - and hard to bring home to Tennessee but I did it) and a signed baseball. I was very excited because I had gotten to hear my name mentioned on the radio and had won the pizzas. I thought the ball was one of those stamp jobs but when it came in it was signed by all the Reds and it was their real signatures. The really cool thing about it and also odd was that in the sweet spot was Pete's autograph (his first year as manager) but the ball also had Tom Lawless' signature on it even though he was traded for Pete... I always that that was strange.

The answer to the quiz that netted me the win was something to do with Dave Parker and he was on that show that night and I got to speak to him which was also a lot of fun...

[Hap]

I have a very unique video taken with my home camcorder of the game on 4/9/2000 (http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/B04090CIN2000.htm).

I was sitting in Aisle 426 Row 2 (http://www.mlb-teams.com/stadiums/pictures/reds_seat.gif).

I had the camera rolling when George Kenneth Griffey, Junior, hit his first home run as a Red (career home run 399). For a split second, the ball looks as if it is coming straight at the camera. I didn't catch the landing of the ball on video, as it was directly below me in The Green. As the crowd roared, I followed Junior around the bases and to the dugout and then onto the steps for a curtain call.

[George Foster]

It took me a while to get it but I have 8 signed baseballs by the entire bigred machine starting lineup. I also have Gullet and Marty B autographs on seperate baseballs as well. I have them in a display case shaped like homeplate. They hag in my sons room ( first pick 2022 baseball amateur draft...refer to photo upper left) along with framed posters of Bench, Rose, and 1976 team poster. He has the bedroom I always wanted as a child.

If my house was on fire, I would grab my children and that display case...but not necessarly in that order:D

[Reds1]

I have been a huge Reds collector and have autos from Rose, Bench, Concepcion, Griffey, Jr, Kearns, Dunn, etc. Even have Claussen. All of these are on authentic baseball cards except the Rose which is a ball. But my biggest Reds collectable is a framed tribute to the final season in Riverfront. It containes all unripped ticket stubs, turf, sweat pictures and cards including the entire topps set with Relic pieces of seats. That set is worth over 250 bucks last time I booked out and they are very hard to find now. I'm also collecting all team sets from the beginning of time and have some really nice old cards of guys I don't even know, but the framed picture is my favorite.

[Super_Barry11]

Oh my gosh, I have so many autographs, plus other cool Reds stuff... I love the pictures that I have of me with various Reds players, but I have to say my absolute favorite possession is my game used, autographed bat of Barry Larkin's. I am so proud of it... I keep it out on display in my room at all times, but I never let anyone else even touch it. :laugh: My dad tried to pick it up to move it back home after I graduated, and I practically bit his head off. :p: Whenever I was stressed about anything throughout college, I would pick it up and swing it for a little bit... Always makes me feel better. :)

I also love all the bobbleheads I have, plus the baseball that I got signed by Sean Casey, Felipe Lopez, Paul Wilson, and Danny Graves. Who am I kidding, I love it all!! :)

[OnBaseMachine]

-Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card(not directly a Reds item, but you get the point)
-Adam Dunn autographed batting helmet and ball.
-Austin Kearns autographed ball
-Johnny Bench plaque
-4x4 piece of turf from Riverfront Stadium
-Mcfarlane figurines of Griffey and Dunn

I have tons and tons of Reds bobbleheads - let me give you a list of the one's that I can think of off the top of my head:

Adam Dunn:

-Figurine that was given away at the Reds-Phillies game on May 13
-Dayton bobblehead
-Louisville bobblehead
-Dunn bobblehead that was given away in 2002 at Cinergy Field

-Austin Kearns Reds bobblehead

-Ken Griffey Jr. bobblehead

-Marty and Joe bobblehead

-Joe Morgan bobblehead

-Felipe Lopez bobblehead

-Wily Mo Pena Dayton bobblehead

I'm trying to add the Edwin Encarnacion(Chattanooga) and Dunn(Billings and Chattanooga) to my collection.

[reds44]

Felipe Lopez Authentic All-star game jersey that I got autographed at a game earlier this year.

EE, Aaron Harang, BP, Javy, and Dunner signed baseball.

[Phhhl]

- 1975 and 1976 Hudepohl Beer cans (Opened, my dad couldn't resist drinking the contents)
- 1966 or 67 team ball signed by everybody
- All the Bubbleheads, except for Johnny Bench and Adam Dunn
- A piece of metal from Johnny Bench's Red Cadillac convertible. My dad was an auto body man who worked on the car
- Kentucky Post Edition from the Day after hit 4192

[KronoRed]

I have a Sean Casey bobblehead that the head broke off of, a little superglue and it's good as knew.

It holds a special place in my heart :D

[Caveat Emperor]

Hmmm...

I have a 90s-era Reds hat signed by Chris Sabo and Barry Larkin. I thought I'd lost it years ago, but recently found it while moving around some stuff in my closet.

My most prized baseball possession, however, is a ticket stub and commermative pin from Yogi Berra Day at Yankee Stadium on July 18, 1999 -- the day David Cone threw his perfect game vs. the Montreal Expos. Don Larson threw out the cerimonial first pitch, Cone threw the last one 27 batters later. I don't think I'll ever see anything quite as amazing at a live sporting again in my lifetime.

[MrCinatit]

Autographs by Pete, Bench, Kal Daniels, Paul O'Neill, Chico Cardinas, and Chris Sabo.
The Hudipol beer can Santo mentioned.
The '90s Wheaties box.
A opened can of Pete Rose's drink...which I cannot seem to find right now. hmph.
A picture of the 1961 Reds, with a 3 cent postage stamp commemorating the 1st baseball game.
Many stamped items sold at Cooperstown when Bench and Yaz were inducted - also happened to be the 50th anniversary of the first inductions.
Literally hundreds of thousands of Reds baseball cards dating from 1922 (Edd Rousch, Eppa Rixey) to last year (some Fleer game-used jersey cards of Dunn, Casey, Griffey and Pena).
Quite a few game stubs from the early to mid-80s - none of them were memorable games, though there is one from Sept. 5, 1985 - if only Pete had gotten a couple of hits earlier....

[RedsBaron]

I have a 1969 Reds scorecard signed, by among others, Rose, Bench and Perez. I have a 1975 Pepsi bottle commorating the World Champions, with the standins and the scores of all the postseason games on the back. I have an unopend can of "Pete," a chocolate drink briefly on the market in 1985. I have a ton of Reds baseball cards, books and photos.

[GAC]

John Allen sent me his balls, autographed by all the players.

And they came with a certificate of authenticity! :lol:

[SunDeck]

I have a Charlie Hustle Award that I got when I was a kid. Didn't know it at the time of course, but it was probably the trophy given to the most hopeless, yet enthusiastic kid on the team. Anyway, my parents took me to get it signed by Pete.

[Hap]

John Allen sent me his balls, autographed by all the players.

And they came with a certificate of authenticity! :lol:

:confused: :confused:

[GAC]

:confused: :confused:

Mr Allen was kind enough, after my house fire inwhich I lost most of my Red's memoribilia, to send me two baseball from his personal collection - one from the last game at Riverfront, and the other by the team last year, that was personally autographed by all the players. They came also with letters of authenticity.

They came in a package sent by the Reds, along with many other Reds items, including a real nice Reds pewter set by Mr Lindner.

The whole situation was initiated by the kindness of a couple of RZ members who notified the Reds via email.

Just using some humor above. ;)

[Crosley68]

1968 Scorecard signed by Clay Carroll at Crosley and a ball that Johnny Bench signed for me in either 71 or 72 at Riverfront.

[tripleaaaron]

Was until 2 weeks ago my bobblehead collection and autographed balls, but now it is Tom Brownings book autographed, although yes it is available to purchase auto. and all, but the thing that makes it so dear to me now is this. Of course on the day I bought it, I met him in person autographing it at opening day, and then the crazy part is I met him again on the day I finished it, out at a bar on a quiet monday night me and my girlfriend were watching the game sipping on some cocktails when Mr. Perfect himself walked in, it was slow enough and Tom was was his usual approachable self, and I was able to discuss w/ him the book. The meeting itself would not have been such a big deal, but the irony in it all will stick w/ me forever. I also cherish the honorary contract you recieve for running the bases, as recieved on Sunday, b/c that was my first witnessed walk-off homer even though I have been to way too many games to count.

[Heath]

Scorecards/Programs from 1939, 1940, 1961, 1967, 1968-1976, Sports Illustrated's with Reds on the cover, mostly Bench, Seaver, 1990 World Champions.

4 framed Team Give-away photos 1961, 1969, 1973, 1975,

Sets of glasses from Tesler Comet Gas Station, 2 - 1975 Tumblers, and a 1961 Cincinnati Enquirer Headline Mug.

Also - 1979 Western Division Title Pennant. First playoff games I remember watching. Its a reproduction - I've always wanted the one with '79 Reds - Best in the West - had Mr. Red with a gun shooting a baseball.

Also - a 1983 Program with Russ Nixon. No matter how bad it gets around here, that was the extreme bottom. And, sorry woy - I don't remember 1930. :D

[tbball10]

-a pete rose autograph
-a ball jose rijo threw me before a game
-a bat joey votto gave me after a spring training game
-an adam dunn signed ball
-a b.j. szymanski signed ball (i hope he makes it, i like him)

[Bay Area Red]

I have the ticket stub from Pete Rose's 4192 game.... Also, my 4 cell phone extension was randomly provided to me by Nextel as 1990...easy to remember :cool:

[RollyInRaleigh]

Although I have a lot of Reds memorabilia, the most prized possessions are the memories that I have in my heart, watching, listening, celebrating, and complaining about a team that has been such a big part of my life and a lot of family members that are no longer around.:beerme:

[redsmetz]

I have a Johnny Vander Meer autograph baseball. I was at my bank waiting for the branch manager to come back to his desk when I saw a baseball on his shelf on which I could see "Johnny". I commented about it asking if it was a Johnny Bench ball and he said, no, that it was a Johnny Vander Meer ball. At that time, I had no idea Vander Meer was still alive and was surprised when he told me he'd gotten it from him that spring at a fundraiser the Kiwannes had celebrating Vander Meer's aunt's 104th birthday. He told me there were probably a few still left and I could get one for $25.00. I told him I'd have to check with my wife (things were tight then) and she said sure as long as she could buy something completely frivelous too!

I also have a Barry Larkin autograph ball my brother-in-law bought at a golf outing hosted by my wife and his 2nd cousin, Tom Henke.

I also have (and will perhaps have to dig out) a Hudepohl can celebrating the 75 or 76 Reds. I'm thinking about putting up a shelf at my office for the balls, the Riverfront Stadium statuette and a photo of Crosley Field my neighbhor's gave me. I think the can would work on that shelf too!

[Johnny Footstool]

I have my first Reds hat from 1972. My mother framed my first Johnny Bench t-shirt for me.

I also have a copy of the 1975 classic "The Relentless Reds," which contains photos from the annual father/son game. One photo depicts a young lefty identified only as "Ken Griffey's son" taking a swing. I really wanted to get him to autograph that picture while he was playing with the Mariners so I could tell him "that Reds uniform looks good on you."

[BuckWoody]

My parents attended the Reds Cardinals game on June 16, 1978 with friends and sat right beside the pitcher's mounds in the Reds bullpen. Of course that was the evening of Tom Seaver's only big league ho-hitter. For years I kept the ticket stub tacked up to my bulletin board in my room. It was later packed away along with a lot of other things only to attain the vaunted "I should go up to the attic and dig that stuff out and put it on display somehow at my house" status. Sadly my folks lost their home to fire last year along with pretty much everything in the house. (GAC, I can certainly empathize with your situation).

While my treasured ticket stub is no more, there are two things that I did have at my house and they would have to be my most prized Reds possessions. One is a foul ball off of the bat of Johnny Temple that my dad caught down at Crosley in the late fifties, '57 I think. The other is the Reds pennant, probably from around 1970 or so, that hung in my room while I was growing up. It's in good shape still and is proudly displayed in my basement. The ball is in a case in my office.

[44Magnum]

http://www.redsbuyer.com/images/pete.JPG

[dabvu2498]

That's awesome. I have one of those as well. It's in my office, not 3 feet from where I am right now. I bet that tasted great.

[djc27osu]

I would have to say that my most prized possession is the rookie autographed jersey of my all time favorite baseball and reds player...Pete Rose.

[BuckWoody]

Here's a pic of what I posted about:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f307/buckwoody/P5290655sml.jpg
The ball was from the Redlegs vs. the Braves on 8/13/59. Retrosheet is great! (http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/B08130CIN1959.htm)

[Heath]

Nu-Maid margarine in the early '80's sold butter in cups. The cups had Reds Players on them - I just located my Seaver and Bench cups in an old box.

[vscience]

George Foster, Outfielder for the Reds, glass tumbler by King Kwik. Primo condition. Found it in a recycle bin. :)

[texasdave]

George Foster, Outfielder for the Reds, glass tumbler by King Kwik. Primo condition. Found it in a recycle bin. :)

King Kwik and those sophomoric Kwik Brothers commercials. That was eons ago. Now I have serious Icee craving. Are they still around?

King Kwik Commercial Montage (1970's) - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLL0EeTbs20)


A dime good cup of coffee. :lol:

[bounty37h]

I have 13 balls signed by the BRM-starting 8, Sparky, and 4 pitchers. Working on a jersey collection-have Bench, Concepcion, Rose, Foster, Morgan, Anderson so far. Also wanting to start a 90 team set of balls, have only Larkin so far I think. Have the Reds parking sign from Plant City-sort of like the story earlier in this thread about a sign someone else has from Riverfront :)

[Captain13]

I don't get to go to a ton of games, but I have the tickets from the last game at Riverfront/Cinergy and the first game at Great American Ballpark. I went to both of those games with my mother, God rest her soul. It is the only time I have attended consecutive home games (although those were seperated by six months).

[nux fan]

I have a picture of Don Secrist

[krm1580]

I went to 1975 game between the Reds and Braves where the promotional giveaway was an 8x10 team photo. I still have the photo and the ticket stub from the game.

[jwmann2]

My most prized is the program from my very first Reds game. Pete Schourek and Eddie Taubensee were on the cover. My step dad took me to Fenway for my first game but we couldn't get tickets. As a consolation, he took me to Riverfront when we got back home.