Experiences w/ballplayers-Good and Bad?

[redsmetz]

A few years ago we were at Kenwood Towne Center after going to see the Reds and Cards play a game. We were with my wife's sister from Missouri and her son and husband. My son, then about 14-15 years old, saw Albert Pujols, Wily Mo Pena and another player (maybe Juan Castro). He told his 7 year old cousin (from Missouri) he'd go ask for Pujols autograph. Pujols politely declined, not wanting to get have a mob scene, but still shook my son's hand and was really friendly.

My son said Wily Mo had the biggest hands he'd ever seen.

I once played in a softball game against Chico Cardenas, the Reds shortstop when I was a kid. I hit a ball right by him (granted he was probably in his 60's, but hey, why sweat the details?). When I got on second, he said, "Good hit, man". Wow. He signed my kids' gloves and I told him them he was Barry Larkin when Larkin was in diapers.

We lived across the street from Roger Staubach's then girlfriend, later his wife. In fact, she and her sister were our babysitters and Roger and his girlfriend watched us after prom when my folks went to the hospital for my first sister to be born (1959). In the early 70's my younger cousin (who later went on to briefly be a DJ at 101.9 - Andy Craig) was a big Staubach fan, so I sent him a football card and asked him to autograph it for him. He sent the card back along with a signed 8 X 10 photo.

Last one, Michael Tucker tossed me a baseball after warm ups. I even had a glove and it bounced off the glove behind the wall. Tucker just shook his head and laughed. My family's never let me live it down.

[BuckWoody]

Back in ’88 I had just gotten out of college and went down to Riverfront quite a bit. We’d usually hit Flanagan’s after the game just to “let the traffic clear out”.

Got to meet Ron Robinson one night and shake his hand; nice guy. Ran into Chris Sabo more than once and he was always great. One incident that I’ll never forget was when the Pete Rose story first broke and we were in the bar after the game. The place was pretty empty and Sabo was holding court with about 4 or 5 guys, myself included. Someone asked him about Pete and Sabo says, “I know Pete. Pete’s an a-hole. He’s guilty.”

[StRedlegs900]

I used to be a host at Cracker Barrel in the summer inbetween school years, and a lot of Reds players used to come in there. I met Jason LaRue on my first day on the job, and Kent Mercker was there getting food that same day. I talked to LaRue for about 5 minutes, and I was actually going down to the game that night to watch them play the Cubs, so we chatted about that for awhile. He was a really cool guy.

A few weeks later, I got to meet Sean Casey and his kids who were there getting some breakfast. I never approached them at the table of course, being as I was on the job, but talked to Sean as he was browsing the store. One of the nicest guys I've ever met.

My best story, however, was when I sat Paul Wilson. He came up to be seated, and quite surprised I said to him "Oh wow, you're Paul Wilson." He started to laugh, and was really cool. I talked to him as I seated him and his wife, and he had had a bad game the day before, so he was frustrated, but I told him to keep pluggin away. After he ate, he came up and talked to me for like 5 minutes...almost like I had known him for years.

To make a long story longer, he came in like a week later, and remembered my name and everything we had talked about. I sat him at a certain table he wanted, and after they ate again, he came up and literally talked to me for like 10 minutes. He told me to come down to a game, and I told him that it was hard to go down all the time, because the prices of tickets and working and such. He then said he would leave me 10 of his personal tickets to go to any game that I wanted. He also gave me his personal cell phone number, and told me that if I ever needed tickets, all I had to do was call him. I was totally floored. Me and a bunch of my friends went down to a game later that week, and had a blast. By far one of the greatest guys I've ever met.

[minus5]

Got to meet Casey once and we talked about....our kids. It was pretty cool, just like talking to any other dad.

Back in the 80s I was hanging out downtown a lot and kept running into Johnny Bench. He was always really nice. One summer I actually ran into him so much that he waved to me first

Heard a lot of stories about Johnny but he was really cool every time I saw him.

[RFS62]

I met Sandy Koufax at the driving range of a golf course once. I had a baseball in my car, but no pen.

He looked through his car for a couple of minutes to find a pen and sign the ball.

Nobody else there but my son and I, and he couldn't have been more gracious.

[heisman27]

I met the team in Cleveland and Chicago. Sean Casey is actually nicer in person than the stories you hear on tv. He took pictures with us and he was hilarious. He was laughing and pulling anbody in that was around. He then stuck around and played ping pong (Walter Payton tournament was going on that weekend) with us in the lobby. He was pure class. Aaron Boone and Danny Graves were also great.

[Blimpie]

Carlton Fisk was a Grade-A ******bag each and every time I tried to get him to autograph a ball over an entire three day celebrity golf tournament. After he acted like a jerk the first time, I just decided to keep following him around like the paperboy in the Better Off Dead....."Three Dollars...I want my three dollars..." to see just how aggravated he would become.

Oh yeah, my younger brother was also with me at that same golf tourney and had always grown up idolizing Vince Coleman (for some reason). When he approached Coleman to get his autograph, he was so nervous that all he thought to say to him was: "Hello Vince. Wow, you smell good..."

Coleman stopped in mid signature--I am sure he considered calling security at that moment. I crap you negative. To this day, that phrase is still holiday dinner table fodder.

[vaticanplum]

Oh yeah, my younger brother was also with me at that same golf tourney and had always grown up idolizing Vince Coleman (for some reason). When he approached Coleman to get his autograph, he was so nervous that all he thought to say to him was: "Hello Vince. Wow, you smell good..."

Coleman stopped in mid signature--I am sure he considered calling security at that moment. I crap you negative. To this day, that phrase is still holiday dinner table fodder.

[dabvu2498]

Oh yeah, my younger brother was also with me at that same golf tourney and had always grown up idolizing Vince Coleman (for some reason). When he approached Coleman to get his autograph, he was so nervous that all he thought to say to him was: "Hello Vince. Wow, you smell good..."

Coleman stopped in mid signature--I am sure he considered calling security at that moment. I crap you negative. To this day, that phrase is still holiday dinner table fodder.

That is awesome.

I almost did something worse to Pete Rose at a charity golf event. True story: I was in the restroom and suddenly, there's Peter Edward Rose, The Hit King, at the urinal next to me. If I had reacted on my first instincts, the scene could have been ugly and Mr. Rose's shoes (and maybe more) would have gotten moist. Thankfully, I waited for him to exit the restroom before telling him I'd noticed his World Series ring while we were at the urinals.

[smith288]

That is awesome.

I almost did something worse to Pete Rose at a charity golf event. True story: I was in the restroom and suddenly, there's Peter Edward Rose, The Hit King, at the urinal next to me. If I had reacted on my first instincts, the scene could have been ugly and Mr. Rose's shoes (and maybe more) would have gotten moist. Thankfully, I waited for him to exit the restroom before telling him I'd noticed his World Series ring while we were at the urinals.

Do you still have the ring's imprint on your forehead?

[NoColonBoy]

Got to meet Casey once and we talked about....our kids. It was pretty cool, just like talking to any other dad.

Back in the 80s I was hanging out downtown a lot and kept running into Johnny Bench. He was always really nice. One summer I actually ran into him so much that he waved to me first

Heard a lot of stories about Johnny but he was really cool every time I saw him.

In 1980, I went to Reds Spring Training--then in Tampa--with my Dad.

Johnny Bench had always been my idol growing up--I was 13 years old.

For those of you who have been to Spring Training, you know how accessible the players are. I remember Mike LaCoss hanging out with the fans in his street clothes--I have an old picture of that.

Johnny, meanwhile, yelled at me for NOT asking for his autograph. I was with a buddy who did ask. I stood off to the side because I had gotten Johnny's autograph the day before (this was before eBay--multiple autographs weren't really terribly valuable back then).

I couldn't stand him after that and still can't. I've heard dozens of similar stories regarding Bench, too.

[foxfire123]

Not my experience, but a friend's son pays Stars baseball here in Missouri. when Mike Matheny was on the DL a few weeks ago, he came to the kids' game, signed balls, talked to them and hung out with the team for the entire game. Michelle was so impressed with him since he was just so helpful and real to the boys. Gave them advice, cheered for them, just in general a really nice guy.

This is the local Stars team that's also been invited to play on Doubleday Field at Cooperstown next month also.

Foxfire123

[wheels]

I met Sandy Koufax at the driving range of a golf course once. I had a baseball in my car, but no pen.

He looked through his car for a couple of minutes to find a pen and sign the ball.

Nobody else there but my son and I, and he couldn't have been more gracious.

You do realize how amazing it was that you met Sandy, don't you?

The guy's a total recluse or something nowadays.

[registerthis]

Several years back, I took my grandmother--a HUGE baseball fan--to a Columbus Clippers game. We got box seats right behind the on-deck circle, and she was loving it (she didn't get to go to too many games.) This was back when Alfonos Soriano was playing for the Clippers. His first time on deck, I was giving him some positive encouragement, and told him my grandmother was rooting for him, too. He turned around and gave us a big smile and I thought, gee that's nice.

his next time up to bat, as he came out of the dugout, he ran over to us and tossed a baseball to me and pointed for me top give it to my grandmother. It completely made her night!

[whodeynati85]

I have been fortunate enough to have huge conection with a guy you could call an agent. I have been to Adam Dunn's apartment (it was like 50 degrees), went to Big Papi's house before and after stardom, Manny Ramirez (his girlfriend was FINE), Jacques Jones, Shannon Stewart, Torii Hunter (really cool), Victor Martinez, Juan Rivera, Filepe Lopez before he was big, Jose Guillen (nice but that guy was crazy), Matt Lawton (real cool), I went into the Phillies lockerroom (kinda wierd) and talked to Jimmy Rollins at his locker and my dad almost got hit by Pat Burrell, and some other guys.

I tell one of my dad's stories with Pete
My dad and his girlfriend back in the early 80's were out one night after a concert or something at about 3:00 AM. They were hungry so they went into Perkins. The place was empty except there was Pete and Pete Jr over at a table. My dad was a singer so his girlfriend was pretty good looking so he decided to sit away from Pete and didnt look over at him. His girlfriend says she has to go to the bathroom which is right pass Pete. My dad tells her "dont look at him, I dont know what he'll do, just dont look at him." So she gets up, walks straight pass Pete and the whole time Pete is starring at her. When she gets past he turns and pats Pete Jr on the shoulder ( about 10-15 years old) and says "now that's a nice a**."