Easy Bay autograph...

[redsmetz]

I once was at my bank talking to this branch manager and while he went off to get some paperwork, I noticed an autographed baseball on his desk. All I could see was what I thought was "Johnny", so when he came back I asked if that was a Johnny Bench autographed ball. He told that it wasn't, that it was Johny Vander Meer ball (I hadn't noticed the just one "n"). I was surprised and he said he had gotten that summer at a fundraiser Vander Meer had done for the Kiwanees for his aunt's 100 and something birthday. He told me they still had some left for $25.00 and he could get me one. Wow, I jumped at the chance. It's signed with his name and the dates 6/11/38 and 6/15/38 on it. I've also got a Barry Larkin ball sitting here too that my brother in law gave for Christmas one year.

My son has collected autographs since he was little. He's got about twenty signed balls, some photos, sheets of paper. Mostly of baseball players, but also football players too. He has a Sandy Koufax (our friend who played with him at UC got him that one), Jim Bunning (my dad got him that one) and Pete Rose (my neighbor gave him that one). He even has at Tommy Umphlett ball (he replaced Dom DiMaggio in the Bosox outfield - he's my sister-in-law's uncle).

He also has a Tom Henke ball he had signed at Cinergy when the Cards were in town. He's my wife's second cousin and we were trying to get his attention while shagging balls in batting practice. Our kids were 7, 10 and 12 and when Henke was running by, my wife shouted out "Hey, Tom Henke, we're related!". That got his attention and caused my younger daughter - the 10 year old then - to hope and pray the earth would open and swallow her right there from the embaressment of her mom yelling like that! He came over and yacked with us a bit and signed a ball for our son.

[Here's an unknown factoid. Tom Henke and Neil Rackers are distantly related. My wife's grandmother and Tom Henke's grandmother were Rackers - I think I figured out that Rackers and my kids are 4th cousins - so he's Tom Henke's 3rd cousin, one removed!]

[butlerbulldogs]

I saw manos de oro at Tropicana after the loss on Friday, pretty cool dude, i couldn't believe how short he was~!

[bounty37h]

I ahve collected autos, for my personal enjoyment only, since the early 80's. It started at a minor league game, my dad pointed at an old guy, adn told me to go get his autograph. by the time I got down there, the guy had got up, and walked out onto the field. My dad had told em to get it though, so I wasnt going to dissapoint, so chased him out on the field and down into the dugout. That Luke Appling ball still sits on my shelf, along with @ 50 other signed baseballs. I mostly get a lot of college stuff, as I live off UNC's campus, and not much access to pro sports here, other then Durham Bulls.

[TOBTTReds]

Originally Posted by butlerbulldogs

I saw manos de oro at Tropicana after the loss on Friday, pretty cool dude, i couldn't believe how short he was~!

George, is that you?

[Reds1]

I was at that game and we sat close to where Pitt signed and my brother had a pirate hat and had Duke and Capps sign his black hat with a grey marker he borrowed. There were some older couple that had a book full of pirates signed. He said he stayed in the hotel and after the game they wouldn't sign as they were pissed after the loss, but the next morning he got tons of autos. I could have easily gottan Zach Duke, but I didn't want to mess up my Reds hat. LOL

I will say I was very disappointed in the Reds. No one was signing. Not even Griffey who was off that game. Pretty sad. Also, I noticed Griffey walked out and sat in the bullpen most of the night. Maybe all the night. I never saw him again after he made the walk out there. Pretty wild.

Anyways - Great two days watching two victories though.

Originally Posted by indyred

Was it an official ball game ball? Some teams now use green lettered batting practice balls. Cheaper I guess.....

Yeah, I caught it in BP. It didn't have green letters though, blue like normal. I haven't heard or seen that, I wonder what the deal is with the green.