Autographs

I've heard many "autograph experts" that do not like black sharpies.

Most suggest using "acid free" devices. Which oddly enough Sharpie makes an acid free "autograph sharpie"

http://www.baseball-fever.com/archive/index.php/t-31069.html

http://www.sanfordb2b.com/b2b/jhtml/products/subbrandle...subBrandId=SBRND1064

I don't know about cards, but I have always heard balls should only be signed with blue ballpoint pens.
Leave it up to Sharpie to come out with the 'acid free' sharpie, next will be the T.O. model...

Don't know about the blue pen, hubbie has a Roger Maris ball and it is fading very badly.
It is now away from any light

They now have mini sharpies you can put on yuor keychain!

Yeah I suggest a blue sharpie for cards and pictures. You're Thome shouldn's wear out any time soon, though. I've got some things signed in black and it hasn't shown any trouble yet.

Whew, y'all had me worried for a minute. I had to re-check the signatures on the pre-nuptial agreement to make sure her signature hadn't faded like the promise of "love, honor, and obey" has over the years.
Fungo

Just to add on to this thread, what are some of the best autographs you have? Mine are Adam Dunn when he played in the Alaska Baseball League, Donovan McNabb, Kurt Warner and Grant Wistrom.

Jim Plunkett, when in Tampa for the Super Bowl (Raiders vs. Redskins)
Rod Carew
Phil and Joe Niekro (on same ball)
Larry Bird on a Celtics jersey
Roger Clements

Jim Thome,
Jason LaRue,
Sean Casey,
Cal Ripken JR.,
Jason Kendall,
Bill Mazeroski,
Bill Virdon,
Dick Groat

Cal Ripken Jr.
Brooks Robinson
Rollie Fingers
Ozzie Smith
A-Rod
Jim Thome
Don Mattingly
Billy Wagner
Nolan Ryan
Carmelo
Kobe
and of course all current astros

TPM...we have the same problem with a ball signed in blue ballpoint ink...some fading.

We made 2 trips to Cooperstown over Induction Weekends.....also....we were fortunate enough to know the former clubhouse mgr for the Indians...so....son has a lot of signed balls...signed bats, and cards....but think these are amoung his favorites:

all 3 Ripkins on one ball
Ted Williams
Joe DiMaggio
Sandy Koufax
Bob Feller
Brooks Robinson
Mickey Mantle
Pee Wee Reese
Phil Rizzuto
Enos Slaughter
Stan Musial
Warren Spahn
Harmon Killebrew
Al Kaline
Rollie Fingers
Bobie Doerr
Ernie Banks
George Brett
Bob Gibson
Carlton Fisk
Whitey Ford
Yogi Berra
Lou Brock
Jim Bunning
Rod Carew
Steve Carlton
Orlando Cepeda
Larry Doby
Monte Irvin
Reggie Jackson
George Kell
Ralph Kiner
Al Lopez
Juan Marichal
Eddie Matthews
Willie Mays
Willie McCovey
Joe Morgan
Phil Niekro
Jim Palmer
Tony Perez
Gaylord Perry
Earl Weaver
Hoyt Wilhelm
Carl Yastrzemski
Robin Yount

Our first trip to Cooperstown...just son and I.....we purchased a bat at the museum...then went out on the street to see about getting autographs.....we came to a table where two were signing....paid up....and got their signatures. That night I phoned my husband and told him about the bat.....and that son and I planned on getting more signatures on it the next day. He asked who had signed it....I told him some guys named Thompson and Branca....he said whatever I did....not to let anyone else sign that bat! Being an old boy from Brooklyn....he wanted it just like it was......

Cooperstown on Induction weekend is a great place to be for autographs.....

My son's prize ball is autographed by the entire '69 Mets team.

I had an old ball for a while with Walter Johnson autograph. It was a team signed ball. Lots of the names were faded. Who knows what they signed with back then, A fountain pen, I guess. I sold it for diaper money when I was broke on day.

I still have these though.

Steve Bedrosian
Steve Carlton
Roger Clemens
Carlton Fisk
Zach Greinke
Orel Hershiser
Rick Mahler
Eric Ridener
Reggie Smith
Don Sutton
Carl Yastremski

Only baseball autographs I have are: won a Mike Schmidt autographed ball [one of my all time favorite players] and a Marlon Byrd ball in the same raffle [talk about opposite ends of the spectrum!!] and got Jeff Manto to sign one for me at a golf tournament.

Got an autograph from Dr Jack Ramsey as a 7th grader when he was the hoops coach at St Joe's - he spoke at our CYO breakfast - got another one from him on a beer coaster when I saw him in a bar in South Jersey a couple years back when the Sixers made the finals.

Got a ton of hockey autographs: Doug Favell, Bernie Parent, Joe Watson, Barry Ashbee [rip], Moose Dupont. I also have a bunch from the old WHA - no idea who half the guys are!!! But I have programs from a bunch of the Philadelphia Blazers games, that I got signed by a bunch of players, including Johnny McKenzie and Derek Sanderson.

When my son was 12 he convinces me we need to get to the Giants game early to watch batting practice.

We’re in left field and darn if my son doesn’t catch a ball. A few minutes later another one hits the base of the wall and the fielder tosses it up to him. Now he is seriously jazzed. He is having a very good day.

He asks if he can go and try to get some autographs. I say sure and sit down in the bleachers and let the sun warm me.

Half-hour later I look up and see my son careening towards me bumping into walls and seats, He has the biggest smile I’ve ever seen. He says Dad you’re not going to believe this.

When he left to get autographs he left the batting practice balls in my care the only thing he had with him was a new Little League ball that he keeps in his glove. He made his way around the stadium until he got to the edge of the Giant’s dugout.

J.T Snow is entering the dugout and son asks for his autograph, JT says sure and son tosses his little league ball. JT signs it – tosses it to Bonds as he exits the dugout. My son reports Barry kind of scowls but signs the ball and flips it back up.

During the game people kept stopping by to look at the ball. My son was having a very good day indeed.

Now that is what baseball is all about. A 12 year old boy, a ball, a game and heroes; combining to make one of the best memories in my life.

Ed

JT just went up a couple notches in my book - some for signing and a few more for putting Bonds on the spot - he have to know that he knew Bonds didn't want to sign it!! SMOOTH

I believe Arizonadad is a huge Bond's fan. He may be willing to part with his Williams,Dimaggio, Koufax, and Mantle for a rare Bonds signature.

My son's prized possession would be the 1951 Giants team-signed ball his Grandfather gave him. That's the Shot-Heard-'Round-The-World, Willie Mays rookie team. My Dad played Armed Forces ball with Clint Hartung, a much-hyped young pitcher who never fulfilled his potential and is now the answer to a trivia question: who scored the first run on Bobby Thompson's home run. (Clint went in as pinch runner when Mueller was injured sliding into third). He sent my Dad the ball.

We've also got Johnny Bench, Stan Musial, Lou Brock, Bob Gibson, Enos Slaughter, Frank Robinson, Ozzie Smith and host of 'lesser' mortals like Joe Torre, Frank Viola, Gaylord Perry, and Tony LaRussa....don't think I could remember them all without taking inventory, but nothing matches his Giants ball for the connection with his Granddad!

denisr400....I'm a Mom....and as you well know...not a Bond's fan...nor is my son.

Don't think we could get son to part with any of his collection....and most certainly not for a Bond's signature.....and you knew that too
As my husband, the Dad...just said, when I told him of your "offer"... the only time we would be interested in bonds is if we had to make bail....

Echo...that said...can understand your son's excitement.....and happiness with his signed ball....it must have been a special day indeed.

Sorry bout that arizonared. Reading thru things too quickly and trying to do 5 things at the same time. Just a little more Bonds humor for us Barry supporters out here.

Denisr400....no problem......you are not the first poster to call me a Dad....if I didn't like being a lady so much....I'd take it as a compliment...and we enjoyed your post!

Thank you arizonared. This was pre clear and cream. My son still has not completely worked through his thoughts on Bonds.

He's gone through confusion (having to learn what steroids are and what they do), denial and rationalization. While the memory of that day is a good/wonderful thing there will always be a little asterisk beside it.

The upside was a perfect opportunity to talk about roll models, heroes and being human.

Ed

Hmmmmmmmm...

A few that we have that come to mind: Rocky Colavito, Herb Score, Dale Murphy, ZACH DUKE (yo, OPP!), Griffey, Jr., Mario Lemieux, and Sean Burroughs (age 12) after his Long Beach, CA team won the Little League World Series!

Fun topic. My "favorite" ones are:

Ted Williams (got his while trout fishing)
Mike Schmidt
Cal Ripken, Jr.
Ozzie Smith
Brett Favre (not baseball...but a funny story
getting it, therefore special)

and.....future player in the majors A.J. Shappi

we have a very large autograph collection that we've gathered over the past decade or so, mostly at games.

My favorite being Sandy Koufax. Spotted him sort of hiding out in the bullpen at Dodger Stadium before an old timers game and had a chance to chat with him. What a gentleman. Ozzie Smith is another who could not have been nicer about signing and took a few moments to chat. Gary Sheffield, the late Ken Caminnitti, Ernie Banks, Bob Gibson, Don Baylor, Dante Bichette, Brett Butler, Ellis Burks and John Mabry stand out as others who could not have been more gracious. Mabry and Burks each handed my son a bat after they signed his baseball.

Most surprising to receive-Barry Bonds-we were at Dodger Stadium & Bonds was standing on the field near the railing by our seats and was approached by a man who was escorting Mrs. Jackie Robinson and asked Bonds to sign a ball on the 'sweet spot' for Mrs. Robinson. Bonds refused and said he'd only sign on a side panel. They got into a rather heated discussion and, apparently to show this other man that he was such a nice guy, Bonds took the ball my son was holding and without saying a word signed my son's baseball. The ironic thing being that my son didn't want his autograph.

Worst autograph experience-my son approached Lee Smith (then with the Cards) and asked for a signature-Smith told him he doesn't sign for "white boys". Other leading "jerks" we have encountered would include ken Griffery Sr. and Jr., Tony Gwynn, kenny lofton, Greg Maddux and Randy Johnson.

Many players are very pleasant. Far too many are simply horrible about signing as if it is so shocking that a kid would ask for an autograph at a baseball game.

My favorite autograph is Joe Frazier.

Fiercest person in his field of play- and nicest human being I ever met off his "field".

Smokin Joe!

Heybatter...enjoyed your stories....we have a Brett Butler ball too....we were at Doubleday Stadium...think 1997.....and it was the Induction Weekend game....we were seated in the outfield and Butler was signing between innings...a very causual game! Anyway my son, 10 at the time...noticed that Brett was putting a happy face after his signature when he signed....well my kid, the purist, asked him not to do that on his ball....like what was he thinking? Well Butler very nicely signed the ball....with the happy face and told my son that since his succesfull bout with cancer....it was happy faces all the way.....