What is you favorite TTM/IP story?

[imac220]

Mine personally was last year when I went to my first NBA game. The game was between my favorite team the Wizards, and the Hawks. After the game, my dad and I left the Arena, and were going to watch the players drive off in their hundreds of thousands dollar cars. I brought a basketball just in case there would be an opportunity to get an autograph. Car, after car went flying by, until a red-light. There was one car waiting to go, Gilbert Arenas's. I went up to his car and knocked on the window of his car. He rolled down the window and said "Hey bud, what can I do for you" I responded by asking if he could sign my basketball, he said "absolutely." he signed only for two other people, then drove off.

 

[ostrander111]

Great story! He sounds like a great guy!

 

[17ROCKIES12]

IP- Meeting Cal Ripken Jr. and Frank Thomas at the NLCS and getting them both on ROMLBs.

TTM- Getting letters back from Joe DiGangi every couple months.

 

[Pete14Rose]

I have a few...but my fav..


Going back to 1987, I think I was 13 or so. There was an ad in the paper for a Grand Opening of a Palmer Video store (they were the Blockbuster of that era) in the heart of downtown Elizabeth, NJ. They were having a guest appearance and signing session by Willie Stargell.

I figured since it was on a Saturday I would try and go. Knowing full well how crazy signings can get I expected there to be a HUGE line. So my parents and I set plans for the day, they would drop me off, go shopping and come back for me 2-3 hours later.

They drop me off, I walk in .... and the place is dead...I mean a ghost town. lol But there was Willie Stargell - "Pops", 2 time WS Champ, '79 NL MVP & '79 WS MVP..just sitting there behind a few tables set up in horseshoe shape.

I walk up to him and do my typical greeting to an athlete..."Hi Mr. Stargell it really nice to meet you"...and I shook his hand. He had a huge stack og black and white glossy photos in front of him. He grabs one, asks my name and signs one inscribed to me. I shook his hand again and thanked him and left.

Duh, my parents weren;t going to be back for hours! What to do? So I walked back inside and asked him if I could have another picture signed, made out to my step father (who couldn't gives a rats behind about baseball, I was just killing time lol), he agreed and signed it. I promptly thanked him again and left...again.

When I returned for the 3rd time (lol) he asked, "Hey kid, where's your parents?". So I explained to him that I was kinda stuck for the next few hours and how I had expected there to be this huge line (sometime we say the wrong things without thinking as kids lol). He laughed, looked around and said, "C'mon back here with me and grab a seat. We can talk while you wait for them. This place is pretty dead."

I was like WHAT? So I sat back behind the table with Willie Stargell for nearly 3 hours!! We talked about hitting, baseball in general, the Pirates, he even made jokes about the 2-3 customers that were loafing around (they apparently had no idea who he was). He even brought up Roberto Clemente....I told him that I wanted to ask about him but I knew how close they were and respected that and didn't want to bring it up. He thanked me for being polite.

Anyway.....my parents eventually showed up...he got up and shook their hands and commented on what a great kid I was with a ton of baseball knowledge for being so young (great compliment I thought coming from a major leaguer).


That's my best IP memory. Willie Stargell was a terrific person to talk to. Great guy as well as a really good ballplayer. When he passed in 2001 I wrote an article for my local paper and recounted the story above. I had a clipping of the article until I lost a bunch of things in a move a few years back.


EDIT -

Just to add....after this I strated searching Ebay just to see if I could find any of the photos he was signing that day...longshot I know. I lost mine, along with that newspaper clipping, a few years ago. Low and behold! I found one! Here's the exact glossy black/white he was signing that day!! I actually might just try and win it just to have one again.


http://cgi.ebay.com/Willie-Stargell-HOF ... dZViewItem

 

[imac220]

Great story! He sounds like a great guy!

He really is!

 

[imac220]

Pete14Rose: What a story! Thanks for sharing!

 

[Big Mac McGwire]

Great story!!

 

[dano7]

Stargell was great. I met him at a card show here in Roanoke. It was when the Donruss cards had just come out with his puzzle in it. I bought a box, went home and glued the puzzle to a piece of cardboard and went back to the show to have him sign it. He hadn't seen the puzzle and asked me about it. Excellent conversationalist.
I'll scan the puzzle when I get home.
DANNY

 

[Ty Hope]

This is my favorite IP auto by far. I'm a HUGE Star Wars fan and was soooooo happy when they announced the first ever Star Wars convention in Japan this past summer. I got a bunch of IP autos there, but I was completely star struck when I got to meet Mark Hamill. He was a real cool guy.

 

[MaineMule]

This is my favorite IP auto by far. I'm a HUGE Star Wars fan and was soooooo happy when they announced the first ever Star Wars convention in Japan this past summer. I got a bunch of IP autos there, but I was completely star struck when I got to meet Mark Hamill. He was a real cool guy.

...very nice, guess the "force was with you!" :lol:

 

[dano7]

As promised earlier today, here is the Stargell signed puzzle.
DANNY

 

[alifaxwa2]

My favorite is my longest TTM return ever.
Redskins OL Chris Samuels:
Sent: 10/05/2001
Rcvd: 05/19/2007 (2052 Days)

I sent an IC to Chris Samuels back when I was in college. Received the IC back signed, in my original SASE, with the college mailbox as TO and FROM address crossed out. The college must have got the letter and forwarded it on to the address on file, which was my parents address. Chris added a 5 cent stamp on it also.

 

[imac220]

My favorite is my longest TTM return ever.
Redskins OL Chris Samuels:
Sent: 10/05/2001
Rcvd: 05/19/2007 (2052 Days)

I sent an IC to Chris Samuels back when I was in college. Received the IC back signed, in my original SASE, with the college mailbox as TO and FROM address crossed out. The college must have got the letter and forwarded it on to the address on file, which was my parents address. Chris added a 5 cent stamp on it also.

6 YEARS CRAZY!

 

[jbone17]

My favorite IP story was probably Carl Pavano of the Yankees on August 12th vs. Bowie. He was rehabbing for the Trenton Thunder and in the 7th inning he got taken out of the game. I ran outside and waited by the visiting clubhose door for about an hour. Finally, Pavano's family comes and sits right next to me. His wife said, "Are you waiting for my husband?" I said yes and we began talking. Then, Carl comes out of the clubhouse and his wife introduced me to him. I shook his hand and asked if he would sign my card. He signed a 2005 Topps Updates and Highlights card and I shook his hand again. I also got Matt Wieters that day to lol.

 

[imac220]

Any more :?:

 

[dano7]

All time favorite IP story:
In 1991, when my son was 3, I saw where Johnny Unitas was going to be at a card show in Maryland, less than an hour from my in-laws home in Frederick. I told my wife that I'd always wanted to meet Unitas and get an autograph. So I decided to introduce my son to the world of card shows and to give him a chance to meet a HOFer. We got to the show and I bought the photo. When we got to Unitas I told Andrew to go stand close to him so I could get a photo. Unitas said, "Let's do this right," and he took time to sit Andrew on his lap for the picture. He was a HOFer in football and in real life, as he also took time to talk to Andrew for a minute or two.
DANNY

 

[MaineMule]

All time favorite IP story:
In 1991, when my son was 3, I saw where Johnny Unitas was going to be at a card show in Maryland, less than an hour from my in-laws home in Frederick. I told my wife that I'd always wanted to meet Unitas and get an autograph. So I decided to introduce my son to the world of card shows and to give him a chance to meet a HOFer. We got to the show and I bought the photo. When we got to Unitas I told Andrew to go stand close to him so I could get a photo. Unitas said, "Let's do this right," and he took time to sit Andrew on his lap for the picture. He was a HOFer in football and in real life, as he also took time to talk to Andrew for a minute or two.
DANNY

Beautiful picture, thanks for sharing!!!! Does your son appreciate the picture?

 

[dano7]

He's now 20 and very much appreciates the picture and knowing that he met one of my favorite football hero!
DANNY

 

[msink28]

I was 11, and I received an auto that I had sent out months earlier of my favorite player, Mo Vaughn. It arrived in the mail the day he won AL MVP in 1995!