Joe Garagiola. Bob Uecker. Now Jim Campanis. Meet another catcher who can spin classic diamond yarns.
If you’ve ever gotten an autograph from Jim, be sure to make room on your shelves for this new book. Who knows? He might have an autograph anecdote or two tucked in the pages.
I shared Jack Dittmer’s great letter back in 2011.
Looking back, I see a pattern:
Born 1928 in Iowa
Died 2014 in Iowa
College sports star in….
Iowa?
Yep!
Year after year, I hear from collectors and researchers who want to make contact with baseball’s past.
How do they bridge that gap?
Simple. Pay attention to the player’s roots. I think Dittmer would have replied, no matter what. After all, he was an IOWAN. However, I took no chances. I noted my commonality with him.
Want to get your letter opened and up your chances for a response? Think geographically.
Before it all began for Chris? This pic dates back to February, 1989. (Photo credit: KPMcClave/Wikimedia Commons)
Pitcher Chris Hammond logged 14 major league seasons for seven teams.
These days, he’s pitching for a different cause.
Collectors have adored Hammond for years. He’s been a faithful signer through the mail. The website SportsCollectors.net says he’s come through on 328 of 356 attempts, good for a 92 percent success rate.
When I saw on the site that some collectors noted they had sent $1 per autograph, I tracked down the hurler to ask about his fee.
His response:
“I never have asked anyone for money for my measly autograph,” Hammond replied. “But a friend of mine told me to ask for a $1 donation toward my Youth Foundation. I started a youth foundation over 10 years ago that helps underprivileged kids better prepare for life. The first area we try to help these youth is in the area of getting them to participate in sports. If not, anything they need to help them have the best life they can.”
What sparked his public service for his home state of Alabama? “I do the work I do, everyday, because of the presence of Jesus Christ in me, and the work of the Holy Spirit through me!”
Want to feel good getting some affordable autographs? Using the standard self-addressed, stamped envelope and other hobby guidelines, write to Chris Hammond, 55 Sneh St, Oxford AL 36203. Only $1 per autograph for a good cause sounds good to me. Everybody wins!
Here’s Pat Neshek, autographing all-star. Wikimedia rocks! (Photo credit: Eric Enfermero/Wikimedia Commons)
Do you want a free image of the guy you are writing to?
Chances are, even that player may have never seen these images before!
Check out Wikimedia Commons. As I read their terms of use policy, there seems to be no conflict for collectors seeking something to get autographed for their own collections.
The hobby knows Jim Campanis Jr. is one of baseball’s best through-the-mail signers. 
