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L.A. Dodger Dick Gray Delighted Autograph Collectors

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www.Baseball-Almanac.com
has an awesome collection of
autographs, including those
many of us missed out on!

Dick Gray, the man who hit the first-ever homer for the L.A. Dodgers, has died at age 81.

The ever-impressive www.sportscollectors.net noted that Gray never disappointed. He was a perfect 63-for-63.

The most common notation from collectors? Gray would add a “thanks for writing” note. Answering questions, adding requested personalizations — Gray did it all.

The part-time third baseman remained a class act, personifying the fan-friendly tradition known as “The Dodger Way.”

Hobby heroes are still out there ready to sign, but they won’t last long.

Cincy’s Gene Freese, Autograph All-Star, Gone At Age 79

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How much did Fleer pay
players for appearing in
their 1960s sets? In 1963,
the card came with a cookie.
Were players paid in
baked goods?!?

Thanks to Ron Martin for sharing some sad news:

 
“I guess that you have heard that a true friend to the hobby of TTM collecting has departed.  Gene Freese a member of the 1961 Ragamuffin Reds passed away last week evidently from complications due to back surgery.  I know that I had gotten several items signed by him through the years including the photo of Pete Rose coming out of the dugout for his first game in the major leagues.  Rose, Frank Robinson, Cardenas, and Tommy Harper who you cannot see in that photo are the only surviving members in that photo.  Where has time gone?”
 
Mr. Freese (yes, I watched Batman…) died at age 79.
 
Anyone who played more than a decade in the pre-expansion 1950s and 60s had my admiration.
 
Most of all, I admired Freese’s ironman ethic serving the hobby. The sterling website www.sportscollectors.net credited him for signing 183 of 185 requests.
 
Sadly, I missed out on him. Examples of his signature were superbly detailed. No G— F—–.
 
One collector shared on the SCN site that he tried to send Freese $5. The veteran returned the cash with the requested autograph, along with an note claiming that the fiver was half of the signing bonus he received in 1953!
 
The roster of available signers from the 1950s and 60s is shrinking. Get these hobby heroes like Gene Freese as fast as you can.
 
 
 
 

When the ‘Can’t Miss’ Signer Ignores You

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My first ever game
in St. Louis. Will I
see Bob Gibson pitch?
Nope. Spot-start Santorini.
Sigh…

It’s easy to shrug off a non-return from a superstar. “Who DOES he sign for?” you ask. “Join the club.”

Things are different for the supposed sure-thing autographers. Why me? Everyone BUT me!

On a recent www.sportscollectors.net forum, someone posted —

“Al Santorini Hates Me.”

I couldn’t avoid reading such a story. Actually, the collector was being a bit poetic in his recap. It seems he’s gotten TTM toughies like Phil Niekro and Sandy Koufax. He wanted former pitcher Santorini for a special project collection — signed photos of all 1969 (first year) San Diego Padres.

Three Santorini requests. Three non-returns. The collector wrote me, saying he thought about using an alias or even a different address.

My advice?

1. Spell it out why you want his autograph. Make it clear he’s special, simply because of the roster he was on. Ask him to help reach your goal. Ballplayers made the majors by setting and meeting goals.

2. Hand-print your request. Occasionally, a retired player will speak up about disliking what they think is a mass-produced letter. If your handwriting is subpar, they might appreciate your suffering even more.

I think there’s nothing sinister in the failures. Santorini has signed for 83 percent (59 of 71) of collectors through the mail, says the SCN site.

Assume nothing in this crazy hobby of ours. Times change. People do, too. I’m thankful that we get more than three strikes as collectors.

Outsmarting Autograph Fees

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I just heard from a collector who got a happy surprise by mail.

Someone who has a policy of charging per autograph through the mail (a rather stiff fee, in my opinion), signed one card for free in care of the team he’s still connected with.

I’m not naming the collector who shared this fact, nor the signer. The person has employed a fan mail “service” to process autograph requests. I don’t want the signer with second thoughts getting bombarded, or the autograph broker getting revenge over a missed profit.

However, this news gives me hope. Why?

1. Perhaps, some guys using autograph fees are looking only to curb mail sent to their homes. A letter to their team is easier to handle, considering that the person is signing on paid time. If a retiree is a special coach or advisor in spring training, that could be an option if the letter is well-timed.

2. Asking for one item wins over some skeptical signers.

3. A personal letter geared to that specific person is the key to winning.

Sure, there’s a chance that a collector’s attempt to sidestep the fee will wind up with a price list and an unsigned card. Or, no return at all. You make the call.

Members of www.sportscollectors.net will post successes, including times when a charging signer has relented. Do your research. You might get lucky.

C’mon, Chet Lemon!

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For many autograph collectors, it’s about the GETTING.

For others, it’s the GIVING.

And the HOPING.

Some hobbyists might nickname former outfielder Chet Lemon as “Lost Cause Lemon.” The always-awesome www.sportscollectors.net site says that Lemon’s last documented response came in 2007.

That hasn’t stopped Dan Brunetti and his son.

They decorated an envelope with tiny pics of all 54 of Lemon’s cards. The whole undertaking took more than an hour. Dan’s son wrote the letter. They just want one card each signed (for their Topps set projects).

Dan’s son told Mr. Lemon in the letter that he had a “cool name.”

He’s got two cool fans. Autograph or not, this pair have a classic shared memory that’ll deserve a lasting place in their collections.