Header - Baseball by the Letters

www.sportscollectors.net

Remembering the two faces of departed Detroit Tiger Dave Bergman

by
I love this 1982 Topps, not just for
the facsimile autograph, but
the hint that Bergman might
have been signing for fans in the stands
FOR FREE!

Dave Bergman’s death at age 61 may maintain a hobby mystery.

The famed 1984 Detroit Tigers role player continued his devotion to youth baseball until the end. Anyone who met him in the Detroit area seemed charmed by his enthusiasm and sincerity.
His feelings about autographs weren’t so clear. 
Check the fascinating www.sportscollectors.net for insights about Bergman’s differing signing habits. He was charging for autographs by mail as early as 2010, ending with a $7 per fee. 
Previously, he tried to maintain a limit of one autograph per fan letter. Other cards would be returned unsigned, if at all. And, years ago, I saw him express to a reporter that he didn’t want to answer any questions by mail.
The moral of this story? So many collectors pursue stars first. Don’t assume that only the top names in the game will become tougher signers in later years. 

Catcher Bob Schmidt’s greatest teammate ever?

by
It’s been 50 years since he
was on a baseball card. One ailing
catcher isn’t ready to forget
fans yet.

I’d nominate Mrs. Schmidt.

Justin Evans at the popular Baseball Autographs Facebook group posted a questionnaire response from Schmidt’s wife.
Justin hadn’t gotten the word that Schmidt’s health lessened in 2013. 
A stroke and Parkinson’s disease make autographs impossible for Schmidt. However, despite not being able to sign, there’s no stopping his devotion to the game.
After all, this is someone who ranks at 101 replies in 106 collector attempts at the amazing www.sportscollectors.net website.
Five questions were answered, followed by the closing in a wife’s handwriting:
“We thank you for being a fan. Sincerely, Mary Ann Schmidt.”
When you get an autograph or a note back, remember that two people may be deserving of gratitude. A wife may be just as delighted as you with the idea of an autograph. Why?
Because she remains that retiree’s biggest fan.

SportsCollectors.net website gives hobby hope

by
Yes, I like the movie…
I post this for those sure the
hobby will never be like it used to.
Keep looking. Hope remains!

I guess I’m a groundhog looking for signs of spring.

For me, one ray of sunshine came last week on www.sportscollectors.net. If you are new to the hobby, make this one of your first stops. The $14.99 yearly membership is a bargain in so many ways. The knowledge will pay you back again and again.
One bonus from the website was a member, “byamrcn,” culling signing data for the top 200 baseball names on the website. 
Sure, SCN offers a feature in which you can look up a particular name. What is that retiree’s signing habits? How many total attempts TTM have been logged? How many responses were received?
While you can look up an individual, other hobbyists may be looking for a bit of hope before mailing that letter. Maybe, that collector, especially beginners, want to deal with high-percentage responders. Classmates might elect that former athlete “guy most likely to sign an autograph.” Sure enough, you can choose which autograph “horse” to bet on, finding guys who have responded anywhere from 90 to 100 percent of the time.
Well, as I looked at this list, my jaw dropped. Member “byamrcn” explained on the site forum about how he used Excel worksheets to compile and organize data. He does NOT collect baseball autographs. He’s doing this public service for others in the hobby.
Hobbyists helping each other. It still happens. 

Goodbye, Boston Red Sox pitcher Bill Monbouquette

by
This facsimile autograph
on this 1967 still makes me smile.
The hurler always seemed to
squeeze his real signature
on one line. Until the end, you
could read every letter!
Bill Monbouqette never stopped pitching.
I received an inspiring reply from “Monbo” in 2010.
So many of you did, too. Personalizations. He’d inscribe it all on request. The 1962 no-hitter date. His Red Sox Hall of Fame selection. Questions answered. Not one-word replies, but one letter! Encouragement to other patients battling cancers.
Too many media reports make this a story of leukemia outdueling a 78-year-old.
I choose to look at how he lived. He was one of the first teammates to stand up for teammate Pumpsie Green, Boston’s Jackie Robinson.
The stunning www.sportscollectors.net reported that the hurler responded to 318 of 326 TTM requests, as recently as December. 
I loved this account of one of Bill’s greatest victories…off the field. This is a great romantic tale (with a baseball subtext!) to savor for the upcoming Valentine’s Day. I tip my cap to Steve Buckley and the Boston Herald.

Remembering the late Stu Miller’s “batting average” and mine

by
You could read every letter of his autograph!

I missed out on Stu Miller.

The former pitcher died last week at age 87. 
I looked him up on the ever-amazing www.sportscollectors.net. He had signed 355 of 362 requests. Collectors had replies as recent as Dec. 31 from Miller.
I noticed that he used was signing for pay back in 2002, getting $8 for signatures. Somehow, that agreement was short-lived…giving collectors a second chance with this autograph dynamo.
No idea why I wasn’t one of the replies. 
Let’s hope heaven’s winds don’t knock him off that mound!