Hi Please list your top 5 in person autos in any sport. 1. magic johnson and kareem abdul jabbar on a basketball- got at a knicks game this year . 2. I couldnt decide the order so these guys are tied for 2 : pedro martinez, yogi berra, don mattingly, miguel cabrera, david wright, jose reyes, vernob wells,miguel tejeda,pedro martinez,kengriffy jr, mariano rivera, billy wagner, tom glavine, steinbrenner,beltran, delgado, tino martinez, don sutton, tim hudson, bobby cox, andruw jones, ralph kiner, willie randolph, jason bay, carl crawford, jim thome, curtis martin, tiki barber,carlos lee.

LOL Why didnt you just do ur top 30 list? Just Kidding!! Sounds like you have one heck of a collection going for yourself.

Scottie Pippen
Oscar Robertson
Reggie Bush
Vince Young
Ben Gordon

Curtis Joseph (the nicest of all)
Brodeur
Belfour
Thornton
Nash

All are IP autos I have.

nice collections especially brodeur and pippen

Tyrone Calico
Chris Brown
Ben Troupe
Benji Olsen
Zach Pillar

My top 5 list (so far and subject to change)

(1) Jason White- The former Heisman winner was in the Titans camp and
signed for well over an hour and not only signed but took
pictures. He also signed multiple items. I had several
items but just handed him my rookie card. He asked for
my helmet and mini helmet and signed those also. It
was really cool and totally unexpected. It was a week
before he retired!

(2) Drew Bennett - He also signed for over an hour and he is a class act.
He stood and talk to everyone about his dogs and the
new house he was in. I got a pic of him with my kids
and he said when I got it developed that he'd sign it !!
(I'm taking it this year to training camp)

(3) Rocky Calmus

(4) Steve Young - I got him to sign a card at a mall one year. He was there
shopping with his family. It was a stroke of luck that I
had just bought some cards at a shop and had his card!
I was scared about approaching him and when I got the
nerve, he was really cool and even SHOOK MY HAND
AND THANKED ME FOR SERVING MY COUNTRY. (I was
in the US Marine Corp). It was before I really started
collecting so it was my first Auto and I still have it!!!

(5) Kevin Johnson (receiver for the Browns in 99)

My most memorable was Bobby Valentine. He was the manager of the Norfolk Tides (Mets AAA). My timing probably was terrible. They had just lost a game badly and I call him to get him to sign. He looked at me like what the **** do you want. Probably thought I was another with nasty insults. I asked him to sign my card which was his rookie card. He took the card and his demeanor seemed to ease up. He said something about not knowing anyone still had these out there. He signed and politely handed the card back to me. I know he has taken a lot of heat for some of the things he has done after that, but to me he is still a class act for the fans.

cool stuff guys!

My only in person auto came from Trent Green. I was flying to Ft Myers for a job interview and he was on my flight, about half the time on the plane he was holding his baby so I didnt bother him, but as soon as he handed the kid off to his wife I went up to him and asked him to sign my resume (it was the only thing I had with me). We had about a 3 min conversation while I was kneeling in the isle, he asked me about my interview and everything, very, very nice guy. I never though a pro would actually take the time to ask about me.

cool story!

Joe Montana ,len Dawson, Steve Young, Dan Marino ,Richard Petty and steve Carlton on a starting lineup figure

My favorites:
1. David Wright
2. Al Leiter
3. Rafael Furcal
4. Cliff Floyd
5. Johnny Callison

1, Gump Worsley
thats my only in person..

Charles and Gary ...nice stories with the list ... I like the stories that go along with the names!!!

joe montana
mike alstott
derrick brooks
aubrey huff
roger staubach

also have others but those r my top 5 .. montana and alstott were the nicest.. had a convorsation with montana about the lakers since i was wearing a lakers jersey haha and alstott was just the nicest guy ever.. derrick seemed to be in a rush lol and wasnt what i expected but i would be too after signing so many things and plus his sig is nicee, aubrey i obtained after a devil rays baseball game... the roger staubach my dad got me and my brother when he was in dallas on a business trip (roger had a signing somewhere and my dad walked by and saw what was goin on and got us each a signed photo!!)

troy brohawn - he is my 3rd cousin and iv met him 3 times. one time we made the front page of the paper together as he signed my bat it was great

harold baines - got him at a dual signing it was him and troy brohawn

Top IP autos:

Fred Biletnikoff
Willie Brown
Ben Davidson
Jim Otto
Jim Plunkett

Jeff Francouer
Chris Lofton
Jamie D'Antonia
Jesus Cota
Josh Phelps

Francoeur Is a great guy

Yea, I got him in like one of his last minor league games. It was about 10 minutes before the game and he said he wasn' supposed to sign, but he still did for like 3 of us. It was great.

-Jerry West while scouting players at the Rainbow Classic in Hawaii ( UMass- Marcus Camby was amazing back then, Razorbacks- Big Nasty, Michigan, etc)

-Tim Brown, Bill Cowher, Rod Woodson @ the AFC Pro Bowl Practice

-Jake The Snake Plummer & key cardinals at the time after they crushed the skins with a Joe Nedney game winning FGs (more to the story..)

-most recently Steve Carlton here in San Antonio June 2006

as a kid, Jerry "The King" Lawler and other big time Wrestlers before the WWF

my best in person autographs were brooks robinson (2 different times, a total of 3 autographs...1 is for sale (on card)) al bumbry, ron hansen x2, boog powell, travis driskell x2, travis hake....those were all my in persons

How did you get berras, and kiners?

wow i have tons of autos but no huge guys like some of you


id have to go


McNabb
jim thome
chase utley
ryan howard

I got yogi in tampa 2 years ago during spring training and I get kiner at shea. He is pretty easy to get there

My Favorites

1. Jeremiah Trotter- Got him on his SI at Eagles training camp.

2. Lito Sheppard- He was one of the nicest players at Eagles Training Camp. He is very fan friendly. I got him on a football.

3. Paul Posluzny- Got Him on a full size helmet along with other Penn Staters at the Blue and White Game.

4. Michael Robinson- Got him to sign a Mini Helmet. He was signing at a bookstore before the Blue and White Game.

5. David Akers- He is the BEST Signer on the whole Eagles team. He signs everything for everyone. Got his at Eagles Training Camp.

I have gotten a lot of Autos At Eagles Training Camp. I am pratically their every day.

Nice stories! I hope to get more autos at the Titans camp.

I have lot of IPs but the most memorable 5 were these..

1. Jerome Bettis - came to our hospital in Germany where I was stationed out of a white bus to visit the injured soldiers from Afghanistan. Spoke with him for 10 minutes and got his picture. GREAT guy and why I am a HUGE fan of him and the Steelers.

2. Ken Griffey Jr. - I think I tiold the story of my dad taking a picture of him instead of with him at Caesars paace in Vegas but he got auto for me on a piece of paper... cool

3. Phoenix Suns bench in the late 90's (Wayman Tisdale, Wesley Person, Elliott Perry, Antonio Lang and a couple of others I can't remember) - a lot of NBA teams practiced at our college before they played against the Warriors so I got to watch a practice in the gym with a few and I hun out with Wayman after practice and talked smack to him about losing to my old favorite college (Memphis St.) in 1985 denying him of a chance to go to the Final Four (he was still a little bitter). Always cool to shoot around with the pros. Antonio Lang wanted me to hook him up with one of my ladyfriends . That was REAL funny!

4. Aaron Miles, Vinny Castilla, Royce Clayton who signed a "Stay Safe" for a buddy of mine who loved the Rockies and was deployed to Iraq at the time. You may have seen the sign on my site.

5. Johna Santana : Hit me in the shoulder with a ball during warm-ups prior to a Twins-Dodger game. I yelled (in pain first) "I thought you won the Cy Young last year!" He yells sorry and comes over later and autographs the ball he hit me with. Classy!!

Honorable mention : Serena Williams, Mark Prior, Todd Helton, Neifi Perez, Jose Lima

id now have to say that my best 2 are

1 Erik Bedard
2 Rodrigo Lopez

Straightbutta - great stories that go along with the names!

1A-Jean Beliveau
1B-Johnny Bower
3-Guy Lafleur
4-Joe Carter
5-Jason Spezza

What a story!

mine would have to be these:

dan issel (HOF and something like 4th all time scorer in NBA and ABA together or something like that)
mike ditka
greg maddux
Vlad Guerrero
Jose Rio (world series MVP)
big cat williams (bears D lineman a few years back)
Steve Smyth (relief pitcher for cubs for only a little while but was probably the most special because he signed my ball after i threw out the first pitch at wrigley field...AMAZING)
Keith Foulke

Here are some good in person experiences...

Tom Glavine (great guy, met at a grocery store in Georgia, we actually shopped at the same one!)

Dale Murphy (met MANY times, nicest signer, met at many events at schools plus games, even met at an Applebees in Georgia once)

Gabe Kapler (met at an event through a previous job, very nice guy, had conversation with him, I even have a video on my cell phone of him answering questions asked)

Takeo Spikes (met at a free signing at a car dealership, very personable)

Donovan McNabb (went to training camp but arrived late, was walking around the campus and he was walking by, he signed although it seemed like he had a "fake" cell phone call right after signing, lol)

Ron Gant (met at a mall signing, he hit a home run during the game the same day of the event)

Jeff Francouer (met at a minor league game, very nice guy, signed 3 items)

Andy Pettite (met before a Yankees game, he signed the ball Mariano wouldn't, see below)

David Wells (he actually signed a ball DURING a Yankees game, he did sign in probably the worst place possible on the ball though)

Here are some bad experiences too.

Hank Aaron (He had a public appearance at a mall, refused to sign, didn't say hello)

Deion Sanders (came over during batting practice at a Mets vs. Reds game as if he would sign but then left)

Mariano Rivera (handed him a baseball to sign during batting practice at a Yankees game, refused to sign and ball was given back)

1. Johnny Bench
2. Roger Clemens
3. Lou Brock
4. David Wright

and a non-sports auto from one bad mama-jama

5. Samuel L. Jackson

#1 and #5 came from a celebrity golf tournament and all others from the past several years at various spring training camps.

1. David Ortiz
2. Mariano Rivera
3. Ryan Howard
4. Jason Bay
5. Miguel Cabrera
6. David Wright
7. Jose Reyes
8. Frank Thomas
9. Robinson Cano
10. Hideki Matsui

After going over my Dads friends house (HUGE yankees fan) i thought id post what he told me were his top 5.

#5 - Reggie Jackson. Signed Sweet Spot of a OMLB Ball in blue pen.

#4 - Joe Torre. Sweet Spot OMLB Ball, black pen.

#3 - Derek Jeter. Sweet Spor OMLB Ball, blue pen.

#2 - Roger Clemens. Sweet Spot OMLB Ball, blue pen.

#1 - "The Mick" Mickey Mantle. Sweet Spot OMLB Ball, black pen. This is the only auto he has he ever had to pay for as it was obtained at a show. $175.

He goes to every Yanks/Orioles game each season. Id like to go with him! He has autoed balls of everyone. Posada, Giambi, Mattingly, Pettite, etc. Only one he needs now is A-Rod....Good Luck.

David Ortiz
Jeff Bagwell
Andy Petitte
Miguel Cabrera
Justin Verlander

Number 1 Favorite of all time auto in person would have to be Michael Irvin. Me and buddy called in to work one day and was messing around by Valley Ranch and saw him driving down the road towards Valley Ranch so I told my friend to hit the gas and we went over the median and thru the trees and came barreling into Valley Ranch so I bailed out of the truck and started running towards him yelling Irvin and he stopped. I told him dude you are the greatest will you sign my jersey and he said yeah. Then I asked him if he would go get Deion Sanders to come out and sign my jersey and he brought him out and he signed my jersey and then the both of them signed the dash of my friends truck.

Number 2 would have to be Drew Pearson

Number 3 would be Tony Romo

Number 4 Terrell Owens

Number 5 would be Terry Glenn and Deion Branch they were playing golf together at the Dallas Cowboys Golf Course.

1. Justin Verlander ( favorite player)
2. Albert Pujols (when playing for AAA Memphis)
3. Ryan Howard ( AA All Star Game)
4. Cameron Maybin ( playing for Whitecaps)
5. Curtis Granderson (signed everyone around)

My Top 5

#1 Bobby Orr
#2 Johnny Bower
#3 Joe Carter
#4 Gordie Howe
#5 Joe Theisman When He Played With the Toronto Argos CFL

1 sidney crosby
2 dany heatley
3 jason spezza
4 ilya kovalchuck
5 daniel alfredsson

My list is OK I suppose.... Let's see...

Michael Strahan - insanely nice guy... Nets fan too. Wish he'd get to camp already and end this nonsense.
Richard Jefferson - got him at a signing at a Sports Authority about two weeks after the draft. Jason Collins (didn't make the list) was there too. RJ seemed all kinds of nervous.
Keith Van Horn - Very quiet, at a card show.
Kerry Kittles - friendly, good guy... Same show as KVH.
Shaquille O'Neal - Was at an opening for Just For Feet near me a while back. That store didn't last long. He wasn't nearly as friendly as you might imagine.

That's probably the top five... Others I've gotten in person are Kenny Anderson, Jessie Armstead, Tyrone Corbin, and Tracy Murray, as well as some really random guys from the mid-90s at various Nets games.

EDIT: Almost forgot Jason Sehorn! Probably the nicest of the bunch, rivaling Strahan.

1. Reggie Miller - Favorite player of all time, any sport... got this at Pacers Training camp when they used to train at Purdue. I had an old b&w 8x10 that wasn't even in good shape... but that was all I had... it still means the world to me.

2. Tom Brady - Perhaps my least favorite player of all time, simply because of who he plays for. It wasn't even my football, but I was able to get up to the front of a line, so I turned to my buddy who is a huge Pats fan and said "hand me your ball" and I got it just in time to hand it to Tom, and the look on my buddy's face... I'd swear he was about to cry.

3. Jeff Hornacek - Got this as a kid when I lived in Iowa for a few years. He was playing his college ball at Iowa State. Every game had a different player poster inserted in the program. My dad always tried to get each poster autographed by that player after the games, we managed to get that one.

4-5. 2 Celtics Dancers from their inaugural dance team. This was after a Pacers/Celtics game. One of the bars outside the TD Banknorth FleetCenter Garden Arena Stadium whatever they call it these days was having a Cedric Maxwell autograph signing, but whatever, they had a couple dancers there signing dance team photos... I tried to say something clever to them, but I think all I could say was "... uh... hi... thanks...."

Jim Thome
Ryan Howard
chase utley
Phil Hughes
Nate Scheirholtz

I've gotten half the big phills team for the most part but like this list above


i don't get alot of other teams except the big phills or any eastern league (AA) teams

wow man sick list














um............I hate to break it to you, but IMHO, he's gonna retire



wow

awesome what do you think about the rumor he's gonna sign with the celtics?

1 mickey mantle got at show was great
2 joe dimaggio was as at same show as the mick
3 barry bonds got rookie season
4 pete rose
5 ernie banks awesome guy

I'm kinda torn. If he signs with the Celtics I'll be sorta disappointed that he didn't finish his career as a Pacer... but now that I'm living in the Boston area, I'll have a chance to watch him on a regular basis... it'll sorta make up for moving away from Indiana a few years before he retired.

Wayne Gretzky.
Dan Hampton.
Jerry Azumah.
Mike Ditka.
Mark Kotsay.

That about sums it up for my live autograph career.