For just about every recent summer, the Hall of Fame has a Hall of Fame Game where a player representing each team shows up to play in this game. It seems like a fun weekend watching a bunch of recently retired players in their home team’s uniform play a game and have a little signing event and just celebrate baseball. Steve S (cosmo on SCN) reached out to me at different times in the past to see if he was seeing anyone I needed an autograph of and this year was no different. I kept watching the roster and saw that Jim Kaat was one of the coaches and Brian Dozier was the Twins representative. I had a couple 1st home run tickets for Brian Dozier so I sent one to Steve to see if he could get Doz to sign it with “1st Homerun” and Steve did not let me down! But, here is the really cool thing… I have a ticket from three of the four home 1965 World Series games signed by the Twins hero of the game. The Twins lost in Game 7 to Sandy Koufax and the Dodgers. I always wanted Sandy to sign it but he just does not sign and when he does, it is so expensive I do not partake. In chatting with Steve he told me to send it for Kaat and list a couple inscriptions that might be cool on it and he will see what he could do. I received the coolest note from Steve explaining how things went down. He waited until the end when there were not so many people around and asked Kaat to sign it with “Sandy Beat Us!” and not only did Kitty do that but he proceeded to talk about that game with the people around him for the next ten minutes. Steve said that the people surrounding them were in awe of not only the ticket but the experience they were having with Kaat spinning stories of Sandy and the Dodgers in 1965. Steve is a big baseball fan and said it was one of his top experiences chasing autographs. I am excited for him, those who shared in that, and myself who completed my run of 1965 World Series home games.
Category: Tickets
The Big Hurt
On June 28, 2007, Frank Thomas strolled up to the Metrodome batter’s box and hit a home run. It was number 500 on his career and he became the twenty-first player to achieve that milestone. I had sold my season tickets to that game long before it but picked up a couple via the box office after he hit it. I traded those two box office versions and when I saw a season version, with Justin Morneau on it no less, I bought it. Mike C (Mac6185 on SCN) had a signing with Frank but prices posted were higher for 500 HR items. I reached out and asked him if a ticket to the 500th HR game was at the standard flat price level or 500 HR level. He told me standard flat and that the 500 HR price was for 500 HR group items so I sent in the ticket. I received it back signed today along with “500th HR” inscription and JSA authentication. A great addition to the ticket collection!
TK
This is not autograph related directly but something I am excited about all the same. If you have followed my blog for a while you may remember I recently got a ticket signed by Tom Kelly from the game he hit his only home run in and that the baseball is on display at Target Field. I had acquired a pair with the tremendous assistance of Mark B and once I received the one signed, I decided to donate the second to the Twins to be displayed with the ball. I run into the Twins Curator just about every game I go to because of where my seats are and I asked him if he would want the ticket and he was overjoyed to have it and told me he would display it with the ball. Today I went to the Twins game and took the below pictures of the ticket with the ball. I am pretty proud of this!
#28
Today a Hall of Famer showed up in the mailbox. I had sent a July 1986 Baseball Digest along with a ticket from 07.16.2011 to Bert Blyleven just before the World Baseball Classic knowing it would take a while to come back to me. Bert was a coach with the Netherlands team so he was in Japan for a while. Today I received the ticket with “#28 Retired” as requested as well as the Baseball Digest signed beautifully!