This page will highlight my experiences with MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL players I have met in person at special events. All the views expressed in this page are of MY EXPERIENCES, others may have better or worse experience with a specific player. Please don't generalize this as the players' everyday attitude towards autographs.
Brian Leetch -- Grand Opening of Sports Authority in Queens, NY
This was my first in person experience, as expected I was very nervous as
to the "norms" of meeting a player. I knew Leetch was a big star in NY
so I came early and had a good spot on line. After waiting in line for 2
hours, Brian came to a rousing applause from everyone. Brian started
signing and taking pictures with the adoring fans. As I moved closer, I
could feel my hand shaking. Brian made everyone feel welcome and
acknowledged everyone who greeted him. As I approached Brian, a burly
security guard shouted 1 (autograph) per person!! I had wanted to get
a card signed + a b/w promotional photo they were giving out. I politely
asked Brian to sign my card and the b/w photo. He agreed and told the
security guard "That's all right." That really made my day, and started
my "die-hard" attitude toward Leetch and the rest of the Rangers.
This story also made the March 1997 "TUFF STUFF" magazine!
Manon Rheaume (Female hockey player)--Sports Authority, Queens, NY
After the great experience I had with Leetch, I was less nervous with Manon.
As she came out, she was greeted with both cheers and questions of "which
movie did she star in???" Manon was great, signing 2 cards + personalizing
a b/w promotional photo, which was neat. She looks as beautiful in person
as in her photos and cards! (Just my opinion)
Charles Smith (Former NY Knick)-- Hermans Sporting Goods, Queens, NY
As usual, Charles arrived LATE, but with a great personality. He joked with
fans and answered questions. I got him to sign 1 card, the bad thing was
Charles Oakley (NY Knicks)-- Wings Sporting Goods, New York, NY
I'm not a big Knicks fan, but I had to come out to meet the heart and soul
of the Knicks. Charles was his usual self, snotty and uninterested. But got
Oak to sign 2 cards. But he didn't acknowledge anyone. He just kept signing
away. He could have done better!
Howard Cross (NY Giants)-- Sears Department Store, Rego Park, NY
Finally I actually was one of the first 5 people on line, which was great.
Howard was very nice with the fans, even joking with one on how he looked
on a football card. He signed 2 cards for me and 2 promo photos. Acknowledged
my presence, which always makes me feel good.
Bruce Driver (NY Rangers)-- Bradlees Department Store, New York, NY
Bruce is a class act on and off the ice. He showed it the day I went to get
his sig. on two cards. He was very patient with a fan who asked him to sign
tons of stuff. When I got to me, he was polite and signed both cards + 2 b/w
photos which he personalized. Overall, it was a great experience.
Luc Robitaille (Former NY Ranger)-- Central Park, New York, NY
Luc came about 40 mins. late which was a bummer. But he signed away when
he came pleased everyone who was in attendance. I wanted Luc to sign 2 cards
which he did and greeted and thanked me for coming out. The line was unorganized
but Luc kept his cool and signed for everyone.
Anthony Mason (Former NY Knick)--Auto Show, New York, NY
Anthony is a BBBBBBIG MAN. Walking down the hallway, you couln't miss him!
I wanted Anthony to sign 2 cards but HE limited it to 1 per person. Which
I thought was pretty bad because there was not a lot of people on line. But
that's the way he is. At least I came away with something!
NYM vs. Atl. Braves
The Braves were pretty snobbish with the exception of some players.
Marquis Grissom- Signed when he came out of the dugout. Great guy, he put
the fans in front of batting practice.
Javy Lopez- Waited like 25 minutes for him to finish throwing catch with
a coach. But he signed for everyone who asked.
Other Braves signed, but since they are no-names and rookies, I don't have
anything for them to sign.
The Mets were better at signing, but I was on the other side of the stadium
occupied with pleading with the Braves that I only got 1 with the Mets.
Todd Hundley- I was the last person he signed for, but has a nice sig.
Glenn Healy (Former NY Ranger) K-Mart, New York, NY
Glenn was around 5 minutes late. But with most hockey players he was nice
with the fans and signed everything people put on the table. I asked him
to sign 2 card + 2 photos which he did and did so with a smile. Which was
great!
Zigmund Palffy (NY Islanders) Sears, Bayshore, NY
Ziggy is perceived as a nice person on the ice. But he showed his true colors
that day. He signed away alright, but he never acknowledge his adoring fans
From young to old, he never looked up and looked like he was supposed to be
somewhere else. The worse part was when a 10 year old fan with a Palffy jersey
asked him how he was, he totally ignored him!!!!!! I got 3 cards signed, but
that wasn't important.....
Jeff Beukeboom (NY Rangers) Sears, Brooklyn, NY
Jeff was around 30 mins. late. When he showed up people "BOOED" him. But that's
because it sounds like "Beuk", his nick name! Jeff was the total opposite
of Ziggy, he signed with a smile and took pictures and answered everyones
questions. It's like night/day with Ziggy and Jeff. He made everyone feel
great after getting his autograph.
Jayson Williams (NJ NETS) Athlete's Foot, New York, NY
First of all, Jayson was an hour late. Which made many people leave disgusted
at Jayson and the manager. I thought Jayson should show up because he was being
paid and why leave a bad impression on the fans. Well, after an hour he showed
with a mix of cheers and sighs. He looked like he just woke up and put on a
"FILA" warmup gear. But as many of you have seen on TV Jayson is a comic and
likes to crack jokes. He did just that, he joked with everyone young and old
and made everyone feel better about the whole situation. Jayson was nice in
signing multiple items for everyone. I had Jayson sign 2 cards + 2 color photos
which he wrote "...play hard.." which I thought was cool. All in all, Jayson
was a great in person experience.
Bobby Jones (NY Mets) La Fres Ford, Middle Village, NY
On this rare occasion I got to the location after the scheduled start time
which was 9:30. As I got there, I noticed 3 people coming from their cars
holding GOLFBALLS! I asked them if Bobby was here, they said: "Yeah, he
is in there, there is no line". I went in and there was Bobby signing with
no line in sight. Wow, not bad for the "ace" of the Mets. I got two cards
signed by Bobby, he was great and very down to earth. If you were wondering
what the golf balls were for, those guys actually wanted Bobby to sign the
golf balls! Go figure! But this is by far, the "easiest" in-person I have ever had.
Edgardo Alfonzo (NY Mets) Alex's MVP Cards, New York, NY
It was a scheduled 4:00 start time for this Fleer/Skybox Legends tour promotion.
I got there 2 hours before the start and waited patienly. I was the first one
to see him come out of his livery cab, and pointed him out! Everyone cheered
and clapped. But the funny thing was he did not acknowledge us :(. But when
I got into the store he was nice and signed my ball, a card, plus an 8x10 color photo
that they were giving out for the first 100 people. He obliged to sign the
ball on the sweet spot which was great because some players won't sign on the
sweet spot. He got there at 4:00 and I got my auto's by 4:05, not bad!
Overall, a great experience!
NYM vs. Boston Red Sox 6/11/99 Shea Stadium
I wanted a different experience, so I went to sit in the bleachers.
They let us in at 4:40 and I went directly to the railing to see
BP and see which players signed. After much, screaming and pleading,
Turk Wendell came and signed for a couple of minutes. Nice guy, actually
had a conversation with the woman next to me. He told her he was
married. Well anyway, getting back to the autographs. After much
pleading... PEDRO MARTINEZ signed away! Signing everything from a
GAP cap to a FOOTBALL! He seemed very happy to sign for the bleacher
crowd! Pedro signed all the way around the bleachers and for about
40 minutes until the game was about to start. He left my area because
some idiot threw 3 balls at him at the same time, which pissed him
off. Next came his brother Ramon, signed for less but still signed..
Did I hear somebody ask about NOMAR??? Well, he signed for 10 mins.
after stretching and running around the infield. From what I saw
he signed for everyone who asked. It is the first time I ever saw no Met
signing before the game behind the dugout, which usually is a feast
for collectors. What an experience in the bleachers, Piazza's HR
just went over my head and I saw myself on T.V...cool!
NYM vs. Houston Astros 8/24/99 Shea Stadium
As noted in many postings in the newsgroups, the Astros
were thought to be a super signing team. Boy was that
way off! I planned today as being an Astro only signing
hunt. So I didn't go for any Mets players. Billy Wagner
came out first, signed for a few people (but not me)with a frown on
his face?! Next came the rest of the team. Lima, Reynolds,
Bagwell, Biggio all ignored us:( Russ Johnson told me he
would sign after BP...NOT! Ken Caminiti was nice about
signing for people until... some idiot told him he was a
a**hole, just at that moment he refused to sign anymore for
many kids that were waiting. Please people, if you want
to insult players, wait 'til the start of the game. It was
not fare to the kids who were waiting patiently for Ken.
Well after all that, I got a grand total of 1 autograph, a 3x5
signed by coach Jose Cruz. Nice guy! Better than the
rest of the Astros. The Astros are not as nice as advertised.
Al Leiter (NY Mets) 8/25/99 Mets Clubhouse shop in Manhattan
After the terrible experience I had the night before, I was
determined to get a better experience. I knew Al was the
ace for the Mets so I got there an hour and a half before
the signing. A very suprisingly short line! After I waited
under the sun for the whole time, I got in to meet Al.
You couldn't ask for a nicer guy, signed everything asked of him.
Chatted with fans and posed for pics. He was in a great mood.
He signed the two cards I had of him, and it came out great.
An A+ job by Al, everyone came out of the store with a smile!
John Franco (NY Mets) 12/2/99 Omnipoint Store 307 Madison Ave.
As I headed toward the store I can see that there were about 5 people
in line. They looked like dealers, ready to sell their "catch". 1 hour
into waiting I couldn't believe that for a future hall of famer that there
were less than 20 people lining up! The bad thing was John was 45 minutes
late. But he finally came with a big smile on his face. Finally got in.
He signed 2 cards, a ball, and a promotional postcard. He was nice and
down to earth, except that just when I was about to acknowledge him, he had
a phone call. Oh well, he just signed everything and that was what I came
for right! My grade: Good guy, good experience.
NYY vs. Minnesota Twins 4/25/00 Yankee Stadium
This was my first Yankee game (I am a Mets fan!). I won these tickets in
a raffle. Not bad seats, next to the foul pole in left field. As they
let us in an hour and a half before the game, I found that
that only the Twins were in batting practice. I waited around to hopefully
catch a ball and some 'graphs. The Twins were very relaxed and joking
around. It seems that no one really knows who they were! All the players
were very accessible and probably would be willing signers, if, anyone knew their names!
I had some cards of the Twins, not too many because many of the were rookies.
Their batting practice jersey had only numbers on them. Fortunately, I had a
card of Eddie Guardado that shows his number (18). After batting practice, I called
him over to sign my card, he looked surprised as if somebody wanted my autograph!?!
He signed my card and was nice about it. Next came a Twins player that I couldn't
identify! I had an index card that I let him sign. Nice guy, chatted with the fans
for more than 5 minutes, signed everything! When I came home I found out that it was
LaTroy Hawkins. Good guy. Here's my advice: if you go to a game vs. the Twins, do your
homework. Find out the players' numbers, they are very willing to sign. Go for it!
NYM vs. Cincinatti Reds 8/1/00 Shea Stadium
I had memories of the last time I went to Shea Stadium.
Got a measly 1 autograph (Jose Cruz Sr.) so I wanted this
experience to be much better. And, yes, it was very good!
As I came into the stadium two hours before the game started,
the Mets were in BP. Only one Met signed at that time
(Coach Mookie Wilson). My objective, when going to Shea
or Yankee Stadium is the get the visiting teams autographs,
not the home team. (I can get them at grand openings, signings etc.)
Here come the Reds, lots of young players. I waited until
the end of BP and hoped that anybody would sign.
Alex Ochoa was the first to come over, he signed for only
a small group of fans, he basically stayed in one area.
I couldn't get him to sign because he wouldn't come down
my way. Next came Dmitri Young, albeit it is his off-day he
signed away. Signed for everyone who asked. Even signed
multiples. Signed for about 5-7 minutes. Got him to sign my
card (as you can barely see above!). When he was all done
signing, and everyone was satisfied, everyone gave him a
big round of applause which made him feel very good as he
played with the crowd after he left. Next came Rob Bell, big guy,
nice guy! He introduced himself and shook hands with many
fans (some who was shocked with what they saw).
He started signing and (this is bad) kids were putting balls close
to his face almost touching his chest. I yelled at them and said
"give him some space, move back!!". Rob also was getting irritated.
As he heard me tell the kids to back off he said "I'll get you next"
and he did. He signed my index card (I didn't have a card of him)
and was very pleasant appreciative of my efforts (to control the crowd).
Next was Ron Villone, he signed away as well, not many people knew
who he was as many asked me afterwards, what's his name. I got him
to sign my index card. I think I waited the longest because he signed
away at ball, but he didn't look too interested in signing an index card,
but when he did I wished him good luck in the game and he gave me
a big smile and said "Thank you very much". Not bad! As for the Mets,
while I was sitting in the upper deck I noticed Todd Pratt, Jay Payton,
Todd Zeile and Bruce Benedict sign away. In fact, Zeile signed until 7:09,
the game started at 7:10! Overall, a super experience,
the Reds (minus Griffey and Larkin), were very nice.
Adam Graves & Kenny Jonsson 11/10/00 Dime Savings Bank, Huntington NY
I arrived originally at 3 pm for the 5:30 signing and found 1 person waiting
so I figured I would come back around 5 pm since I don't think there would be
that many people. Boy was I wrong! At 5 pm there were about 150 people in
line already. They were I would say 90% Ranger fans and 10% Islander fans.
Jonsson arrived first to a mild applause but 15 mins. later Graves arrived to
a thunderous applause from all that were waiting. They started the signing
immediately. When my turn was up, I shook Graves' hand and ask how he was
doing and he said he was "glad to be here". Graves signed my two cards plus
a 8x10 promotional photo. Jonsson was equally nice and signed my two cards
and also an 8x10 promo photo. I got an Islander magnet schedule and 2 sets
of Ranger stickers. Overall, it was a great night and great for 'graphs! A++ to
hockey players, they are the best!
Adam Graves, Michal Grosek, Brian Leetch and Tomas Klouchek 12/22/00
Cronies Restaurant, New York, NY
Wow, a chance to meet 4 Rangers two cool!!!. The signing started at 3:00 but I
was there around 1:30. There were around 30 people in front of me and it was
FREEZING!!!! light snow was falling and good thing I was in a shaded area away
from the snow. It was a nice time chatting with fellow Ranger fans about the
season and about who signs and who doesn't. The signing actually started at
3:30 and I waited patiently until I was escorted into the restaurant. First was
Grosek, nice guy, shook my hand and thanked me for coming. But his autograph
is something to be improved upon! I got him to sign two cards and a photo they
were giving out. Next was Klouchek, poor guy, I felt sorry for him. They didn't
even have a picture of him, just a Let's Go Rangers sign that he signed for me
along with Grosek. Next came the biggies, Graves was his usual self, very nice
and cordial. I shook his hand and he said "Nice to see you AGAIN!" Wow, I
had never had an athlete say that to me. He actually remembered me from
a signing in Long Island! I got him to sign two cards and a photo. Leetch
as in my previous signing with him a looooong time ago, was fantastic. He
signed my two cards and a photo. Both Leetch and Graves posed for pictures
and signed everything. The Rangers are numero uno!!
John Franco & Jay Payton 1/18/01 J&R Music World, New York NY
First of all I was surprised as to the low turn-out for this signing. There were
about 50 people in line when they started signing. How could you not want
a future Hall of Famer (Franco) and a rising star (Payton)?! Anyway, back to
the signing. I bought a 8x10 of Payton because I didn't have any cards of
him and for Franco I used up all my cards in an earlier signing session (see
above) so I just got what they had. Payton was first and he was his usual self
cheerful and accomodating to the fans. I shook his hand and wow, this guy
has a strong handshake. He signed my 8x10 and another one which they
were giving out. Franco had signed a bunch of 8x10's by the time I was
next so (since I already met him earlier), I just got two signed 8x10's that
were already on the table and left. But, Franco I observed was nice about
signing everything. Another great experience for me! I love this hobby!
Bryan Berard, Manny Malhotra, Brian Leetch & Mike Richter 12/18/01
O'Neils Restaurant, Maspeth, NY
This is a worhwhile cause because all toys collected would go to the children
of victims of the Sept. 11 attacks. I arrived at 2 p.m. and there were about
50 or so people in line already. Just a disclaimer, Mark Messier was supposed
to appear, but cancelled because of a shoulder injury (what a bummer!). The
line moved slowly once the signing started. Everyone on the line was freezing
their tails off!!! The wind was really howling at that time. Once inside it was
warm and cozy, just like the players! First, it was Manny Malhotra, he had a
little trouble signing his name on the pictures they were giving out, but laughed
it off and was great with everyone. Next was Bryan Berard, nice guy, signed
everything. Next was Mike Richter, very very nice. He thanked me for coming
out and wished me a happy holidays. Richter signed their photo and a
"Let's Go Rangers" poster I had for all 4 players sign. Brian Leetch was his
usual nice self. I have met Brian a couple of times before and each time was
a great experience. Brian signed my card and was going to sign a photo for me
but security told him to sign only one (because of the long lines outside). That's
OK because I have a ton of Leetch auto's already. Another super experience with
THE RANGERS!!!!!!!!!
Grant Roberts 5/24/02 The Sports Authority, New York, NY
First, I would like to say that the Sports Authority and the Mets did a horrible job
promoting this event. I tiny ad in the local paper and no mention anywhere else.
I found out about it while surfing the web. Anyway, the turnout (as expected) was
light, 25 people at the most. I was looking high and low in my card collection for
any Roberts cards, but none to be found. So, I bought a Mets baseball for $6. Grant
arrived at 12:05, not bad in my opinion. He seemed happy to be there and the
female employees looked like they had seen N'Sync or something! Whew!
I was 5th in line. Grant shook my hand and I had him sign my ball on the
sweet spot and also their cheap black and white photo! Overall, A++ to Grant!
Paul O'Neill 5/14/02 Cingular Wireless, Paramus NJ
I know, I know, I'm a Met fan...but autograph collecting comes first, so I went! I live in NY, so this was a stretch. The Cingular Wireless store was so unassuming that I drove past it and could not find a place to u-turn! Got there really late, about an hour before the signing (my customary is 2 hrs before). The signing was 12-2 pm. As expected there was about 200 people already there (they must have been there since 7 am!). Got on line and waited patiently. Thank God it was shaded and they were giving out free water and M&M's. Finally, got to Paul! Nice guy, I expected more of an attitude from him, but I guess not! Signed my 2 cards (even though they only said 1 per person!) and I left pretty happy! The only thing is that he signed his name P__O'neill, not the customary Paul O'Neill (every letter spelled out). That's what I get for coming so late (can somebody say hand cramps!). Overall, a good day!
Petr Nedved, Radek Dvorak, Rico Fata, Tom Poti, Darius Kasparaitis, Dan Blackburn
and Mikael Samuelsson 12/10/02 Radio City Music Hall
I was freezing my pants off for 5 hrs on line! But well worth it!
Dan Blackburn-- very nice, signed my poster and their color pic...his auto has gotten HUGE!
Mikael Samuelsson-- not too talkative, but signed away!
Darius Kasparaitis-- came 20 minutes late (had to bribe my way back into the area again!) Not much
of a fan person, just signed without looking at anyone!
Rico Fata-- what a chump! He doesn't pay attention to the people, just kept talking to Poti. I think
he didn't really enjoy being there! But, he did sign my poster and their pic.
Tom Poti-- nice, thanked me for coming out, which was cool!
Radek Dvorak-- nice again. He had to look at the Panther card closely just to make sure it was him!
Petr Nedved-- very talkative! Nice guy! (too bad he is not that great on the ice!)
Matthew Barnaby, Dave Karpa and Eric Lindros 12/17/02 Cronies Restaurant
Again, froze my butt for 3 hrs straight! But once again well worth it!
Matthew Barnaby-- great guy, talkative and signed my card and my poster
Dave Karpa-- not many people have anything for him to sign so he signed my poster and one of their
postcards
ERIC LINDROS-- Smooth as silk, great attitude! Signed anything you put in front of him! Got a picture of him!
He signed my poster and card!
Photo courtesy of Broadway.com
Lea Salonga, Jose Llana, Sandra Allen, Jody Long, Allen Liu and Hoon Lee
1/9/03 Virgin Megastore, New York, NY
Wow, my first non-sports related autograph session! I watched this show on my birthday
and thought it was great...it doesn't hurt that the super hot Lea Salonga was in it!
Lea and Sandra gave a performance in front of about 100 people in Virgin Megastore.
Afterwards, there was a CD signing. I was 6th in line and it was great. Lea was first,
I congratulated her on her recent engagement. She gladlly signed the cd and my
Miss Saigon Playbill (she won a Tony Award for it). Then it was the nice Sandra Allen.
She signed the cd and passed it along to Jose, then to Jody, then to Allen and Hoon.
I mentioned to Hoon that he had a great voice he said "Thank you, thank you very much!"
Allen was also nice and thanked me for coming out! Overall, it was super. Meeting Lea
was great (the only Filipina that made it big in the U.S.!) Lea Rocks!
Tiki Barber 5/10/03 Circuit City, Union Square, NYC
Tiki was going to be appearing only for 1 hour. So, I knew I had to come early. I came
around 11 am thinking that there could be line alreday, but there were only 2 fans in
line. Finally, Tiki arrived on time at exactly 1:00 p.m. I came up to him with 2 cards
for him to sign the 1997 Ultra card (on the right) and the 2002 UD Piece of History card.
Tiki commented that he has never seen the Ultra card before. I told him it was his rookie
year card. I ask why he doesn't wear the visor anymore (as seen on the card), he said that
'they' wouldn't allow him to wear it. Something to do with no seeing an injury in the eye and
it also gives him an unfair advantage over the defense. He signed both cards and also a
color 8x10 that they were giving out. All, in all, this was on my top 3 best experiences ever!
He not only signed the cards, but also started a coversation which is both unique and a class
act! Go Giants!
Whitey Ford 5/15/03 Modell's, Times Square, NYC
My first Baseball Hall of Fame autograph opportunity was a fine one! A Yankee legend,
Whitey Ford. Even though I'm a Mets fan, I could not pass up a chance to meet one of
all time greats. I didn't have my Ford cards because I found out about this when I was
away from my house. So, I bought a Yankee 100th Anniversary Ball. After a short wait
I got to personally meet Whitey. He was limited to one item per person, so he signed
my ball in blue ink. Nice experience and a great ball to add to my collection!
Keith Hernandez 6/18/03 FootAction USA, NYC
I recently found a Mets mini-helmet that I had since 1988. So, I figured that I should get it autographed. Perfect timing, the perfect Met Legend to get it signed! (Keith uses the same style helmet!) I got there just as the signing started. Not too many people, but the line went very slowly (as many had multiple items to be signed). Finally got up there and had Keith sign the mini. He asked me if I wanted to add anything to the autograph. I quickly jogged my memory and asked him to sign '86' W.S.C., which he did! He also signed the poster they had. Nice job Keith!
Jose Reyes 7/9/03 Sports Authority, Queens, NY
From the time I saw this event listed, I knew the turnout would be huge! And I was right on target! I arrived at around 3:45 pm (signing started at 6 pm), there were like 10 people in front of me...not bad! By the time it got to 5:30, there were more than 250! They were handing out tickets to the first 150 in line. The rest were out of luck! The line was so long that they limited it to 1 item per person! I had a MLB ball that I wanted signed. Jose arrived right at 6 and started signing. I heard a nasty rumor coming down the line that he was using a blue sharpie for EVERYTHING (ball, bat, photo etc.) I was like NO WAY! As I got there, I saw that he had a pen (that was a cross between a marker and a ballpoint pen), so I pleaded with him to use that instead of the sharpie, and he did! He signed my ball, I thank him and that was it! Not the most talkative, but nice nonetheless!
Cliff Floyd 8/16/2003 Wantagh Pontiac/GMC Wantagh, NY
Got there around 9:50, about 10 people in front of me, not too bad! What I noticed lately is that there are a lot people bringing bats to be signed, new craze, maybe. Anyway, the sun was out in full force, I stood there for over an hour. Good thing I was facing away from it, or else I would have gotten a good burn up! The signing started promptly at 11 a.m. (kudos to Cliff for showing up on time!) He seemed in a good mood and signed my Beckett from 5/94 and the card above. They were giving away baseballs also to be signed, so I got 2 of those! Cliff has a nice sig when he is not in a hurry. The ones I see on ebay looked very rushed and unattractive. I wished him luck on his upcoming surgery and left. They were giving away popcorn, hot dogs and sodas at the dealership, so I took some on the way out. Good job Cliff!
Michael Peca 8/23/2003 Denny's Childrenwear, Hicksville, NY
First a disclaimer, I'm a die-hard Ranger fan, but I'm an autograph collector first, so I figured I had nothing important to do on Saturday so why not! Believe me, it was no fun listening to all the fans gloating how "great" the Islanders are! Waited for about an hour and a half until 12 noon. He was on time, which was cool. For the first time in a while, there were no photo giveaways, it's either you have something or you are out of luck. Mike was pleasant and signed my 3 cards. He had to look twice with his Vancouver RC because he only played a handfull of games with them. Not much of a signature, but a nice experience nonetheless!
Jason Phillips and Ty Wigginton 8/30/2003 Mets Clubhouse Shop, Westbury, NY
Boy, am I losing my touch! I got there a bit over 1 hour before the signing (I usually get there 1 1/2 to 2 hrs before). There were about 100 people in front of me. Lots of kids and lots of adults with bags filled with balls, bats, photos etc! They were only there for 1 hour so, they limited the sigs to 1 item per person. A credit to both of them, they arrived at 11:45 for the 12:00 signing! The line went pretty quick. Jason was in a great mood! Once you got to the table, he had a big smile on his face and made you feel good about being a Met fan! Ty was ok, he was his hard nosed self, but he was still nice nonetheless! They both signed 1 photo each for me. Cool!
Ike Hilliard 10/14/2003 FootAction USA, New York, NY
These signings are one of the worst publicized ones ever! I passed by last week when Brian Mitchell was signing and 30 mins into it, there were like 10 people left on line (he was scheduled to be there for 2 hours)! This signing started at 12, but I figure to arrive around 12:45 and there were like only 10 people in front of me. Got my two cards above signed + their promotional color poster. Ike was nice and signed multiple items for everyone and posed for pictures to everyone who asked! Good job Ike!
Bob Nystrom 10/18/2003 Galyan's, Westbury, NY
Ahh! What has gotten into me?!?!?!? I just went to a former Islander (yuck!) player signing! Well, my excuse would be that I'm an autograph collector first, then I look at the team the player is (or was) on! Anyway, there it was a surprisingly low turn out for a major Islander hero and legend. Half an hour before the signing, there were like 3 people in line! I was #5 on line because I always don't want to be the first on line (personal reasons). When Bob arrived, he was cheerful and actually asked everyone on line how they were doing? Wow! He started signing and the person next to him said "ONE PER PERSON!", but Bob said: "Don't worry, I don't mind" cool! As I got to him, he asked me "what brought me out here?" What the!??! I had no answer for him (I just mumbled something I don't even remember). I have never had a player ask me anything even close to that. He signed my 2 cards above and a B&W 8 x 10 that I asked to be made out to me! You're an ok guy Bob, even though you were an Islander!
Anson Carter and Dan Lacouture 12/8/2003 40/40 Club, New York, NY.
This is one of three NY Rangers signings I am going to this month. It was coooold outside! I got there at 2 p.m. for the 4 p.m. signing and there were 4 people in front of me. Waited and chatted with a bunch of people, so it made the wait much bearable! Anson and Dan finally arrived sharply at 4 and the signing started 5 minutes after. I had Anson sign his McFarlane Action Figure. I asked him what he thought of it and said he liked it. He did say that it was just missing some white tape on the blade of the stick and his green mouthpiece. Overall he thought it was pretty cool! He signed the bubble in a silver sharpie (I would not recommend this method in the future, blue or black sharpie would be better) and my team signed Let's Go Rangers Sign card. Dan also was nice and signed their postcard and my sign card. They both were very nice! A+!
Brian Leetch, Tom Poti and Dale Purinton 12/9/2003 O'Neil's Restaurant, Queens, NY
This is my second time at O'Neil's in the past 3 years. Got there at 1 p.m. for the 4 p.m. signing, I was like 20th in line! Time passed by quickly by chatting with autograph collecting hounds and professionals about their exploits in the "business". Very interesting the things you learn by just listening! Anyway, the signing started promptly at 4 p.m. Dale was first, I asked him to sign a certain spot on my "Let's Go Rangers" Sign card. But, no, he wouldn't listen or even look up and just signed whereever he wanted. Luckily, he didn't sign over anyone else's signature, he just signed at a bad area of the card (blah!). As per usual, Leetch and Poti were great and both signed my cards and their postcards. 2/3 is not bad at all! Next...
Matthew Barnaby, Chris Simon and Eric Lindros
12/16/2003 Cronies Restaurant, New York, NY
Cronies is a nice corner restaurant on the trendy Upper East Side of Manhattan. Historically, this signing brings out a lot more people than the ones in the previous 2 locations...and this year was no exception! Got there at 12 p.m. for the signing at 3 p.m. Waited, chatted, waited, chatted and finally 3 p.m. comes along! BUT, we had to wait for the people inside the restaurant to get their sigs...so it was almost 4 p.m. before we got in! Finally got in and right away Barnaby recognized me from last year and said "Nice to see you again" (pretty cool I think!). He signed my rookie card and his postcard. Simon was next and signed my card and Let's Go Rangers Poster (nice guy). He looked closely at the card above (since it's a new card he hasn't seen before). Lindros was last and was in a cheerfull mode and signed whatever you placed in front of him. Another great experience with the Rangers! Oh, and oh yeah, the Rangers City Skaters Girls were there (let's leave it at that) ;) Can't wait till next year!
Kaz Matsui and Braden Looper 1/21/2004 Mets Clubhouse Shop, New York, NY
I had a feeling this was going to be a heavily attended event, and it was! I'm pretty sure there were at least 500 people on line when it started. Got there at 9:20 for the 12:30 signing. It was coooooooold! My toes are still shivering! Matsui & Looper arrived at 12:15 (super!, a rare sight!) They limited it to 1 item per person! After 10 minutes they let 15 or so in. Got in with the second batch and had Kaz sign my ball and Looper sign my card. Kaz (with the language barrier) wasn't much of a speaker (but smiled a lot and seemed to enjoy being there), but Braden was nice and asked what color ink I wanted...Mets blue of course! As I left, the line was so long that I doubt the people in the back could have a shot! Also, lots of Japanese media on hand! It was like a rock star was appearing!
Rick DiPietro 6/5/2004 Commerce Bank, New Hyde Park, NY
Got there at 8:30 (for the 10 am signing), about 7 people in front of me, not bad! Waited while watching jugglers, magicians, people handing us "freebies" everywhere! Rick finally arrived (with his girlfriend) at 10:15. He gladly signed multiples for anyone. I had an idea to ask him to sign inscribed with "#1 Draft Pick". I was nervous to ask him because I had never asked any player to do that before! He was nice about it and said "sure" and so he signed my photo and their photo with the inscription (as seen above). He also signed my card!
Kazuo Matsui 6/19/2004 Smithtown Scion, Smithtown, NY
Got there at 8:30 for the 10 am signing. There were the usual cast of characters (dealers and "collectors") before me, about 10 of them. They had their bats and bats and bats and balls and balls and balls, you get the point. Finally got to 10 am, no Kaz, finally the limo arrived at 10:20 and he started signing immediately...to everyone inside the dealership (whoever they may be)! What a rip! People who are standing outside for hours get a back seat for people who just got there and are in the right "place". Anyway, there was a strict 1 per person limit (I like that!). Got a friend to come with me and she got a signed photo and I got a signed mini helmet. Overall, Kaz was nice, no English though :(
David Wright 8/14/2004 Smithtown Scion Smithtown, NY
I knew this one was going to be big without a doubt! Got there at 8:30 for the 11:00 signing, already 10 people in front of me! Waited and waited, listened to all the autograph hound "horror stories" and saw the usual "cast of characters" in front of me...they must know me too because we go to almost the same events! There was a guy selling 8x10's for $4, he sold out within 30 mins (good for him I guess)! Bought the one above, I like the pic! Finally, David came around 11:05. The rule was one per person but they didn't enforce it so everyone was giving him multiples. He was nice about it and signed my 8x10 and I asked him to add "2004 Rookie" on the ball which he obliged! Got out of the dealership and saw at least 300 people still waiting on line! WOW! The early bird gets the worm...earlier!
Eric Valent 10/2/2004 Hall of Heroes, Westbury, NY
I had the feeling that there would not be a huge turnout for this signing and I was right! Max, about 20 people! Eric actually got there 30 mins early to sign some stuff for the store. The signing then started at 11:20 and I got out at 11:30, not bad! They had a strict 1 per person rule, but did some "magic" and got 2. He was very nice and signed both cards. The 1999 Topps Traded looks pretty good signed! Cool!
Mike Richter, Jeff Beukeboom, Nick Kypreos 12/17/2004 ESPN Zone, New York, NY
I was very excited to hear that the Rangers were continuing the tradition of hosting a "Toys for Tots" event even during a lock-out. This is the latest I've been to a signing in a while...1 hour and a half before it started. Not too bad, about 30th in line (I'm used to being top 10!). Luckily it wasn't too cold and guess what, as usual the players were more than on time! Beukeboom was first, was very nice and signd my "Let's Go Rangers Poster...he had to find a spot to fit his large sig! Next was Kypreos, signed a postcard and my poster (again, hard time finding a spot!). Finally, Richter. I had my 300th win ticket and he graciously signed it in blue and added 300th Win per my request! What can I say, the Ranger are the best on and off the ice! Excellent experience!
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