Your first autograph...

[Vault-emort]

I was never one for autographs as a kid.

Ironically, much later I got Shirley Strickland to sign one for me at the Sydney Olympic venue in 2000. She seemed rather surprised lol.

We had a nice little chat which was even better than the autograph.

[Atticus]

Bob Hayes

Of all the ones I really would have liked to have (and I even spoke to him once at the local meet named after him), that was he!

others (would have really liked) - Bob Seagren, Skeets, TSmith&JCarlos, Moses (the hurdler, not the tablets dude), Ryun, Pre, Matson, Oerter, Eaton . . .

My current (I hope) fave is C Taylor, with whom I spent two days in a small coterie of TJ coaches at a clinic, but was way too star-struck to ask for one. Nicest guy EVER.

[Walt Murphy]

Bob Hayes--my company's Christmas party was being held at the same hotel where the Dallas Cowboys had just arrived prior to their game against the NY Giants. When I saw Hayes, I couldn't let the moment slip by. Sadly, that scrap of paper disappeared long ago.

[tandfman]

Ebbets Field was torn down in 1960.

t
In the past few years, I have gone a bit out of my way to drive around the perimeter of the old Ebbets Field. A very sad experience for an old Brooklyn Dodgers fan.

[NotDutra5]

In the summer of '57 there was a quiz show on T.V. in the New York area titled "Happy Felton's It's a Hit." Felton did pre and post game TV shows for the Brooklyn Dodgers. In this show two groups got to compete against each other for the winnings. My day camp was competing for an electric typewriter. Major leage baseball players were the managers of each team. I was selected among eight others to represent our camp. Our manager was Roy Campanella, my favorite player (even though I wasn't interested in being a catcher). It was six months before his auto accident. I got to sit next to him for the entire "game." And of course I got his autograph. Wally Moon was then playing for the Cardinals and was other group's manager. I didn't even ask him for his autograph.

I was born in the winter of '57 and my father-in-law has often referenced Happy Felton and this show. Unfortunately my father-in-law state of mind currently is such that he has talked about going to a Dodger game with me....at Ebbets Field.

Ebbets Field was torn down in 1960.

[KDFINE]

In the summer of '57 there was a quiz show on T.V. in the New York area titled "Happy Felton's It's a Hit." Felton did pre and post game TV shows for the Brooklyn Dodgers. In this show two groups got to compete against each other for the winnings. My day camp was competing for an electric typewriter. Major leage baseball players were the managers of each team. I was selected among eight others to represent our camp. Our manager was Roy Campanella, my favorite player (even though I wasn't interested in being a catcher). It was six months before his auto accident. I got to sit next to him for the entire "game." And of course I got his autograph. Wally Moon was then playing for the Cardinals and was other group's manager. I didn't even ask him for his autograph.

[Trickstat]

Not really one for autographs but I do have Seb Coe's from 1981. I also have Erki Nool's. Coincidentally, both are of the select group of Olympic Champions who have also been members of their country's parliament.

[The Klingon]

That's why you always take a child with you (preferably 8 or older). You hold the program and give the pen to the child. Then you go up to the athlete, ask for an autograph, smile and nod to the kid, kid holds up pen, athlete takes it and signs program. We crushed it at the 84 LA Olympics . . . Carl Lewis, Johhny Gray, Roger Kingdom, Edwin Moses, Henry Marsh, Stones, Banks, and some lesser lights.
For some reason, I couldn't bring myself to do that to women, with one necessary exception, my GOAT, JJK.

Well, I must say, you do have a plan. LOL!!

[79]

1971 at Gil Hodges Bowling Lanes in Brooklyn. Me and my friends were just about to leave when who walks in but Gil Hodges himself. Understand that to my parents, Gil Hodges was a close second to Jesus. He gave us his autograph and I brought it home to my mother. She placed it in my confirmation bible.

A month or so later Gil Hodges died of a heart attack on the golf course right before the start of the season.

I never asked another athlete for an autograph. That bible was lost somewhere along the way as my parents had it for many years after I left the house.

We know nothing about baseball in France. Just googled his name. He seems to be an iconic Hall of famer... Great and touching way to describe your first (and last) autograph, NotDutra5 🙂👍🏻

[Alan Shank]

Other autographs I have are Tom Lehrer and Frank Drake, both obtained by my daughter Mila when she was at UC Santa Cruz.
Cheers,
Alan Shank

[NotDutra5]

1971 at Gil Hodges Bowling Lanes in Brooklyn. Me and my friends were just about to leave when who walks in but Gil Hodges himself. Understand that to my parents, Gil Hodges was a close second to Jesus. He gave us his autograph and I brought it home to my mother. She placed it in my confirmation bible.

A month or so later Gil Hodges died of a heart attack on the golf course right before the start of the season.

I never asked another athlete for an autograph. That bible was lost somewhere along the way as my parents had it for many years after I left the house.

[Tuariki]

January, 1962 when I was 10, and when Peter Snell turned up with Lydiard at the local grass running track of Greerton, a suburb of Tauranga, to train running repeat 440s.

There 4 of us local boys playing at the park. No one else was there.

[Davidokun]

My first—and only—autographs:

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[gm]

I only ever asked one athlete for an autograph (Quincy Watts), and it was at the request of one of my student workers.

Otherwise, I only want signatures on checks

[Atticus]

I have always been reluctant about asking athletes or any celebrity for autographs.

That's why you always take a child with you (preferably 8 or older). You hold the program and give the pen to the child. Then you go up to the athlete, ask for an autograph, smile and nod to the kid, kid holds up pen, athlete takes it and signs program. We crushed it at the 84 LA Olympics . . . Carl Lewis, Johhny Gray, Roger Kingdom, Edwin Moses, Henry Marsh, Stones, Banks, and some lesser lights.
For some reason, I couldn't bring myself to do that to women, with one necessary exception, my GOAT, JJK.