Quick Links:   Collectors Corner | PCGS | PSA | PSE | PSA/DNA | CU



Navigation:


FORUMS > SPORTS CARDS & MEMORABILIA FORUM [ REFRESH ]
Thread Title: It's not just any day that you meet your hero
Created On Saturday December 02, 2006 1:38 PM
Pages: [ 1 2 3 >> Next ]


ripkenintheminors
Collector

Posts: 2271
Joined: Nov 2006

Saturday December 02, 2006 1:38 PM

User is offline View users profile View thread in raw text format

I grew up a fan of Cal Ripken, Jr. One of my most special cards to this day is a 1982 Topps RC that I traded a box of basketball cards for. I had always hoped that I would someday get a chance to meet Cal, even if it was just enough time to say thank you. The college I attended has an annual benefit dinner every December. 100% of the money goes to student scholarships. The highlight of the night is a speech provided by a national personality.

Several months ago I received a ballot asking for my vote on who the speaker should be for the dinner. On the list was my hero, Cal Ripken, Jr. Ripken made the first cut and advanced to the final round of voting. I placed my vote and waited and hoped. After all, how cool would it be for your favorite player to come to where you went to college, especially a small University with enrollment at/under 2,000. I received an e-mail that made my day when I received word that Cal had been selected and confirmed to speak at the event. Not only did my wife and I purchase a sponsorship, the University gave me media access.

I couldn't be more pleased with how the evening went. Unfortunately the media session did not last long at all. I learned pretty quick that Cal makes sure to give a very thorough answer to all of his questions. He was asked about his efforts with youth baseball, his future entry to the Hall of Fame and for his thoughts about McGwire as a possible Hall of Famer. I didn't get a chance to ask him a question but I did get the opportunity to meet him at the session, shake hands with him and talk for a minute or two before he left. I had always heard that he always makes sure to make eye contact with everyone he shakes hands with. Sure enough, he did. Although I didn't get to ask a question, I got my wish when I got to say "thank you".

After dinner he gave a speech about his 8 tips to success. Before he spoke he had an intro video that he said that he always shows before he speaks. The music was "Simply the Best" and the video had a list of his awards and video clips of some of his greatest moments. The video even had a clip of him with the Rochester Red Wings, which I appreciated seeing. He talked about conversations he has had with players over the years. He mentioned a conversation with Rick Sutcliffe. He said that he was getting tired of the media attention calling him selfish for continuing to play for the streak despite the fact that he was in a slump. He said that he asked Rick for his advice on whether he should sit out a game. He said that Rick told him that if he missed a game it would be all over the news and it would be even more attention. Rick also told him that his name would be on the obituary page the next day. You see, Rick was the starter the next day and wanted Cal in the lineup. The speech included bits about the streak, his family and his plans for the future.

After the speech he opened the floor for questions. The first person asked about his batting stances and went on to say that "you have had more batting stances than Jim Carrey has faces". Cal was also asked about his thoughts on Interleague and the All-Star format. A question I enjoyed was his favorite moment in his career. He said that his favorite moment(s) was catching the last out of the 1983 World Series and taking the lap around the field when he broke Gehrig's record. He said that he loved the fact that everyone got to see a special t-shirt from his kids that he was wearing under his jersey that night. When asked about the funniest moment, he said he was running for a lazy fly when he tripped over his shoelaces and didn't get to the ball. He said he was embarrassed and got up and looked for any excuse to play it off. To his surprise, he found a golf ball buried in the grass. He picked up the golf ball, held it up and acted like he had tripped on it.

After the speech, Cal went to meet sponsors and pose for pictures. On his way to the photo reception I got to see him again on the way out of the building. Once again, he was very gracious. He also took the time to sign my program from the event:



-------------------------
 -Chris


Ripken in the Minors * Ripken in the Minors Facebook Page

Edited: Saturday December 02, 2006 at 1:42 PM by ripkenintheminors

Reply
Quote
Top
Bottom



detroitfan2
Collector

Posts: 1879
Joined: Nov 2004

Saturday December 02, 2006 1:46 PM

User is offline View thread in raw text format

Ripken,

Awesome awesome story. I can tell your excitement level just by reading what you wrote. From all accounts, you've picked a tremendous man as your hero.

Thanks for sharing,

Tom

Reply
Quote
Top
Bottom



Wondo
Master Collector

Posts: 6197
Joined: Apr 2001

Saturday December 02, 2006 1:57 PM

User is offline View users profile View thread in raw text format





Very nice - congratulations.

-------------------------
 Wondo

Reply
Quote
Top
Bottom



tennesseebanker
Master Collector

Posts: 5313
Joined: Jun 2004

Saturday December 02, 2006 2:00 PM

User is offline View thread in raw text format

Chris, It's nice to see a good ole Freed Hardeman boy on the boards. Are you still in the area or did you move away after College? Congratulations on meeting Cal.

-------------------------
 My E-bay Store

Reply
Quote
Top
Bottom



jfkheat
Senior Member

Posts: 352
Joined: Jun 2006

Saturday December 02, 2006 2:08 PM

User is offline View thread in raw text format

I was working in Michigan several years ago and went to see the Orioles play the Tigers in a double header on July 4th weekend. Cal Ripken Jr. was one of the few players that signed any autographs before the game. He probably spend 30 minutes signing. He made sure everyone that was waiting got an autograph. He has always been one of my favorites.
James

Reply
Quote
Top
Bottom



ripkenintheminors
Collector

Posts: 2271
Joined: Nov 2006

Saturday December 02, 2006 2:09 PM

User is offline View users profile View thread in raw text format



<< Chris, It's nice to see a good ole Freed Hardeman boy on the boards. Are you still in the area or did you move away after College? Congratulations on meeting Cal. >>



Greetings. I presume you're associated with the school in some way? I stayed pretty close to the University. I took a job in west TN after graduating that was around 40 miles from the school. My wife and I moved to middle TN in the summer of '04. It now takes a good 90 minutes or so to get back.

-------------------------
 -Chris


Ripken in the Minors * Ripken in the Minors Facebook Page

Reply
Quote
Top
Bottom



tennesseebanker
Master Collector

Posts: 5313
Joined: Jun 2004

Saturday December 02, 2006 2:17 PM

User is offline View thread in raw text format

Chris
Pm Sent

-------------------------
 My E-bay Store

Reply
Quote
Top
Bottom



lostdart58
Expert Collector

Posts: 2851
Joined: Feb 2005

Sunday December 03, 2006 7:23 PM

User is offline View users profile View thread in raw text format

Ya didn't get the RC autod???

-------------------------
 Collector of:Baseball
1955 Bowman Raw complete with 90% Ex-NR or better
1972 Topps PSA Registered set RETIRED
Now seeking 1949 Eureka Sportstamps...NM condition
Working on '78 Autographed set now 93% complete

Reply
Quote
Top
Bottom



ripkenintheminors
Collector

Posts: 2271
Joined: Nov 2006

Sunday December 03, 2006 7:48 PM

User is offline View users profile View thread in raw text format



<< Ya didn't get the RC autod??? >>



The RC is in a case that requires a screwdriver to get it out. I honestly did not expect to be in a position to ask for an autograph so I didn't even bother to have it potentially ready. Maybe another day.

-------------------------
 -Chris


Ripken in the Minors * Ripken in the Minors Facebook Page

Reply
Quote
Top
Bottom



mosaic
Veteran

Posts: 720
Joined: Nov 2006

Sunday December 03, 2006 8:05 PM

User is offline View users profile View thread in raw text format

Whatta great story. It's moments like that when you realize that the whole thing was meant to be.

You got to spend a night in the company of your hero, and a few minutes of one-on-one time... can it get any better?!

-------------------------
 Nolan Ryan & Edgar Martinez are my favorite players...

mosaic's Nolan Ryan Basic Topps registry set
mosaic's Big 3 Nolan Ryan Run Showcase

Reply
Quote
Top
Bottom



ripkenintheminors
Collector

Posts: 2271
Joined: Nov 2006

Sunday December 03, 2006 8:29 PM

User is offline View users profile View thread in raw text format



<< Whatta great story. It's moments like that when you realize that the whole thing was meant to be.

You got to spend a night in the company of your hero, and a few minutes of one-on-one time... can it get any better?! >>



Greetings, thanks for the nice comments. The only thing that makes it better is that I did get to briefly mention the site I built. I know his stance on protecting his fans from fake memorabilia and wanted him to know it's there. I don't know that it will ever lead to anything but I can say that Cal has at least heard about the site. The night absolutely could not have been any better.

My wife was talking to me earlier about how great it was that I got to meet my two favorite athletes where I went to school. In April of 1999, the school booked Peyton and Archie Manning to speak at a family values forum. It just so happened that I was in the lobby of the building that Peyton and Archie were to visit on their arrival to campus. I walked up to Peyton and got to visit with him for several minutes. At the close of our talk we were discussing the week 1 match against the Bills. I had overheard his people mention that he wasn't supposed to sign autographs and I said that I wished that I could get something signed. He asked if I had anything for him to sign and he signed my ticket to the event. Afterwards, I got to speak to Archie and he signed the ticket next to Peyton's signature.

Who'd have thought that I would get to meet 2 of my favorite athletes at my college?

-------------------------
 -Chris


Ripken in the Minors * Ripken in the Minors Facebook Page

Reply
Quote
Top
Bottom



detroitfan2
Collector

Posts: 1879
Joined: Nov 2004

Monday December 04, 2006 7:36 PM

User is offline View thread in raw text format

Chris, FYI there's a nice article on PSA graded Ripken cards in the January 2007 issue of the SMR magazine.

-Tom

Reply
Quote
Top
Bottom



ripkenintheminors
Collector

Posts: 2271
Joined: Nov 2006

Monday December 04, 2006 8:56 PM

User is offline View users profile View thread in raw text format



<< Chris, FYI there's a nice article on PSA graded Ripken cards in the January 2007 issue of the SMR magazine.

-Tom >>



Greetings. I do not have the magazine mailed to me at home so hopefully I can catch the article online. Have you seen the article yet? I checked the online SMR and only saw the December copy. In any case, I'm very interested in what it has to say. I have been in touch with the PSA reps in regards to how they label the 1980 WBTV and Charlotte Police card. PSA slabs the orange card (police issue) as a team issue. They slab the blue WBTV card (team issue) as a WBTV card. In their population report, they have "team version" and "WBTV version" posted. When I called to ask if all of the team version cards in the population report meant orange cards they had no clue.

-------------------------
 -Chris


Ripken in the Minors * Ripken in the Minors Facebook Page

Reply
Quote
Top
Bottom



benderbroeth
Collector

Posts: 1394
Joined: Jan 2006

Tuesday December 05, 2006 12:56 AM

User is offline View users profile View thread in raw text format

i was able to go back stage after a concert last month and met JOAN BAEZ my personal hero it was great we talked for like 5 mins. and she shared a story or two and it was the highlight of my year!! it truly is great to meet your hero..great isn't it? well this is a great story sometimes heros can live up to their hype!!!

-------------------------
 my t-205's


I DEDICATE THE REST OF MY SIGLINE IN LOVING MEMORY OF ODETTA---1930-2008--and teddy kennedy 1932-2009

Reply
Quote
Top
Bottom



royalbrett
Senior Member

Posts: 327
Joined: Oct 2001

Tuesday December 05, 2006 4:21 AM

User is offline View users profile View thread in raw text format



<< I was working in Michigan several years ago and went to see the Orioles play the Tigers in a double header on July 4th weekend. Cal Ripken Jr. was one of the few players that signed any autographs before the game. He probably spend 30 minutes signing. He made sure everyone that was waiting got an autograph. He has always been one of my favorites.
James >>



If this was at Tiger Stadium, I was at the same game.

-------------------------
 Adrian

I collect George Brett cards, especially SGC graded

Reply
Quote
Top
Bottom



detroitfan2
Collector

Posts: 1879
Joined: Nov 2004

Wednesday December 06, 2006 6:29 PM

User is offline View thread in raw text format

<<Greetings. I do not have the magazine mailed to me at home so hopefully I can catch the article online. Have you seen the article yet? I checked the online SMR and only saw the December copy. In any case, I'm very interested in what it has to say. I have been in touch with the PSA reps in regards to how they label the 1980 WBTV and Charlotte Police card. PSA slabs the orange card (police issue) as a team issue. They slab the blue WBTV card (team issue) as a WBTV card. In their population report, they have "team version" and "WBTV version" posted. When I called to ask if all of the team version cards in the population report meant orange cards they had no clue. >>

Here's what the article says in regards to the minor league cards:

Hobbyists contend that the Holy Grail of Ripken cards is the 1980 Charlotte O's team-issued card.

"It's a card that was handed out to kids by (Charlotte) police officers in 1980. They came into schools and they did a presentation and then gave out team sets," explained O'Connor (#1 Basic and Master Ripken sets owner).

The front of this single boasts orange borders and a large picture, while the back is white with blue printing.

. . .

This orange team-issued card should not be confused with a blue-bordered 1980 Charlotte O's single issued by WBTV (a local television station). Considered less scarce than the orange card, this single is arguably the second-most coveted Ripken.

Reply
Quote
Top
Bottom



ripkenintheminors
Collector

Posts: 2271
Joined: Nov 2006

Wednesday December 06, 2006 6:45 PM

User is offline View users profile View thread in raw text format



<< <<Greetings. I do not have the magazine mailed to me at home so hopefully I can catch the article online. Have you seen the article yet? I checked the online SMR and only saw the December copy. In any case, I'm very interested in what it has to say. I have been in touch with the PSA reps in regards to how they label the 1980 WBTV and Charlotte Police card. PSA slabs the orange card (police issue) as a team issue. They slab the blue WBTV card (team issue) as a WBTV card. In their population report, they have "team version" and "WBTV version" posted. When I called to ask if all of the team version cards in the population report meant orange cards they had no clue. >>

Here's what the article says in regards to the minor league cards:

Hobbyists contend that the Holy Grail of Ripken cards is the 1980 Charlotte O's team-issued card.

"It's a card that was handed out to kids by (Charlotte) police officers in 1980. They came into schools and they did a presentation and then gave out team sets," explained O'Connor (#1 Basic and Master Ripken sets owner).

The front of this single boasts orange borders and a large picture, while the back is white with blue printing.

. . .

This orange team-issued card should not be confused with a blue-bordered 1980 Charlotte O's single issued by WBTV (a local television station). Considered less scarce than the orange card, this single is arguably the second-most coveted Ripken. >>



*sigh*

I like PSA, but this is exactly why I have concern with sending my WBTV and Police cards for grading. The team issued card was given out on May 30th, 1980. I can verify this courtesy of a document provided by Bill Haelig. The document is an insert with a schedule and shows that the set was given out on May 30, 1980. The set was sponsored by WBTV but was a team issue. However, PSA slabs WBTV cards as a WBTV Charlotte O's issue.

When it comes to the Police issue, O'Connor is partially correct. The orange police cards were given out by officers of the Charlotte Police Department. However, the cards were given out one or two at a time. The cards were not collated and were never distributed in set form, which is why this set is near impossible to find complete. To find a complete set, you would have had to obtain all 25 different cards one or two at a time. The orange police cards were not a team issue whatsoever. In fact, the orange cards were never at the park. For whatever reason, PSA has chosen to slab the orange cards as the team issue, which couldn't be any more inaccurate.

Again, the team issued set was sponsored by WBTV in Charlotte. The orange border set was not a team issue and was issued by the Charlotte Police Department.

I have tried on severl occasions to clarify the issue with the powers that be at PSA. However, I have had no success at all. It disappoints me that one of the premiere grading companies is slabbing cards with inaccurate information when someone is trying to get the truth out. It also disappoints me to see that this inaccurate information is going out in a national article.

Can you provide me with a number to reach someone at the magazine by any chance? Not asking you to post it here, but a PM or e-mail would be greatly appreciated.

-------------------------
 -Chris


Ripken in the Minors * Ripken in the Minors Facebook Page

Reply
Quote
Top
Bottom



ripkenintheminors
Collector

Posts: 2271
Joined: Nov 2006

Wednesday December 06, 2006 6:45 PM

User is offline View users profile View thread in raw text format

By the way, thanks for the information!

-------------------------
 -Chris


Ripken in the Minors * Ripken in the Minors Facebook Page

Reply
Quote
Top
Bottom



ripkenintheminors
Collector

Posts: 2271
Joined: Nov 2006

Wednesday December 06, 2006 6:47 PM

User is offline View users profile View thread in raw text format

In case someone at PSA happens to read this, consider the evidence for my case:

Information about the WBTV Team Issue

Information about the Orange Police Issue

-------------------------
 -Chris


Ripken in the Minors * Ripken in the Minors Facebook Page

Reply
Quote
Top
Bottom



RedRomad275
Veteran

Posts: 780
Joined: May 2002

Thursday December 07, 2006 7:23 AM

User is offline View users profile View thread in raw text format

I just had a similar experience with Cal. He came to the Army post where I am stationed with some of the Wisk detergent people for a dedication of a little league field that had been refurbished. It was a contest that was won through Wisk and the local community. Cal gave his speech and then played on the field with all the kids for about an hour and a half. All of us adults just stood around the perimeter and watched. I brought a bat in the hopes that he would sign it but if he didn't then that was fine to. I thought it was cool to just see him. After he finished on the field he was mobbed by parents and others for autographs. He signed a few and fortuneately I was one of them. I liked to listen to him speak. He has a definite passion for little league and baseball in general. A very stand up guy. I truly admire him for what he has done.

Red

-------------------------
 Proudly Serving in America's Armed Forces
RedRomad- Collector at Large

#12 Pete Rose Basic Set
#6 Tony Perez Basic Set
#4 Joe Morgan Basic Set
#2 Dave Concepcion Basic Set
#1 Ken Griffey Sr. Master / #1 Basic
#1 George Foster Master / #1 Basic

Looking for 81-84 Topps Stickers in PSA 9 or better, 81 Topps Scratch offs, 83 Topps Fold outs in PSA 8 or better, 83 Fleer Stamps and 81/86 Fleer Star Stickers in PSA 9 or better.

Reply
Quote
Top
Bottom

Pages: [ 1 2 3 >> Next ]
FORUMS > SPORTS CARDS & MEMORABILIA FORUM [ REFRESH ]
View Member Listing | Add To Member Listing

Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Terms of Membership

Collectors Universe, Inc., or any subsidiary or affiliate is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness or validity of any information contained in any messages.

FuseTalk 3.0 - Copyright © 1999-2002 e-Zone Media Inc. All rights reserved.