Frank Thomas - A Hall of Fame Autograph Signer

Writer11

It's been my family's annual tradition to go to Blue Jays Spring Training in Dunedin for 17 years now. I'm not a huge autograph guy, but in Dunedin it's pretty easy to obtain them. I just wanted to tell people that I have never seen a superstar more cordial and accomodating than Frank Thomas was this spring. Though I never scored an autograph myself (I just can't compete with the aggression of other fans, hounds and mercenaries), I watched Frank in action. Before each game, Frank would sign and converse with his fans. Then when he came out of the game, he would stop and sign for the fans again. He was downright jovial with the fans. He looked like he was genuinely enjoying himself. We hear so much bad stuff about superstar ballplayers that I thought I would share a positive story. Not only is Frank a Hall of Fame player, he is (with the fans at least) a Hall of Fame guy.

Jdurg

David Cone is the same way. When he was in Norwich on Rehab in the summer of 1996 I got to spend a lot of time talking to him and just asking him anything I could think of about life as a ballplayer. He was very polite and signed a ton of things for me. Darryl Strawberry, believe it or not, is apparently a great signer as well. I missed him when he was in Norwich on rehab, but everybody I spoke with said he signed for everybody and made sure to sign for the kids before he signed for adults. Tim Raines is another one who needs to be mentioned. I was standing at the front of hte seats when he was doing a rehab stint with a ball in my hand and a pen hoping to get some of the minor leaguers to sign for me. (I didn't even realize Tim Raines was there on rehab). Out of nowhere, as he gets done with his sprints, he runs over to me and says "Hey, how you doing? Beautiful night for a ballgame. Let me see that ball of yours." He then takes the ball and pen and signs a completely legible and beautiful autograph on the sweet spot, then tosses me one of the BP balls they were using and says "Here's another one for you."

HeritageAddict

That's good to hear, if only they were all like that.

Goot

Edgar Renteria is also a great signer, going down the line untill he has gotten everyone. The guy next to me asked him to sign a ball and 2 cards and Renteria did it without the guy having to ask more than once.

HeritageAddict

Renteria is a great guy, I met him when he played in St. Louis. He and another player were bartending for charity at a bar across the street from the stadium after a game, Michael Jordan was also there, he was not the friendliest of people.

hotmush

Very nice to hear. I'm a Toronto Jays fan from long back and very few superstars have joined for whom I've heard these great things (not Neikro, not Molitor, not Canseco, not Henderson, not Clemens). Maybe Winfield, but he killed seagull at Exhibition Stadium a few years back. So he had some backpeddling to do. Good to hear the Big Hurt may hit his 500th as Jay and though he may go in as a Sock, he'll always be a Jay to us.

PasadenaMudSlide

Nice to hear about the genuinely good guys.

Thanks!

Publius

Baseball-Smaseball.

I was in Denver last year to watch the mighty Seahawks triumph over the lowly Doncos, at Invesco stadium. Happened to be staying in the same hotel as the Seahawk squad. Got alot of autos and photos. My wife got a great photo with Matt Hasselbeck, whcih became our Christmas card for the year.

" Merry Christmas all, from Matt and Stacey Hasselbeck" Photo taken by ex-husband Joe, we wish him all the best.

good stuff, Im doing fine now

joe