Mike Schmidt On Autograph Collecting

metrotheme · August 1, 2009 7:20AM

Mike Schmidt On Autograph Collecting
http://www.baseballhappenings.net/2009/08/mike-schmidt-autograph-craze-is-out-of.html

Baseball Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt weighs in on his take on autographs after the recent Hall of Fame induction ceremonies in Cooperstown. How far over the line have autograph seekers gone in their quest to obtain signatures? Read Schmidt's analysis at the link above.

If you don't believe Schmidt, read this exchange on another autographing website, and you can see the stalker / annoyance tactics people use to try to get autographs.

Here's 1 .. standing in the middle of traffic begging Derek Jeter to sign, and stalking Pedro Martinez all over Florida for an autograph
http://www.sportsgraphing.com/ip-autographs/61165-ryans-2009-ip-graphs-8.html

Here's 2 - People sneaking into the Vinoy hotel to try to find out what floors the Yankee players are staying on, and then hiding out on those floors to bumrush the players before they get in the elevator.
http://www.sportsgraphing.com/ip-autographs/73229-yankees-series-tampa-hotel-field.html

storm888 · August 1, 2009 7:42AM

"...I'll be perfectly honest, I hate playing the cat-and-mouse game with collectors on the street. It was one of the reasons I retired early...."

//////////////////////////////////

That is kinda weird.

..........

Celebrities who whine about being too popular should get a real job.

If lots of fans were not NUTZ, those celebs would not be making the
big bucks they collect.

He is right about one thing though: The ONLY reason I would want
any celeb-autos is to sell them to somebody else.

chaz43 · August 1, 2009 7:45AM

Give me a break Schmidt.... without the demand for your signature, you wouldn't have as easy a lifestyle that you do.....don't bite the hand that feeds you. Nothing wrong with autograph hounds.... you sit back on your ass and put a pen to the baseball....sign the damn thing and drive off in your Mercedes... quit your yappin'. Have a year (or a couple of years) like the rest of us poor slobs in this recession and maybe you'll change your tune.... screw you Schmidt. chaz

frankhardy · August 1, 2009 7:47AM

<< <i>Give me a break Schmidt.... without the demand for your signature, you wouldn't have as easy a lifestyle that you do.....don't bite the hand that feeds you. Nothing wrong with autograph hounds.... you sit back on your ass and put a pen to the baseball....sign the damn thing and drive off in your Mercedes... quit your yappin'. Have a year (or a couple of years) like the rest of us poor slobs in this recession and maybe you'll change your tune.... screw you Schmidt. chaz >>

PSA 10. frank.

yankeeno7 · August 1, 2009 8:02AM

I was at the golf course in Cooperstown when it was Schmidt's turn to go through. He walked up to the wall, signed a few in big loops and walked away. There were a couple of people yelling at him "What is this crap?" LOL One guy who got an auto gave it to a kid. I saw it and it was literaly like 5 or 6 loops...NOT a signature. That guy yelled out "If you are going to sign at all then do it right!" LOL

Cokin75 · August 1, 2009 8:20AM

Schmidt is well known as one of the biggest jerks on the "autograph circuit". That said, I can't disagree with much of what he said, except for the fact that his autograph is worth an additional 90 dollars on a 10 dollar item. It's the "chicken vs. egg" argument here. Who greed is more responsible for the current situation of autographs, players or fans? I'd lean towards the players. If they didn't sign for cash, there would be little or no "secondary market", and values would be much lower, thusly discouraging these "hounds".

OAKESY25 · August 1, 2009 9:07AM

SCHMIDT IS A HIGH AND MIGHTY GOOF BALL yeah// I am yelling

mccardguy1 · August 1, 2009 9:26AM

As a high School kid I used to hang around Wrigley Field asking for autographs for myself only. I still have every graph that I ever gathered down there over the years. I remember getting many of the greats on the Phillies team and got Schmidt twice. His autograph was horrible and you would never know it was him if I didnt point it out to you. Fast forward 3 years later when I worked in the front office for the Cubs and had access to players where they were not in view of the public. Schmidt was an arse, plain and simple but he did take the time to give me a real nice autograph each time I asked him. He definitley has 2 types of autographs....The screw you, dont bother me autograph and the one he saves for when he is being paid or being nice.

I saw alot of the crap players had to go through and I understand how it can be a pain when everyone wants a piece of you. This happened at Wrigley many times to many players where fans would just bug the crud out of them and stalk them from hotel to stadium. But to say he retired early because of it, well I just cant imagine that to be true. I mean, from what I remember I think Michael Jack Schmidt was pretty much at the end of the line when he retired anyway.

WinPitcher · August 1, 2009 10:05AM

Once I turned about 16 I stopped asking people for autographs.

Instead I would simply say "hello So and so and extend my hand.

Please don't take my above statement as a derogatory one towards those that seek autos.

Steve

BunchOBull · August 1, 2009 10:11AM

I never knew he was such a hypocritical prima donna.

fattymacs · August 1, 2009 10:15AM

Steve, I'm the same way. I'll take their auto as long as it's on a check. My kid thinks it's great, so I just had to cough up some scratch for an auto session with the whole Reds team in a few weeks (it does include tiks to the game though).

Side note, my H.S. Golf coach was Schmidt's roomate in college.

metrotheme · August 1, 2009 10:17PM

Did anyone read the other two links I posted to the message board of the tactics of the autograph stalkers? Maybe it will give you a little more insight on what Schmidt wrote. Alot of players have told me the same thing when I've interviewed them, that they can't tell who the dealers and collectors are anymore. And when I've done some in person autographing, I've heard many collectors use the most bulls--t excuses to break guys down to sign. Alot of these collectors have OCD, and it shows when they are out in action.

Read the two extra links I posted, and tell me if those folks haven't crossed the line. Wouldn't you be a bit disturbed if someone was following you in traffic to get you to sign? It's gone way past asking for autographs at the ballpark or outside of the hotel. Alot of these creeps infest the hotel, wait at players homes, stalk the airports, follow players around the city, etc etc.

Schmidt has a point. If people are going to profit from his autograph, why shouldn't he? If more of these autograph chasers had some manners and some tact, alot of the players would be more calm about signing.

Bottom9th · August 1, 2009 10:32PM

schmidt

Link 2

Link 3

VitoCo1972 · August 5, 2009 5:08PM

I have absolutely 0 problem with any of Schmidt's comments in that article. I only chase autographs at golf touraments, where the ratio of regular keepsake seekers to dealers is always 50-1. I'm 30 years old, I'm sure most of the pro's think I sell all of the stuff I ask for, but as a collector, I can only hope that they can pick me out as genuine...and I've gotten several ugly looks from the likes of Tom Watson (who makes Schmidt seem like an easy autograph), Ian Poulter and others.

The dealers that I occasionally chat with at golf tournaments are real shady characters. They chase autos at all sports and it baffles me that they can sustain a living at it. Frankly, most that I've met are not very nice or honorable people. And if Schmidt is saying that he has a problem with shady characters stalking him wherever he goes, big deal if he drives a nice car and lives in a nice house, it HAS to be difficult to not be able to go get an ice cream without being asked to stop for 10 minutes and sign stuff. Not just that, but what if you're in a hurry and you have to say no...then you're a real rick with a p...completely undeservedly so.

Would I trade my existence of anonymity for fame and fortune? Fortune, yes, in a heartbeat. Fame? That's a horse of a different color. The ratio of insane famous people to sane is drastically different to everyday Joe's.

storm888 · August 5, 2009 5:21PM

"...The ratio of insane famous people to sane is drastically different to everyday Joe's. ."

/////////////////////////

27-Million American adults take Prozac-like drugs because they
tell their MDealer they are depressed.

VitoCo1972 · August 5, 2009 5:36PM

<< <i>"...The ratio of insane famous people to sane is drastically different to everyday Joe's. ."

/////////////////////////

27-Million American adults take Prozac-like drugs because they
tell their MDealer they are depressed. >>

I hear you Storm. I'm just saying...I live in Hollywood. I would NOT want to be famous. Hell, every time a celebrity gets in their car here they're in danger of a paparazzi colliding with you so they can get the best view of the celeb getting their morning coffee at the local Coffee Bean. Not my cup of tea (or coffee, as it were). Would you want to never be able to eat a full meal at a restaurant without signing 5-10 autographs every time?

"Hey, is that Storm over there? Oh, I bet he won't mind. No one else will ask I'm sure." Meanwhile, 7 different tables are having the same conversation.

storm888 · August 5, 2009 6:10PM

"...Would you want to never be able to eat a full meal at a restaurant without signing 5-10 autographs every time? ...

"Hey, is that Storm over there? Oh, I bet he won't mind. No one else will ask I'm sure." Meanwhile, 7 different tables are having the same conversation..."

////////////////////

There are trade-offs, in life.

If one wants the perks of "fame-based wealth," one has to
give up certain privacies.

If I had wealth from such sources, I would likely be somewhat
reclusive and not venture into circumstances that I KNOW would
result in encounters that I KNOW I would find unpleasant.

I know how to display both the arrogance and humility of having
enough money. If I was beholden to the little fans for my money,
I would be pleasant to the peasants, OR I would stay out of their
public reach.

I would NOT cash the checks and publicly complain that folks loved
me too much AFTER those folks had loved me into the "rich house."

Allen · August 5, 2009 6:15PM

I like Bill Russell's philosophy. Russell left his mark in sports history as an innovator and a great man. He refused to sign autographs, yet he never avoided his fans. Instead he mingled with them, talked to them, and shook their hands - to Russell those gestures were more personal than signing a piece of paper.

In one of his books he says a fan approached him in restaurant and asked for his autograph. Russell said "I won't sign an autograph, but I will buy you a cup of coffee if you would like to have a seat and join me." The man got irate and stormed off. Russell also mentions in a book that him and Tommy Heinsohn nearly came to blows in the locker room because Heinsohn was getting the entire team to sign a basketball after one of their championship wins and Russell refused to sign it. Russell told him that he knew he did not sign autographs, Heinsohn said he was not just some Joe on the street, I am your teammate, we won a championship together. Russell responded with something along the lines of, "Right, so you should be that last person to want my autograph, you know me."
I later read about a similar incident that I believe is the same one, but told from Heinsohn's point of view. That story is that Russell refused to sign a basketball for Heinsohn's cousin because he was bitter that Heinsohn won the 1957 Rookie of the Year honor over him.

storm888 · August 5, 2009 6:24PM

I have no problem with Bill Russell - or any celeb - having a
no-sig policy.

Stating that policy politely and sticking to it is substantially different
than whining about being bothered by the fans.

stevek · August 5, 2009 8:11PM

<<< 'll be perfectly honest, I hate playing the cat-and-mouse game with collectors on the street. It was one of the reasons I retired early >>>

In my opinion, if Schmitty was hooked up to a polygraph machine, this would be way at the bottom of any list, if on the list at all, of reasons why he retired. His baseball skills were eroding and he couldn't tolerate not performing at the level he was accustomed to...that's basically what he stated at the time, and that's what I believe, not this BS about autograph collectors being one of the reasons he retired early.

Even when he retired, the collectors are still gonna bug him for an autograph, so why should that make a difference in any decision to retire?...doesn't make sense...come on now Mike. But if ya understand how Mike thinks and reading and hearing other comments he's made over the years, ya can see how Mike would make a remark such as this...I just don't believe it had any influence whatsoever on his decision to retire.

Cokin75 · August 6, 2009 12:28AM

Yes, I call complete BS on Schmidt's retirement having anything to do with autograph hounds. He was so washed up in '89 he retired in mid-season. I doubt that was due to kids camping out in his motel.

On the Russell thing, I'd have much more respect for his anti-auto stance if he hadn't cashed in on it later in life. The same thing with "Dr." Mike Marshall. Hypocrites.

Mike Schmidt On Autograph Collecting

Comments