Understanding Cleveland Sports, with Graphical Assistance
December 9, 2009Bring on Leon
December 9, 2009Congratulations are in order to Dingo J who was randomly selected to receive the pair of Indians tickets for yesterday’s contest! Dingo’s foul ball story was a painful one. Thanks to all for sharing those stories, they were great.
The giveaway rolls on. Today we have a three part prize. How would you like a Riddell mini-helmet from the Browns, Buckeyes and Indians? (Yes, they make baseball ones too!) The winner of today’s contest will get one of each. They are great on display in your sports viewing room, or for getting autographs. As always, here’s the skinny-
Each weekday from now until Tuesday the 22nd we will be giving away a great Cleveland sports prize pack. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on the daily prize post answering the question of the day. It’s that simple. Look for the posts at noon.
– You may only enter once each day. You are free to comment on each other’s answers, however.
– The winner will be chosen at random from the qualifying entries. Winners will be notified the following day by email (make sure the email address you registered to comment with is a real one!) You must be at least 18 years old to win, and only one winner per household during this giveaway please.
-Entries must be made before Midnight EST to qualify.
Last year I made everyone give their answer in exactly 64 words, (last Cleveland title) but this year I’m going to be a bit more lenient. As long as you actually answer the question, it doesn’t matter how many words you use.
Today’s prize- The mini-helmet triple pack! (Don’t worry, no actual Buckeyes or Indians were harmed in the making of these helmets.)
Today’s question- I want to hear an autograph story, or tell us about a time you met or saw a Cleveland athlete out and about in the city.
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During a meeting for young Ohio leaders, Our keynote speaker was Archie Griffith. After his speech, he sat down with a stack of pictures at one of those long, WWE style tables. Well, the lined formed and I wasn’t close to getting near the front. So instead I walked around to Archie’s side of the table. An organizer of the event told me I had to wait in line for an autograph. I told him I didn’t want an autograph, grabbed a chair and sat next to Archie. He was polite and talked to me for about 45 minutes while signing autographs for everyone in line.
Driving by some of the Lakewood bars a few years back, me and a couple buddies rounded a corner and almost ran over someone walking down the middle of the street. The car came to a screeching halt, but the 7’3″ bald Lithuanian lumbering down the road didn’t even seem to notice. We all immdeiately rolled down the windows and a let out a resounding “zzzeeeeeeeee.” The only response from the big man was to clumsily throw an arm up in the air, and get back on his way to wherever he was going. He NEVER looked back.
Win one this year and the sticks are going in the rafters. GO CAVS.
Back in the day when they used to have the Ohio Cup game in Columbus right before the start of the season, I had seats near the bullpen and so I went over to check out who was warming up. To my glee I saw one Greg Swindell, my favorite player when I was growing up (I’m not sure why exactly). So I handed him down my hat and he signed it, even though he was no longer an Indian, but a member of the Cincinnati Reds.
I wore it every day after that, until I nearly lost it while riding on a boat in Florida. It flew off my head and ended up in the water. Thankfully someone came up behind us and swooped it up otherwise it would have been lost forever.
Until 1988, I was never much of a Cleveland Fan; at least until winter of that year. My family and I had just arrived in Florida for Christmas vacation, and I wasn’t really paying too much attention. As my dad guided my family through the airport, he suddenly told me to go up to the man he was pointing at and ask for his autograph. As I looked around I saw a mountain of muscle, who could easily crush me with little more than a look. My dad kept insisting that the man wouldn’t hurt me, and that I needed to go over to him before he left. Gathering up my courage, I walked over to him and shakily asked for his autograph. Little did I know, I had just gotten the autograph of one of the best Browns CBs in history; Frank Minnifield. He came over to where my family was and talked to us for a few minutes before leaving. My only regret is that I took the autograph to school after Christmas break to show it off, and someone stole it. But that day, and my dad versing me in Cleveland sports after it, is something I will never forget.
The last autograph I got was Sam Clancy’s. I think it was his. It wasn’t very legible. The Parma firefighters, including my dad, played the Browns in a game of hoops at Pleasant Valley Middle School in Cleveland, approximately 1983 or so. I have never understood the autograph thing. I did chat with Bob Feller in ’99 before he did a few hours signing for folks at a Red Cross Blood drive. He had a reputation for being a red-ass but was very nice this day. He is the Ted Williams of pitchers, look at his stats to see what they’d be like without WWII.
Sometime in the late 90’s I went to Tower City with one of my friends. We didn’t know it, but the Jazz was in town to play the Cavaliers. As luck would have it, we were walking through the food court and Karl Malone was sitting with a teammate eating lunch. It was pretty cool.
Not Cleveland related, but it’s why I became an Indians fan, so it’s relevant.
When I was maybe 10, I went to a Reds game with my parents for my birthday. My favorite players was Barry Larkin. As we lined the player tunnel under Riverfront Stadium to wave to our favorites after the game, we joined many other eager young faces pressing to meet their heros. To a man, the Reds came out, smiled at fans, shook hands, and gave away precious autographs. Every member I knew came out. Except Larkin.
Some 15 minutes later, desperate to meet my icon, I was still hanging around with a few other young die hards. Then, he appeared. I smiled, waved, shouted, desperate to attain even the faint acknowledgment of my existence from the superstar.
Larkin’s expressionless face scanned the crowd, gave the slightest hint of a sneer, and remained cold while his valet opened the doors to his yellow Porsche. He dipped a leg in, looked back at the crowd (and I swore straight at me), shook he head, and closed the tinted-windowed door.
I was crushed.
From that point forward, I’ve been an Indians fan, and I’m happy to report the Wahoos of Carnegie and Ontario, despite their fall heartbreaks, have been far kinder to me as a fan (and more successful) since.
After one Tribe game at the Jake back in the 90s we were all outside the player’s parking lot, trying to get autographs. Bartolo Colon was one of the guys signing that night, just going right down the line of people at the fence. He stopped just before he got to us, but then my Mom called out to him in Spanish, asking him to come back and sign one for my little brother. He didn’t hesitate for even a moment and came back to sign just that one more.
When I was young the late 80’s browns use to play a pick up basketball game at the local high school. I use to stand in line to get autographs from the players. At the time I was to young to realize how cool it was… but this helped form my love for Clevenad sports
My brother and I ran out of beer early one night and stopped at a local Giant Eagle. In the parking lot I saw a nice Escalade. I jokingly said it must be a altheltes knowing the neighborhood we were in. At the check out line a saw a guy the looked somewhat familair. As it turns out the Escalade belonged to our favorite shortstop turned 3rd baseman Jhonny Perlta.
To Ken Barrett-
It’s always great to know that there are good Buckeyes out there. Thanks for getting Vrabel, Kirk, Aj Hawk, Nugents and Gonzoles autographs for me.
Love your bro!
I attended a Tribe Press Tour stop in Columbus when I was in college back in ’98, and Sandy Alomar was by far the best player on the tour. He was fresh off his amazing year in ’97 when he was named All-Star game MVP at Jacobs Field. I knew Sandy would be in attendance, so I purchased an authentic American League All-Star game ball with the Jacobs Field logo for the occasion. I was a bit nervous about it all night. Not about asking for his autograph, but just the fact that the autograph line was for kids ages 13 and under! I figured, I was 19, that was close enough!!! Hey, I was still in my teens at least. Sandy didn’t even look at me funny, and signed it with “MVP” just as I requested. By far my best autograph. Thanks Sandy!
When I was in 4th or 5th grade at Taft Elementary in Lakewood, a dad came to the school playground with his kid(s). It happened to be when our class was at recess. One of the kids recognized him. It was Mike Baab, the Browns center. All the kids rushed him for autographs. Poor guy. I got his name scribbled on a scrap of paper that has long since vanished.