Failure #27: Paul Molitor

The great Hall of Famer Paul Molitor is the current manager of the Minnesota Twins. Unfortunately Mr. Molitor gets too many requests to respond with an autograph request. My letter was returned with a lovely generic note of thanks, as well as a small card with a headshot of Molitor (and my 3x5 note card and return envelope was also returned).

Molitor was on the 1993 Blue Jays roster - the last time my favorite team won the World Series! I'd love to get this autograph some day!

Failure #26: Craig Biggio

One of the more recent members of the Hall of Fame, catcher/infielder/outfielder Criag Biggio, apparently does not accept forwarded mail. I sent this request to the Hall, which was then forwarded to the Astros organization, who labeled it RTS which sent it back to me several days later. 

After the most recent inductions I sent out another wave of TTM requests. Only time will tell if any are successful!

Failure #25: Pedro Martinez

One of the newest members of the Hall of Fame, pitcher Pedro Martinez, apparently does not accept forwarded mail. I sent this request to the Hall, only to get it back in the mail several days later. The upside is that I also sent out 7 other requests to the Hall, and none of them have come back to me as unsuccessful attempts (so far).

Failure #24: Paul Molitor

I was a bit sad to get this one back.  I sent a request to Paul Molitor (who happens to be one of the few former Toronto Blue Jays in the Hall) via the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.  It was then forwarded to John Boggs and Associates (Molitor's professional representatives) who opened my letter, and returned it with with the letter you see informing me that they do not forward mail to their players.

You would think the Hall of Fame would simply send it back to me, instead of forwarding it to someone who is going to open and reject my request, but that is the way it goes sometimes!

Failure #23: Ozzie Smith (again)

I already made the mistake of trying to contact Ozzie Smith through the Baseball Hall of Fame, but for some reason I forgot to look in my notes for that bit of information and foolishly sent off a through-the-mail request last week. Hopefully I have learned my lesson.

Failure #22: Steve Carlton

I recently discovered that Hall of Famer Steve Carlton has a company called Game Winner Sports handle his autograph requests.  I found contact info for autograph requests and received an email from gws@rmi.net informing me of the following price list:

Steve Carlton By Mail Signing Prices

1. Small Flat Item - baseball card or 8 x 10 - $32.00

2. Large Flat Item - larger than 8 x 10 - $39.00

3. Baseball - $42.00

4. Bat or Jersey - $65.00

One free inscription (HOF94, 329 Wins, 4136 K's) per item. Please specify which one. Additional inscriptions are $15.00. Maximum 3 per item.

We can provide a baseball or photo. Our Rawlings Official MLB ball with Carlton autograph, one inscription, ball cube and shipping is $65.00. Our Phillies home 8 x 10 with Carlton autograph, inscription, topload protector and shipping is $45.00

Please make the check payable to the Grace Fund. Please include return postage and a self-addressed envelope/package for all mailed items.

Mail items to;

Game Winner Sports
555 S. Camino Del Rio, B2
Durango, CO  81303

Failure #21: Lee Smith

Lee Smith is not yet in the Hall, but he may get in some day. I decided to be proactive to pursue a few players with the hope that they would be more willing to sign before their induction...

Sadly this was not the case with this 7-time All Star pitcher.

Failure #20: Ernie Banks

Another day, another unsuccessful attempt at getting an autograph through the mail.

This time it was a RTS (return to sender) from Mr. Cub himself, Ernie Banks. I'm not sure if I have the wrong address, or if he is just not willing to sign or open small stuff these days.

Failure #19: Ralph Kiner

Just like Stan Musial (but in a different way), I received my second failure from the same player when Ralph Kiner sent me back my envelope marked with Return to Sender on it.

Like Musial, I will take the hint, and stop trying. My last Kiner failure was also a RTS... Oh well.

Failure #18: Stan Musial

Recently I decided to re-try a few autograph requests through the mail. One of those was to baseball great, Stan Musial, who as it turns out, was also my last official failure in June of last year.

This time the response was much the same. One year later, he has a new generic response card (which includes an image of his autograph!) and is now including a price list (flat items are $100... probably not worth it for my shabby index card).

I'm not sure what it takes to get Mr. Musial to sign for free, but apparently this happens from time to time. I probably won't try this again - at least not until I can afford his fees (which may be...  never).

Failure #17: Stan Musial

While reading an autograph through-the-mail collectors forum, I noticed that quite a few people were having success with requests from Stan Musial through his "Stan the Man" office.  So I sent off a quick request, but all I got back was my blank 3x5 card and a postcard.

The post card is a nice souvenir.  It features a quick bio on one of baseball's greatest players, and on the back gives some details about how to obtain autographed merchandise (for a fee, of course).

Failure #16: Robin Yount

Robin Yount was an All-Star caliber player for twenty years - all with the same team, the Milwaukee Brewers.  Earlier this week I recieved a letter return from Mr. Yount which included a beautiful Hall of Fame postcard with a reproduction of his signature, and an apology note saying he is too busy to sign personally through the mail.  While both were certainly mass-produced items, they are a nice gesture.

I must admit - in spite of the fact that this is not a real autograph, it is one of the best failures I've received thus far.  I appreciate that this player cares enough to send back something that shows his signature, and gives fans something for their trouble.  I also appreciate that Mr. Yount does not send a price list encouraging his fans to hand over their hard earned cash for a simple signature.

Failure #15: Phil Niekro

The rejection letters just keep rolling in!

I was happy to hear back from Phil Niekro.  Mr. Niekro is one of four players in the Hall of Fame who have played for the Toronto Blue Jays.  Although this was a failed attempt, he was nice enough to include a price list instead of just returning an empty envelope as one of his peers recently did - ahem, ahem...

Mr. Niekro was known for his brilliant use of the knuckle ball, earning him the nickname "Knucksie" because of his ability to get people out with that confusing pitch.

Failure #14: Ralph Kiner

Ralph Kiner is the 6th oldest living Hall of Famer out there.  He has a storied career and has even spent time in the broadcast booth as an announcer for the New York Mets.

Today i got a somewhat curious envelope return.  You see, I had originally addressed this envelope to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY.  They received it and then covered up the address with a personal address for Mr. Kiner.  It then arrived in Florida and was marked "Return" in bright blue ink, and proceeded to be sent back to Pasadena to my mailbox.

Wow.

My first thought was that Kiner had pulled the same move as his fellow Hall of Famer, Red Schoendienst (remember the detective work I did?), but a Google search seemed to reveal that this envelope was most likely not written on by Mr. Kiner.

Anyway, this is my 14th failure to only 12 successes.  I'm craving something good to show up in the mail soon.

Failure #13: Whitey Ford

Former Yankee pitcher Whitey Ford had one heck of a career.  His accolades are seemingly endless - just take a look at his Wikipedia page.  He is a great ballplayer and someone who would have been a great addition to my collection.

Unfortunately, Mr. Ford is on the same response program as Frank Robinson.  When I opened my stamped and used return envelope, I saw my original letter and also the blank 3x5 card with no autograph.  Sad. 

Mr. Ford did do one thing differently.  He took the time to scrawl "Send $20.00!" on my letter.  Very official looking!  This one is a bit different than the formal request from players like Gossage and Fingers, nor was it an outright denial like Ripken.  Rather it seems like he took the time to personally (I'm guessing on that - maybe he has an assistant do this?) scrawl this message on my letter.


Very interesting. 

Failure #12: Carlton Fisk

Well, that didn't take long!  Just one day after sending out an initial wave of e-mails to the representation of several Hall of Famers, I received my first response back regarding Mr. Carlton "Pudge" Fisk - a Hall of Fame catcher.

Here is the e-mail I recieved this morning from his representatives...

Dear Ben,

Thank you for your interest in Mr. Fisk.  Unfortunately, due to a contractual obligation Mr. Fisk is unable to honor your request.  We wish you the best of luck.

Sincerely,

	Kim Zayotti Founder, CEO
	265 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110
	617.951.3799 x210 phone 617.951.1354 fax kzayotti@blueskyse.com
	www.blueskyse.com

Failure #11: Ozzie Smith

Yesterday I was super excited to see that two of my envelopes had returned, and saddened to find that both were failures.  Ozzie Smith - all star shortstop, Hall of Famer, and acrobatic player - "DOES NOT ACCEPT FORWARDING" (see the two stamps on the envelope?).

I had heard a rumor that this was true from another website, so this was far from unexpected, but it is still disappointing to see another failure in my quest to get an autograph from every living Hall of Famer.

Failure #10: Frank Robinson

And here's to you, Mr. Robinson.  I finally got some mail today!  But alas...

Frank Robinson - former player and manager - opened up my letter, took out the self addressed stamped envelope, placed my letter and blank 3x5 card in, and sent it back.

No autograph.  No explanation.

Not cool.

On the other hand, Mr. Robinson was a part of that illusive group of four without an address, so I guess I should be happy that it found its way to someone who opened it and sent it back.  Now if only I knew what it would take to get him to sign.  Maybe money?

Failure #9: Cal Ripken Jr.

Cal Ripken Jr.

The Iron Man.

Cal was inducted during the year that I made my first and only visit to the sacred grounds of the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY.  He was a great player and is enormously popular even still today.  He occasionally appears on XM Radio with his brother Billy, and runs a wide variety of baseball programming through his family foundation.

All of this to say, it wasn't unexpected when I rejection letter from one of Mr. Ripken's associates (just a few weeks ago I had listed Ripken as one player who is too busy to sign, but I sent him a request anyway) explaining that they receive thousands of autograph requests and he is not able to accommodate all of them.

So I guess that means he does sign some of them?

Have any collectors out there had success with Cal Ripken Jr.?

Failure #8: Jim Bunning

I didn't know what to expect from Senator Bunning.  Yes, you read that right.  Hall of Fame pitcher, Jim Bunning is a US Senator from the state of Kentucky.  I figured he might at the very least send a political photo with a stamped signature on it. 

But alas, like many former baseball players, Jim Bunning is too busy.  He might be the one guy who actually has a clear reason for why he is too busy - or at least a good excuse.

Quite fascinating to note is the postmark on this return envelope (see photo on right).  Do you see what I'm seeing?  Cincinnati, Ohio.  Bunning is a politician in Kentucky.  Yes, I know Cincinnati is right across the river, but why would the mail be stamped and processed there, unless he (or whoever sorts his mail) sent it from Ohio?  Very strange indeed.