Steve Garvey

I met Steve Garvey at a Palm Springs Power game where his son Ryan is a superstar. I was a little nervous at first because this guy was my childhood hero. Being a Dodger fan, I had to get him to sign something for me.

Thank goodness the Power is in a summer collegiate wood bat league and does not draw many fans. My son caught two foul balls that day. Near the end of the game, I had my son (yes I was too much of a chicken) walk up and ask him to sign the balls. He was awesome and signed both on the sweet-spot.

A couple weeks later, we went to another game and he sat right next to us. We engaged in conversation and I found out that Ryan had been drafted by the Phillies. Steve owns a business in Palm desert, CA, which is right down the road from where we live. This time, I had brought a couple of brand new balls and an 8x10. I hesitantly told him I was hoping to see him and he generously signed them as he laughed at me for being too nervous to ask.

 Overall, Steve has gotten some flack by the media in the past but I think the guy is generally awesome to the fans. Every time I saw him at the games, not once did I see him turn down a fan request for a signature or a photo opportunity. He would speak to whoever he sat next to. And although he had reserved seats behind home plate, he would walk around the stadium to take the occasional shot of Ryan while he was playing. He seemed like the average everyday proud father watching his son play the game he loved so much.

Speaking of Ryan, I spoke with him also a couple times this season. He is also a very nice young man. Once, after winning the 2011 homerun derby, he had a line of fans asking for his signature. He did not leave until the last person had walked away happy. He spoke very highly of his father and how he wanted to follow in his footsteps. He dropped down to my 4 year old daughters level and told her how pretty she was and signed a ball for her as well as myself. I really hope Ryan finds success in the Phillies organization.

Steve was nothing like you would expect after hearing the media bash him in the past. He was extremely fan friendly to both those that watched him play and those that were way to young to actually know who he was, just that they knew he was a former MLB player and wanted his autograph.

This Power season was definitely a memorable one thanks in part to Mr. Clean himself. My hats off to you Mr. Garvey, you made a childhood dream come true.

About the Collector

I played baseball for a semi pro team in Yucca Valley, CA. We practiced two days a week and played double headers on Sundays throughout Southern California. Not bragging, but I was probably the only player on the team with college playing experience. It was a team full of fans and former little league players that just wanted to get their hands on a wood bat one last time before age made them hang their cleats up.  

I remember the 5 or 6 kids that would show up to watch the games. With the exception of families, we never had too many people in the stands.

One game, I hit two homeruns. In this league, we had to fetch our own homeruns and foul balls and reuse them. After the game, one of the little boys that came to watch asked me for one of my balls. I tossed one to him and he held out a pen and asked me to sign it. This was the first and only time I have even been asked for my autograph. I got home that day and I realized two things; one, I was never going anywhere with the baseball thing and it was time to focus on my real job and two, I wanted to collect autographs as a hobby.

At the time, we lived in Phelan, CA. There was a Minor League team just up the road in Adelanto. The High Desert Mavericks were the Class A Advanced Minor League team for the Arizona Diamondbacks. I called the stadium to get ticket prices and found out that they were having a game with a local company against some former MLB players. I bought 3 tickets.

That Saturday I took my wife, Mindy and daughter, Rebecca to the game. The first autograph I got was from John "Blue Moon" Odom. I was hooked. I quickly went to the other players which included, Tommy Davis, Jay Johnstone, Kenny Landreaux, and a few others.

The internet was just getting big with the public at that time. I went home and jumped online. I started searching for autographed memorabilia. I found a site that was dedicated to people that would send their cards to players through the mail and the players would actually sign the items. My collector days took off.

Over the years I have sent to many stars with both good and bad results. I keep my cards protected, balls in their cubes, photos in glass etc etc. I sometimes go through my collection and think back to that little boy, did he ever put that ball in a cube; is it still in a cube; has he searched the internet to see if I ever made it to the pros? Sometimes it brings a smile to my face, sometimes my eyes water. Do I miss it, I honestly don't know. But I do know that I'm happy where I'm at.

My name is Steve and I'm your average Joe. I collect signed memorabilia from athletes and celebrities. This blog will be about my experiences collecting autographs. A few of my thoughts and rants and raves. Follow me if you'd like, both here and on Twitter @smraines12

Thanks for reading