Monday, July 12, 2004
SBNThe business of baseball autographs
Jeff Kent sat at a small table with a dozen pens and markers in front of him. Some were blue. Others were black, gold or silver. That and this report from The Houston Chronicle's Megan Manfull
A few hundred feet away, more than 500 people stood in a line that twisted and turned in Minute Maid Park. Sprinkled throughout the masses were little kids who loved baseball, who loved the Astros and who couldn't believe that if they stood there just a little bit longer they would actually meet their favorite second baseman.
Those were the ones Kent sat waiting to meet. They are why the potential Hall of Famer hasn't given up signing autographs altogether, even though he doesn't like how the century-old baseball tradition has turned into a big-money business.
"It's hard to differentiate between who really wants an autograph for personal reasons and who wants an autograph for monetary reasons," Kent said at a free, two-hour autograph session he organized recently to thank fans for electing him a starter in next week's All-Star Game. "Sometimes for me, I can't tell who's who, so what I do — which is kind of a bad thing — I just shut everybody off. And then I try to come up with opportunities like this to give back to the good folks — the kids."
Starting today, thousands of autograph seekers will descend on Houston, hoping to get All-Stars and big-league legends to scribble their names on memorabilia. It's the "game" outside the All-Star Game. Some will search for their favorite All-Star. Others will look to make money. But they will all congregate together.
They will stake out Minute Maid Park, plus the airports, local hotels and restaurants.
Houstonian Chris Turett plans to stick close to Minute Maid Park, where he has practically lived since it opened. He has missed only 10 Astros games since 1999, and he knows a slew of good areas for finding the players and getting autographs. Don't expect Turett to offer any advice to novices, though. He doesn't want to be followed.
"Man, those are trade secrets," said Turett, who estimates he has 300 to 400 autographed baseballs in his apartment. "There are certain places to wait around the stadium — inside and outside. I can't give it away, or everybody will be there."
Turett started collecting more than a decade ago when he was growing up in Baltimore and got his first autograph from Cal Ripken Jr. Like many children, Turett got hooked and was never able to shake the hobby.
He is hardly alone. The art of the autograph started more than a century ago when baseball cards became the first trading cards printed. Back then, kids staked out the ballparks trying to get players to sign their cards.
That trend continues. The only difference is that alongside the children are grown men who never really outgrew the rush they got when they met a major leaguer.
"It's really been an interesting phenomenon and evolution to watch," said Jeffrey Rosenberg, president and CEO of TriStar Productions, the Houston-based company that is a leader in sports memorabilia. "The autograph collectors are not the kids, so to speak, anymore. All people love meeting players and getting autographs."
Rosenberg is one of those older "kids." He loved getting autographs as a child and realized 20 years ago a business opportunity might be present. After looking into the possibilities and starting to sell some autographs, Rosenberg formed TriStar in 1987. The company's first show was held in Houston with a young up-and-comer named Mark McGwire. That and this report from The Houston Chronicle's Megan Manfull
A number of players around the majors, including Astros pitcher Roger Clemens and Florida Marlins pitcher Dontrelle Willis, are part of TriStar's exclusive autograph team. Like many companies, TriStar charges for autographs, and the players receive compensation for participating.
For years, Kent took part in autograph sessions where fans paid as much as $30 to watch him sign their memorabilia. Now, the growing business bothers him, and he has tried to avoid it the past three or four years.
"It's the American way, isn't it?" he said. "Get something for nothing."
Kent was approached a number of times about signing autographs during the All-Star break. But he turned down all the offers and a lot of money, choosing instead to organize his own session last Saturday. During the planning, Kent was insistent that the session be free.
He knew he wouldn't be able to avoid the business side, however. Local stores had "runners" standing in line for hours to get their merchandise signed, and they were easily recognizable.
They donned Astros T-shirts, but it was obvious they weren't Kent fans. When they reached the table where he sat, he could have been any other star. They were only concerned that he use a blue Sharpie to sign the glossy photos and that he sign their baseballs directly under the All-Star Game insignia.
They are the reason he usually turns down all autograph requests and drives by the people who wait outside the players' parking garage on game nights.
Approached on the street
"My kids are always harassing me when I'm driving them out of the parking lot, because there are always fans outside in the streets begging for autographs, and they are always yelling at me to stop, and I never stop," Kent said.
Rene and Hilda Cardoza have seen Kent's truck pass them on the Congress Street exit plenty of times, which is why they attended his recent autograph session. They are the types of fans Kent wishes he could oblige more often without worrying about the others who try to make money.
The Cardozas have filled their 4-year-old son Roland's room with autographed memorabilia, including photographs of Roland with pros like Astros pitcher Wade Miller. The couple has collected autographs for 15 years, and there's little ques-
tion that the next generation of Cardozas will do the same.
Jeff Kent sat at a small table with a dozen pens and markers in front of him. Some were blue. Others were black, gold or silver. That and this report from The Houston Chronicle's Megan Manfull
A few hundred feet away, more than 500 people stood in a line that twisted and turned in Minute Maid Park. Sprinkled throughout the masses were little kids who loved baseball, who loved the Astros and who couldn't believe that if they stood there just a little bit longer they would actually meet their favorite second baseman.
Those were the ones Kent sat waiting to meet. They are why the potential Hall of Famer hasn't given up signing autographs altogether, even though he doesn't like how the century-old baseball tradition has turned into a big-money business.
"It's hard to differentiate between who really wants an autograph for personal reasons and who wants an autograph for monetary reasons," Kent said at a free, two-hour autograph session he organized recently to thank fans for electing him a starter in next week's All-Star Game. "Sometimes for me, I can't tell who's who, so what I do — which is kind of a bad thing — I just shut everybody off. And then I try to come up with opportunities like this to give back to the good folks — the kids."
Starting today, thousands of autograph seekers will descend on Houston, hoping to get All-Stars and big-league legends to scribble their names on memorabilia. It's the "game" outside the All-Star Game. Some will search for their favorite All-Star. Others will look to make money. But they will all congregate together.
They will stake out Minute Maid Park, plus the airports, local hotels and restaurants.
Houstonian Chris Turett plans to stick close to Minute Maid Park, where he has practically lived since it opened. He has missed only 10 Astros games since 1999, and he knows a slew of good areas for finding the players and getting autographs. Don't expect Turett to offer any advice to novices, though. He doesn't want to be followed.
"Man, those are trade secrets," said Turett, who estimates he has 300 to 400 autographed baseballs in his apartment. "There are certain places to wait around the stadium — inside and outside. I can't give it away, or everybody will be there."
Turett started collecting more than a decade ago when he was growing up in Baltimore and got his first autograph from Cal Ripken Jr. Like many children, Turett got hooked and was never able to shake the hobby.
He is hardly alone. The art of the autograph started more than a century ago when baseball cards became the first trading cards printed. Back then, kids staked out the ballparks trying to get players to sign their cards.
That trend continues. The only difference is that alongside the children are grown men who never really outgrew the rush they got when they met a major leaguer.
"It's really been an interesting phenomenon and evolution to watch," said Jeffrey Rosenberg, president and CEO of TriStar Productions, the Houston-based company that is a leader in sports memorabilia. "The autograph collectors are not the kids, so to speak, anymore. All people love meeting players and getting autographs."
Rosenberg is one of those older "kids." He loved getting autographs as a child and realized 20 years ago a business opportunity might be present. After looking into the possibilities and starting to sell some autographs, Rosenberg formed TriStar in 1987. The company's first show was held in Houston with a young up-and-comer named Mark McGwire. That and this report from The Houston Chronicle's Megan Manfull
A number of players around the majors, including Astros pitcher Roger Clemens and Florida Marlins pitcher Dontrelle Willis, are part of TriStar's exclusive autograph team. Like many companies, TriStar charges for autographs, and the players receive compensation for participating.
For years, Kent took part in autograph sessions where fans paid as much as $30 to watch him sign their memorabilia. Now, the growing business bothers him, and he has tried to avoid it the past three or four years.
"It's the American way, isn't it?" he said. "Get something for nothing."
Kent was approached a number of times about signing autographs during the All-Star break. But he turned down all the offers and a lot of money, choosing instead to organize his own session last Saturday. During the planning, Kent was insistent that the session be free.
He knew he wouldn't be able to avoid the business side, however. Local stores had "runners" standing in line for hours to get their merchandise signed, and they were easily recognizable.
They donned Astros T-shirts, but it was obvious they weren't Kent fans. When they reached the table where he sat, he could have been any other star. They were only concerned that he use a blue Sharpie to sign the glossy photos and that he sign their baseballs directly under the All-Star Game insignia.
They are the reason he usually turns down all autograph requests and drives by the people who wait outside the players' parking garage on game nights.
Approached on the street
"My kids are always harassing me when I'm driving them out of the parking lot, because there are always fans outside in the streets begging for autographs, and they are always yelling at me to stop, and I never stop," Kent said.
Rene and Hilda Cardoza have seen Kent's truck pass them on the Congress Street exit plenty of times, which is why they attended his recent autograph session. They are the types of fans Kent wishes he could oblige more often without worrying about the others who try to make money.
The Cardozas have filled their 4-year-old son Roland's room with autographed memorabilia, including photographs of Roland with pros like Astros pitcher Wade Miller. The couple has collected autographs for 15 years, and there's little ques-
tion that the next generation of Cardozas will do the same.
