Joe P. Tone’s story “Signature Scumbags” [August 15] about retired pro athletes selling autographs includes quotes from former Tribe and Yankee third baseman Graig Nettles, which brings back memories of a Friday night Tribe game during the summer of ’71 against the Kansas City Royals.
My wife and I and another couple attended the game in the old Municipal Stadium. Paul Splittorff was on the mound for K.C. When Splittorff fired one of his pitches toward home plate with Nettles at bat, the third baseman hit a high pop foul that arched right over our heads, and I watched as it zoomed straight down toward us. The ball slammed into a wooden seat in front of me, bounced straight up and as it hung in mid-air in front of my wife’s face, I grabbed the ball with my left hand and pushed it tightly against my tummy, as my right hand was holding a camera. A guy in front of me tried to pry my fingers off the ball until I said, “Okay, okay. I’ve got it.” Then he backed off.
Ken Nicholas, my co-worker at the old Central National Bank headquarters building at E. 9th and Superior, suggested we walk over to the stadium during our lunch hour the following Monday and try to get Nettles’ autograph while the team was practicing. We did, and as Nettles walked toward the dugout, I said, “Are you Graig Nettles?”
I showed him the ball and said: “This is a foul ball you hit Friday night. Would you sign it for me?”
He jokingly said foul balls were his most common hit and graciously signed the ball — for free.
Louis H. Pumphrey
Shaker Heights
This article appears in Aug 15-21, 2007.
During I think his first season while Graig Nettles played for Cleveland I rode my bike (I was about 12 yrs old) to an apartment building on Birch Hill Drive in Medina. I had heard he lived there and hoped to get an autograph but went without a thought about what I’d do if I actually did meet him. I lived on Sycamore Tree Dr a couple blocks away.
To my surprise not long after arriving a man walks toward his car, wearing a baseball uniform! I rode towards him, asked if he was Graig Nettles and if I could have his autograph. He said sure, then asked what I wanted him to sign. I sheepishly asked if he had any paper.
Mr. Nettles walked me upstairs to his apartment, invited me in, and had his wife grab some paper and a pen.
I walked on air for the rest of that day, and I still have that slip of paper with his autograph!! Forever a sports hero to me!