Miguel Cabrera signs rare 500 HR ball as historic collectibles surface on Day 4 of National Sports Collectors Convention
ROSEMONT, Ill.—The first autograph Miguel Cabrera signed Saturday was a rare relic that showed its age, but boy did it carry history.
David Hunt, president of Hunt Auctions, wore one white glove to protect the baseball he asked Cabrera to autograph.
The ball already had been signed by all of the 500 Home Run Club members except Jim Thome, Albert Pujols and Mel Ott. And Pujols signed it later Saturday.
“It’s surreal; I don’t know of any other [500 Home Run Club baseballs] that have this many [signatures],” said Hunt, who added that the ball on consignment was acquired decades ago by a collector when it only had the signatures of Babe Ruth and Jimmie Foxx.
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Steadily over the years, all others have been added, including Willie Mays, Hank Aaron and so many others.
“We love exposing current players to [vintage] pieces [of memorabilia], such as something from Babe Ruth or Jackie Robinson. It’s a great moment for everyone, including the [current] players,” Hunt said. “Think about it … every one of these greats has held this baseball. It really is such a great piece of history. I certainly think this is a six-figure item.”
— Ross Forman
A ‘WOW’ CROWD
The management team of the The National Sports Collectors Convention had two words to describe the crowds at The National over the first four days of the five-day show.
“Wow,” Joe Drelich of JBJ Corporation said.
“Phenomenal,” JBJ’s Jimmy Ryan added.
JBJ Corporation, which took over management of The National last year, won’t have final attendance numbers for a while but the show promoters are “pretty confident” this year’s show at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center will set another show record.
The 2023 show in Chicago and the 2024 show in Cleveland both set attendance records, surpassing 100,000 attendees for the five-day show. Dealers expect this year’s attendance to approach 150,000.
Drelich said it will take a while for JBJ to tally the final attendance numbers. In addition to paid attendance, the show gives away thousands of tickets to members of the military and children under 12.
In the past, show promoters have not announced official attendance numbers, but Drelich said JBJ is working on a better system to track attendance data.
While the show has attracted record crowds flooding the show floor, there have been few complaints and logistical issues. After a myriad of problems due to crowd size the past few years, the Wi-Fi and cell services are strong, the air conditioning is working well, and there have been few complaints from dealers and collectors.
“We could do better, and we will,” Drelich said. “There are ways we can improve traffic flow.”
The only area of concern has been the crowd in the upstairs hall, which has been crowded with tight spaces in the aisles around tables for new dealers attending their first NSCC. There’s a about 75 new dealers in the upper hall and JBJ hopes to expand that space over the next two years.
“We are testing the waters up there, and that will expand,” Drelich said. “The aisles are pretty small there, but that’s a pretty quick fix.”
— Jeff Owens
HALL OF FAME POSTER
Mike Linteo knocked a bunch of Pro Football Hall of Famers off his list to sign his prized HOF poster Friday.
Linteo, attending his 10th National, was poised to get about a half-dozen Hall of Famers to ink the document. The process started with Jimbo Covert and Randy Gradishar on Thursday, the first full day of the show. Julius Peppers, Orlando Pace and Walter Jones awaited later that day.
Linteo, a Chicago Bears fan, lives in McKinney, Texas, about 30 miles northeast of Dallas. The signatures in Rosemont added to his poster that already included Paul Hornung, Jerry Kramer, Jim Kelly, Charles Haley, Warren Moon, and Y.A. Tittle, among 16 autographs.
“My goal is to fit as many Hall of Famers on there as I can,” Linteo said.
Linteo has been a collector since 1989. As a kid in the 1970s, he collected baseball cards before expanding his interest to helmets and footballs. He's got a game room/man cave at his home, showcasing jerseys and helmets on display.
“All the stuff I collect and don't look to sell,” Linteo said. “I do it because I enjoy it and it's my hobby.”
— Don Muret
BAD BOY AUTOGRAPHS
Wearing a blue Bill Laimbeer jersey from his run with the Detroit Pistons, a 30-something fan had the former NBA star autograph three items on Saturday afternoon.
Laimbeer signed a Wheaties cereal box featuring members of the 1989 NBA World Champion Pistons; a poster of the 1990 Sports Illustrated cover featuring Laimbeer; and a Laimbeer Pistons jersey. He added inscriptions to all.
“I grew up watching Bill, Dennis [Rodman], Zeke [Isiah Thomas], Joe D [Dumars], ‘The Microwave’ [Vinnie Johnson] … the whole crew, the baddest team to ever play,” the collector said, still smiling at his items signed minutes earlier. “I had to come here to have Bill [autograph all of these items].
“Bill Laimbeer was my all-time favorite player … this was like a kid in a candy store, a kid on Christmas morning. This was awesome.”
The jovial collector wasn’t just any collector. John Jordan, a Detroit native who now lives in Los Angeles, is an actor who has appeared in “Landman” and worked opposite Ben Affleck in “The Accountant 2.” He also has been seen on “Wolf Pack” and “The Warrant: Breaker’s Law,” among other acting roles.
Jordan hasn’t been to The National in 20-plus years. “It’s good to be back,” he said.
Jordan purchased the Wheaties box on eBay, bought the poster online and ordered the jersey.
Laimbeer spent the majority of his NBA career with the Pistons, where he was known for his physical style of play and was a back-to-back NBA champion.
— Ross Forman
THE BAT SURFACES
Collector Chris, who chose not to give his last name, made the trek to The National from Toronto, bat in hand. Not just any baseball bat, but rather THE BAT.
In Game 4 of the 1992 American League Championship Series, the Blue Jays were down 6-1 against the Oakland A’s and fought their way back to make it 6-4 going into the 9th inning. That’s when Roberto Alomar hit a game-tying two-run home run off Dennis Eckersley, forcing the game into extra innings. The Blue Jays scored a run in the 11th and won the game 7-6, taking a 3-1 stranglehold in the series.
Alomar’s shot to right field on Oct. 11, 1992 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum has long been considered the most important hit in Blue Jays history.
After Alomar admired the bat for minutes and commented on parts of it, he autographed the bat.
Chris won the bat in an auction.
“It was awesome,” getting the bat signed, Chris said. “This is a collectible I’m really happy to have.”
— Ross Forman
BATTING CLEANUP
Day 4 of The National may have featured one of the greatest autograph lineups in the history of the 45-year-old show with such MLB legends as Cabrera, Pujols, Jim Palmer, Roger Clemens, Mariano Rivera, Adrian Beltre, Reggie Jackson, Pedro Martinez and Eddie Murray joining NBA legends Patrick Ewing, Allen Iverson, Dennis Rodman and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Giannis provided a special treat when he appeared and signed with his brothers Alex, Kostas and Thanasis.
After signing in the TRISTAR Autograph Pavilion, The Antetokounmpo brothers and Cabrera appeared on stage at eBay Live, ripping packs and engaging with fans and collectors.
— Jeff Owens