I think Mrs. Venation bought me a Nolan Ryan autographed baseball . . . .

[Bertha Venation]

It's an extravagance, and I've been wanting one for about forty years. I don't think it cost as much as I thought it would, even with the MLB certificate. But I don't care about investment value. He is my # 1 all-time player. I have a baseball that he pitched at Anaheim Stadium in 1989 -- Chili Davis fouled it off and I got it! Always wished there was a way I could get Ryan to autograph it. But if she truly did buy this for me --

[Tuesday Afternoon]

1. holy shit. That is awesome!! I have an autographed Phil Neikro baseball from my Dad.

Knuckleballer Extradonaire

[Bertha Venation]

3. Wow!!

Phil Neikro!!

[Tuesday Afternoon]

5. Hey, I'll show you my Phil Neikro if you show me your Nolan Ryan !!

[Bertha Venation]

6. Sounds like a plan.

Soon as I get it!

[Tuesday Afternoon]

7. It's a date !!

[blueknight]

2. thats awesome bertha!

i grew up in the cincinnati area and was always a huge fan of johnny bench. i caught a ball that he fouled many years ago at old riverfront stadium . after about 20 years, i finally got him to autograph it

[Bertha Venation]

4. Johnny ****ing Bench!!

That guy was amazing. Best catcher of the 70s and maybe the best ever.

[OriginalGeek]

10. In the late 60s I lived in Florence, KY

My dad says Pete Rose and Johnny Bench lived in the same apartment complex as we did but I never saw them. I was only 5 or 6. I did get in a fight with Bobby Tolan's son on the play ground though. Don't remember what for or who won (It was mostly yelling) but I do remember my dad being mortified that I was yelling at a baseball player's son.

I think. Like I said, I was 5 or 6 and my dad was notorious for teasing me so I could be remembering a conflation of memories and tall tales. But I did live in Florence. Went to see the Reds play on bat day once and got a bat that was not like the little pencil things they give out nowadays. It wasn't a full-sized bat but it was big enough to hit rocks with. I got in trouble for that too.

[alarimer]

8. I've actually met Nolan Ryan.

It was a work thing. He used to be on the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission when I worked in Texas and he, his son Reed (or maybe Reid) and country music singer Steve Warriner were out doing some "scouting" for a fishing show they were doing and came into the boat ramp where we were working that day.

It was pretty cool.

[OriginalGeek]

9. I have one!

My dad gave it to me years ago although he bought it at a memorabilia store - he never met Nolan as far as I know. I was a Nolan fan even before he became a Texas Ranger.

Your Nolan foul ball is most fair!

I used to work for a guy who named his son Nolan Ryan. He sent Nolan a letter telling about naming the kid and Nolan wrote him back thanking him for the honor!