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How to Get a Player’s Autograph

autograph

It’s not as easy to get an autograph in person as it was when your dad was your age.

Professional athletes today tend to keep their distance, and some will sign autographs only for money. Still, there is a way to get autographs both from current players and from players who have been retired for years: the U.S. mail.

Think you know the rules of baseball? Make the call in our quiz.

Here’s How:

• Go through your sports trading cards and identify a player you would like to ask for an autograph. It’s probably best to start with less well-known players, because they’re less likely to receive as many requests.

• Write a polite, friendly letter asking the player to autograph your card. Remember that athletes, like all celebrities, receive many requests from fans. Writing a thoughtful letter is key.

• If the player is still active, simply mail him your request in care of his team. Addresses for all Major League teams can be found at mlb.com. For retired players, most libraries will have a book or two containing player addresses. Try Jack Smalling’s “The Baseball Autograph Collector’s Handbook,” available in some libraries or at baseballaddresses.com. This book, updated periodically, contains more than 11,000 addresses of players, coaches and umpires.

• Once you have a player’s address, mail the letter and the card with a self-addressed stamped envelope, and be patient. It can sometimes take months to receive a reply. Good idea: Send only cards of which you have duplicates. Some players won’t respond, and you’ll never see the card again.

• When you do get a signed card back, be sure to send a thank you note.

Laugh your way to the ballpark with these baseball jokes

What Autographs Do You Have?

Tell us which autographs you’ve collected and how you got them in the comments field below.

51 Comments on How to Get a Player’s Autograph

  1. i have a yogi berra autograph

  2. I got a Mark Miguire rooke and roger clemens and mike greenwell and manny ramirez and derek jeter (i wanted to burn that card but my dad said no because im a Red Sox fan, GO BOSTON) and randy jonson!

  3. I went to there but were does it tell tell the adress?

  4. This idea is genius!

  5. ebzrwhtiger // June 28, 2007 at 12:02 pm // Reply

    WOW AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!

  6. I have four autographs from Miami Dolphins Players and one from a NHRA Drag Racer

  7. I have my Tigers hat signed by Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander and also my picture taken with him. He actually just threw a no-hitter on my birthday, yesterday. He was a great guy, I’ll always be rooting for him.

    GO TIGERS

  8. does anyone have racecar drivers adress

  9. does anybody have racing autograph

  10. I have Hut Stricklin’s autograph i found it he’s a racecar driver.I met barney hall and got his and keven harvick and greg biffle and jeff burton’s autograph

  11. Dedropedro // June 4, 2007 at 8:04 am // Reply

    AWSOMEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    NOW I CAN MAYBE(I SAID MAYBE)GET SAMMY SOSA’S AUTOGRAPH!!!

  12. jedi_master // June 2, 2007 at 5:20 pm // Reply

    YEAH RIGHT! A Babe Ruth Rookie autograph! I REPEAT: YEAH RIGHT!

  13. Sweet!

  14. i have a henrik lundqvist autograph

  15. AutographsRCool // May 19, 2007 at 3:39 pm // Reply

    Neat! I have Jim Tressel, Yadier Molina, Jim Lachey, Tony LaRussa, and Archie Griffin’s autograph. Just like the “Hobby Hows” said, I sent each of them a letter with a SASE and a request. I was polite in the letter and tried to be patient for the letters to arrive back. It was really exciting when each one did. Has anyone out there ever gotten Barry Bond’s autograph? :-0

  16. Baseball boy // May 16, 2007 at 6:11 pm // Reply

    I have a card ball singed by Babe Ruth!

  17. Dude1234567890 // May 13, 2007 at 9:04 am // Reply

    Liar!

  18. Dude1234567890 // May 11, 2007 at 5:33 pm // Reply

    I have a babe ruth autograpehd rookie card

    Just kiddin

  19. donkrylord // May 11, 2007 at 3:46 pm // Reply

    I have a bert blyleven micheal cuddyer nolan ryan harmon killebrew scott erickson jason tyner and babe ruthe autographs

  20. I have signed Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon rookie cards worth $900 a pop.

  21. Galactic Marine // May 9, 2007 at 2:39 pm // Reply

    He says to write a thoughtful letter, but doesn’t tell you how!

  22. NY GIANTS ROCK // May 7, 2007 at 6:14 pm // Reply

    I have Tiki Barber, Joe Morris,Charles Way,Willie Pondor,Sparky Lyle baseball, and Alex Smith jersey card bucs.

  23. Dude1234567890 // May 6, 2007 at 6:46 pm // Reply

    oh yeah? i have a john smoltz autographed baseball that I got from Sid bream,

    And a Randy johnson rookie card, a Manny ramerez rookie card, barry bonds rookie,

    john smoltz rookie, Curt schilling rookie,a 1981 Phil Neciro. beat that!!!!!

  24. where can you find the wizards address?

  25. Kosher scout // May 5, 2007 at 9:18 pm // Reply

    I have (not autographed) 2 Roger clemens cards, both vintage,Cesar Itzuris NL Rawlings golden glove card, Barry Bond, Ivan Rodriguez, Wade Bogs,Jason Bay rookie of 2004,Vernon Wells Al Rawlings golden glove card, And Golden 54 years of collecting Aramis Ramirez Card!!!! P.S. some of them are topps (not THAT rare) and a couple of these are The Franchise,Score and Donrus!

  26. i have one of babe ruth!!!

    my grand dad got it from him because they were great friends

  27. only someone as cool as NIVEK // May 3, 2007 at 7:55 pm // Reply

    I have jackie robinson, babe ruth, and lou gehrig

  28. 1302Bear // May 3, 2007 at 1:45 pm // Reply

    I have collected 25 Hockey Hall of Famers, 25 Football Hall of Famers, and 40 Baseball Hall of Famers. I have met: Johnny Unitas, Magic Johnson, Jaromir Jagr, Gordie Howe, Y.A. Tittle, Larry Doby, Rollie, Fingers, Goose Gossage, Al Kaline, Ralph Kiner, Cal Ripken, Sergei Federov, Lem Barney, Eddie Matthews, Scottie Bowman, Phil Esposito, Tony Esposito, Ted Lindsay, Guy LaFleur,Dale Hawrechuck,Marcel Dionne, Craig Monroe, Placido Polanco, Bob Feller, Ralph Kiner, Brooks Robinson, Boog Powell, Earl Weaver, Bob Gibson, and many more that slip my mind!

  29. oh yea?! well i have...... // May 2, 2007 at 10:24 pm // Reply

    i have a kobe bryant atograph. it also has the whole laker team on it. yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

  30. I got a Jackie Robinson Autograph Card…. I know you’re jealous…

  31. ortiz. manny, yaz, ted williams, clemens

  32. I have a mickey mantle! $ and a genuine one with calvin

  33. I Have a Hank Aaron 1965 topps

  34. awessssssssssssssssssommmmmmeeeeeeeeeee!

  35. I never though you could

  36. yo yo yo // May 1, 2007 at 7:58 pm // Reply

    i have nate robinson, bradon inge, justin verlander, vance wilson, jole zumia, placio polonco, craig monroe, chris shelton, jim leland and i really want maglio ordoyez and

    PUDGE RODRGUEZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  37. i have a andrew jones autograph.

  38. MOD_Man_1 // May 1, 2007 at 3:37 pm // Reply

    Hello,

    I have a collection of autographs that numbers over 500 signatures. I have baseball players like Barry Bonds, Nolan Ryan, and Cal Ripkin Jr. I also have Football players like Joe Montana, Troy Aikman, Walter Payton, and Jimmy Johnson. With over 500 autographs, you can imagine the list is long, here are a few other big names I have, Ginger Rogers (Movie Star), Eric Lindros (Hockey), Doug Bradley (Movie Star), Oliver North (Politics), David Lee Roth (Rock Star), Jeri Ryan (Star Trek: Voyager), Stan Lee (Comic Book GOD) and the list goes on and on… All of my autographs were obtained in person or in the case of a few sports cards, I pulled them from retail packs. I do encourage everyone to at least try to contact the star that you want an autograph from, you may get lucky and get it… Best of luck…

    BTW, I am a proud father of a current Bear Scout!!!

  39. Dude1234567890 // May 1, 2007 at 3:01 pm // Reply

    I have a card worth 10$ my friend has one worth 15$

  40. can it be NASCAR cards?

  41. I have a Rick DiPietro, and an Alexi Yashin autographed New York Islanders Jersey.I realy want to get Denis Potvin’s and Billy Smith’s autograph.They don’t play now, but are legends in the Islanders history.

  42. i have hahnah montans autograph he he he he

  43. Boyslife.org // April 28, 2007 at 8:07 pm // Reply

    Sure thing, Mike. You can use these tips with any cards. For current NFL players, write them in care of their teams. Find addresses at http://www.nfl.com

  44. spider man // April 28, 2007 at 8:00 pm // Reply

    I want two of arods cards

  45. Can it be football cards to?

  46. Ask Him if you can have his autograph. Then tell him that you are his NUMBER ONE FAN. Then of course tell him you ROCK.

  47. I have a sid bream card that is auto graphes

  48. The only atograph I want is a Manny Ramirez card, and he is the beast on his team!

  49. Blackshadow101 // April 25, 2007 at 4:08 pm // Reply

    I have a david eckstien card because he lived next to my grand parents.

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