Pujols and Rolen Greed?

[hblakewolf]

Sean-
I've always enjoyed watching Gwynn on and off the field, too. He always appeared to be enjoying himself, and is simply pure class. As such, I attended the New York Sports Writers Baseball Awards Dinner last Sunday evening. Both Ripken and Gwynn attended, and I almost could not believe how Gwynn has let himself turn into the Marshmallow Man. He must weigh 400+ pounds and looks nothing like he did during his final playing days in 2001. He looks just about the same as Orson Wells during his final years. If you happen to run into Gwynn on the field in 2007, I suggest you tell him to lay off the stadium hot dogs and nachos, and maybe focus on the Sushi, instead. WHEW!!!!!

Howard Wolf
hblakewolf@patmedia.net

Current Tony Gwynn........
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NEW YORK - JANUARY 10: Cal Ripken Jr. (L) and Tony Gwynn are introduced as the 2007 Hall of Fame Electees at a press conference at the Waldorf Astoria on January 10, 2007 in New York City. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images) s.pageName="MS_GINS_details_Pop_aspx";s.prop1="en-us";s.eVar1="en-us";s.charSet="utf-8";var s_code = s.t();if(s_code)document.write(s_code);if(navigato r.appVersion.indexOf('MSIE')>=0)document.write(une scape('%3C')+'\!-'+'-'); var g_JS_isWin = true;var g_JS_isIE = true;var g_UserLoggedIn = false;s.events="prodView";s.products="editorial_na ;72965358";s.prop10="unregistered";s.eVar10="unreg istered";var g_DownloadStartPage = "/source/download/DownloadStart.aspx?ImageIDs=%1&sl=%2";var g_DownloadMaxImagesSelected = "Note: You may download a maximum of 30 images at a time, but have selected {1}.";var g_DownloadNoImagesSelected = "err_no_images_selected";var MAX_IMAGES = 30; // IE 5+ and DOM compatible if (document.all && window.print) { document.oncontextmenu = function() { if (event.srcElement.id.indexOf('ucDownloadLink_lnkDo wnload') >= 0) return false; } } s.pageName="MS_GINS_details_Pop_aspx";s.prop1="en-us";s.eVar1="en-us";s.charSet="utf-8";var s_code = s.t();if(s_code)document.write(s_code);if(navigato r.appVersion.indexOf('MSIE')>=0)document.write(une scape('%3C')+'\!-'+'-');

[thedegu]

In this regard, I've been wondering about a lot of those collectors who try to put together signed sets, such as Gold Plaques...Can you imagine what it will be like when they have to shell out for Pujols, Manny, Randy Johnson, Clemens, etc etc. I'm sure glad I don't do those!

Just going by the current warped payscales, what will those guys command in ten years? If they even bother, that is...Or will it collapse under its own weight as more collectors are priced out?

I could pretty much care less about Tri-Star and the like (they're another part of this worsening problem), but I do feel for the average collector, who are the ones truly being hurt by this madness...

[stlbats]

I have watched and collected the Cardinals for years and have had several meeting with both Pujols and Rolen. This includes spring training, ballparks, stl winter warm up, ect. Rolen has always been very nice, almost always signing when I have asked (only game used item was a bat at the WWU and he signed it but would not inscribe, simply said, "Id rather not". In fact on baseballs I have always asked for sweet spot or under the Allstar logo, ect and he has always said no problem.

As far as Pujols. He is somewhat of a jerk. He is not friendly, hardly ever. He hates to sign and will usually give a sorry autograph if you do get him to sign at the park. At the WWU he puts a good autograph, but is not friendly to the fans. I have got him to sign 2 times at the ballpark over the last few years. In fact he and I were nearly the only ones in the Renaissance Vinoy lobby in St Pete, FL and he would not even snap a picture with me. I am a Pujols fan, but he is just not a friendly guy. He may very well be friendly at one of his charity functions where you are paying literally thousands of dollars to attend and bidding thousands on stuff there.

Jason
ripken8@bellsouth.net

[eGameUsed]

Interesting Article! Having lived in Houston most of my life, I have grown up alongside Tri-Star. I have a lot of respect for the company. I actually attended their very first card show/signing in 1987 with Mark McGwire in a small hotel off of I-10 in Houston (I think the hotel is gone now). Still have the signed baseball too! Anyway, Tri-Star does a great job of pooling athletes together and presenting a well organized and usually star-studded line-up.

I caught wind of the 2005 Astros deal after the 2005 World Series. One of their directors that I work with told me about the situation after I asked how the heck they arranged for guys like Ezequial Astacio and Orlando Palmeiro to hang around Houston for the 26 man signing. He told me about what Biggio, Bagwell, and Clemens did. I was not only impressed by the typical Astros alliance that is so under appreciated, but also on Tri-Star's part in facilitating the deal and pulling it off in a timely fashion. The tea signed items were a success. I thought their price for a signed World Series ball was fair at $1250 (I believe that was their "sale" price), but I opted since one of my contacts arranged for me to get 2 MLB authenticated balls signed by 37 players and coaches.

As for Pujols and Rolen, I have never met either of them. I only go by what I hear and see. I did witness Pujols brush off some kids outside of the Galleria on a Friday afternoon on the way to the park. That is a personal choice. If Tri-Star couldn't make the deal work, I know they tried hard and it just didn't work. Based on whay I know, they liking went very high on the $$ side. They did a private signing a few years ago with Pujols that did very well for them. Another note - I have also had the chance to get some game used Pujols items from Astros visiting clubhouse people, and Pujols refused to sign them. I guess I have never understood why a player won't sign certain items or in a cetain place. I asked Eddie Murray in Spring Training a few years ago why he wouldn't sign my baseball on the sweetspot and he said "it would be worth more." Huh? I guess that is why I paid $99 at this past National in Anaheim, CA to get it on the SS. Anyway, everyone gets the chance to make personal choices. I am all over the place here, my point is that we are at the mercy of these guys to make choices when it comes to handling us as fans.

I had the chance to meet Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken this weekend at the MAB show in Baltimore, MD. Both guys were incredibly cordial! Most people were distraught by how long Cal was taking, but once inside you realized he signed 15 to 20 autographs, then took photos with everyone in front of his Iron Clad Authentics logo background. Kind of cheesy, but nice since they would use your camera. Cal was incredibly nice and studied my Hall of Fame bat and named everyone on it. The guy in front of me had a replica jersey and had no idea of where to have him sign it. Cal made a recommendation and made sure it was flawless. Gwynn was no different! Tony asked me about some of the autographs on the bat and was interested that I came all the way from Houston for the show. He thanked me for coming and offered a picture with him over the table. Both autographs cost a little change ($265 for Ripken and $150 for Gwynn on the bat), but worth it!

You can tell the hobby is doing fine when Cal and Tony signed both Saturday and Sunday for hours and the line never seemed to die down. Prices are high, but as long as people are willing to pay the prices, they will keep going up!

Thanks,

[kingjammy24]

Shame on Pujols, Rolen, and all the other players who would not lower their fees so Tri-Star could manufacture more World Series memorabilia to sell to the public for a profit. The least they can do is give us the opportunity to cough up $1,500 for a team-signed baseball.

hi rob,

i don't know what happened in this specific case nor have i any idea of the personality of pujols or rolen. i'm just curious about the general notions you're conveying here.
i understand that the gist is that if tri-star is going to make a mint, then the players shouldn't subsidize that profit by lowering their fees. ie: if there's pie to be had, then everyone should get their fair share. i suppose there's some merit to that, however:

1) tristar has been doing shows for a long time with the biggest names in sports. that suggests that they likely consistently cut equitable deals. i have a hard time believing that they cut deals that appeased clemens, montana, marino, emmitt smith, magic johnson, ad nauseum but for some reason low-balled pujols. given their history of landing the big fish and their strong desire to get pujols, it's difficult to think that tristar offered anything less than fair/full market value.

2) at the end of the day, everyone was worse off because the player wouldn't lower his fee.

- fans won't be able to get a team/pujols/rolen signed ball.
- pujols foregoes the tristar money.
- pujols could've donated that fee to his charitable foundation. in that case, his charitable foundation lost out on the money.
- tristar (and the middle class folks who work there) lost money

by a player not lowering his fee, who won? the only benefit that i can see that came out of it was that pujols now has some more leisure time.

if that's the case, then in the grand scheme of things, what's wrong with players lowering fees? sure tristar might make slightly more but does that really matter given that a) the entire fee was chump change to a guy who's already made $33mm and b) his foundation would've received a hefty donation and c) most people at tristar are working folks who could use the money more than pujols? i mean, so what if tristar would've made a bigger profit than pujols. at pujols' level it's all just monopoly money anyway, so hypothetically speaking, does it really matter if he missed out on an $80k difference and tristar made it instead? i think the benefits for everyone would've outweighed the monetary loss to pujols.

sometimes i don't understand the penny-pinching ways of some ballplayers. they get so irked at the thought of someone making a couple bucks off them. so what if some collector makes an extra $50 because eddie murray signed it on the sweet spot? is murray so hurting for cash that him making $50 for someone who likely needs it more than him is a bad thing? is he so broke that he really needs every single nickel he's got comin to him?

reminds me of manny ramirez personally selling his jerseys to sportsworld for whatever it was..$50k or some such. a guy who's made over $126mm concerning himself over making another $50k. unbelievable. personally, i think it'd be more fun to take each of those 25 jerseys to fenway and toss em all into the crowd. of course, that'd mean i'd lose out on $70k and some fans might earn some cash for themselves from my items. can't let that happen. i need my almighty cut. do some of these guys know something we don't?..can you really take it all with you when you die?

rudy.

[MVP]

Rudy:

Amen.

-Henry

[staindsox]

Rudy,

I think that was the single greatest posting I have ever read on this forum. Awesome!!!

Chris

[RobSteinmetz]

Rudy,

I'm not a show promoter, so I won't pretend to know what is involved in these types of negotiations. The point of my post was to remind folks that this signing was intended as a means of generating profit for Tristar. Just as I'm sure there are many folks who are upset because they've been deprived of owning a team signed ball, I'm confident that both Pujols and Rolen had valid reasons (financial or otherwise) for not participating in this signing. But, because I'm not in their shoes, I won't rush to judgement.

[allstarsplus]

There is certainly a free agent mentality in the autograph/memorabilia market. TriStar deserves to make money just as Pujols and Rolen. At some point you say to the Free Agents -----NO!!!! The deal has to make sense all the way around. On team signed balls, it is a common practice to take a smaller price on the autograph. Is Pujols worth more than the WS MVP Eckstein?

I remember when St. Louis Sports Collectors had Pujols to a show in 2001 at something like a wholesale of $45. In 2003, Tri-Star was at $125 for a wholesale price on a ball. Last year I was quoted a wholesale of $180 from ESP.

The $200 level puts him in line with Jeter, Clemens and Bonds for the current player top dollar range.

Its always nice having a WS ball with all the players, but maybe Albert didn't think he was worthy of signing it as he hit in the WS 3 for 15 and with that .200 batting average.......OUCH.......

Andrew

[Cardinals5]

Hello all,

I attended the Cardinals Winter Warm-up this year and saw an awesome 2006 Cardinals Opening Day roster team signed ball for sale. The seller, Cardinal Authentics,is affiliated with the Cardinals. They run the store located in the outfield of new Busch stadium and sell game used items such as balls, bases, scoreboard numbers, World Series used Champagne bottle, etc. Their price was $2,995 for this ball and it included an awesome Pujols sig. They had more than one ball as well. They put everything on sale the last day of the Winter Warm up, marking everything 15% off. So this ball could be has for around $2500 but I never saw any takers.
Something else I noticed during that event...the Pujols and Musial signed framed print that is limited to 1000 pieces, did not sell in St. Louis even though the seller had it priced at $500. This piece originally was priced at $1500, then $750, now on ebay for $600-$650. The creator of this piece paid Pujols $175,000 and Musial $125,000 respectively to sign 1000 pieces. So he has $300 plus framing cost in this piece. My point here is that that price is not all that unreasonable for a Pujols signing. Maybe Pujols has soured a little since that signing. The bigger the star gets, the more likely the star will become soured on signing autographs, even for pay. The money doesn't impress these young multi-millionaires anymore. It's really ridiculous that we continue to pursue their autographs!

This really gets my blood pressure up!

Steve