Hobby Musings: Scott Sanders Reveals His Rarest Autograph – In addition to his career in the major leagues, former pitcher Scott Sanders has made a mark with his longtime support for Tim Virgilio’s Signatures for Soldiers. We had the chance to discuss how he helped the organization in its beginning. He also told a pretty funny story about himself and former teammate Tony Gwynn.
KS: Mr. Sanders, how did you get involved in supporting Signatures for Soldiers?
SS: It’s been a few years back now. I’ve known Tim a while. He reached out via Facebook and asked if I’d be interested in signing some cards for him. I had done some work with Wounded Warrior Project in SE Louisiana, so I was kind of in that world already. I turned around and introduced him to a bunch of my buddies. I guess you could say I was kind of at the beginning for Signatures for Soldiers. At the end of the day, players are always looking to help veterans however they can.
KS: Did you ever imagine you’d be able to utilize your signature for a good cause like this?
SS: Honestly no. Most of the time I’d sign for people at the stadium and through the mail, knowing they’ll try and sell it. I’m honored to have people want my autograph. In the grand scheme of things, there aren’t many people in this world who can say that. Someone who wants it to collect it or sell it, it’s fine with me. I’m still honored when somebody asks me for my autograph.
KS: Do you remember the first time you were asked to sign an autograph?
SS: Probably back in college. We used to have some of the younger baseball teams come out on the field with us and they would ask us to sign thingslike hats or baseballs. I had a really bad autograph in college, and I improved it when I was in the big leagues.
KS: What is the strangest thing anyone has asked you to sign?
SS: Probably a female body part or an arm. Sometimes, ladies would pull clothes down a little so I could sign a bra.
KS: How often do you get autograph requests now?
SS: I still do, depending where I’m at, get them here and there. I get some mail and when I’m at games, kids who know I’m a player will ask me. Any time when someone asks me, especially kids, I try to oblige.
KS: What memorabilia, if any, did you keep from your career?
SS: I have a ton of my baseball cards and some jerseys. I also have the glove and spikes that I won my first game with. I have my first career hit, win, and save baseballs. I have a jacket from the 1998 World Series and my jersey with the World Series patch on it. I got Tony Gwynn, Rickey Henderson, Trevor Hoffman, and Ken Caminiti to sign the jacket. I kept the bat from my first major league hit.
KS: Is there anything from your career that you didn’t keep that you wish you still had?
SS: I threw a one-hit shutout against the Rangers in 97 while I was with Detroit, and I wish I had kept that jersey. I just kept wearing it during the season because I thought it was lucky, and I ended up not keeping it. I wish I still had that.
KS: Did you ever ask any fellow players for autographs or memorabilia?
SS: Yeah, I did. I always collected baseballs, but not a ton of jerseys. I got Willie McCovey, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and Lou Brock. I got Nolan Ryan and a bunch of guys I played against like Barry Bonds, or guys I played with like Gwynn. If I thought really highly of them, I tried to get them. I probably have about 25 HOFers that I ran across that I got for my personal collection.
I also have a Shaquille O’Neal signed shoe and a LeBron James signed basketball from when he was in his second year. I have a Pete Rose autograph, as well.
KS: Do you collect trading cards?
SS: I collected as a kid, but don’t anymore. This might date me a bit, but I used to eat the bubble gum with the cards when I was growing up. My mom would buy me a couple of packs. My dad collected, so that’s how I got into it. We did it together when I was growing up.
Throughout my career, my dad became a fan of Tony Gwynn after talking with him a few times. So he ended up collecting Gwynn cards as a result. In spring training, we would do a road trip in Arizona. During the road trip, we would stay in a hotel and get dressed at the stadium. For a 2 pm start game, Tony Gwynn said he forgot his jersey at the hotel. He was about to bat, so I let him have my jersey as I wasn’t due to pitch until later in the game. So he ended up wearing the jersey for an at-bat. A picture of him in it was taken, and it was later turned into a trading card. Gwynn and I later signed the card for my dad. I won’t sign that card for anyone else, since I’m not on it, so my dad is the only person in the world who has the card signed by myself and Tony Gwynn.
KS: Do you have a favorite card of yourself?
SS: I’ve got two actually that I really like. One is from 95 or 96, and it’s a sideways with the Padres. The photo is waist up and depicts me where I’m really stretched up at Wrigley Field. The other is an oversized card also during my time with the Padres.
KS: Do you collect your own cards?
SS: I do not, but my mom does. She likes to have them on hand when kids ask for them signed. She has every one featuring me. She used to get online and buy stuff to get them all.
KS: Did you ever imagine that the trading card and autograph industry would get as big as it is now?
SS: For me growing up as a kid, I didn’t think it would. But as time has evolved and more money has been poured into pro sports, the trading card industry has ridden the coat tails of that. People get autographs and either keep them or sell them. Nowadays, it blows my mind to see that a Mike Trout card goes for over $1 million.
Hobby Musings: Scott Sanders Reveals His Rarest Autograph – More Resources
- Website – Signatures for Soldiers
- Facebook – Signatures for Soldiers
- Twitter – Signatures for Soldiers
- Instagram – Signatures for Soldiers
Kelsey’s ability to bring hobby coverage to the mainstream sports fan has been a true asset. GTS is happy to feature his thoughts on collecting in Hobby Musings. The opinions expressed are his and do not necessarily reflect those of GTS Distribution.
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