How the Full Count dinner changed my life!

I don't normally plug my articles, but I do thank that some of you have done so from time-to-time. I do appreciate it.

However, something happened a week ago that was so extraordinary I felt compelled to share. Like many registered bidders with Hunt Auctions, I found myself invited to their 10th annual Louisville Slugger museum and factory auction. This year it was somewhat different as the museum itself had invited me to a reception for their 'living legend' award ceremony - this year honoring Cal Ripken Jr. It promised the opportunity to witness Ripken receive the award, meet Bill Mazeroski (whose collection was to be the highlight of the auction), and hold a game used Babe Ruth bat.

These were all appealing facts, but still not reason enough to hop on a plane to Louisville - fine city, but it's simply an expense that's hard to justify. That's when I decided to reach out to the folks at the museum and received media credentials for the event and what a first rate service they provided.

I was met at the museum by a uniformed police sergeant who ushered me into the museum, where I then waited in the factory with other members of the local Louisville media for Ripken to arrive. We accompanied him on the tour where he met the man - Danny Luckett - who made so many of Ripken's bats over the career. Ripken himself even grabbed hold of the wood and helped craft the bat. Following that, I was able to participate in the press conference on Louisville TV where I got to ask Cal a LONG question about Lou Gehrig and legendary bats - and he had a nice laugh at my expense.

Following the press conference was a wonderful reception where I was wined and dined before getting to hold the Babe Ruth bat and watch Ripken receive his much deserved award. Bill Mazeroski was there and I got to witness a wonderful moment where Maz showed Ripken his fielding glove from the auction, and he genuinely seemed interested.

The next day was the auction itself and I got to interview the executive director of the museum, the curator, and got to talk baseball cards with Maz himself. He told me how the town he grew up in was so desolate there were no candy stores or anything of the like where he could go and get a pack of Leaf, Bowman, or Topps.

It was a wonderful experience and over the course of the past week my editor uploaded my four part series on the auction and the various ceremonies. Here's a shameless plug!

1. The auction itself, with experiences and prices realized. http://www.sportscollectorsdaily.com/mazeroski-collection-leads-results-at-hunts-louisville-slugger-auction/

2. The relationship between the auction and the museum and how both have benefited. http://www.sportscollectorsdaily.com/louisville-slugger-museum-and-factory-benefits-from-partnership-with-hunt-auctions/

3. The unique experience of getting to hold one of Babe Ruth’s game used bats. http://www.sportscollectorsdaily.com/hold-babe-ruths-bat-yes-please/

4. The factory tour, and the amazing interaction between Cal Ripken Jr. and Danny Luckett. http://www.sportscollectorsdaily.com/cal-ripken-jr-meets-his-bat-maker/

And of course none of this would have been possible if not for this year's Full Count dinner at the national, where I was able to speak with Rich Klein about the job opening.

So thanks again for the get together - and I'll see you in Cleveland - with a camera and microphone.

Just goes to show that you never know where the big break is going to come from. Glad the board was able to be a catalyst for this great experience.

this is all fine and dandy, and gonna catapult chris into his print editing career, but i'm still bitter chris didn't get me that ripken auto!

I'm glad I told Rich Klein to go to that dinner !!!      

Jewish-collector wrote:I'm glad I told Rich Klein to go to that dinner !!!      

We are too. Wish you could have been there. Fun was had by all.

I think Alan had Miley Cyrus tickets...or something?!