Mat Latos’s Wife Stirs Emotions with Comments on Autograph Collectors

A post on Dallas Latos’s So I Married a Baseball Player… blog in which she shares her perspective on autograph collectors has sparked an emotional dialogue with the autograph community. In the article, the wife of Reds pitcher Mat Latos is critical of “eBayers” and those who obtain autographs outside visiting teams hotels.

The response from collectors has been spirited but mixed. Most share Dallas’s annoyance with the aggressive behavior of those who obtain autographs for financial gain and agree with her call for better etiquette among autograph seekers (myself included).

However, I’ve observed three points of contention in the post. The first is Dallas’s categorization of in person collectors who wait at hotels for autograph opportunities as “yucky” and identifies “almost all” of them as eBayers. The validity of her opinion can’t be argued—it’s her own and she gives examples of negative experiences which would lead most anyone to label these individuals as such. In my experience, however, most in person collectors act with civility and respect. Like many hobbyists who wait on public sidewalks in front of hotels and do not sell autographs, I deal with the frustration of being stereotyped unfairly as a dealer based on the actions of the loud minority Dallas describes.

Next, many collectors’ experiences attempting to get Mat Latos’s autograph appear to be at odds with how Dallas positions her husband as a willing signer. I can’t comment on this from first-hand experience as I’ve never met Mat but the perception of him as a very difficult signature to obtain is overwhelming. I would love the opportunity to interview Mat about his signing rules and experiences with autograph collectors.

The third point that has sparked debate is the issue of privacy in public settings. There will forever be a variance in the definition of what constitutes private time when a ballplayer is away from the park. There are some universal rules like approaching players with family or while eating dinner, but other situations fall into a grey area. Many fans and collectors alike think that being approached for an autograph in public spaces comes with choosing a public profession (e.g., professional athlete). Again, Dallas’ perspective as a family member is understandable and, to her credit, she outlines an example of when it is ok to approach a ballplayer in public.

Comments on Dallas’s blog are being moderated by a member of the Cincinnati Reds organization and it’s yet to be approved so I’m posting it below:

Dallas, you make some valid observations here and I appreciate your perspective. No one can argue that the commercialization of autographs has had a negative impact on the hobby of autograph collecting and strained the relationships between players and fans.

Autograph collecting is permission-based (unlike, say the paparazzi) and every celebrity has a right to decline while still being treated with a level of courtesy we would extend to anyone in our daily lives. In the wake of being turned down, collectors are only endangering subsequent opportunities (for themselves and others) by being disrespectful.

As an autograph collector and someone who does obtain them outside hotels (NOTE: I have never sold an autograph), I was glad to see that you qualified your comments by saying “almost all” of those outside hotels were eBayers. While I think that percentage is high, I understand where the perception comes from. That said, it is frustrating to many collectors to be stereotyped as dealers by celebrities and those around them. While it’s difficult to differentiate oneself from another based purely on appearance, I think the true hobbyists can make progress through their actions. My own “rules” include often asking for personalizations, getting one item signed at a time, and behaving in a civil manner (it seems obvious, doesn’t it?).

On the flip side, I think players such as Mat can encourage this behavior not by refusing to sign, but by limiting their signing to one item per person and/or personalizing. In 6+ years of in person autograph collecting, my experience is that dealers react to being denied by being even more aggressive and creative in how they create opportunities which, from your perspective, leads to situations that can be even more uncomfortable. Remember that their motives are financial which can produce acts of desperation.

I hope the symbiotic relationship between players and fans can improve and lead to increasingly positive experiences for both parties.

Thanks for sharing your experiences.

Matt Raymond
Autograph University

I encourage you to leave a comment on my post and contribute your thoughts to the discussion.