It was 1998. As I looked out of the jet's window and watched the lights of night-time Havana draw closer I knew that this trip would be different. Since the Kennedy administration most Americans had been barred from visiting Cuba, our Caribbean cousin located just 90 miles south of Key West, FL. I had family on the island and my request for a legal visa had been … [Read more...] about Jim Stinson Recalls Hunting for Autographs, Memories in Castro’s Cuba
Stinson: Recalling a Visit to The Boxer and The Blonde
It almost doesn't seem possible but June 18th was the 79th anniversary of one of the greatest heavyweight championship fights in boxing history. Less than six months before the attack on Pearl Harbor, the curly headed, good looking former light heavyweight champion of the world, Billy Conn, squared off against the then invincible Joe Louis in what most who witnessed it … [Read more...] about Stinson: Recalling a Visit to The Boxer and The Blonde
Fishing for Ted Williams: Jim Stinson Recalls His “Pal”
It was 1969 and I was 13 years old. Islamorada, Florida was part of a small cluster of islands that made up the Florida Keys. About a 45-minute drive from Miami across a series of narrow bridges and a straight stretch of two lane highway, Islamorada was a sleepy fishing town, an oasis of marinas, restaurants and tourist hotels. A gas and soda stop for with wide- eyed … [Read more...] about Fishing for Ted Williams: Jim Stinson Recalls His “Pal”
Memories of Beau and The Kid: Jim Stinson Recalls Autograph Sessions with Boxing Greats
I began doing private autograph signing sessions in the mid-1980s during the advent of the "Baseball Card Shows". To those of us who remember those shows, along with the various dealers selling cards and memorabilia, there were often at least a few former baseball or football players signing autographs to draw fans who might remember them. Pricing ranged from free to … [Read more...] about Memories of Beau and The Kid: Jim Stinson Recalls Autograph Sessions with Boxing Greats
The Strange Saga of Clancy Smyres and Why His Autograph is More Valuable Than Babe Ruth
Clancy Smyres played in five major league games for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1944 , had two major league at bats and a lifetime batting average of .000. He died November 27, 2007 in Lancaster California at age 86. To fans of the old Brooklyn Dodgers teams he represents the true definition of the "Cup of Coffee" big leaguer whose moment in the sun was a barely imperceptible blip … [Read more...] about The Strange Saga of Clancy Smyres and Why His Autograph is More Valuable Than Babe Ruth