One way to get these items before they increase in value is to attend free autograph signing sessions. ... Also, as a first year player, rookies are more eager to sign autographs so they can make a favorable first impression. ... Anyone who donates a piece of his or her collection of memorabilia to a sports hall of fame such as the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, will receive a great deal of public acclaim. ... Considered a hero to many young children, Cal Ripken Jr. is known for his willingness to sign as many autographs as are requested both before and after a game. ... It is...

• Word Count: 684
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

Audience: Baseball Fans Sorry, Pete Pete Rose was not gifted with extraordinary athletic ability, as were so many of baseball's all-time greats. ... Sadly though, almost as indisputable as Rose's greatness on the baseball diamond is the fact that he gambled on baseball. Baseball's capital crime, gambling, calls for baseball's capital punishment: banishment. ... Rose denies to this day that he ever bet on baseball. ... In 1990 he was convicted of tax evasion and served five months in prison, three months in a Cincinnati halfway house, and paid a $50,000 fine for fai...

• Word Count: 1714
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School