PLEASE NOTE GEORGE BRETT DID NOT SIGN THIS PHOTO. HE ONLY APPEARS IN THIS RARE PHOTO. This auction is
for the following Morganna “The Kissing Bandit” autographed 8x10 photograph (with a young
George Brett).
BIO: Morganna
“The Kissing Bandit” an entertainer who became known as Morganna “The Kissing
Bandit” in baseball and other sports from 1969 through 1999. She was also
billed as "Morganna the Wild One" when appearing as a dancer in the
1980s. Morganna rushed the field on many occasions and kissed Major League
Baseball players including Nolan Ryan, Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, George Brett (twice),
Steve Garvey, Len Barker and Cal Ripken Jr. She has been described as
"baseball's unofficial mascot" and "the grand dame of
baseball". She also crashed National Basketball Association games, where
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was one of her most notable3
Her on-field
career began in August, 1969 when, dared by a friend, she rushed onto Crosley
Field in Cincinnati and kissed Reds player Pete Rose. Rose reacted with vulgar
language but the following night he tracked her down and apologized with an
offering of flowers. She obtained the nickname "the Kissing Bandit"
from a Cincinnati sportswriter who announced her arrival with the headline:
"Bandit steals kiss from Pete Rose." Over the following years,
Morganna became a familiar sight at baseball fields, basketball courts, and
hockey rinks. By 1990, she had kissed 37 Major League Baseball players, 12
National Basketball Association players, and dozens of minor league baseball,
basketball, and hockey players, plus various umpires, managers, and owners,
and, on one occasion, The San Diego Chicken.[6] She confined herself to kissing
them on the cheek, commenting: "It's more sanitary than the lips, and that
way their wives don't get upset. Besides, who wants tobacco stains all over
your teeth?" On one occasion, three weeks after Morganna had kissed George
Brett during a Baltimore Orioles game, Brett marched onto the stage during
Morganna's performance and, to the cheers of the crowd, gave her a kiss. Most
players enjoyed the running joke; Kelly Tripucka of the Detroit Pistons
commented, "It was like hugging a mattress. When I saw her coming at me, I
thought it was like a Mack truck. I had two options – either get hit or get out
of the way. I decided to get hit."
Her pastime was
not without its hazards, however; she was beaten by security guards in
Cincinnati, suffered various injuries jumping from stands onto playing fields,
and was hit by a pitch in Milwaukee. She was arrested and charged with
trespassing nearly 20 times and was jailed briefly in Anaheim, California. She
also stood trial in Houston, Texas, where her lawyer used what he called the
"gravity defense" to explain her unauthorized presence on the field,
arguing: "This woman with a 112-pound body and 15-pound chest leaned over
the rail to see a foul ball. Gravity took its toll, she fell out on the field,
and the rest is history." The judge laughed and dismissed the case.
Despite the arrests and fines, her fame earned Morganna millions of dollars.
Morganna's involvement with baseball extended to being the star of her own set
of bubblegum cards and becoming the part-owner of a minor league club, the
Utica Blue Sox. On one occasion she gave them a pep talk when they were down
15–7 and in last place; they went on to win 40 of the next 54 games. She
endorsed the "Morganna Kissing Bandit peanuts" brand from Carolina
Fine Snacks, which expected a doubling of its sales as a result. She was
featured in a display at the Baseball Hall of Fame, where a picture of her
attempting to kiss Frank Howard was put on display. Her popularity with
baseball fans grew to the point that minor-league clubs began inviting her to
kiss their players as a publicity stunt. The Boise Hawks went further, hiring
her to enter the field by bungee jumping from a crane, then persuading CNN to
feature her jump as its "play of the day". Her appearances proved to
be extremely popular, consistently doubling average attendances.
THIS
IS AN AUTHENTIC HAND AUTOGRAPHED 8x10 PHOTOGRAPH. I ONLY SELL AUTHENTIC HAND
AUTOGRAPHED MEMORABILIA. I do not sell reprints or facsimile autographs. When
you bid on my items you will receive the real deal authentic hand autographed
items. You will receive the same signed 8x10 photograph that is pictured in the
scan. If you have any questions feel free to e-mail me. PLEASE NOTE this 8x10
photograph was printed and then autographed post war. I combine S&H when
multiple items are purchased. I ship items internationally the price for
international S&H varies by country. I currently have other rare
autographed military and historical signed items available. Please take a look
at my other auctions of rare military and historical autographed items.