Autographics of the Stars

     Star athletes have a relatively short, albeit bigger-than-life, time in the media spotlight. So everything they do becomes a sort of media hype, even such small things as the wording on their personalized auto license plates. Many, thus, have opted over the years for the opportunity "vanity" plates  has offered them.

The Athlete:                                                 His license plate:

Heinie Groh, Cincinnatti third baseman         .474 (his batting average in 1932 World Series)

Johnny Bench, baseball catcher after

earning his first MVP award                         MVP-1

Roger Clemens, Pro pitcher                         SUPER K (with "1986 MVP" and "Cy Young" painted over                                                                                                taillights on his Porsche 928 S4)

Kent Tekulve, pro baseball pitcher               TEKE 27  (uniform number)

Al Oliver, pro baseball outfielder after

winning American League title for hits           AL HITS

Frank Thomas,  Cincinnatti's AL MVP 

twice in succession                                       LNG BALL

Bert Blyleven, pro baseball pitcher               XMAS TOY (for wife's car to celebrate his then-new $3.5                                                                                                million contract)                                                   Edwin Nunez, pro baseball pitcher               ED-WINS

Matt Young, pro baseball pitcher                 STRYKK

Lenny Heep, pro baseball outfielder             ARNOLD (which he never explained)

Eddie Shore, hockey hall of famer                MR HOCKEY

Mike Gennis, world team sky diving champ  AIRGASM

One time race starter at Maryland's 

thoroughbred racing tracks                           BLIND (which was his real name)

Edwin Moses, Olympic hurdling champion    OLYMPYN

Tom Petranoff, former world champ 

javelin thrower                                              327-2-JAV (his record distance)

Brian Boitano, world champ figure skater      SKY8-88 (his future expectation in 1987)

Kurt Thomas, Olympic gold medal gymnast  GOLD N 92

Sammy Lee, Olympic champ springboard 

diver                                                            2 GOLDS

Paul Pender, former middleweight boxing

champion                                                     M-CHAMP

Tony DeMarco, former welterweight

boxing champion                                          TKO

Larry Holmes, former IMF heavyweight

boxing champion                                           ROUND-1

Doug Dieken, former Cleveland offensive

tackle                                                            ME HOLD

Hart Lee Dykes, NFL draftee                        ICU-UCME 

Michael Jordan, pro basketball player            M-AIR-JORDAN

Chuck Nevitt,  former Detroit, L.A. and 

Houston pro basketball player                       7 FT 5 (which was his height. Wife Sandra had 5 FT 7.) 

Rudy Garciduenas, L.A. Lakers equipment

manager                                                        THANX SHAQ (on new car Shaq O'Neal gifted him)