Are Local Baseball Fans A Bunch of Suckers? A Guy Says Reggie Jackson Charging $75 for His Autograph At Iowa Cubs Fan Fest Is 'Totally Obscene'

A Des Moines-area baseball fan is already upset, and it's still six weeks before he can start booing during spring training games in Arizona.

The guy is in an uproar because visitors to the Iowa Cubs Fan Fest that's going on here this weekend have to pay Reggie Jackson -- who used to be called "Mr. May" by George Steinbrenner -- an atrocious $75 for his autograph.

The man says such a fee is "totally obscene," and he adds that promoters of the Fan Fest are evidently taking local fans "for a bunch of suckers."

Here's the man's e-mail:

"Hi, Ron,

"I noticed in the advertising for the Iowa Cubs Fan Fest that they were promoting autographs from Reggie Jackson for $75. Who in their right mind would pay $75 for an autograph, let alone $30 or $35 for some supposedly 'lesser known' baseball stars? Nothing against Jackson. I think he was a great player, but to charge some kid [or adult, for that matter] $75 for his autograph is totally obscene. The people who accommodate him by paying that simply must have way too much money to spend. I also think the promoters of the event must take local Cub fans for a bunch of suckers."

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: Mike Gartner [left], Sam Bernabe [second from right] and others from the Iowa Cubs should be ashamed of themselves for bringing Jackson [right] and other has-beens into town so they can charge Iowans as much as $75 for their autographs. It's the biggest swindle since the I-Cubs were charging fans $4 to park their cars and $5.75 for a cup of beer at No-Name Ballpark last season. My correspondent is correct in saying the promoters of the Fan Fest are taking local fans for a bunch of suckers. Look for me to be as far away as I can [like about 120 miles] from Jackson and the Fan Fest. If I want to get robbed, it won't be by any band of baseball bums or a money-grabbing Triple-A team].