A Collection of Activities : National Convention Offers Chance to Participate in Sports

Sports memorabilia collecting has long been considered one of the most sedentary hobbies on the planet.

But the 17th National Sports Collectors Convention at the Anaheim Convention Center offers people a chance for more of a workout than just walking from booth to booth.

Besides two large rooms filled with cards and other items, there is a 125,000 square-foot interactive area, which along with the rest of the show, is open today and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Children and adults lined up Thursday to kick field goals through a regulation goal post and throw passes at a life-size picture of Jerry Rice with a hole where his hands are.

Major League Baseball has a unique display. It looks like a standard batting cage . . . for the most part.

The important difference is on the wall where the ball comes from. Instead of a pitching machine, batters see a video screen with a hole near the middle.

Taped footage of several well-known pitchers can be shown. The footage is timed so that a ball shoots out of the hole just as the selected pitcher reaches his release point.

Among those to pick from are Seattle’s Randy Johnson, Boston’s Roger Clemens, Jim Abbott (although he is in a Yankee uniform) and Dwight Gooden, when he was with the Mets.

But the clear favorite Thursday, according to machine operators, was Atlanta’s Greg Maddux.

Take heart though, the machine is set to throw only 60 m.p.h. so even Angel fans could hit Johnson.

The NBA area offers two basketball hoops where free-throw and other shooting contests are held.

There are also several basketballs with outlines of the hands of Shaquille O’Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon, Sedale Threatt and others so people can compare the size of their hands to those of NBA players.

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The interactive areas also serve as a good indicator of the popularity of ice hockey and roller hockey in Southern California.

There is a full-size, roller-hockey rink with inflated sideboards that is hosting more than 60 youth and adult games during the convention.

In typical hockey style, there was a post-game scuffle Thursday afternoon that resulted in security being called.

There are two areas where anyone can test the speed of their slap shot or ability to hit a target with the puck.

But in true ‘90s fashion, maybe the most popular area was where the free hockey video games were.

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So you call yourself an Angel fan? The convention affords a number of opportunities to show your colors.

Aside from the acres of cards, from Rudy Meoli rookie cards to countless variations on a Nolan Ryan theme, there is Angel memorabilia of all stripes available.

A sampling:

* Frequent visitors to the “Big A” can keep a desktop reminder of their outings with the help of the Sports Collectors Guild of Phoenix. The guild produces detailed miniature sculptures of more than 125 stadiums, including Anaheim Stadium, most for $49.95.

* American Sports Heritage offers a baseball signed by Gene Autry for $80, and one signed by Darin Erstad, who is having a good week but hasn’t had his number retired, for $30. For the less well-heeled, there are also $2 Nolan Ryan posters nearby.

* For the child who wants to dress up as Wally Joyner for Halloween, B.A. Murry has a paper mask of the former Angel first baseman on sale for $3.50.

* Jim Edmonds will keep his signing arm busy from noon to 2 p.m. today, when he signs a limited edition of his miniature sculpture by Salvino. Edmonds will be signing figures already ordered, along with any remaining figures that will then go on sale after the signing.

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It’ll cost ya: Can’t live without a Dennis Rodman autograph on his book, or maybe a basketball, jersey, card or picture?

Well, Rodman will be on hand 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday and noon to 2 p.m. Sunday to sign, but stop by the bank first.

The show is charging $65 for his autograph on a ball, $90 on a jersey, or $45 on a book or card.

But Rodman’s prices hardly stand out when compared to the rest.

To get Wilt Chamberlain to sign a jersey or shoes costs $135.

The only other higher price at the show is $175, which is what it costs for Reggie Jackson to sign a bat.

They are among the high end, there are several autographs to be had with free tickets randomly inserted in bags of promotional materials given out as people come through the doors.

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Collectors Convention

* What: 17th National Sports Collectors Convention.

* Where: Anaheim Convention Center.

* When: Today (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.), Saturday (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.) and Sunday (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.)

* Cost: $7 a day.

* Noteworthy: Muhammad Ali (noon to 3 p.m.), Reggie Jackson (2:30 to 5:30) and Johnny Unitas (3-5:30) are among 20 sports figures who are signing autographs today. . . . Major League Baseball, the NHL, the NFL and the NBA have interactive areas. Jerseys from the first five baseball Hall of Fame inductees--Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Babe Ruth and Honus Wagner--are on display.