( CNN ) -- Baseball 's biggest stars are in New York for Tuesday 's All-Star game , as the sport says goodbye to one of its most famous landmarks . Joseph Cornacchia , left , used to play with Babe Ruth when he was a kid , his son Jim says . It 's the Yankees ' final season at the `` House that Ruth Built , '' and MLB.com reports that 40 Hall of Famers are expected to attend the historic event . We asked CNN.com readers to share their baseball memories and to tell us about meeting their favorite players . iReporter Jim Cornacchia of Rye , New York , says his grandmother taught Babe Ruth to `` make a mean batch of chili . '' He said the legendary slugger would come to Greenwood Lake , New York , during the off season and would visit with his family . iReport.com : Ever met your favorite player ? Cornacchia 's father , Joseph , who just turned 76 , would play wintertime games with `` The Babe '' as a child , and even built a snowman with him . Patrick Palmer , 43 , has been a Yankees fan since he was a kid , even though he grew up in Iowa . `` My father was a Yankees fan , and it was just handed down through the generations , '' he said . Palmer has a baseball signed by about 20 Yankees players and other memorabilia , but said his biggest thrill was meeting relief pitchers Sparky Lyle and Rich `` Goose '' Gossage . `` It was also amazing to shake hands with one of the most feared pitchers of his day , Goose Gossage , and really see what a gentle person he could be , '' See what Palmer wrote on iReport.com . New Yorker Matthew Friedman said he met Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg last August after singing `` God Bless America '' before a Peoria Chiefs minor league game . Friedman was in town as part of the Broadway touring production of `` Movin ' Out . '' He said he would sing at the game only if he could meet Sandberg , who was managing the Chiefs . `` He was such a nice guy , '' he said . Friedman is a Mets fan , but said the Cubs legend was `` the kind of player I thought other players should be . '' He said it was a meeting he 'll never forget , and one he 'll tell his children about again , and again , and again . `` I have a child on the way , '' he said . `` I ca n't wait . '' Meeting a childhood hero was a test of courage for many young fans . iReporter thedeke almost did n't get to shake slugger Roger Maris ' hand during a trip to Yankee Stadium as a 10-year-old . `` He was only 3 kids from me when he turned and started for the field , '' he wrote . `` Why I said what I did , I will never know , but I actually yelled at Roger saying , 'Roger Maris ! Do n't you dare walk away with out shaking my hand ! ' `` Maris smiled , walked up to him and `` grabbed my hand with both of his and without saying a word he gave me a wink and off he went , '' thedeke wrote . Phil Miller was a 17-year-old bat boy for the Tacoma Rainiers in 1995 when he got to meet star outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. Griffey was playing for the Seattle Mariners at the time and was in the minor leagues while he was recovering from a wrist injury . Chasing fly balls Griffey hit during batting practice is something Miller said he will never forget . `` I wish I could freeze time and relive that 15 minutes over and over , '' he wrote . Miller was nervous about talking to Griffey in the locker room , but he said he broke the ice by asking him about his wife 's pregnancy -- news that was n't out yet . Griffey laughed when he found out his mother-in-law had shared the news with Miller 's mom in a Tacoma hair salon , Miller said . Even baseball 's most controversial figures provide fond memories . Kenny Lucas met Barry Bonds , the all-time leading home run hitter , in 2006 at a Colorado Rockies game . The former Giants star has been dogged by steroid allegations and has a reputation for being difficult , but Lucas said `` he was a very cool guy . '' `` I used to think of Barry as another arrogant athlete , but he treated me as an equal and invited me into his conversation , '' Lucas said . iReporter natsmom24 met Pete Rose at a golf course when he was 11 years old . In 1991 , Rose and other members of the Cincinnati Reds were at a golf course near his house , so natsmom24 tried to get some autographs . Several players ignored him and walked past , but he said Rose approached him and asked to sign his ball . He talked to him and then took him to the clubhouse and bought him a Snickers and a Coke . `` I was on top of the world ! I was hanging out with Pete Rose ! The Hit King ! Charlie Hustle ! No one was going to believe me when I told them this , '' he wrote . He said that not even his parents believed him until he showed them the autographed ball .
Baseball 's current and former stars are ready for All - Star game . I met Ruth , Ruth , Ruth , and Sparky Lyle . Have a good memory ? Share it on iReport.com .