tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55912647095656472232024-03-14T15:07:34.432-04:00Keys to the Batter's BoxDanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752021286110760999noreply@blogger.comBlogger75125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591264709565647223.post-26308546629316627332022-08-25T13:59:00.006-04:002022-08-25T19:26:41.539-04:00A Forgotten Baseball Card Trade<p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Two days ago, a man showed up at my childhood home, about 30 minutes north of where I'm living now, carrying a small box. My mother answered the door and the person introduced himself and said he had something for me, and that once I opened it, I would understand.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmbJSe8L5eCXpQp_Zfh4cQaCsdwHvVhgIzeEHp6p7hKHJ0Gkg7f6M_piqkqdV_v9i5jpMFFM0YQwEQwi1YlJ0EIS6MT4dKUQZWUAaB4iZfZpobAM14CRwlNHelDisfs9IyVE-J0HOQu-zhwbiYUw3gSXbNKPrPjvGSJjnPCCJJzdxYEcLdp95V7VtA/s1494/box.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1438" data-original-width="1494" height="385" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmbJSe8L5eCXpQp_Zfh4cQaCsdwHvVhgIzeEHp6p7hKHJ0Gkg7f6M_piqkqdV_v9i5jpMFFM0YQwEQwi1YlJ0EIS6MT4dKUQZWUAaB4iZfZpobAM14CRwlNHelDisfs9IyVE-J0HOQu-zhwbiYUw3gSXbNKPrPjvGSJjnPCCJJzdxYEcLdp95V7VtA/w400-h385/box.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">After he left, my mother called me and asked if I remembered a kid named Pete. I said that I did, and that's when she told me that he dropped something off for me. I haven't seen or heard from him since we were kids, so I had no idea what he had left for me. Not knowing the size of the box, my first thought was maybe it was his baseball card collection he was giving me. I did remember that we both collected cards as kids. I nixed that idea because I figured he probably had kids of his own by now, so why wouldn't he just pass them down to his own child/children?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Curiosity got the best of me, so I asked my mom to call me back via video chat so that I could see the contents of this mysterious box. My mom calls me back and shows me the box and I see it's the size of a small gift box. Certainly not big enough for a person's collection. My mom opens the box and this is laying right on top.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHhz4yvUmFcLKxONgcCLHYIbR9YpppQt8dps006-L9wooGaEiuApZj2K-ItKg16XfGiHSvbI17PbWRTKdy5FihLdR5xI3071nfE3-0kka4ZUvwnDqXtRKuXd_M3OyoOaS5ZD4xm8y1RExC8Vw_ZHhCW6iUwuHU-5pzEc5XUCb5FMNP5RjQGLDgbV8o/s2374/bo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2374" data-original-width="1841" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHhz4yvUmFcLKxONgcCLHYIbR9YpppQt8dps006-L9wooGaEiuApZj2K-ItKg16XfGiHSvbI17PbWRTKdy5FihLdR5xI3071nfE3-0kka4ZUvwnDqXtRKuXd_M3OyoOaS5ZD4xm8y1RExC8Vw_ZHhCW6iUwuHU-5pzEc5XUCb5FMNP5RjQGLDgbV8o/w310-h400/bo.jpg" width="310" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">An authentic Bo Jackson signed rookie card. I was shocked and confused. Not a cheap item by any means, so why would someone that I haven't seen or heard from in 30 years gift me a card like this?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">An envelope with my name on it was also in the box. My mom asked if I wanted her to open and read it and I said, "yes." She then reads me the following note.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRFnnkpdoaJaRSlx1VJ9zYQSiK5agJQc3ed2jek8lLldZa6RpVM9ddu14DmOarcLQAuo5vpKi5T1G3CT8bFIRAzDZDGtVD_s9DUzR9PRwwIKJKGZ9cwmmJJTv5wF9P3sr1uizxtc_U4yRXW1KPi8uMSIOV8oxvw-KTNbfcrLV42LWN_nFKAInPoRf9/s680/note.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="616" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRFnnkpdoaJaRSlx1VJ9zYQSiK5agJQc3ed2jek8lLldZa6RpVM9ddu14DmOarcLQAuo5vpKi5T1G3CT8bFIRAzDZDGtVD_s9DUzR9PRwwIKJKGZ9cwmmJJTv5wF9P3sr1uizxtc_U4yRXW1KPi8uMSIOV8oxvw-KTNbfcrLV42LWN_nFKAInPoRf9/w581-h640/note.jpg" width="581" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">I immediately felt sad that he had such guilt over this trade. I have no recollection of ever being ripped off in a trade. I do not remember this particular trade at all. Yet, this seems to have been on his mind for over 30 years. Did I pester him every time I saw him, asking "where's my Bo?" Did I tell people to never trust him? Did I threaten to have him beaten up? Did I even open the set and notice that the Bo was missing? I have zero memories of this trade.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">I do feel grateful that he thought of me all these years later and kept his end of the deal, even if I had forgotten all about it.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">I looked him up online and discovered that he works less than 4 miles from my home. I called the phone number on his contact page and got his voicemail. I left a very thankful message, without mentioning that I didn't remember the trade. I left my number, asking him to call me but I have yet to hear from him.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">This morning my mom visited me, bringing me the box and its contents. The Bo Jackson card is now in my possession.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKHjxA7qvHhoKAW1cG57NoSDrM9XXeoGb5PV_p4kHdqsN595iuT9pcdRbuP5vYzJ2SI3yYWWRDcdSlch1T0QI_JtrxXlMph6RFt3Z-e05UoY3YgLwLRaHzYigtIktHMCISlFYIwUhN5G6ZJowu5u4rkVVjYkjBre1bCqpovMED3EiSusax5QoPK_6/s1989/PXL_20220825_150716925.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1989" data-original-width="1607" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKHjxA7qvHhoKAW1cG57NoSDrM9XXeoGb5PV_p4kHdqsN595iuT9pcdRbuP5vYzJ2SI3yYWWRDcdSlch1T0QI_JtrxXlMph6RFt3Z-e05UoY3YgLwLRaHzYigtIktHMCISlFYIwUhN5G6ZJowu5u4rkVVjYkjBre1bCqpovMED3EiSusax5QoPK_6/w518-h640/PXL_20220825_150716925.jpg" width="518" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Pete, if you ever come across this, I just want to say thanks. I also want to apologize if I caused you any grief over this.</span></p>Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752021286110760999noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591264709565647223.post-13902818387831962052021-10-09T17:01:00.003-04:002021-10-26T00:00:08.686-04:00Goodbye, Card Collection<p><span style="font-size: medium;">I did a thing. I did something that will cause me to lose some great friendships. I did something that greatly changes my life from this day forward.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">As an autograph collector, this was my least fun year in the hobby. Screens to protect the fans from foul balls were made mandatory at all stadiums. While I agree that the screens were necessary, they also hindered the autograph experience.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The minor leagues made some drastic changes this year. The High-A Florida State League suddenly became the Low-A Southeast League. The style of play was different. The games were longer. Teams had players with fewer cards. Series were longer due to COVID-19, thus making the schedule unbalanced, where teams wouldn't face each other. Looking at the schedules for the 2022 season, it looks more of the same. For example, the Jupiter Hammerheads (Low-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins) did not travel to Clearwater this season and looking at next season's schedule, they won't be traveling to Clearwater again.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Being in my late 40's, chasing down young ballplayers for barely legible signatures was something I found myself questioning many times this past summer. I was slowly losing interest. Not to mention, standing outside in the Florida heat is not fun, nor is it very safe. At some point, I had to put my health above standing for several hours in unshaded areas hoping for a signature.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">A few weeks ago I decided that I would be okay with 'retiring' from collecting autographs. I strictly collected as a hobby. I never sold any of my autographs. I posted my entire collection of unsigned cards for sale on a couple of local sites.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizhs6SnXT6teTt9qU2wb10MQN25-JdA04xDy-rzDNk86IKpH9AllT18LmNFyRowsmjf4LNycgBu3ZRR93__Qv2_25_R2sFxFP4yG2XYU4pF6qT57wa66rjzY-4kUigflHXNNikrCZKewQ/s3840/PXL_20211009_181141238.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizhs6SnXT6teTt9qU2wb10MQN25-JdA04xDy-rzDNk86IKpH9AllT18LmNFyRowsmjf4LNycgBu3ZRR93__Qv2_25_R2sFxFP4yG2XYU4pF6qT57wa66rjzY-4kUigflHXNNikrCZKewQ/w640-h360/PXL_20211009_181141238.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">After a few weeks, I had a couple of buyers come to take a look at the collection. Today, it became a reality. A buyer paid me my asking price. My entire collection was sold (minus the autographs, I'm still keeping those). I no longer have cards to potentially get signed. Nothing to bring to future games, nothing to send through the mail. Everything is gone.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIQLEn8vZGUV-x5eweD6m7ZIyoVS4lzwYjWX8LyWxihIo-SIgAnf70Vo6i8q5iB6NmneMMy1-j47DWooiw3w9V26SEKFx75I6drjXigX8INFF-n9u2zeXIJLYzNWyWIt99EDmeExrv4o8/s3724/PXL_20211009_190938520.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2095" data-original-width="3724" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIQLEn8vZGUV-x5eweD6m7ZIyoVS4lzwYjWX8LyWxihIo-SIgAnf70Vo6i8q5iB6NmneMMy1-j47DWooiw3w9V26SEKFx75I6drjXigX8INFF-n9u2zeXIJLYzNWyWIt99EDmeExrv4o8/w640-h360/PXL_20211009_190938520.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Did I make a rash decision? Probably but I'll adapt. Will I miss spring training? Not so much the standing for hours but I will miss the friends I made throughout the years.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Autograph collecting has been a good hobby for me. It got me outside my home and helped me meet some great people. I don't have any regrets, at least not yet. We'll see if I have the itch to get out there come February when spring training starts up.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I still have 75 outstanding TTM requests, so I might have some autographs still trickle in. Though, a lot of time has passed since I last sent any out, so it's looking less and less likely that those will find their way back to my mailbox.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">My site, <a href="https://dailyautograph.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">dailyautograph.com</a> will still continue. Although now it looks like it'll have a definite finale.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Thank you to all the readers, followers, and friends that I made online and in person. I look forward to seeing your collections grow. You'll just have one less person to compete for that autograph.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Dan</span></p>Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752021286110760999noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591264709565647223.post-47176138080177849282020-10-04T20:42:00.001-04:002020-10-04T20:51:07.801-04:00I'm Voting for a Baseball Player This November<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Tonight I decided to fill out my mail-in ballot. After selecting my choice for President, a name directly to the right on the ballot was someone that I immediately recognized.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilJw_kqymLTDNrcaHnaTkVLV6wtib-h54JDORc3ksL1MXHq5gHYw9lV23K3icpa7ozS3_YYPgfH-gFYhAIVyUIbrchyEHfth3O6FmleIYln3T0SCbJDZBr3FY9MLq-ABLDSvdQ2yPWDHo/s2407/trevormallory.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1864" data-original-width="2407" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilJw_kqymLTDNrcaHnaTkVLV6wtib-h54JDORc3ksL1MXHq5gHYw9lV23K3icpa7ozS3_YYPgfH-gFYhAIVyUIbrchyEHfth3O6FmleIYln3T0SCbJDZBr3FY9MLq-ABLDSvdQ2yPWDHo/w640-h496/trevormallory.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.dailyautograph.com/2015/02/trevor-mallory.html">Trevor Mallory</a> went to high school here in St. Petersburg, Florida, and was drafted in the 2nd round by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1991. He signed that card for me in 1995 when he was with the Dunedin Blue Jays of the Florida State League. Now he's running for Property Appraiser in Pinellas County.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">It's not every day where you get to vote for someone that you have their autographed baseball card.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">This is by no means an endorsement for Mr. Mallory.</span></p>Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752021286110760999noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591264709565647223.post-77918378230893757442020-09-24T16:18:00.000-04:002020-09-24T16:20:34.346-04:00The 1989 Star Minor League Baseball Card Set Had Some Killer Prospects, Literally<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The goal of a minor league card set is to highlight the top prospects that look like they'll one day be major league players.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">In 1989, Star produced a 200-card set loaded with prospects. Lots of them went on to have successful careers in Major League Baseball. Two cards, in particular, card #140 and card #180, both had killer careers.</span></span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIPXiY6r6oCMLVSGR2UKkOu1eid3CfJEv-wUSBslF-e6D-z3cO4AqtS5J3vdcJrOKucC5pmdb_xnM57_iDdYKun_uxlg-RYA6Y9eB4Y9teMGPAR6lXss71A6aMNr6omGHRmQD4w2x7IZ4/s1042/jimhvizda.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1042" data-original-width="740" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIPXiY6r6oCMLVSGR2UKkOu1eid3CfJEv-wUSBslF-e6D-z3cO4AqtS5J3vdcJrOKucC5pmdb_xnM57_iDdYKun_uxlg-RYA6Y9eB4Y9teMGPAR6lXss71A6aMNr6omGHRmQD4w2x7IZ4/w284-h400/jimhvizda.jpg" width="284" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jim Hvizda, Gastonia Rangers<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=hvizda001jam">Jim Hvizda</a> (card #140) was a Texas Rangers prospect. In 4 seasons (3 in the Rangers organization and his final in 1991 with the Milwaukee Brewers), he had a 14-8 record, 53 saves, and a 2.47 ERA. The AA level would be the highest level that he would reach.</span></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">After his baseball career ended, he would meet Kimberly and later marry her. They had 3 children together and she already had a daughter from a previous marriage.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Over the years, Hvizda apparently developed a severe drinking problem and began experiencing financial, career, and emotional difficulties. In 2011, Kimberly took the four children and left their home in Upper Uwchlan, Pennsylvania, eventually finding a new place to live in East Brandywine.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Hvizda tracked her down and began stalking her, as she filed for divorce. In late 2011, he was caught lingering outside her home after being told by township police to leave. She obtained a protection from abuse order against him, which forbade him from having contact.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">On March 25, 2012, he convinced her to meet him outside the Wawa where she worked to turn over some paperwork. She did not know, however, that he had purchased a hunting knife and that he planned to kill her. When he approached her car, he stabbed her in the chest, cut her neck, and then stabbed her in the stomach, leaving the knife in her body. Hvizda then walked a half-mile to the Upper Uwchlan Police Department office and told the desk officer what had happened. 'I just stabbed my wife,' he said. He was arrested and held without bail after giving a full confession to investigators. He is currently serving life in prison in Pennsylvania.</span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivTTiKgXWw_u4Evhw7agHRyXpur38V_UzUJ1Aw8xOPkp5tYxdQ4e2lWaSMcaMWWtUvGJ47GL3bc5QvF_eOdEP4oUJ-nVvF2GuiMtS4pquOk32FKRZLJeqOkPlKdJfS00cpS2s53PGbOs8/s1042/fabiogomez.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1042" data-original-width="735" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivTTiKgXWw_u4Evhw7agHRyXpur38V_UzUJ1Aw8xOPkp5tYxdQ4e2lWaSMcaMWWtUvGJ47GL3bc5QvF_eOdEP4oUJ-nVvF2GuiMtS4pquOk32FKRZLJeqOkPlKdJfS00cpS2s53PGbOs8/w283-h400/fabiogomez.jpg" width="283" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fabio Gomez, Watertown Indians<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=gomez-001fab">Fabio Gomez</a> (card #180) was a Cleveland Indians prospect when this card came out. He would have a 10-year minor league career, reaching as high as AAA. In 1992 he would lead the Reno Silver Fox in home runs with 19. His baseball career ended in 1996 where he played one game for the independent Albany Diamond Dogs going 1-3 with a stolen base.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">In 1999 he was watching his son while his girlfriend was at work. He forced his neighbor, Joan Morane into his apartment. He then bound her with duct tape, raped her, and fatally bludgeoned her with a 10-pound dumbbell. He carried her body to a nearby dumpster in the apartment complex. He was arrested the next day on kidnapping, sexual assault, and murder charges. He is on death row in Arizona.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">Looks like Star made cards of prospects and suspects that year.</span></span></p>Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752021286110760999noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591264709565647223.post-18307744361692044092020-09-21T17:11:00.002-04:002020-09-21T17:16:10.639-04:00Oh, That Poor Photographer in Jackson, Tennessee<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">A lot of problems with these four Jackson Generals cards from the 1991 Classic Best Minor League series. No one's picture matches their names. Jeff Juden is on Sam August's card. Sam August is on Orlando Miller's card. Shane Reynolds is on Jeff Juden's card and Orlando Miller is on Shane Reynolds' card.</span><p></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4-5s0CPUGZwT0xAEy8C3T6VoZyQvx8y1JqeNbwi-xDtC4gW0bTMFTwMJIo79jG4ryE6KnjplbQgm9YrOKtX0Aup-t6Bu3UkVhnT4eLDbH5W25-czb-54kkxWmalyvVUMUIJDyGAbhDlU/s840/jacksongeneralserrorcards.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="840" data-original-width="593" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4-5s0CPUGZwT0xAEy8C3T6VoZyQvx8y1JqeNbwi-xDtC4gW0bTMFTwMJIo79jG4ryE6KnjplbQgm9YrOKtX0Aup-t6Bu3UkVhnT4eLDbH5W25-czb-54kkxWmalyvVUMUIJDyGAbhDlU/s16000/jacksongeneralserrorcards.png" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I talked to a baseball card photographer recently and asked him how this could've happened. I thought that maybe the photographer mislabeled the images before handing them in. He agreed, but also added, "usually it's a roster # screw up, the players switched jerseys, the photographer screwed up, or the company did." He also pointed out something that I wouldn't have known, commenting on Jeff Juden's pose with the bat, "well, Jeff with a bat tells me the photographer had no clue."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Jeff Juden is a pitcher posing with a bat. I learned that card companies typically frown on those types of images unless it's a veteran. Somehow, Jeff got one over on this particular photographer. He actually got away with it on another card that same year on a 1991 Line Drive AA card. Perhaps it was the same photographer.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8soM-T3k86tONJH9O6iTZdPa_zXd8h-06QTAO76L-pOTEZqpu5Z34Cp0c63j86b9z1nBUqQZgfY9QOiW1PoLnI08HflNmPAgSHgBz1DbAPANmG8goXAlF-s0QZY8z4i0F5yUtrm6aDmU/s343/jeffjuden.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="343" data-original-width="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8soM-T3k86tONJH9O6iTZdPa_zXd8h-06QTAO76L-pOTEZqpu5Z34Cp0c63j86b9z1nBUqQZgfY9QOiW1PoLnI08HflNmPAgSHgBz1DbAPANmG8goXAlF-s0QZY8z4i0F5yUtrm6aDmU/s16000/jeffjuden.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">None of these error cards were ever corrected. Can you imagine how many times these players must've said "that's not me" when an unknowing fan approached them for an autograph?</span></div></div>Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752021286110760999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591264709565647223.post-57857400993050741722018-06-26T17:47:00.001-04:002018-06-26T23:20:15.479-04:00My Most Sought Out Autograph Ever<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">You would think by the title that I would be talking about a Hall of Famer, possibly a World Series hero, or maybe even a player from my favorite team, the New York Mets. No, it's none of those. My most sought out autograph ever was a minor leaguer that spent 7 years in A ball, played 7 games in AA, and 9 games in AAA, all with affiliates of the Chicago White Sox.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In 1993 I started going to Florida State League games. It's considered high A or advanced A, sometimes even written as A+. To keep up with roster changes, I relied on my subscription to <i>Baseball America</i>. A publication which was delivered every 2-3 weeks.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I would go through the rosters days before I was planning to see teams play, either when they visited the Clearwater Phillies or Dunedin Blue Jays, and see if I had any baseball cards that matched the names. When I went through the Sarasota White Sox roster before their scheduled series in Clearwater, there were a few names that I had cards of. <a href="https://dailyautograph.blogspot.com/2013/09/glenn-disarcina.html" target="_blank">Glenn DiSarcina</a>, younger brother of Gary. <a href="https://dailyautograph.blogspot.com/2013/09/kerry-valrie.html" target="_blank">Kerry Valrie</a>, who I made the mistake of calling "Keith," because that's what his baseball card said his name was. His teammates had a good laugh, though Kerry did not seem amused. A name I was very familiar with that I hoped would make the trip, and did was <a href="https://dailyautograph.blogspot.com/2013/12/mike-dunne.html" target="_blank">Mike Dunne</a>, who was making rehab appearances for them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">One name that I recognized, but didn't seem to have a card of was Nilson Robledo. The name was familiar because I knew my brother had a card of him. I loved the look of that card.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1uS3WjlCLKAqjZvcpapQtN3xhu66Lh_sxulTnqpoyhqsOR1oDiyJiTfLCm4LTVo_gb-C6V7nW9pON8GPqbGGWvOGUqBL7vgI_C3jbwOpihJBomnMrgmVFt28mcJ4NCLWYjZl40ILVwIU/s1600/nilsonrobledo1991classicbest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1uS3WjlCLKAqjZvcpapQtN3xhu66Lh_sxulTnqpoyhqsOR1oDiyJiTfLCm4LTVo_gb-C6V7nW9pON8GPqbGGWvOGUqBL7vgI_C3jbwOpihJBomnMrgmVFt28mcJ4NCLWYjZl40ILVwIU/s1600/nilsonrobledo1991classicbest.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of tradingcarddb.com</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I remember the first time seeing that card and thinking it was Frank Thomas pictured. In 1991 Classic Best put Kerry Valrie's name as Keith, why couldn't they mistakenly put Frank Thomas on someone else's card? That's why the name stood out when I saw his name on the roster. My brother was excited about the opportunity to get that card signed. I, on the other hand, was desperate to locate one for myself. Remember, this was 1993, there was no eBay to go to buy virtually any card in existence. Also, baseball card shops didn't exactly load up on singles of minor league cards. They'd sell boxes and packs, but that was pretty much it. Determined to get a Nilson Robledo card in my collection, I went to a card shop and bought a box of 1991 Classic Best.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfMlhP_5YdPktJ5ra2umJ7YwL6tJV0zZerPdfyahExQQge4Gm2TAtZRQhdpSCaouT8EObN7hv5mO9-Jrw5N_izX8rvL0KXBNIhPSwYa1HKolCuT6tCT8pjCwEd4DVKGPLk1usBI8dEaVE/s1600/1991classicbestbox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="809" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfMlhP_5YdPktJ5ra2umJ7YwL6tJV0zZerPdfyahExQQge4Gm2TAtZRQhdpSCaouT8EObN7hv5mO9-Jrw5N_izX8rvL0KXBNIhPSwYa1HKolCuT6tCT8pjCwEd4DVKGPLk1usBI8dEaVE/s640/1991classicbestbox.jpg" width="516" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Pinterest</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">36 packs in the box x 12 cards per pack = 432 cards. There are 396 cards in the whole set. I was bound to pull a Nilson Robledo card and possibly even build a complete set. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I remember getting to the remaining few packs, still not a Robledo card to be found. I was getting nervous. I didn't even care if I pulled that coveted Mike Schmidt autographed card, goddammit, I wanted a Nilson Robledo. I open the last pack. I can't recall who was in it, but I can tell you that Schmidt and Robledo weren't a part of it. I was so pissed. I bought a box looking for one specific single and didn't get it. The next day I went to see the Sarasota White Sox. I got a few autographs for myself and my brother got some, too, including his Nilson Robledo.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIOBqbioFeMOIFxvkPJZk2DSlSNq0MYt8h1-oxGbDGyphdDfpIT0t02dFDrj6g7wR9tKgzxdfpM7QOyN9KOM5gTaZ4GE8px-j5ffsiQiw-jcKvF7FhVLh7z_rNp7GEy77zaZQwRH5hwrA/s1600/nilsonrobledoautograph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="691" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIOBqbioFeMOIFxvkPJZk2DSlSNq0MYt8h1-oxGbDGyphdDfpIT0t02dFDrj6g7wR9tKgzxdfpM7QOyN9KOM5gTaZ4GE8px-j5ffsiQiw-jcKvF7FhVLh7z_rNp7GEy77zaZQwRH5hwrA/s640/nilsonrobledoautograph.jpg" width="460" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of briansautographs.blogspot.com</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">For years, my brother would tease me for not having Robledo's autograph in my collection. I'm not sure if he's going to update his website, <a href="https://briansautographs.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">briansautographs.blogspot.com</a>, but if you read what he wrote about his <a href="https://briansautographs.blogspot.com/2018/01/nilson-robledo.html" target="_blank">Nilson Robledo</a> autograph, he says,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>This card has always been a source of competition between my brother and I. He bought an entire box and this card was not in it. Sadly, my brother always beats me in our little competition by reminding me that he has Derek Jeter's autograph and I don't... But I still find it funny.</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Later in that summer of 1993, Nilson was voted a Florida State League all-star. Fleer ProCards put out a set with him in it and I bought it, but unfortunately, I never saw Nilson play again, or ever for that matter.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Fast forward 25 years later. This past spring I was looking at the Tampa Bay Rays home schedule. I knew the National League East was scheduled to play interleague games against the American League East, so I looked to see when the Mets were coming. Alas, the Mets were the only team in the division not scheduled to visit. However, the Washington Nationals were scheduled for a quick 2-game series. I had remembered long ago that Nilson Robledo, long retired from the game, was a bullpen catcher for the Montreal Expos and moved with them to Washington. Surely, he couldn't still be with the team in his late 40's, could he? A quick Google search revealed that he still held the position. I fully intended on going to at least one of those 2 games.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'm writing this post literally a few hours after the second game ended. I didn't go to the game fully prepared with a book full of cards. I brought 7 cards with me. Knowing I'd be focused on the bullpen area, I brought a couple coaches cards and a few position players. Sure, everyone there was hoping to get Bryce Harper to sign for them, not me, I just wanted one person.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As soon as I entered the stadium, there sitting by his lonesome in the bullpen was Nilson Robledo. I recognized him immediately. I quickly went down the steps to get as close to the bullpen as I could. There I was, all by myself calling for a bullpen catcher to sign an autograph for me. Everyone else was yards away from me hovering around the dugout. Nilson signed my card, didn't say a word to me, but smiled when I told him that I remembered seeing him play for Sarasota.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgElBvhu_oHSI1AHAdjIFwMEIkgj0oIL9xFSswDNzHZq3gq_9IeWII-_XsgvtBqIMMqdSQZ304STgU4sY86iLOE1bV1IroocmuOfomvnRm6MZd7AOnmLMDIo4as7zuMON-q5VPDNqbKrmY/s1600/2893nilsonrobledo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="544" data-original-width="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgElBvhu_oHSI1AHAdjIFwMEIkgj0oIL9xFSswDNzHZq3gq_9IeWII-_XsgvtBqIMMqdSQZ304STgU4sY86iLOE1bV1IroocmuOfomvnRm6MZd7AOnmLMDIo4as7zuMON-q5VPDNqbKrmY/s1600/2893nilsonrobledo.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It took me 25 years, but I finally got the autograph that I always wanted. Notice I didn't get it on the same card that my brother got. Yeah, all these years later and I still don't have it. Sure, I easily could've acquired one by now, but I like the look of his FSL all-star card. Plus, it's nice to get something different from my brother. Not only is the card different, but it looks like Nilson's signature has changed drastically over the years. That's okay by me, at least I finally have it.</span>Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752021286110760999noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591264709565647223.post-18016397283122943212018-06-10T21:54:00.000-04:002018-06-13T14:19:25.673-04:00Everything Is Viewable<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">When I came up with the idea of <a href="http://dailyautograph.blogspot.com/">Daily Autograph</a> 5 years ago, I thought it would be a great site to showcase my collection, and then eventually continue it as I acquired more signatures. I figured within 2 years I'd eventually be all caught up and then there would be days, possibly weeks during the offseason or something where my site would be stagnant. Five years later, that thought is laughable. after 1,787 published posts, I still have 1,227 scheduled, taking my site all the way up until October 19, 2021 without a break.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUm3vNILpX_fgg_eHNRh_CW9ItfjCSTj6rS1DHPQgYNTtUg2c2QIVOHExciP0kleWFNttd1OfQu-j7CWz7L8yN-eChGkQQ-o986LKZy8lzvgn3_b92rJ-0heRYUjXssdhu2dkq2aX6vQA/s1600/schedule.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="136" data-original-width="246" height="353" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUm3vNILpX_fgg_eHNRh_CW9ItfjCSTj6rS1DHPQgYNTtUg2c2QIVOHExciP0kleWFNttd1OfQu-j7CWz7L8yN-eChGkQQ-o986LKZy8lzvgn3_b92rJ-0heRYUjXssdhu2dkq2aX6vQA/s640/schedule.bmp" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">For the last couple of years, I've hated the formula that I created for myself. I've gotten autographs that I was so proud of, that I wanted to post and share them immediately, but instead, I'd create a draft and then schedule it for 2 years later on whatever date it would chronologically be set for.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This week I decided to try something different. Playing around with <a href="https://www.google.com/photos/">Google Photos</a>, I created alphabetized photo albums of all of my autographs.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgULxtpBUpaCIeRPFKJJ9bR4U9L6P8lNXaOZTdGeQKBvrXiSm6wUAJ43qNzwzDHW9orWB1VNytv3vhVhBxMi9U797tXrI3u-6UTO5_H0c68sxOdvRpLax8EtsGfRFnb3_71SDLJpgW__Zw/s1600/photos.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="282" data-original-width="582" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgULxtpBUpaCIeRPFKJJ9bR4U9L6P8lNXaOZTdGeQKBvrXiSm6wUAJ43qNzwzDHW9orWB1VNytv3vhVhBxMi9U797tXrI3u-6UTO5_H0c68sxOdvRpLax8EtsGfRFnb3_71SDLJpgW__Zw/s1600/photos.bmp" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">All of those photo albums are now linked to on the right-hand side of </span><a href="http://dailyautograph.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">dailyautograph.com</a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhad9VctX4IEobfEjjGGnIY1b9h_56CMw2BO89Nm7xjVEppjkYOeMiX2Sdrp_FMumD3ahPcJbjK5lk19LQykPR-ElWn62pofE96XOnRJGmLVi6xJkdG8w4ByhyMl6eXDaQDEKNH7BKEasc/s1600/site.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="740" data-original-width="1600" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhad9VctX4IEobfEjjGGnIY1b9h_56CMw2BO89Nm7xjVEppjkYOeMiX2Sdrp_FMumD3ahPcJbjK5lk19LQykPR-ElWn62pofE96XOnRJGmLVi6xJkdG8w4ByhyMl6eXDaQDEKNH7BKEasc/s640/site.bmp" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Just choose the album of your choice and you can see an alphabetical display of my collection. View them all at once or you can watch as a slideshow. Comment and like the whole album or select a random autograph that you'd like to comment on or ask me about.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKBf0XtR3et2S3rmr7m12DfkfePFupZg9R0ZAJXDLQ2APCPtn1-YjyYQCu9RJHu7j5Py3wYBjx-cRitRC5t5lEnJisC_4GTQA6kkBiiH_hSJwgUKzJjL8OnmJ7aIXDqbJe-4E_YYpM9zg/s1600/tsample.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1600" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKBf0XtR3et2S3rmr7m12DfkfePFupZg9R0ZAJXDLQ2APCPtn1-YjyYQCu9RJHu7j5Py3wYBjx-cRitRC5t5lEnJisC_4GTQA6kkBiiH_hSJwgUKzJjL8OnmJ7aIXDqbJe-4E_YYpM9zg/s640/tsample.bmp" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">My site will still continue on its daily schedule, but if you're impatient like me and want to see my latest autographs and not have to wait 3 years for them to be posted, then be sure to check the <a href="https://dailyautograph.blogspot.com/p/calendar.html">calendar</a> and then the corresponding album of your choice.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Feedback is appreciated if you enjoy this new update, or if you don't.</span></span>Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752021286110760999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591264709565647223.post-33393132866356454422017-12-22T17:52:00.000-05:002017-12-29T18:10:05.030-05:00Let Me Dust This Thing Off<span style="font-size: large;">Hello, Readers! Is "readers" too presumptuous? Does anyone still check this blog anymore? I certainly haven't.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">Maintaining <a href="http://dailyautograph.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Daily Autograph</a> is a task in itself, I don't know why I felt that I needed another site to run. I guess I thought it would be nice to have a place where I share new cards that I get. The thing is, I rarely buy new cards. I'm an autograph collector, all I care about is getting base cards signed. I don't enjoy opening packs, not knowing what's inside, and getting limited insert cards. You know, the 1-3 cards found in packs that everyone else in the collecting world cares about? Yeah, not me. If Topps guaranteed a base card only pack, I'll be first in line.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">Man, I sound like such a curmudgeon. I'm really not. I like what I like, and that's buying singles of cards of people that I could possibly get signed.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">Speaking of signed, 2017 was my most successful year collecting autographs. It started the first week of January with Maicon Santos and ended 3 days shy of 2018 with Ron Cey.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">In total, 630 new signatures were added to my collection. Sadly, if you follow <a href="http://dailyautograph.blogspot.com/">Daily Autograph</a> on a daily basis, you know I post one new autograph each day, all in order of how I obtained them. These autographs that I acquired this year won't even show up on that site until April 14, 2019.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Every autograph is important to me. That's why I decided to showcase each and every one for 24 hours before the next one is posted. You might see a Hall of Famer one day, a career minor leaguer the next and a coach that never played a professional game in his life after that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">With this post, I will attempt to show off some of the highlights from 2017.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Of course, after stating my disdain for insert cards earlier, I start off with one that I got signed. Yes, I see the irony and it was completely unintentional.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Topps has cards where a celebrity throws out the first pitch prior to the start of the game. Comedian and lifelong Mets fan, Jim Breuer is shown tossing out the first pitch at Citi Field. He signed this card for me at the Mets fantasy camp in St. Lucie, Florida.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKN8f6n7S15xbejJK2NwgKaChOjn4Or9lOfarXQ-ERQgJPMkizAhO7iTpu_phYLNY6WXMVosTnVCB8PCmYaM_4KiV5p3XpTbNARWjy59Rei1t9CVTK_AscG9T8XIM84YoJ9QUuRiKz5Fs/s1600/1986jimbreuer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="546" data-original-width="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKN8f6n7S15xbejJK2NwgKaChOjn4Or9lOfarXQ-ERQgJPMkizAhO7iTpu_phYLNY6WXMVosTnVCB8PCmYaM_4KiV5p3XpTbNARWjy59Rei1t9CVTK_AscG9T8XIM84YoJ9QUuRiKz5Fs/s1600/1986jimbreuer.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jim Breuer 2016 Topps<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">My 2000th autographed card was signed in 2017. Greg Jones signed this for me at the Tampa Bay Rays fan fest.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU_6DJViTKTCHCv9M9fWhx_1Lav6KeguDqnP5zZyvZ3nk2VtSPjo1EvDmY6tI5v6lTEgUq9lpT8FH7r1-zGxyD1vOirY_IYFHpBjCoOtm8ozJIsieKJVzkDDaYeIlK_dWJsJrqvqQ6GZU/s1600/2000gregjones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="539" data-original-width="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU_6DJViTKTCHCv9M9fWhx_1Lav6KeguDqnP5zZyvZ3nk2VtSPjo1EvDmY6tI5v6lTEgUq9lpT8FH7r1-zGxyD1vOirY_IYFHpBjCoOtm8ozJIsieKJVzkDDaYeIlK_dWJsJrqvqQ6GZU/s1600/2000gregjones.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Greg Jones 2003 Upper Deck</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I got to meet billiards' "The Black Widow" Jeanette Lee. She signed her Allen and Ginter's card for me at the Tampa Bay Rays fan fest. This was actually number 2,001 in my collection.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM39Hi1d4_hw0FCNfhTU4mgH8OvXugRJbO5_enGqGofljXUzm4HR2dMJaKq4nMmVRvwMtsaUPPW4RG5ejHTGjXE5LzZ2m-ZOKETm3MMxjlF-cvhEqQAEv98Tnt65ppzVad_3cSDK0n2YE/s1600/2001jeanettelee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="541" data-original-width="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM39Hi1d4_hw0FCNfhTU4mgH8OvXugRJbO5_enGqGofljXUzm4HR2dMJaKq4nMmVRvwMtsaUPPW4RG5ejHTGjXE5LzZ2m-ZOKETm3MMxjlF-cvhEqQAEv98Tnt65ppzVad_3cSDK0n2YE/s1600/2001jeanettelee.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jeanette Lee 2008 Topps Allen and Ginter's</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The all-time hit king, Pete Rose happened to be in Florida, so I made sure to be there. He signed my favorite baseball card from when I was a kid.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDvv338iNWCU8S3psfR0OMNluxVBNOli2u-Eaz2tXKsyG3G-SAdkKCjq-xuAzjqqZER6gkZzs2oSpstzOq6O7jBkGCKaHilDzwMefMPvZITtLLEvcIPHy_9LKZoa_s8MYHblhShg3hCmY/s1600/2025peterose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="539" data-original-width="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDvv338iNWCU8S3psfR0OMNluxVBNOli2u-Eaz2tXKsyG3G-SAdkKCjq-xuAzjqqZER6gkZzs2oSpstzOq6O7jBkGCKaHilDzwMefMPvZITtLLEvcIPHy_9LKZoa_s8MYHblhShg3hCmY/s1600/2025peterose.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pete Rose 1985 Donruss<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I got a father and son in the same month. Jesmuel Valentin, a Phillies farmhand, signed a card for me and a week or so later I spotted his dad, Jose watching his son workout.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq4FILhxWXjS2Z7k5StpIQW1gufELPfNnMZvrF9XyfGyk6SFOoBdn44afzXKLr3WMFsNK8ouHIX3GE0n_FiEjabzwlKTHnjuCjbmcxU_G2V2wBcw1nquhypyzsC1ON5YJE-cdFztXnV1E/s1600/2016jesmuelvalentin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="538" data-original-width="381" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq4FILhxWXjS2Z7k5StpIQW1gufELPfNnMZvrF9XyfGyk6SFOoBdn44afzXKLr3WMFsNK8ouHIX3GE0n_FiEjabzwlKTHnjuCjbmcxU_G2V2wBcw1nquhypyzsC1ON5YJE-cdFztXnV1E/s400/2016jesmuelvalentin.jpg" width="282" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jesmuel Valentin 2012 Bowman Draft Picks and Prospects</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwUMYUtO99bk5puE_4aUteuTCRnfRJoI4i4KM3be2cFMYtdOJBUhrq-ktnNKCt9oEkPj1g_6mMtKcFIuk9F-ulJ1_w66pyOJiHE4Eyz_DBoJP5CLA2Cxlhw6rBWqX35Zomy5MLK32QeYw/s1600/2073josevalentin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="538" data-original-width="381" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwUMYUtO99bk5puE_4aUteuTCRnfRJoI4i4KM3be2cFMYtdOJBUhrq-ktnNKCt9oEkPj1g_6mMtKcFIuk9F-ulJ1_w66pyOJiHE4Eyz_DBoJP5CLA2Cxlhw6rBWqX35Zomy5MLK32QeYw/s400/2073josevalentin.jpg" width="282" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Jose Valentin 1991 Classic Best</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">An umpire signed a card for me. I had known that former umpire Richie Garcia had made his home in Clearwater, Florida for decades. On more than one occasion I would see him jogging during the off-season. I never thought to ask him for an autograph, even though I knew there were cards available. In 2017 I decided I would go for it. I ordered a card and carried it with me until I'd see him again. It was at a spring training game in Clearwater where I saw him. He was there because his son-in-law, Vic Carapazza, was umpiring the game.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJXwTOzfaOSoPOalDgUQvlcOia21TV9B2KSfaWvv1j69n8F8k_55cTed5Rwhubd70USmr_YBaoQ-DrgEdN3t1Eh_zSAnhLgv1U54BxTgvot4P-FXh7yeIyIG8UXy1GibGYm-KgE3UN1DM/s1600/2125richgarcia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="546" data-original-width="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJXwTOzfaOSoPOalDgUQvlcOia21TV9B2KSfaWvv1j69n8F8k_55cTed5Rwhubd70USmr_YBaoQ-DrgEdN3t1Eh_zSAnhLgv1U54BxTgvot4P-FXh7yeIyIG8UXy1GibGYm-KgE3UN1DM/s1600/2125richgarcia.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rich Garcia 1990 T&M Sports<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">An unexpected thing happened to a guy in A-ball this season. Pirates minor leaguer John Bormann was suddenly promoted to the Majors because the team had a last minute injury and needed to fill a roster spot. John signed a card for me in the spring and a month later he's making his Major League debut.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1uD8roaJO3yAlKdm1eRQZpxhQHhB2GO_JwF7kbfCu2Fuu0qju67TBJ-EqOBreRus8deA8syWR01CTDg1LOAOMGg4QzBVtRHKpD186XvSeg9fFBsII0ocypNx1bpXLZ3sHCgDzL8z0BQs/s1600/2174johnbormann.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="537" data-original-width="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1uD8roaJO3yAlKdm1eRQZpxhQHhB2GO_JwF7kbfCu2Fuu0qju67TBJ-EqOBreRus8deA8syWR01CTDg1LOAOMGg4QzBVtRHKpD186XvSeg9fFBsII0ocypNx1bpXLZ3sHCgDzL8z0BQs/s1600/2174johnbormann.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John Bormann 2016 West Virginia Power<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">John shared his journey on <i>The Show Before the Show</i> podcast. It was an enjoyable listen.</span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dykeqGuwtqs0Qn_4Z0ImgntlDPBydhkW5OdncKSIGWVuDNvuOyBd6krZElii81RRsbcujI0BKbJfkOqWTsULQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Two professional football players attempted to try their luck at professional baseball this season, and I was lucky enough to meet them both. Sanders Commings, who played for the Kansas City Chiefs, was signed by the Atlanta Braves, while the New York Mets gave a shot to Heisman Trophy winner and former Denver Bronco/New York Jet, Tim Tebow.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAOM9Ql9PJJ9vBOUxEukuIlYGbGN6hEYymllWW6SU1f6mLWHY4itFBGXkKDlv0IDGdBPYI_2GDVVZYLuGlh3N28mmhNfBqDugE9FH82CHA9CW0qCSK779XMFHPS0H620cFFvCUo5D37kQ/s1600/2270sanderscommings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="541" data-original-width="380" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAOM9Ql9PJJ9vBOUxEukuIlYGbGN6hEYymllWW6SU1f6mLWHY4itFBGXkKDlv0IDGdBPYI_2GDVVZYLuGlh3N28mmhNfBqDugE9FH82CHA9CW0qCSK779XMFHPS0H620cFFvCUo5D37kQ/s400/2270sanderscommings.jpg" width="280" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sanders Commings 2013 Upper Deck Football</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4UhK5dqPndqEm0gBPHlgilgVhRBOL-MqnM0-bz1qsF2JT39xf6KUVXLbRNb-Fg_QaUaO-fdOzwomLk0L54ZTPOgXJFHKlOwwkc-pe3Q75VRMnnVwLt-yTPdIxwzWzQMj-W32KeYh6NiM/s1600/2396timtebow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="380" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4UhK5dqPndqEm0gBPHlgilgVhRBOL-MqnM0-bz1qsF2JT39xf6KUVXLbRNb-Fg_QaUaO-fdOzwomLk0L54ZTPOgXJFHKlOwwkc-pe3Q75VRMnnVwLt-yTPdIxwzWzQMj-W32KeYh6NiM/s400/2396timtebow.jpg" width="278" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tim Tebow 2017 Columbia Fireflies</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The 2017 Minor League Player of the Year, Ronald Acuna, began the year with the Florida Fire Frogs in their inaugural season in the Florida State League. He only spent 28 games with them, before ultimately ending up with the Braves AAA team in Gwinnett.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0POULc2u56itT0qmeBgfXPQg6YoPe91ei-0wweu4SJy_jbxUl6Ex4sbsyVfydVIx9Nb0gfJx0ax0AXbWwHGGMOOFilNKUWf4jWv8a2THQH42qKYHLgf1N9JZDGBfF-Y-VvOIupM3xS00/s1600/2281ronaldacuna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="539" data-original-width="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0POULc2u56itT0qmeBgfXPQg6YoPe91ei-0wweu4SJy_jbxUl6Ex4sbsyVfydVIx9Nb0gfJx0ax0AXbWwHGGMOOFilNKUWf4jWv8a2THQH42qKYHLgf1N9JZDGBfF-Y-VvOIupM3xS00/s1600/2281ronaldacuna.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ronald Acuna 2016 Rome Braves<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Thanks to a special military promotion that the Clearwater Threshers were hosting, invited guest, former WWF superstar, Sgt. Slaughter was on hand to sign autographs,</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEPX18gjf1pcvFuhgjja7D3huzcExtNE_HkYvQSfI83KGpTDu3CqkMNJI1rUjE7sxQVmgbOmlS_8lP0u5H5ZaOuMYo7w3PgsukOoC9RqMAXaSy5QuJ2PVhSBiUMAULboxM-aWD-oJB7qo/s1600/2356sgtslaughter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="380" data-original-width="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEPX18gjf1pcvFuhgjja7D3huzcExtNE_HkYvQSfI83KGpTDu3CqkMNJI1rUjE7sxQVmgbOmlS_8lP0u5H5ZaOuMYo7w3PgsukOoC9RqMAXaSy5QuJ2PVhSBiUMAULboxM-aWD-oJB7qo/s1600/2356sgtslaughter.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I got to meet the very first athlete that I called my favorite as a kid. My parents took me to Tampa Bay Rowdies games when I was really young. My hero was Steve Wegerle. This year, the SiriusXM show, <i>Grumpy Pundits</i> took their show on the road to St. Petersburg, Florida, the city where I live. Steve was scheduled to be their guest, so I printed out a picture of him and headed down there.</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRwHlz7l9l-T5iihPSyj7Y8Cmgv5mqXcbFoFg73BAMVziSQYsLb7mAfc8CByx8w5rVHtNz_d5lPBWA4yW05A9c_9jIIRYrskiwRSaJtYCFt4H6n6l6XdYHnp4zPIThvB0K_ddVCJ6bhyU/s1600/stevewegerle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1185" data-original-width="1500" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRwHlz7l9l-T5iihPSyj7Y8Cmgv5mqXcbFoFg73BAMVziSQYsLb7mAfc8CByx8w5rVHtNz_d5lPBWA4yW05A9c_9jIIRYrskiwRSaJtYCFt4H6n6l6XdYHnp4zPIThvB0K_ddVCJ6bhyU/s640/stevewegerle.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steve Wegerle 8x10 photo<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I got to meet former Cubs prospect, Jimmie C. Gardner. A name I'm sure most won't recognize, but his life story is incredible. While in A-ball with the Chicago Cubs, he was arrested and charged with armed robbery and sexual assault. He was sentenced to 110 years in prison.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">In 2016 he was released from prison after serving 27 years. DNA evidence proved that he was innocent of all charges.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWTjGwardfCveN9UQ7iDxKXFVvT-fytPohSBINdejq8WIKm1blUi2PRaRfd5GEe69uag7MI1xGB0JeJ4aNi4x9gw5Ydv2WLl8u-nu7T8frEPkh2ydvjT-KmrSGRX7aY57uhlMWRDjBhgQ/s1600/2414jimmiegardner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="539" data-original-width="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWTjGwardfCveN9UQ7iDxKXFVvT-fytPohSBINdejq8WIKm1blUi2PRaRfd5GEe69uag7MI1xGB0JeJ4aNi4x9gw5Ydv2WLl8u-nu7T8frEPkh2ydvjT-KmrSGRX7aY57uhlMWRDjBhgQ/s1600/2414jimmiegardner.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">He was so happy when I showed him this card. He told me he hadn't seen it in over 30 years. I thought he was kidding. I didn't know his story until after I had gotten home that night.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Atlanta Braves got in some trouble this year for </span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">international-signing improprieties. As a result, 12 of their players became free agents. I got to see one of them, Abrahan Gutierrez, while he was with the GCL Braves. Abrahan was 17-years-old when he signed this for me. I never felt so old asking for an autograph.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf9GlbP1_nT5vP-HGap5mk3WTRx5aIRr5Ft8-GXQEElymE8zyKsEAPJsfvUueC5Tk-uDewS-xvXoNRnaPR_jNu-ciriLbiJY_gvy81B2KK19ixLGGEWpNOsFQBFH0KFg-kK2FoKHnaQp8/s1600/2433abrahangutierrez.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="542" data-original-width="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf9GlbP1_nT5vP-HGap5mk3WTRx5aIRr5Ft8-GXQEElymE8zyKsEAPJsfvUueC5Tk-uDewS-xvXoNRnaPR_jNu-ciriLbiJY_gvy81B2KK19ixLGGEWpNOsFQBFH0KFg-kK2FoKHnaQp8/s1600/2433abrahangutierrez.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Speaking of teenaged baseball players. The Dunedin Blue Jays had a promotion honoring Jimy Kelly. Jimy is the youngest Minor League baseball player in history. He made his professional debut as a 14-year-old in 1985 with the GCL Blue Jays.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivtCDxV4lgr8O9DmBIwWpPxIwvwFt544AMMXGLtXyEnVyvL_sj9oEAIBjpLXiqepu9IgGTev-3yS7hGJ_HWx5x7A81m4RL211RwWtGepQm1BEBZvRY0sbdO24nzYu-tN16Cxas32Y_OH0/s1600/2457jimykelly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="544" data-original-width="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivtCDxV4lgr8O9DmBIwWpPxIwvwFt544AMMXGLtXyEnVyvL_sj9oEAIBjpLXiqepu9IgGTev-3yS7hGJ_HWx5x7A81m4RL211RwWtGepQm1BEBZvRY0sbdO24nzYu-tN16Cxas32Y_OH0/s1600/2457jimykelly.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This year I added 3 Hall of Famer's to my collection. Tony Perez, Craig Biggio, and Ivan Rodriguez were all nice enough to take the time for me.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJi8tIDM2q3b601Xp83rWx2Ne5XYoMXMF05CJeCoMY4raLu8TXsxGJ8HXF2xYyRqan8nqB69QEIv-JeAYZ45QJrJicyJsIpSe2bk8nosU07HPl23h-JqYnoP3IfMNZq8luSzeXe7mZ_2E/s1600/2026tonyperez.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOqduuN0ozgCnhKOGZX_Z3CowlQbkvDNAJ0LCKEz6KpBr9Ib2JAgnvjpSv4bV09Q0aDkKi7cGjS68_E38_JLylZdT_pal89Fnpvj9inA_IAbWuxUHwVxa8dU9xUhy6axP6nKiNT2VErZU/s1600/2136craigbiggio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; font-size: 12.8px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJi8tIDM2q3b601Xp83rWx2Ne5XYoMXMF05CJeCoMY4raLu8TXsxGJ8HXF2xYyRqan8nqB69QEIv-JeAYZ45QJrJicyJsIpSe2bk8nosU07HPl23h-JqYnoP3IfMNZq8luSzeXe7mZ_2E/s1600/2026tonyperez.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; font-size: 12.8px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="380" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJi8tIDM2q3b601Xp83rWx2Ne5XYoMXMF05CJeCoMY4raLu8TXsxGJ8HXF2xYyRqan8nqB69QEIv-JeAYZ45QJrJicyJsIpSe2bk8nosU07HPl23h-JqYnoP3IfMNZq8luSzeXe7mZ_2E/s320/2026tonyperez.jpg" width="221" /></a><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"> </span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOqduuN0ozgCnhKOGZX_Z3CowlQbkvDNAJ0LCKEz6KpBr9Ib2JAgnvjpSv4bV09Q0aDkKi7cGjS68_E38_JLylZdT_pal89Fnpvj9inA_IAbWuxUHwVxa8dU9xUhy6axP6nKiNT2VErZU/s1600/2136craigbiggio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; font-size: 12.8px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="538" data-original-width="381" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOqduuN0ozgCnhKOGZX_Z3CowlQbkvDNAJ0LCKEz6KpBr9Ib2JAgnvjpSv4bV09Q0aDkKi7cGjS68_E38_JLylZdT_pal89Fnpvj9inA_IAbWuxUHwVxa8dU9xUhy6axP6nKiNT2VErZU/s320/2136craigbiggio.jpg" width="225" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfxFFeF74X_7J1nrPGlz0Q_I3JLDpSHb7xyDCTzUWYtAqSNRKOCkzjwS6aJKAtauRSu6xXDFNXrXmOflIYW8FFb1v5FAWMIOwf9AVxp93a_TPh2M6RTGgK6iuQI4c8kOMZj3OloJg5eAQ/s1600/ivanrodriguez.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1203" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfxFFeF74X_7J1nrPGlz0Q_I3JLDpSHb7xyDCTzUWYtAqSNRKOCkzjwS6aJKAtauRSu6xXDFNXrXmOflIYW8FFb1v5FAWMIOwf9AVxp93a_TPh2M6RTGgK6iuQI4c8kOMZj3OloJg5eAQ/s640/ivanrodriguez.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This year I also got to meet a member of my all-time favorite music group, Run-DMC. Cable television came to my neighborhood in 1983 when I was 9-years-old. Quite an impressionable age to discover a channel that played nothing but music videos called MTV.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I was infatuated with this new music to my ears known as rap. Run-DMC got a lot of play during those early years and I was hooked. It was such a cool experience to get to meet DMC.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ7H2i7CLjCufiLiSDhk7hSZQJUeVZ_WEEILQ2Lwv8Rbp0bTliue2JuR7G_Si4ddWAW3197H7Uwln43uaNc6ZR466idc411YSlDBOL5yAwJQ_0t62fgNRmF_nb-4pYpF5YLh7665D_qS8/s1600/dmc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1496" data-original-width="1500" height="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ7H2i7CLjCufiLiSDhk7hSZQJUeVZ_WEEILQ2Lwv8Rbp0bTliue2JuR7G_Si4ddWAW3197H7Uwln43uaNc6ZR466idc411YSlDBOL5yAwJQ_0t62fgNRmF_nb-4pYpF5YLh7665D_qS8/s640/dmc.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Finally, I was introduced to a new band in 2017 that I instantly became a fan of. Hip Hop artist, Talib Kweli came to St. Petersburg, Florida in November of this year. I was excited to see him, but I was unfamiliar with the opening act, The Sh-Booms. The night before the concert, I went on YouTube to see if there were any videos of theirs where I could hear their music. I found a video for their song, "Usage Fee." I loved it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/oMNYlSFm4Fc/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oMNYlSFm4Fc?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">While waiting for Talib before the show to get an autograph, I recognized the Sh-Boom's from seeing their video the night before. Mizz Bren, the lead singer of the group walked by me and I stopped her to tell her that I was a big fan of their song, "Usage Fee."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">She thanked me and then told me that she was going to give me something when she gets back. When she returned she told me to come with her to meet the band. She then went inside and grabbed a CD of theirs and asked if I'd like it signed. She then ripped it open and I handed her my pen and they all passed the CD around, signing it.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKo0N4ouHiM7HCIV6MXGHo7McibXV21a5zogm0sAg9cggVNEjs5g3hNmEK1kQYwCTCdHpbYtQcwJNeEL-yTeaqj4RXy5FGUNTQdPY3-BjB6N39pWs3yW5V8bHSfcTAn3yjfBFP2iughyphenhyphenU/s1600/theshbooms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1359" data-original-width="1500" height="578" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKo0N4ouHiM7HCIV6MXGHo7McibXV21a5zogm0sAg9cggVNEjs5g3hNmEK1kQYwCTCdHpbYtQcwJNeEL-yTeaqj4RXy5FGUNTQdPY3-BjB6N39pWs3yW5V8bHSfcTAn3yjfBFP2iughyphenhyphenU/s640/theshbooms.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This year wasn't all highlights. Sadly, Boston Red Sox Hall of Famer Bobby Doerr passed away at 99. He was one of the most friendliest players when it came to requesting his autograph by mail. I'm not big on collecting by mail. I like getting autographs in person. I realized at 99-years-old, I probably wasn't going to randomly bump into Mr. Doerr anytime soon, so, I reluctantly sent him my card and a letter in August.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsW6_HxUwux1bbwKzRYHBhJriZ6J3V17jMB07jx3U05zltMJJ2xFPX8ZsGfKfdRQugYSg8CF5-NRY5VCwpX6HckagR4v0_gvcuAU9anS-oR59zqFRdHFD91-Kjp1OqaNfwk_wzE0k-Yls/s1600/bobbydoerrletter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1140" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsW6_HxUwux1bbwKzRYHBhJriZ6J3V17jMB07jx3U05zltMJJ2xFPX8ZsGfKfdRQugYSg8CF5-NRY5VCwpX6HckagR4v0_gvcuAU9anS-oR59zqFRdHFD91-Kjp1OqaNfwk_wzE0k-Yls/s640/bobbydoerrletter.jpg" width="456" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Bobby died on November 13th. On the 15th I got my card back and the following note.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIZ9o3srKNavC4Eafh79FMY8hxIm1TFVoCflXa4UyTHmSneKjqzyn13VZ35R3rqPBCFtOY26oJ5N8UNmgVoUE2GUE5wcZbOLoDqNLEv5WwV0lH1R4DXRlrjy6ru2mNCe5KJgOoP9DytNE/s1600/doerrletter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="968" data-original-width="733" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIZ9o3srKNavC4Eafh79FMY8hxIm1TFVoCflXa4UyTHmSneKjqzyn13VZ35R3rqPBCFtOY26oJ5N8UNmgVoUE2GUE5wcZbOLoDqNLEv5WwV0lH1R4DXRlrjy6ru2mNCe5KJgOoP9DytNE/s640/doerrletter.jpg" width="484" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Sad that I missed out on his autograph, but there's over 600 that I got in 2017 that make me happy. I only wish I could show them all on here, but that's what <a href="http://dailyautograph.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">dailyautograph.com</a> is for. I just hope that in 2019 you all will go and see them.</span></div>
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Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752021286110760999noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591264709565647223.post-75549652645342484112016-12-31T21:23:00.000-05:002019-09-14T21:03:53.154-04:002016: My Autograph Collecting Year in Review<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In 2016 I added 527 autographs to my collection, I never ask for more than one autograph from each person that I meet, so, that's 527 different autographs that I amassed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It started in early January when I met Juan Berenguer at the Minnesota Twins Fantasy camp in Fort Myers, Florida, and ended with Felipe Lopez just a couple of weeks ago at his former high school in Altamonte Springs, Florida.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBZgeLoAkZY-cgliUPV0mds9aPPC9asIFsR48hJ9eohjlIR0G-IO7dGH20mYqjXe3AhK9WIxaX3IKVbUZJjA3xO4JLDPCSius4z7C2rYD8NCvyIfIS94xJLsJsucxTE2QyxFMIqRMBC-8/s1600/1969felipelopez.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBZgeLoAkZY-cgliUPV0mds9aPPC9asIFsR48hJ9eohjlIR0G-IO7dGH20mYqjXe3AhK9WIxaX3IKVbUZJjA3xO4JLDPCSius4z7C2rYD8NCvyIfIS94xJLsJsucxTE2QyxFMIqRMBC-8/s400/1969felipelopez.jpg" width="280" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Felipe Lopez, 2009 Upper Deck</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTly1FD3SfcmJJ5HOuNuHdxW_DDHAEJXbrTVf-Z8nXf4hqdEFu8B86bJIIaYi39rAnTz-yhz6z1AceptSUfTlI0af8yo4rctVgyjNF3LC2KVVA82NdUX6oCiBbw5By4oSY3rTSrctQHYo/s1600/1548juanberenguer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTly1FD3SfcmJJ5HOuNuHdxW_DDHAEJXbrTVf-Z8nXf4hqdEFu8B86bJIIaYi39rAnTz-yhz6z1AceptSUfTlI0af8yo4rctVgyjNF3LC2KVVA82NdUX6oCiBbw5By4oSY3rTSrctQHYo/s400/1548juanberenguer.jpg" width="278" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Juan Berenguer, 1992 Upper Deck</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Let's take a look at some of the highlights between me meeting Mr. Berenguer and Mr. Lopez.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The month of January always has fantasy camps operating just about every week. I was able to visit 7 different camps (Twins, Orioles, Mets, Cardinals, Yankees, Phillies, Pirates and Orioles). I added 37 players from those teams.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">January also happens to be the month in which I was born. On my birthday (January 13th) I went to Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays, where they were holding a winter development program for their top prospects. It's not opened to the public, so I just waited outside and got Brent Honeywell and Ryne Stanek to sign for me when they were finished. It was my first time collecting autographs on my birthday.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5zhNR-2Q2T9LSE8Adr8XrrZdwTwK8l6g0ItZ9aI2WsElKcZSx-iLhrzDgTDBZxRvosldAv0_nRUbiH0AcnuK2hQi2sv8N6ITQvy60R-r1pYy_xImRFH3nu18tPqu7LLrWTlPw4HaLNsM/s1600/1556brenthoneywell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5zhNR-2Q2T9LSE8Adr8XrrZdwTwK8l6g0ItZ9aI2WsElKcZSx-iLhrzDgTDBZxRvosldAv0_nRUbiH0AcnuK2hQi2sv8N6ITQvy60R-r1pYy_xImRFH3nu18tPqu7LLrWTlPw4HaLNsM/s640/1556brenthoneywell.jpg" width="448" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brent Honeywell, 2014 Bowman Draft</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWcdDeEvSrKgPAeXIxZjE2jpM0GAnOJgDhenQ9d-N691TdbKANRDUP1k_1JaAJjjN1nTz-k1G67G6VyWxF6HE-vyTWmD3UkqDypCVZzEPkZdLglOQUQ8YNrttg4mMigcua0GSVffwUnMc/s1600/1557rynestanek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWcdDeEvSrKgPAeXIxZjE2jpM0GAnOJgDhenQ9d-N691TdbKANRDUP1k_1JaAJjjN1nTz-k1G67G6VyWxF6HE-vyTWmD3UkqDypCVZzEPkZdLglOQUQ8YNrttg4mMigcua0GSVffwUnMc/s640/1557rynestanek.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ryne Stanek, 2015 FSL Top Prospects</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />February is when pitchers and catchers start reporting to spring training, but it's also a time when soccer players in Major League Soccer and lower divisions begin preparing for their upcoming seasons. I decided to start collecting soccer cards this year, beginning with players from my local team, the Tampa Bay Rowdies.</span><br />
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<span class="" style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Freddy Adu was my very first soccer autograph. Unfortunately, I didn't prep the card well enough.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLctbyuDQgfScCqFr6k1bsLjaSipphnPH_EtLyCInSgS0zEsr3ynVQ1n4rNfp4-505V3eFPhdgtVRFYpWFjvkdjZf2WqyT3gyLToGc9U4LkmVzgumo1h2P9pXNAPJOkpZz-LIoGzWeQjg/s1600/1589freddyadu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLctbyuDQgfScCqFr6k1bsLjaSipphnPH_EtLyCInSgS0zEsr3ynVQ1n4rNfp4-505V3eFPhdgtVRFYpWFjvkdjZf2WqyT3gyLToGc9U4LkmVzgumo1h2P9pXNAPJOkpZz-LIoGzWeQjg/s400/1589freddyadu.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Freddy Adu, 2007 Upper Deck</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I ended up with 55 signed soccer cards this season. I got to meet several past and present players who represented the United States in World Cups. That was a big thrill for me.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJZvrc20bCxEviFIfU9NctVubDD44iWjFfDCiBrFiCJLYwT85IYlT9q06oVwno9WAdZuGUEWAEhGQ1xWyTqxmhTvRLrItZfWmeDsZFDeoAap9Z4yuYTyiD-6d3TSzR3dagViHZ_XXsE4w/s1600/1616claudioreyna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJZvrc20bCxEviFIfU9NctVubDD44iWjFfDCiBrFiCJLYwT85IYlT9q06oVwno9WAdZuGUEWAEhGQ1xWyTqxmhTvRLrItZfWmeDsZFDeoAap9Z4yuYTyiD-6d3TSzR3dagViHZ_XXsE4w/s320/1616claudioreyna.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Claudio Reyna, 2007 Upper Deck</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLgQzTszNxgY8ZZMVZ94cJzCN47u_QOJy_RIY9izqRcEuwmWEF8bIGRgtRnGEXfAHcpPBNNOVCn2R6EPVvLEiouG59kAFknXi9kLQINTtcKyEpujAF3RFngf-5Fnmw2UH2PmNBWsuEBCI/s1600/1600earniestewart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLgQzTszNxgY8ZZMVZ94cJzCN47u_QOJy_RIY9izqRcEuwmWEF8bIGRgtRnGEXfAHcpPBNNOVCn2R6EPVvLEiouG59kAFknXi9kLQINTtcKyEpujAF3RFngf-5Fnmw2UH2PmNBWsuEBCI/s320/1600earniestewart.jpg" width="222" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Earnie Stewart, 2002 Panini</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5hdihIQCxOFlH0pV477PEIUMpSweRq5nvkeSdepSeDyHEBaxgzTrcicHk2in5VjMTCZrMAdtkkB2kO5ukhq-2Af-PKi78-TYbSsoJtpW5jbnwHfn7KcIbbZZ6tOmAVjlVhKnc3hgO28Q/s1600/1836tonymeola.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5hdihIQCxOFlH0pV477PEIUMpSweRq5nvkeSdepSeDyHEBaxgzTrcicHk2in5VjMTCZrMAdtkkB2kO5ukhq-2Af-PKi78-TYbSsoJtpW5jbnwHfn7KcIbbZZ6tOmAVjlVhKnc3hgO28Q/s400/1836tonymeola.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tony Meola, 1993 Upper Deck</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO9lHJpGpmHTS8He31Ewpky8fWXCgg1NKDCfvvRaAl2pFFRrF-53qo4RrEa1zsC5ZOrzElGVXMXw4KzTVjpiYPAUC6ZMXL6RZAE91rEabdKNxnNsplG1VikcqxWiOsyPYbq97uTxgQcsQ/s1600/1628jozyaltidore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO9lHJpGpmHTS8He31Ewpky8fWXCgg1NKDCfvvRaAl2pFFRrF-53qo4RrEa1zsC5ZOrzElGVXMXw4KzTVjpiYPAUC6ZMXL6RZAE91rEabdKNxnNsplG1VikcqxWiOsyPYbq97uTxgQcsQ/s320/1628jozyaltidore.jpg" width="231" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jozy Altidore, 2015 Topps</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWD3oorIPh69EdsdDovw4fGl6ve4_neBt8EqewrES-BGrw6_Dn-MBHvAsbKndFPV0rzlNqvihhuIdX4nXS7C0KWscNoOn2H9fPOa7qJC0RwiFdCG6Eyxg7RUPzmxQ6skRtAJmQHhUQ99E/s1600/1632michaelbradley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWD3oorIPh69EdsdDovw4fGl6ve4_neBt8EqewrES-BGrw6_Dn-MBHvAsbKndFPV0rzlNqvihhuIdX4nXS7C0KWscNoOn2H9fPOa7qJC0RwiFdCG6Eyxg7RUPzmxQ6skRtAJmQHhUQ99E/s320/1632michaelbradley.jpg" width="231" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michael Bradley, 2015 Topps</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWD3oorIPh69EdsdDovw4fGl6ve4_neBt8EqewrES-BGrw6_Dn-MBHvAsbKndFPV0rzlNqvihhuIdX4nXS7C0KWscNoOn2H9fPOa7qJC0RwiFdCG6Eyxg7RUPzmxQ6skRtAJmQHhUQ99E/s1600/1632michaelbradley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWD3oorIPh69EdsdDovw4fGl6ve4_neBt8EqewrES-BGrw6_Dn-MBHvAsbKndFPV0rzlNqvihhuIdX4nXS7C0KWscNoOn2H9fPOa7qJC0RwiFdCG6Eyxg7RUPzmxQ6skRtAJmQHhUQ99E/s1600/1632michaelbradley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I started following the English Premier League in 2006. I selected Chelsea FC as my team and have been a fan ever since. In 2016 I met 4 players who have played for Chelsea during my time as being a fan. I never expected to meet any of these guys when I watched them on TV. Now my collection includes perhaps two of their biggest stars, one of whom is Chelsea's leading goal scorer and 4th all-time in the Premier League.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTRGY8qnY8XNNb7tUYBz6fE3Hiky6rVvAMLmadwgBRJ-HmGaNOwqyy_s_XytpmOi0PxP02C4Vgy4jMjEd_bLfyRqzWJrjswRJauL8F0YnR92DRTT7y_qhpHBFlb3dYS-fpaCSIkHq2O4c/s1600/1617didierdrogba.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTRGY8qnY8XNNb7tUYBz6fE3Hiky6rVvAMLmadwgBRJ-HmGaNOwqyy_s_XytpmOi0PxP02C4Vgy4jMjEd_bLfyRqzWJrjswRJauL8F0YnR92DRTT7y_qhpHBFlb3dYS-fpaCSIkHq2O4c/s320/1617didierdrogba.jpg" width="215" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Didier Drogba, 2015 Panini</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN2eNxso5FntJYfakG7vzWtz-PWhlJSPm5Mg3fLip68D_0XTDtcai1vqp-7Ib8Z_IxoPzCBlFz5Cce9lUOQV7Frs0ogoIdmH7Kr7w0PY66OjYfQW41zF3FUlpWBHzs1Egq-4oobwYW9fo/s1600/1620franklampard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN2eNxso5FntJYfakG7vzWtz-PWhlJSPm5Mg3fLip68D_0XTDtcai1vqp-7Ib8Z_IxoPzCBlFz5Cce9lUOQV7Frs0ogoIdmH7Kr7w0PY66OjYfQW41zF3FUlpWBHzs1Egq-4oobwYW9fo/s320/1620franklampard.jpg" width="224" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frank Lampard, 2014 Topps Premier</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shaun Wright-Phillips, 2005 Topps</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW0a8zftm0YBHt-Qb7gn28ArColMGgCHpQM0ONa8mumFTWnMFFyKTCcrkgUCfUUkV7ycZ3sli3c0XVB-W8vRBnfWnsqtbs11bjwGI8Gwewd5zTBekVSlj307NQ0vKROcbVzKBPy5peBC8/s1600/1938joecole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW0a8zftm0YBHt-Qb7gn28ArColMGgCHpQM0ONa8mumFTWnMFFyKTCcrkgUCfUUkV7ycZ3sli3c0XVB-W8vRBnfWnsqtbs11bjwGI8Gwewd5zTBekVSlj307NQ0vKROcbVzKBPy5peBC8/s320/1938joecole.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joe Cole, 2014 Topps Premier</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">March is when spring training baseball games start. The Phillies spring home is about 15 minutes from where I live. Really close. Sadly, I do not drive, so, I rely on public transportation. It's 90 minutes by bus. I'm dedicated to my hobby and don't let it bother me. Of the 15 home games the Phillies had this spring, I was there for 10 of them. I only ever try for visiting teams during spring training games. I added 28 new signatures to my collection. It started with Astros first base coach, Rich Dauer and ended with Twins outfielder, Byron Buxton.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivZDmzcFMoQtNY95Cngh_EdDyMjNjcD_ErTJZ3MolNiB7HPsx5BMSvnRXL9WzbQ1nh6bX9_qQm8XdJo9BblKn7tGcQCQPcZWjtaN01kSfOIXHfoXC5_6z0ccQXKMrTjZZaneMX0G0F5uw/s1600/1655richdauer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivZDmzcFMoQtNY95Cngh_EdDyMjNjcD_ErTJZ3MolNiB7HPsx5BMSvnRXL9WzbQ1nh6bX9_qQm8XdJo9BblKn7tGcQCQPcZWjtaN01kSfOIXHfoXC5_6z0ccQXKMrTjZZaneMX0G0F5uw/s320/1655richdauer.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rich Dauer, 1984 Topps</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF85-q_VYJaVKyIiJ57MA1fY8sULsQ0gpfUzX7SDhVzfeNnWINw4YUr7ySHJSw4o23cOiQk9xpI70zGyylXYksmejkNF2bvkLK-3IeM3xR1DwCz_1BgfC_Zlteojbkv6A_BKcXhZVqt_8/s1600/1723byronbuxton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF85-q_VYJaVKyIiJ57MA1fY8sULsQ0gpfUzX7SDhVzfeNnWINw4YUr7ySHJSw4o23cOiQk9xpI70zGyylXYksmejkNF2bvkLK-3IeM3xR1DwCz_1BgfC_Zlteojbkv6A_BKcXhZVqt_8/s320/1723byronbuxton.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Byron Buxton, 2015 Topps Pro Debut</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Florida State League kicked off its season in April. I don't know how many games I attended, but I saw every team multiple times and visited 4 different stadiums. The FSL season helped me add an additional 153 autographs. It started with David Harris of the Dunedin Blue Jays and ended with Stephen Tarpley of the Tampa Yankees.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmPFCtU6RWfDbkhR3hwggqg1a1HM87ZYpfZotXrRJOV9pZJddPP_KrdCT9RYIYND9t7jU7unUfdD9l3OPVBHH48AgyVMJvcxYQlKKD78wFT4-Os73wyJ4glQcqD9KSbQqyZ1sjyKkKLcI/s1600/1733davidharris.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmPFCtU6RWfDbkhR3hwggqg1a1HM87ZYpfZotXrRJOV9pZJddPP_KrdCT9RYIYND9t7jU7unUfdD9l3OPVBHH48AgyVMJvcxYQlKKD78wFT4-Os73wyJ4glQcqD9KSbQqyZ1sjyKkKLcI/s320/1733davidharris.jpg" width="226" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David Harris, 2015 Dunedin Blue Jays</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2vCLTMB1vuueVskKvxoTB-G9dXnx5_hox8TckYrXP6CTeqyEj4qoSkSGsGxwAx46r7VBg58q_BllbSRXx6VLzkODj0zobRMXkdkbtfqbdZSY1uEIpy3Ay_YURlT1xc7k1N44LuDcYqPU/s1600/1901stephentarpley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2vCLTMB1vuueVskKvxoTB-G9dXnx5_hox8TckYrXP6CTeqyEj4qoSkSGsGxwAx46r7VBg58q_BllbSRXx6VLzkODj0zobRMXkdkbtfqbdZSY1uEIpy3Ay_YURlT1xc7k1N44LuDcYqPU/s320/1901stephentarpley.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stephen Tarpley, Bradenton Marauders</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In September, after the conclusion of the FSL season, I decided to try something that I have never done in all my years of collecting autographs. I requested an autograph by mail. I had heard that the 1952 American League MVP, Bobby Shantz, was a great signer and returned items quickly. Knowing that he was 90 (he turned 91 the week after I sent my card) and that I'd probably never have the opportunity to meet him, I decided to write him a letter. Six days later my card came back signed. So far I am 3-3 with autograph requests. I have also written to Pat Neshek and Tom Willis.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3wuWpTb6yanLeo3PWLOIdXFzrEIjyBPs2GakAg-QBwmwgWkARc_ExQlVJ1-Dz-lpEPG3HX9Kldle2Xc9ytiXNwolybH77Lc_xhQL0SlwhCnfLRbpkIKQ5_Y3cTyzuMCAcw_-IGOX_fCo/s1600/1963tomwillis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3wuWpTb6yanLeo3PWLOIdXFzrEIjyBPs2GakAg-QBwmwgWkARc_ExQlVJ1-Dz-lpEPG3HX9Kldle2Xc9ytiXNwolybH77Lc_xhQL0SlwhCnfLRbpkIKQ5_Y3cTyzuMCAcw_-IGOX_fCo/s200/1963tomwillis.jpg" width="140" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tom Willis, 2015 Topps</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijdkxlTjRVHOtvRTaxeT1o6626qkg1yEYFAwEV-8kEQf7PsvjcGqZcb3Ig9IUnHKkKku9EauAJLovolGchB1PreRMlKxBJCkc0BptT9fNTC2yztGNnfZGho6-EQtXNh8TBDiC1xF6xx7A/s1600/1902bobbyshantz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijdkxlTjRVHOtvRTaxeT1o6626qkg1yEYFAwEV-8kEQf7PsvjcGqZcb3Ig9IUnHKkKku9EauAJLovolGchB1PreRMlKxBJCkc0BptT9fNTC2yztGNnfZGho6-EQtXNh8TBDiC1xF6xx7A/s200/1902bobbyshantz.jpg" width="140" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bobby Shantz, 1993 Ted Williams</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3N4WU6FVvm_nFroUOObuDp7CeXg4re6DPU-tAzBU1Wo8_32OdderyVqgyzZyYtVsBQ6PXx5zWcahT9z5IGJ-IbVzDj_VCTQFz16GDHPpOfs5A4vpuzffy9gHhojUjywiNq2omoWJ8dNg/s1600/1957patneshek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3N4WU6FVvm_nFroUOObuDp7CeXg4re6DPU-tAzBU1Wo8_32OdderyVqgyzZyYtVsBQ6PXx5zWcahT9z5IGJ-IbVzDj_VCTQFz16GDHPpOfs5A4vpuzffy9gHhojUjywiNq2omoWJ8dNg/s200/1957patneshek.jpg" width="141" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pat Neshek, 2016 Topps</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">October is a time for playoff baseball and the World Series, but here in Florida, we have the Instructional League, where younger Minor League players get extra work to improve their skills. It's also for injured players to rebound from injuries and for players traded to new teams to get acclimated with their new coaching staffs. If you buy a lot of lower-level Minor League team sets, </span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">you'll do great with autographs in the FIL. I came away with 44. Ryan McKenna of the Orioles was my first and I finished with Jojo Romero of the Phillies.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4OnQkrqj9ktTH3SIEb-9ANM74ZF1CmOZZPLDKA5kFZ0P-0H7uXUt18UJ6SeKCpn5OKzp2K1ceLs3v2eICR8ik7IgLWMXRyv1GfM6W93_TrywyRMJDC4PkHZjvwWy5taclfygNaP6tnWI/s1600/1953jojoromero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4OnQkrqj9ktTH3SIEb-9ANM74ZF1CmOZZPLDKA5kFZ0P-0H7uXUt18UJ6SeKCpn5OKzp2K1ceLs3v2eICR8ik7IgLWMXRyv1GfM6W93_TrywyRMJDC4PkHZjvwWy5taclfygNaP6tnWI/s320/1953jojoromero.jpg" width="226" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jojo Romero, 2016 Williamsport Crosscutters</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhliUX4H2kLn4OI5JKeKJ7zTkNLuMEkmayvi5p1tJjYRMgLwhhXpxC1A33qtf0erqeg6U2p_8mdKgvAgnBJtCw_jBtKFGkQK3TaGPLfDpnECutbCOuanpPdQwDyBpTy6rNgAUi9z6Ag2J8/s1600/1903ryanmckenna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhliUX4H2kLn4OI5JKeKJ7zTkNLuMEkmayvi5p1tJjYRMgLwhhXpxC1A33qtf0erqeg6U2p_8mdKgvAgnBJtCw_jBtKFGkQK3TaGPLfDpnECutbCOuanpPdQwDyBpTy6rNgAUi9z6Ag2J8/s320/1903ryanmckenna.jpg" width="226" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ryan McKenna, 2015 Bowman Draft</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I got some impressive names during the FIL season. The very first player chosen in the 2016 MLB Draft, Mickey Moniak, Cavan Biggio, son of Hall of Famer, Craig, son of future Hall of </span><span class="" style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">F</span></span><span class="" style="font-size: large;"><span class="" style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ame</span>r</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">, Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., a couple of big name prospects that the Yankees acquired in trades, Clint Frazier and Dillon Tate, a Yankee who was rehabbing from an injury, Greg Bird, and a Yankee 4 home runs shy of 700, who came down to coach for a weekend, Alex Rodriguez.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM1EJtULXrsI0waKTF-wKx_60vSUgwn1cShaqz_43lfPZM0Zmo4ZEFiNbxNgI4oX6UBKphetQ2w7G2quWoPkoCz7vKd_6crhdG00JO_wmntBYVDgFSLG6bdGhXLFKTuCp71E5a8_jtPK0/s1600/1909cavanbiggio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM1EJtULXrsI0waKTF-wKx_60vSUgwn1cShaqz_43lfPZM0Zmo4ZEFiNbxNgI4oX6UBKphetQ2w7G2quWoPkoCz7vKd_6crhdG00JO_wmntBYVDgFSLG6bdGhXLFKTuCp71E5a8_jtPK0/s320/1909cavanbiggio.jpg" width="222" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cavan Biggio, 2013 Panini U</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg40h-xV98WJI-qh3kiJ8vXnxQaD1PanJMkjRe4-niCCa0vZQOUrR3UIgISyRWe9GE6AR6caHqPfkvfnhRDNquub82Z-xAbNhWVHVDyOGgY3tPtkcXM3MhcGH9tbPLeSBkO3sTkL6YHUOM/s1600/1943mickeymoniak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg40h-xV98WJI-qh3kiJ8vXnxQaD1PanJMkjRe4-niCCa0vZQOUrR3UIgISyRWe9GE6AR6caHqPfkvfnhRDNquub82Z-xAbNhWVHVDyOGgY3tPtkcXM3MhcGH9tbPLeSBkO3sTkL6YHUOM/s320/1943mickeymoniak.jpg" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mickey Moniak, 2015 Panini USA</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisiiTHwBirfCiblNMiHqGHoT-j5VtEGSaklW2gF2033OE-Tx3M_Gdq8B8u_wmHmX-qWt5dYHidewUBMsgi-BrnrqpYWZJxQ66XVTUhcsMzGyn-oQ2p6ObncqZsIE9i784_Ph8FtwODhxU/s1600/1931clintfrazier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisiiTHwBirfCiblNMiHqGHoT-j5VtEGSaklW2gF2033OE-Tx3M_Gdq8B8u_wmHmX-qWt5dYHidewUBMsgi-BrnrqpYWZJxQ66XVTUhcsMzGyn-oQ2p6ObncqZsIE9i784_Ph8FtwODhxU/s320/1931clintfrazier.jpg" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clint Frazier, 2015 Topps Heritage Minors</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-phrkFvLEsmEPzs9U-4Hm_31dwx1VrmFy1olMUHN20tgAWrqUcJxTyg8_myQNvtA1OJeC0q31RMHA4INc0tlaWWi0QGteuJsy4At9SJfFmjJUHK18lBoEGbFRGYN5h3LOoc0w6BdQWCE/s1600/1911vladimirguerrerojr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-phrkFvLEsmEPzs9U-4Hm_31dwx1VrmFy1olMUHN20tgAWrqUcJxTyg8_myQNvtA1OJeC0q31RMHA4INc0tlaWWi0QGteuJsy4At9SJfFmjJUHK18lBoEGbFRGYN5h3LOoc0w6BdQWCE/s320/1911vladimirguerrerojr.jpg" width="226" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., 2016 Bowman Platinum</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGbPXFXtr6XQi6khWFhCr4fLpnoN58NZDQK2UltKZS-MO2AxsvXnLZ08Iiw67-EXdcbeyuziTSNG31LFPPubKZ1RYoQgwazxSHH-uiZpaRfv_gu1y5o0rAR1Xxxmkfsrs6p_yk6AAD_Cg/s1600/1930gregbird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGbPXFXtr6XQi6khWFhCr4fLpnoN58NZDQK2UltKZS-MO2AxsvXnLZ08Iiw67-EXdcbeyuziTSNG31LFPPubKZ1RYoQgwazxSHH-uiZpaRfv_gu1y5o0rAR1Xxxmkfsrs6p_yk6AAD_Cg/s320/1930gregbird.jpg" width="224" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Greg Bird, 2016 Topps</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNwYoLiQnzArB1NLVNpQdil048RFBThXoIL3qIYaV9H96P4gomLKA_hyphenhyphenfpOMB_wHjUNeJyTESreTNwQYT9Fc9dtWlwjvUbyxUQklfNP2_snsppeWQPeBYln2ODh_cGHSkDeQoVh4TywWc/s1600/1929dillontate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNwYoLiQnzArB1NLVNpQdil048RFBThXoIL3qIYaV9H96P4gomLKA_hyphenhyphenfpOMB_wHjUNeJyTESreTNwQYT9Fc9dtWlwjvUbyxUQklfNP2_snsppeWQPeBYln2ODh_cGHSkDeQoVh4TywWc/s320/1929dillontate.jpg" width="226" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dillon Tate, 2015 Bowman Draft</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeqNWXWCyb1PHJuLuBvX4ltZfNu3h9cZzFFTW5_e7RwzQxtXARhW_Im3JUrH8CqAotskynYNehb-qzn6DC_hC-tUcIdD1sqPagE8JkCrY-0d13O2HeVzwN_PGbC8S30GSBUjWTWSZUAUs/s1600/1926alexrodriguez.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeqNWXWCyb1PHJuLuBvX4ltZfNu3h9cZzFFTW5_e7RwzQxtXARhW_Im3JUrH8CqAotskynYNehb-qzn6DC_hC-tUcIdD1sqPagE8JkCrY-0d13O2HeVzwN_PGbC8S30GSBUjWTWSZUAUs/s320/1926alexrodriguez.jpg" width="221" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alex Rodriguez, 1994 Classic</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">November is typically a month where it's tough to get baseball autographs, but in Dunedin, Florida, Roberto Alomar hosts his own fantasy camp featuring several former Blue Jays players. I was able to add 4 players that had eluded me all my years of collecting.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEiUlz8PhvBMC7abBXepoxHyMYAtKlGaK6OpDY-NH70jyy9_dqKPSye91zb0DbUfiXxoq-sR4y-BhyO-4qOVhh9a2dhomZmDi2i0nhO5N72hStepwGkUxDd4dC4HDWCpQEdOh0UVoJZec/s1600/1959devonwhite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEiUlz8PhvBMC7abBXepoxHyMYAtKlGaK6OpDY-NH70jyy9_dqKPSye91zb0DbUfiXxoq-sR4y-BhyO-4qOVhh9a2dhomZmDi2i0nhO5N72hStepwGkUxDd4dC4HDWCpQEdOh0UVoJZec/s320/1959devonwhite.jpg" width="226" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Devon White, 1992 Upper Deck</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKSszKMZvuoMLiKgrmYsty3_SnZuqREqTSEYujK0XPbGiTfNrSRH8qTf9507UGfTdxyLtSEIrO6rfl5SZ8gw0jcs6eNIUq-GpSBNlZoPgFV-yehWabmZ97GORU0YjMRmWash6_Wqls2fs/s1600/1958pattabler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKSszKMZvuoMLiKgrmYsty3_SnZuqREqTSEYujK0XPbGiTfNrSRH8qTf9507UGfTdxyLtSEIrO6rfl5SZ8gw0jcs6eNIUq-GpSBNlZoPgFV-yehWabmZ97GORU0YjMRmWash6_Wqls2fs/s320/1958pattabler.jpg" width="226" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pat Tabler, 1990 Upper Deck</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzpNNjTppBdtzJlPkv0knePtPNhUm2WACyudGro0NXrlFd62_G713uonWyUkbfMZDuZmx1x13tHvs4wRYo9sHgaGzDXjbIjOeeo_SC00CqJArQ1XY7xyp2BWAC4gBAWDsaPzZv9_jKMyE/s1600/1960frankcatalanotto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzpNNjTppBdtzJlPkv0knePtPNhUm2WACyudGro0NXrlFd62_G713uonWyUkbfMZDuZmx1x13tHvs4wRYo9sHgaGzDXjbIjOeeo_SC00CqJArQ1XY7xyp2BWAC4gBAWDsaPzZv9_jKMyE/s320/1960frankcatalanotto.jpg" width="224" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frank Catalanotto, 1995 Upper Deck Minors</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8V6pscXEkFszMCyvL0Dzh5SzTzPGdrEOFdTZ3NwLkxy7NhNRZryWIGkP1YBlU7ouoTu3CZsGvpBYH4NQ3k-Vo1btmRDu5_d176L_Wb_d01_VzwGZFQqjC6029YNknyb9PXk6ZAd1JawI/s1600/1961lloydmoseby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8V6pscXEkFszMCyvL0Dzh5SzTzPGdrEOFdTZ3NwLkxy7NhNRZryWIGkP1YBlU7ouoTu3CZsGvpBYH4NQ3k-Vo1btmRDu5_d176L_Wb_d01_VzwGZFQqjC6029YNknyb9PXk6ZAd1JawI/s320/1961lloydmoseby.jpg" width="224" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lloyd Moseby, 1991 Upper Deck</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In December I attended the first annual Wiffle with the Pros tournament.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF_y6hDeC7lhf6PDEoMNTrItKimuW89l8IFn7yuKHH1liCDGQxr_QC6_WfPQo5WmxawkMj4ZWyAg_3to89__9kgDAT5PdRqohT9kpq-w2_SZNSxeaESHl2Aj_0SHqSCl3u0k84Z1vI-Fs/s1600/wifflewiththepros.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF_y6hDeC7lhf6PDEoMNTrItKimuW89l8IFn7yuKHH1liCDGQxr_QC6_WfPQo5WmxawkMj4ZWyAg_3to89__9kgDAT5PdRqohT9kpq-w2_SZNSxeaESHl2Aj_0SHqSCl3u0k84Z1vI-Fs/s640/wifflewiththepros.jpg" width="499" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Having the chance to see 3 top prospects who play for teams that don't train in Florida, was a big reason for me to attend this.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsaN6MMYBW8K5GlhVpFqlDF_EfnYMwZAM6A01lMmVf8ynOLlowwgjcJyUhFwG7DB6s9nYsnm_t36CGb4tBWeG8tPyQyrmiMc3qRhNH828kVV5fF3kRIZxWxdtLN06pnVxwAbeDi4AlBFU/s1600/1967brendanrodgers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsaN6MMYBW8K5GlhVpFqlDF_EfnYMwZAM6A01lMmVf8ynOLlowwgjcJyUhFwG7DB6s9nYsnm_t36CGb4tBWeG8tPyQyrmiMc3qRhNH828kVV5fF3kRIZxWxdtLN06pnVxwAbeDi4AlBFU/s200/1967brendanrodgers.jpg" width="141" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brendan Rodgers, 2015 Bowman Draft</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg958SN4xgmWFtybne2PX6QH2D0uW3N-NKPuTkmdbt2rtkOGu-BMWP8RR-ijbQNS4NGqirfTkLgNQJoxJvZPFU8aniMEmQfLquyVQaMG2EGeRCOxE4BLJvyks5zdqBXjQ39iO-a8fqzpwg/s1600/1966fostergriffin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg958SN4xgmWFtybne2PX6QH2D0uW3N-NKPuTkmdbt2rtkOGu-BMWP8RR-ijbQNS4NGqirfTkLgNQJoxJvZPFU8aniMEmQfLquyVQaMG2EGeRCOxE4BLJvyks5zdqBXjQ39iO-a8fqzpwg/s200/1966fostergriffin.jpg" width="141" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Foster Griffin, 2014 Bowman Draft</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDIEAj48TkprX7QjP2tZvbifpC8D0f7e4EP4aGnbmYuidvn7v4ae1xmW3UlJcdcUgKf88pbgKWXwJ3NtChMYcWS_-L_fDpjyLmh-e5vkvk7zsh9m2Ip4VAhdmx66BVAAS0zQF56Ndj7Lk/s1600/1968forrestwall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDIEAj48TkprX7QjP2tZvbifpC8D0f7e4EP4aGnbmYuidvn7v4ae1xmW3UlJcdcUgKf88pbgKWXwJ3NtChMYcWS_-L_fDpjyLmh-e5vkvk7zsh9m2Ip4VAhdmx66BVAAS0zQF56Ndj7Lk/s200/1968forrestwall.jpg" width="141" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Forrest Wall, 2015 Bowman Prospects</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'm very happy with my successes this year. I met some great soccer players, promising baseball prospects, players turned coaches that I grew up watching, but let's finish up this post with the Hall of Fame members that I met this year. I added 4 to my collection in 2016.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb1x-CllpgJExBUVZlZYF1k9n6uHL4QtPPAJC6H7B0nVvafWQg2VLcidevzjhSM5kQ5KKuGRwq93Ej_QyX-Ab5tSObE7E64sIKYgfdhqn9i9SbZX3k4Sx0-numcaJfbnQK-tL9QaoA7cY/s1600/1588whiteyherzog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb1x-CllpgJExBUVZlZYF1k9n6uHL4QtPPAJC6H7B0nVvafWQg2VLcidevzjhSM5kQ5KKuGRwq93Ej_QyX-Ab5tSObE7E64sIKYgfdhqn9i9SbZX3k4Sx0-numcaJfbnQK-tL9QaoA7cY/s320/1588whiteyherzog.jpg" width="224" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whitey Herzog, 1988 Topps</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSwkIUaE4DPrTMZjHH9xngPd8yQRuxwVEbQLBaJFSo8wodPWL6fHetvLpCeuk1I4VhGNaHdx_xitAS_LjMOSl1bHS3_tpkmYKks2zzyJ96G5JMCfk1K17Sq4PMrZv3t-PJFZT14N5gg_I/s1600/1550bertblyleven.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSwkIUaE4DPrTMZjHH9xngPd8yQRuxwVEbQLBaJFSo8wodPWL6fHetvLpCeuk1I4VhGNaHdx_xitAS_LjMOSl1bHS3_tpkmYKks2zzyJ96G5JMCfk1K17Sq4PMrZv3t-PJFZT14N5gg_I/s320/1550bertblyleven.jpg" width="227" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bert Blyleven, 1991 Upper Deck</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9HWBmzqSeqlDw7im_XHUG_zCygBPriROiZB1HvKM-BkFAxVRPrnzZuoY6gVMiuBbY8jxge7I2gl_c-gJrytXBWnprCf2JJRpfuu1at0iOqpQjQSPtMAO5e2osOghRc-vNAVCJevgv2Mc/s1600/1663bobbycox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9HWBmzqSeqlDw7im_XHUG_zCygBPriROiZB1HvKM-BkFAxVRPrnzZuoY6gVMiuBbY8jxge7I2gl_c-gJrytXBWnprCf2JJRpfuu1at0iOqpQjQSPtMAO5e2osOghRc-vNAVCJevgv2Mc/s320/1663bobbycox.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bobby Cox, 1984 Topps</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3wW5QOy10eQupglyOjGHFcv4cN8A7_tI3eEvHSGEMpwXMFYwlL24IjbkghRMnkO5A1n0X49Fb9EkskEdp-PiH3_ADfEdHyS-Pq4-vbP2XDFO8Oz2mD-SfNudbE5o8UM-UYR7jMxRgSno/s1600/1725patgillick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3wW5QOy10eQupglyOjGHFcv4cN8A7_tI3eEvHSGEMpwXMFYwlL24IjbkghRMnkO5A1n0X49Fb9EkskEdp-PiH3_ADfEdHyS-Pq4-vbP2XDFO8Oz2mD-SfNudbE5o8UM-UYR7jMxRgSno/s320/1725patgillick.jpg" width="232" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pat Gillick, 2015 Panini Cooperstown</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Happy 2017, Everyone!</b></span></div>
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Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752021286110760999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591264709565647223.post-60804818484337901922016-08-17T19:05:00.000-04:002016-08-17T19:05:06.815-04:00Stranger Things: My Favorite Autographed Cards of the 1980s<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieoKAKw2dpKnogeTq5iGDb_hCneww9JUreFQUhIdkB58U9SgFy5GVqOL8wFbeiq8VaSFrIVmqeqJ7na2sXPHBgzOtM90TNuLxZZYeMacGKpc1OsVV615wLuGFAlmbR9jjbsndHxXKfYo8/s1600/daily-autograph.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieoKAKw2dpKnogeTq5iGDb_hCneww9JUreFQUhIdkB58U9SgFy5GVqOL8wFbeiq8VaSFrIVmqeqJ7na2sXPHBgzOtM90TNuLxZZYeMacGKpc1OsVV615wLuGFAlmbR9jjbsndHxXKfYo8/s640/daily-autograph.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">With Netflix's latest hit, <i>Stranger Things</i> being all the rage. I decided to scour my website, <a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/" target="_blank">DailyAutograph.com</a> and pick my top 10 favorite autographed cards from the 1980s.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, in honor of the 1980s themed TV series, here are my favorites:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>1980</b></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6xmef3OoWF2z2euLRkuf7lOyyRz0hmOgE-e3jzgwfqCpl9c3xcK-k3Aod-0VPFyoPmYaA6hFI3Dyax-ocDS2yslMED_R_M-uGOOWNUWbH4FLnw5MtQwqYxLK-YraLCx2DA1I_4P1xOqo/s1600/1980buckydent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6xmef3OoWF2z2euLRkuf7lOyyRz0hmOgE-e3jzgwfqCpl9c3xcK-k3Aod-0VPFyoPmYaA6hFI3Dyax-ocDS2yslMED_R_M-uGOOWNUWbH4FLnw5MtQwqYxLK-YraLCx2DA1I_4P1xOqo/s320/1980buckydent.jpg" width="226" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bucky Dent</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV2kjoNIrAJFBBlcI_kPYjibb6_GH2apZdsUu3W2nCois2uaZhH0rVTAZT3exV2h8LU0HxPtvC7a9LUjQoMrBxOuKOKtlO24PmHL8yZD3ExQPvhuut-P8B6CfAYBFAbXRALvSUDQmIF4U/s1600/1980chrischambliss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV2kjoNIrAJFBBlcI_kPYjibb6_GH2apZdsUu3W2nCois2uaZhH0rVTAZT3exV2h8LU0HxPtvC7a9LUjQoMrBxOuKOKtlO24PmHL8yZD3ExQPvhuut-P8B6CfAYBFAbXRALvSUDQmIF4U/s320/1980chrischambliss.jpg" width="227" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chris Chambliss</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">These are the only 2 cards I have signed from this set. I try to avoid getting cards signed with pre-printed signatures on them. Unfortunately, these were my only options at the time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>1981</b></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZpOoUOIIbs-SMbcbFIo4YCRVuJuY1Jfmla8UuWN15Sx2YfpAhz4har8X_uLUm29b5hWpxBiozPfz0I_WodRrHFuHIN03bPDd-TX9KeCG_slJvG60oBdYL1DWUYTxCleJEf-FUkmJh1G8/s1600/1981duffydyer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZpOoUOIIbs-SMbcbFIo4YCRVuJuY1Jfmla8UuWN15Sx2YfpAhz4har8X_uLUm29b5hWpxBiozPfz0I_WodRrHFuHIN03bPDd-TX9KeCG_slJvG60oBdYL1DWUYTxCleJEf-FUkmJh1G8/s1600/1981duffydyer.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Duffy Dyer</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Okay, not necessarily my favorite, but Duffy and Duffer (surname of the creators of <i>Stranger Things</i>) looked similar.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>1982</b></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7JeDGX_Y1Q8SJSkRseMNM0JYgs4nm2PirqZEpFMbvj1EG47QWxalHGkvX0zIgjBazRIc9LOTWBI7tW3VrWHg_3VJmrfdQX3_olUmORMBsejr2qCosfpiPdgyNDcgZoFAIYTD6uepSspA/s1600/1982ricksofield.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7JeDGX_Y1Q8SJSkRseMNM0JYgs4nm2PirqZEpFMbvj1EG47QWxalHGkvX0zIgjBazRIc9LOTWBI7tW3VrWHg_3VJmrfdQX3_olUmORMBsejr2qCosfpiPdgyNDcgZoFAIYTD6uepSspA/s1600/1982ricksofield.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rick Sofield</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I didn't have much to choose from in 1982, but this Minor League TCMA card is special to me because it was my 1,000th signed card in my collection.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>1983</b></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge0KYoepIVU1UegrW7SZyDiIpG-7UjAwbWwBCkoIo3wECIaKJx9uZTt9P7CZ-WN3r-MElvYtFKRynV6IhvP3C5-a94AhZgp7KDLzkxsga6qqPv9wmGohaImRH9i4tc3rpOYfF6MsBf63w/s1600/1983keithhernandez.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge0KYoepIVU1UegrW7SZyDiIpG-7UjAwbWwBCkoIo3wECIaKJx9uZTt9P7CZ-WN3r-MElvYtFKRynV6IhvP3C5-a94AhZgp7KDLzkxsga6qqPv9wmGohaImRH9i4tc3rpOYfF6MsBf63w/s1600/1983keithhernandez.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keith Hernandez</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Of course, this list is going to feature a Mets card. Keith's very first Topps card as a Met is a good place to start.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>1984</b></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQLT3it3htME7cqUsQwKfmuSjlh3M5-P2F-7ua4l8FelhcTICc22fO9qPWZi1XPeFx3wr85cOR0u9rJqrM_eG1CPk-cEtbsc0YaYmcSo2I_P2tr647IUuj0Zm1aw4HLvuTlZJ7ozWq9EY/s1600/1984stevelake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQLT3it3htME7cqUsQwKfmuSjlh3M5-P2F-7ua4l8FelhcTICc22fO9qPWZi1XPeFx3wr85cOR0u9rJqrM_eG1CPk-cEtbsc0YaYmcSo2I_P2tr647IUuj0Zm1aw4HLvuTlZJ7ozWq9EY/s1600/1984stevelake.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steve Lake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This was the year that I started collecting baseball cards. I have 50 cards signed from 1984 sets, but choosing a favorite was easy. When I first pulled this card from a $0.30 pack 32 years ago, it instantly became a favorite. I wasn't at all familiar with the man behind the catcher's gear, but that pose from that vantage point hooked me. I was so infatuated with this card that I had it displayed on a bulletin board in my bedroom. I met Steve in 1999 and it was such a thrill to have him sign this card for me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>1985</b></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7544a6d5ebDNTW_deTE_ktIrUvh2C2P5FVbPKZegzrzsGfMmNxmhyphenhyphenvNPr8Vu0cRg78nnPzEEOBPguKJpUM0I2Db0BjV8V8hdBHiYVn1lauz83JNRtUHVZE9nMY_i8_DQEDHWLeSLAKsw/s1600/1985timfoli.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7544a6d5ebDNTW_deTE_ktIrUvh2C2P5FVbPKZegzrzsGfMmNxmhyphenhyphenvNPr8Vu0cRg78nnPzEEOBPguKJpUM0I2Db0BjV8V8hdBHiYVn1lauz83JNRtUHVZE9nMY_i8_DQEDHWLeSLAKsw/s1600/1985timfoli.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tim Foli</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I thought it was neat in 1985 when Topps highlighted #1 overall picks in Major League Baseball drafts throughout the years. I really liked the look of this card and was happy how it turned out.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>1986</b></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYz7HPOc6eplTeADr4sTKs4Rjtdq2dalGDcEESNChKVLeqHpfVomzr-R4La-SqVXWucekiCorOrdHF6SvFj7E1xGT6G1dOJBJSXMLVxxQJChJMRjEcqUaVeBQyU3IgI_sgi8vggEUx62I/s1600/1986josecanseco.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYz7HPOc6eplTeADr4sTKs4Rjtdq2dalGDcEESNChKVLeqHpfVomzr-R4La-SqVXWucekiCorOrdHF6SvFj7E1xGT6G1dOJBJSXMLVxxQJChJMRjEcqUaVeBQyU3IgI_sgi8vggEUx62I/s1600/1986josecanseco.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jose Canseco</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The card that started it all. My very first autographed baseball card. In 1987, it was a major deal to not only have a Canseco card, but getting his autograph that year was icing on the cake.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>1987</b></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0PDTuTmqHxDDQRrG3tAF33qc918f5_cLFGOek1rP6fJmElWjZ4Ii3D7dpRKHmPncVeVJlTnFFZJuLGU15lEL6CH9nPknzMPaIigIwyhQM6CyVnOsw_i58H4JJ4KI9UgWZ8HwJeHDHy9E/s1600/1987georgebamberger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0PDTuTmqHxDDQRrG3tAF33qc918f5_cLFGOek1rP6fJmElWjZ4Ii3D7dpRKHmPncVeVJlTnFFZJuLGU15lEL6CH9nPknzMPaIigIwyhQM6CyVnOsw_i58H4JJ4KI9UgWZ8HwJeHDHy9E/s1600/1987georgebamberger.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">George Bamberger</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">George Bamberger was the Mets manager when I first became a fan. It was pretty special to meet him over a decade later.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>1988</b></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwE5BQAx-V6ztzmvzzs-pormxvlBgmGsXxQ2XxJMHsVyLlSE-v0OS6ntzmF7LnWlgLytC3oI2U3MgsVX8cu_mwZwdKPeTOPHdsLVZxYlp2yALSKwE94ij_1FypUF4t7fzo7tJujdfzSg8/s1600/1988whiteyherzog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwE5BQAx-V6ztzmvzzs-pormxvlBgmGsXxQ2XxJMHsVyLlSE-v0OS6ntzmF7LnWlgLytC3oI2U3MgsVX8cu_mwZwdKPeTOPHdsLVZxYlp2yALSKwE94ij_1FypUF4t7fzo7tJujdfzSg8/s1600/1988whiteyherzog.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whitey Herzog</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I love how this turned out. Whitey added his HOF inscription without me even asking.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>1989</b></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-iUM1vmIwwNrByAciwQD-7dFG5dAVHBJpUeGa0g90gmDM11AGAm7dL5rU1luxju1BXDi5_QYJYc8uzrNEKQ0Ec6wSAG-q2D6aUoLnMSS4AMsE2THGKIR79SBp5BOmd1X0FhJg4JsmZUs/s1600/1989mickeymorandini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-iUM1vmIwwNrByAciwQD-7dFG5dAVHBJpUeGa0g90gmDM11AGAm7dL5rU1luxju1BXDi5_QYJYc8uzrNEKQ0Ec6wSAG-q2D6aUoLnMSS4AMsE2THGKIR79SBp5BOmd1X0FhJg4JsmZUs/s1600/1989mickeymorandini.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mickey Morandini</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I don't remember Mickey Morandini ever going by "Mike," but I liked the look of the card and the uniqueness of having a Mike Morandini Minor League card signed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">How appropriate, it was supposed to be 10 cards listed, but I ended up with 11.</span>Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752021286110760999noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591264709565647223.post-13845456215414968832016-08-11T23:54:00.000-04:002016-08-14T16:01:56.183-04:00It's All Relative<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Earlier this week I saw the Tampa Yankees play the Clearwater Threshers. At that game, I got a baseball card signed by a 22-year-old pitcher named Jose Mesa, Jr.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt4Yq4UGUJ1INo_gsJ8AppJBo4M8vfMyYgEVATnjFymsHA5I-YovaSGU83h2-LoRiFzHrNGn5NEdnTVDrCOXxbaWfweZHpZGryGmf3SWskJlyOIXvT1l6UkD-XpcJgL37t_381j4f3utM/s1600/1858josemesajr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt4Yq4UGUJ1INo_gsJ8AppJBo4M8vfMyYgEVATnjFymsHA5I-YovaSGU83h2-LoRiFzHrNGn5NEdnTVDrCOXxbaWfweZHpZGryGmf3SWskJlyOIXvT1l6UkD-XpcJgL37t_381j4f3utM/s1600/1858josemesajr.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">He is the son of 19-year MLB veteran, Jose Mesa. When I started attending Spring Training games in 1992, Jose Mesa signed a card for me at my third game that spring.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhS6aqd-lYPCQqIuBTug5DT2gsE2F5xGRjbdC_bO3phBGpS57mlSMZTo1Vp94YSgXrzSVTPWcbHGCuugUKKB0pHHJL0QXF-GUaMTQnTFppnKaEZxJ9bLMWh0entyv_tYqhwLH83Ue31r8/s1600/34josemesa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhS6aqd-lYPCQqIuBTug5DT2gsE2F5xGRjbdC_bO3phBGpS57mlSMZTo1Vp94YSgXrzSVTPWcbHGCuugUKKB0pHHJL0QXF-GUaMTQnTFppnKaEZxJ9bLMWh0entyv_tYqhwLH83Ue31r8/s1600/34josemesa.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">24 years separate between me getting both of their autographs. Mesa, Jr. wasn't even born, yet alone conceived at the time that I had met his father.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Since I keep track of the order that I acquire my autographed cards, I wanted to see how many I got between the two Mesa's. <a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2013/08/jose-mesa.html" target="_blank">Jose Sr.</a> was autograph #34 in my collection. His son was #1,858.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I decided to go through my collection and see how many other related players I had autographs of, and also check how much time there was between acquiring them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">My collection consists of fathers and sons, brothers, and uncles and nephews.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Starting off this post will be fathers and sons.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXExBO0tK4oSJ8-oUP5mP404IcKdlq1iMqrvWDqagR5FCVlRuYU5cqtNCWrBn36RlSyQcfEmiTJV3BSn-sB_6y_64G4bjxHnLBTn6KW872U2X6FDRp92A15w-vsIQv1DXpPNuSELlCk7E/s1600/422donblasingame.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXExBO0tK4oSJ8-oUP5mP404IcKdlq1iMqrvWDqagR5FCVlRuYU5cqtNCWrBn36RlSyQcfEmiTJV3BSn-sB_6y_64G4bjxHnLBTn6KW872U2X6FDRp92A15w-vsIQv1DXpPNuSELlCk7E/s320/422donblasingame.jpg" width="227" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don Blasingame</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkYy6_4iZI6kcSaUjwlhg2HIFBpjF8m0AqkgAut3L_s7mnJNq7JCc9nzzl-zgtgM40bc5BpPYBQktIw8iPG3RrCyGPdTdE7uAdIRDvFnSowornMrnh4EC8b1lyTh8OZvkbi7NHZHd2Qic/s1600/352kentblasingame.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkYy6_4iZI6kcSaUjwlhg2HIFBpjF8m0AqkgAut3L_s7mnJNq7JCc9nzzl-zgtgM40bc5BpPYBQktIw8iPG3RrCyGPdTdE7uAdIRDvFnSowornMrnh4EC8b1lyTh8OZvkbi7NHZHd2Qic/s320/352kentblasingame.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kent Blasingame</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I saw </span><a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2014/09/kent-blasingame.html" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Kent</a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> play a lot during the 1994 season for the Clearwater Phillies. I don't remember how I learned that his father, </span><a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2014/11/don-blasingame.html" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Don</a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> was a former Major League player, or even how I was able to obtain a card of his. Keep in mind, there was no Google or eBay back then, so, I'm not sure how I was able to locate a 1965 card of his. Nevertheless, I did, and at the conclusion of the 1994 season, during the Florida Instructional League, Don, who was then a Minor League coach for the Phillies, signed a card for me. It was my first time having both a father and son's autograph.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1YkikAyXsj-GFKfB9QE22hyphenhyphenzqggpWa5k39dh921HVaMc-HCMlKMvzKj7rCMOZ-zm-gLYl3cO_0ZT2uZQITRNbHHiKIgp9DPFg2ORZv28mcer9gY6-fxtmdKIdE5K2nY72cWIJy1i_65U/s1600/232brianmcrae.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1YkikAyXsj-GFKfB9QE22hyphenhyphenzqggpWa5k39dh921HVaMc-HCMlKMvzKj7rCMOZ-zm-gLYl3cO_0ZT2uZQITRNbHHiKIgp9DPFg2ORZv28mcer9gY6-fxtmdKIdE5K2nY72cWIJy1i_65U/s320/232brianmcrae.jpg" width="226" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brian McRae</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZJmOncHMw8ZK36IHwOYt4FYwZt1F9Exb7h2zI0RQ-gqSTscSVW5cTGnJmKfsxcXhIn9gk-11N8EE-G3xx7p4UjJd3tYVfvePuCRzATuPI654-Jr12RVx1BJcvXN2GlsNCXi0k4GFVamo/s1600/571halmcrae.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZJmOncHMw8ZK36IHwOYt4FYwZt1F9Exb7h2zI0RQ-gqSTscSVW5cTGnJmKfsxcXhIn9gk-11N8EE-G3xx7p4UjJd3tYVfvePuCRzATuPI654-Jr12RVx1BJcvXN2GlsNCXi0k4GFVamo/s320/571halmcrae.jpg" width="226" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hal McRae</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I got Hal and Brian's autographs a year apart, but both at the same stadium, virtually in the same spots.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2014/04/brian-mcrae.html" target="_blank">Brian</a> signed a card for me at a Spring Training game in 1994 when the Royals came to Clearwater to play the Phillies. The following spring, I actually know the exact date, April 19, 1995, the day of the Oklahoma City bombing, the Reds were the visitors. <a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2015/05/hal-mcrae.html" target="_blank">Hal</a> was their hitting coach and was nice enough to stop and sign for me.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ypuj2r9B7-NY0LVGiF4zBubJd5PxWpXN9zu3jCLpAlRc1LsQ7CnnJ-8rEhREz7G6Bk_zeaCzRRWOYKkCtt4JUH4siqTMMzjtYUUBooKhABSltgMJyApIq6_ztI47Q9xrFMvAIYwAdmc/s1600/1129rubenamaro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ypuj2r9B7-NY0LVGiF4zBubJd5PxWpXN9zu3jCLpAlRc1LsQ7CnnJ-8rEhREz7G6Bk_zeaCzRRWOYKkCtt4JUH4siqTMMzjtYUUBooKhABSltgMJyApIq6_ztI47Q9xrFMvAIYwAdmc/s320/1129rubenamaro.jpg" width="229" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ruben Amaro</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1_MMPNY-yQWD6ZhcSivqPVuK5XXE5YrsIhPwYVxjL3ejc5CwhS70DYq1NPCKyYc6xhASqO4wW0PI4i0XxqJEsSxtCcfFch3m3MiGaw4_tLd5H5u0cWrMYkcFnIAJCTq39hxwNFs9HklQ/s1600/32rubenamarojr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1_MMPNY-yQWD6ZhcSivqPVuK5XXE5YrsIhPwYVxjL3ejc5CwhS70DYq1NPCKyYc6xhASqO4wW0PI4i0XxqJEsSxtCcfFch3m3MiGaw4_tLd5H5u0cWrMYkcFnIAJCTq39hxwNFs9HklQ/s320/32rubenamarojr.jpg" width="229" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ruben Amaro, Jr.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2013/08/ruben-amaro-jr.html" target="_blank">Ruben Jr.</a> was another early autograph acquisition for myself. He was actually #32 in my collection, two slots before Jose Mesa. Seven years later I met his father, <a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2016/11/ruben-amaro.html" target="_blank">Ruben</a>.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvuU7hfmEocRxBR_w1scoPK3iwAe_udxSKPHNGZfnmswb5ScRgbKnzdhUN7OQ3JhX8hc7zCM3_ocm17eXQmGWug5VKzeBsXotnHsWkrFePzLrw3kgYA2IpSjNhrhL2ZsnnE0CKXA4cIq0/s1600/1277bobboone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvuU7hfmEocRxBR_w1scoPK3iwAe_udxSKPHNGZfnmswb5ScRgbKnzdhUN7OQ3JhX8hc7zCM3_ocm17eXQmGWug5VKzeBsXotnHsWkrFePzLrw3kgYA2IpSjNhrhL2ZsnnE0CKXA4cIq0/s320/1277bobboone.jpg" width="229" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bob Boone</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6foku0zrZ_3HBbsjmDTeFdnLd-KnhyphenhyphendAu-kB6ZtU1P1IKkrIrtliFmHvHf0ch0U8pFd-TDTQgG3Br_dYeYj5PMkpogFXJmze5656rTe5xqImzOLg_5V9fq1_yGMV6gqiRI_Jb_0w63hw/s1600/179bretboone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6foku0zrZ_3HBbsjmDTeFdnLd-KnhyphenhyphendAu-kB6ZtU1P1IKkrIrtliFmHvHf0ch0U8pFd-TDTQgG3Br_dYeYj5PMkpogFXJmze5656rTe5xqImzOLg_5V9fq1_yGMV6gqiRI_Jb_0w63hw/s320/179bretboone.jpg" width="230" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bret Boone</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Boone's and Bell's were the first multi-generation baseball families that I remember reading about as a kid. Unfortunately, I don't have any baseball grandfathers in my collection.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It was special for me to add Bret and his father, though. <a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2014/02/bret-boone.html" target="_blank">Bret</a> signed a card for me in Clearwater in 1994 while he was with the Reds. In 2015 I added <a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2017/04/bob-boone.html" target="_blank">Bob Boone's</a> autograph to my collection. I have not yet had the opportunity to meet Bob's other son, and Bret's brother, Aaron. Though, I do have a card of his that I would love to get signed.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIrvFmPB7j1KqKzExGz-pjqoGi6tTdXqjRPUs9hc7cEWpUS4kmNGLbhtWvRTUdebzwmDM5WYrNaJ2mzHUoRTDy13aWodq2Mjc-usrZeuELdDAzobUxDgv6HWKCslEUu0HqF00JxKBROVI/s1600/1278gregluzinski.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIrvFmPB7j1KqKzExGz-pjqoGi6tTdXqjRPUs9hc7cEWpUS4kmNGLbhtWvRTUdebzwmDM5WYrNaJ2mzHUoRTDy13aWodq2Mjc-usrZeuELdDAzobUxDgv6HWKCslEUu0HqF00JxKBROVI/s320/1278gregluzinski.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Greg Luzinski</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKqx4YUj6JczCiWH4ZF89uYIFJmb4gJUQJgYVh6S0bqLmTnsL3LqJrOSKB1usLCoe_a2cx41Oa_9VonjiltgQ_x7f_nNcX6pa341LIr-qNAXF8hMX9t8HH-pJJUVZC7Ngxt_DgbPa-LNc/s1600/281ryanluzinski.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKqx4YUj6JczCiWH4ZF89uYIFJmb4gJUQJgYVh6S0bqLmTnsL3LqJrOSKB1usLCoe_a2cx41Oa_9VonjiltgQ_x7f_nNcX6pa341LIr-qNAXF8hMX9t8HH-pJJUVZC7Ngxt_DgbPa-LNc/s320/281ryanluzinski.jpg" width="230" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ryan Luzinski</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This is cool having "Bull" and "Baby Bull" in my collection. I met <a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2014/06/ryan-luzinski.html" target="_blank">Ryan</a> in 1994 when he was with the Vero Beach Dodgers. Twenty-one years later I was finally able to meet his father, <a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2017/04/greg-luzinski.html" target="_blank">Greg</a>.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjszT1cvzGIStG6ico3ZqIgrAAnNODoweP3WFs2yunrjgr2UHao6ZJzyvmHCAUEeRTlVcHXjnznFlKFoEYKyI57q6JwIJj19u1UuzpEiUndkIIlYECc7XWrzukY2GhgwbwOWGT3fxf8kE0/s1600/1252dantebichette.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjszT1cvzGIStG6ico3ZqIgrAAnNODoweP3WFs2yunrjgr2UHao6ZJzyvmHCAUEeRTlVcHXjnznFlKFoEYKyI57q6JwIJj19u1UuzpEiUndkIIlYECc7XWrzukY2GhgwbwOWGT3fxf8kE0/s320/1252dantebichette.jpg" width="229" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dante Bichette</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzfw4_Z7fECZ0CskIw-hhaMs7NVfySvCy-1d1m3RP5sPJxaHgbyjMGZ_IZXGUXGM4bDxI15QFabRpekq3PYsxiaGNp7GNqgVF4YnJxgoJ2Gt5M_j4Cb6k1EPQ4hFgP6PMz8lETF4QVeP4/s1600/1259dantebichettejr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzfw4_Z7fECZ0CskIw-hhaMs7NVfySvCy-1d1m3RP5sPJxaHgbyjMGZ_IZXGUXGM4bDxI15QFabRpekq3PYsxiaGNp7GNqgVF4YnJxgoJ2Gt5M_j4Cb6k1EPQ4hFgP6PMz8lETF4QVeP4/s320/1259dantebichettejr.jpg" width="229" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dante Bichette, Jr.</td></tr>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Bichette family actually brought me back to collecting autographs. I pretty much stopped collecting in 2000 and didn't get back into it until 14 years later. <a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2017/04/dante-bichette.html" target="_blank">Dante Sr.</a> was at a free autograph signing at the Tampa Bay Rays Fanfest in 2014. I knew I still had a card of him, so, I decided to go and meet him. When he arrived, I noticed his son was with him. I knew nothing of Dante Jr., but he had the look of a baseball player. I looked him up online and saw that he was in the Yankees farm system and that he was expected to start the season in Tampa that year. I thought it would be cool to add another father and son to my collection, so I immediately ordered a card of him. A few months later, I saw the Tampa Yankees play and got my card signed by <a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2017/04/dante-bichette-jr.html" target="_blank">Dante Jr.</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the 2016 baseball draft, the Blue Jays selected Bo Bichette, son of Dante Sr. and brother of Jr. I hope to add Bo to my collection once he has a card made.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFLgis-ew5Nmk7aUcOIH5zj_9BIl6yZdYEXaRhLqc196ReAYSj5KMvK5kKbAhLnsABbQ7CRma2JEtYDfPfOxdXxppCYq5BYWQZU5ydu0rWgfG_p-GMxnRsWBxm16SrsByA-g49yfuouDU/s1600/1098leemazzilli.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFLgis-ew5Nmk7aUcOIH5zj_9BIl6yZdYEXaRhLqc196ReAYSj5KMvK5kKbAhLnsABbQ7CRma2JEtYDfPfOxdXxppCYq5BYWQZU5ydu0rWgfG_p-GMxnRsWBxm16SrsByA-g49yfuouDU/s320/1098leemazzilli.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lee Mazzilli</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidpNdSBsd2lKzga7rkhF_hPdxePQEOm2O-rwWnP0rkDZ9x9TogqPAYHYgOkxJrmvh2Vcneu4ozQ-V4CaglTSMbQe8scFR2yW3LKh1zTDCG3eKcn-ghYbvFtkagzSZHIKLK3AsJaT312bk/s1600/1266ljmazzilli.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidpNdSBsd2lKzga7rkhF_hPdxePQEOm2O-rwWnP0rkDZ9x9TogqPAYHYgOkxJrmvh2Vcneu4ozQ-V4CaglTSMbQe8scFR2yW3LKh1zTDCG3eKcn-ghYbvFtkagzSZHIKLK3AsJaT312bk/s320/1266ljmazzilli.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L.J. Mazzilli</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In 1997 I met one of my favorite Mets, <a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2016/10/lee-mazzilli.html" target="_blank">Lee Mazzilli</a> when he managed the Tampa Yankees of the Florida State League. Seventeen years later, his son <a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2017/04/lj-mazzilli.html" target="_blank">L.J.</a> was a player in the league with the St. Lucie Mets.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg46JOlx2-WbRd0VTCCIItLbBGWcUFwwJujAjk1_CujhvcVjDhnZufk38lRrJlF8JZdoY7qvFe08UaEPeizUWgYRDa9j9qkatU2RluPAvkBtiqvXOXK8hEsH_SLhZ0IvoTZvzqHMEN5heM/s1600/1124johntamargo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg46JOlx2-WbRd0VTCCIItLbBGWcUFwwJujAjk1_CujhvcVjDhnZufk38lRrJlF8JZdoY7qvFe08UaEPeizUWgYRDa9j9qkatU2RluPAvkBtiqvXOXK8hEsH_SLhZ0IvoTZvzqHMEN5heM/s320/1124johntamargo.jpg" width="227" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John Tamargo</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM2Toam-M43-dkLAja1riVTuDKNiiriDy9i2gQRTuH54FOpfo1CixUAovclR1aDz983xvnoSRBqBYBUMsF1q4jtbjoFG7rMXbhOdDeRf7ij41k0z3DVndAmIIY-I1t-Aa8Ieti_pUe3Pc/s1600/1694johntamargojr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM2Toam-M43-dkLAja1riVTuDKNiiriDy9i2gQRTuH54FOpfo1CixUAovclR1aDz983xvnoSRBqBYBUMsF1q4jtbjoFG7rMXbhOdDeRf7ij41k0z3DVndAmIIY-I1t-Aa8Ieti_pUe3Pc/s320/1694johntamargojr.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John Tamargo, Jr.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This was a first, getting autographs from a father and son, both while during their coaching tenures. <a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2016/11/john-tamargo.html" target="_blank">John Tamargo</a> was managing the Kissimmee Cobras in 1997 when I met him. This past spring, 19 years later, <a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2018/07/john-tamargo-jr.html" target="_blank">John Jr.</a>, a coach in the Blue Jays system, signed a card for me.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN5zOVvMskm24C2T9k8Be2o4nx9It8L4q1xbVk3seT1sMFVHBPASVK2eholWypIDoy1avZia1a2Sz3PXqnqekRR6dv3gQbwKdaIgmkZHKwN_yxy_v31gO95UJr-Ydq8QISD-TohKt2kIA/s1600/tomgordon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN5zOVvMskm24C2T9k8Be2o4nx9It8L4q1xbVk3seT1sMFVHBPASVK2eholWypIDoy1avZia1a2Sz3PXqnqekRR6dv3gQbwKdaIgmkZHKwN_yxy_v31gO95UJr-Ydq8QISD-TohKt2kIA/s320/tomgordon.jpg" width="255" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tom Gordon</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-vVm8PKeFkBPzZfc7LZJ34jmg0o-NOZ-e7ecW2eSJG3o4ieEKYPmte-wfm3pV5PyjoT9mgE294RveqoSkpCXCFLseG7V9TcRMi7XQg-AhU3DUfKBcY_8d3ao9XyZ8xTshV7z0Ccz68LI/s1600/1736nickgordon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-vVm8PKeFkBPzZfc7LZJ34jmg0o-NOZ-e7ecW2eSJG3o4ieEKYPmte-wfm3pV5PyjoT9mgE294RveqoSkpCXCFLseG7V9TcRMi7XQg-AhU3DUfKBcY_8d3ao9XyZ8xTshV7z0Ccz68LI/s320/1736nickgordon.jpg" width="227" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nick Gordon</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here's another first, getting autographs from a father and son back-to-back. In April I went to Bradenton to see the visiting Fort Myers Miracle take on the Bradenton Marauders. <a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2018/08/nick-gordon.html" target="_blank">Nick</a> signed for a group of us and I was last before he headed off to the dugout to start the game. I went to my seat and a few minutes later I recognize Nick's father walking around. He sat down just a few rows below me. I came prepared with a picture and between innings, asked <a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2018/08/tom-gordon.html" target="_blank">Tom</a> for an autograph. Sadly, my pen did not wish to cooperate.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I hope to meet Tom's other son, Dee, someday.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVV6tWCs4KYt6f65g-Q4VTAKrT343E-T8CnvviBeX4oydn9tHyfuGG52YoU4xju5ivaH6PZzkVMTZZASyxvXW5XjUJaNZSdCBzzj8d_BlnOsdpQZ8KTfUP_C3-g26uXg0ioDJoBzBGJeI/s1600/sandyalomarjr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVV6tWCs4KYt6f65g-Q4VTAKrT343E-T8CnvviBeX4oydn9tHyfuGG52YoU4xju5ivaH6PZzkVMTZZASyxvXW5XjUJaNZSdCBzzj8d_BlnOsdpQZ8KTfUP_C3-g26uXg0ioDJoBzBGJeI/s200/sandyalomarjr.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sandy Alomar, Jr.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYxKgI2t6fmJaKhaz4hGj4E2vehfgmvLy-4uF9acEVKN1htScUUQiAAp_eGBzAqs4SzvjVXTkjzF59eHmy5tWWByUWDNNQgyuZEZDmKHDqOZokUStWDNxjttjMy2jNRtBDOg2I6kha_hU/s1600/1363sandyalomar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYxKgI2t6fmJaKhaz4hGj4E2vehfgmvLy-4uF9acEVKN1htScUUQiAAp_eGBzAqs4SzvjVXTkjzF59eHmy5tWWByUWDNNQgyuZEZDmKHDqOZokUStWDNxjttjMy2jNRtBDOg2I6kha_hU/s200/1363sandyalomar.jpg" width="143" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sandy Alomar</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSkaSpL1mhQQTp3o61u_pUR3HMxnWtnJ85muT8IDY5zI7Ryr90UR9c3WctGFMCXvXSu0uFNcKGcoFBcUyeCGID7dzZAXdCp9VCNWWP6ryheyzeu3H9guV5pdWjzgfJ0hzImfGCVnDO95A/s1600/27robertoalomar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSkaSpL1mhQQTp3o61u_pUR3HMxnWtnJ85muT8IDY5zI7Ryr90UR9c3WctGFMCXvXSu0uFNcKGcoFBcUyeCGID7dzZAXdCp9VCNWWP6ryheyzeu3H9guV5pdWjzgfJ0hzImfGCVnDO95A/s200/27robertoalomar.jpg" width="141" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roberto Alomar</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Yet another first, a father and two sons. I met <a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2013/08/roberto-alomar.html" target="_blank">Roberto</a> in 1992, four years into his eventual Hall of Fame baseball career. Two years later I met his brother, <a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2014/11/sandy-alomar-jr.html" target="_blank">Sandy Jr</a>. In 2015 I was finally able to add <a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2017/08/sandy-alomar.html" target="_blank">Sandy Sr.</a> to my collection.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinMu6OmrrHCJX-4ucf9CBZ9r30FfHb6OWc5fGau3_zaxJXtTkHIjZCy22_fqsD6a3MC7XKy3HphgVIVITYcgfxFYigi0m_pb0eJvXolteJc79HK0SQw9SHt84Wle-lVteQLGh94qeLlzA/s1600/1368markleiterjr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinMu6OmrrHCJX-4ucf9CBZ9r30FfHb6OWc5fGau3_zaxJXtTkHIjZCy22_fqsD6a3MC7XKy3HphgVIVITYcgfxFYigi0m_pb0eJvXolteJc79HK0SQw9SHt84Wle-lVteQLGh94qeLlzA/s320/1368markleiterjr.jpg" width="226" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mark Leiter, Jr.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQJQvyEFZB0vg3xWvMvyMSjC-CdoXsXzQn2R14bcIDp4zlC_c4Zp1pK2gsfVTdmN7bJ07a-quVP-FxKyiHiK-T7ei2O87Oz4qeVnRSn0x7A-n9-PPdVr_a_IjpHbWcVm4960ku_E6_pJ4/s1600/152alleiter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQJQvyEFZB0vg3xWvMvyMSjC-CdoXsXzQn2R14bcIDp4zlC_c4Zp1pK2gsfVTdmN7bJ07a-quVP-FxKyiHiK-T7ei2O87Oz4qeVnRSn0x7A-n9-PPdVr_a_IjpHbWcVm4960ku_E6_pJ4/s320/152alleiter.jpg" width="229" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Al Leiter</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In 1994, while he was a member of the Blue Jays, <a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2014/01/al-leiter.html" target="_blank">Al</a> signed a card for me. Twenty-one years later I got to watch his nephew, <a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2017/08/mark-leiter-jr.html" target="_blank">Mark</a> pitch often. Hopefully I'll be able to add Al's brother and Mark's father, Mark Leiter, Sr. to my collection.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV3m45w1Y53pZ99XgKHITK9YJWNRA_-q5Dk9BH_jHV_RUaF0fkJiEDRNxBcCLiTHN_qQNODUfXZwtfcFH_ZfdONj4Bj5_J9ZB-9j0vMYCaPKhzp20NCc0VXXdXrCi54Qib4ypvuMCf7lc/s1600/1804michaeloneill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV3m45w1Y53pZ99XgKHITK9YJWNRA_-q5Dk9BH_jHV_RUaF0fkJiEDRNxBcCLiTHN_qQNODUfXZwtfcFH_ZfdONj4Bj5_J9ZB-9j0vMYCaPKhzp20NCc0VXXdXrCi54Qib4ypvuMCf7lc/s320/1804michaeloneill.jpg" width="229" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michael O'Neill</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4CSZxirWClfRA_-d0nMF4STeqMYkntF5TZFdyzJ04kraXfYTHE0vT5_UVvrWDfs-GY4imTx8QWxaap67zbBvrwOrZjg112v5giWVxeYjNW3kzkNhPw_g6lkE4k94zAYn4olKJSKh8AaE/s1600/188pauloneill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4CSZxirWClfRA_-d0nMF4STeqMYkntF5TZFdyzJ04kraXfYTHE0vT5_UVvrWDfs-GY4imTx8QWxaap67zbBvrwOrZjg112v5giWVxeYjNW3kzkNhPw_g6lkE4k94zAYn4olKJSKh8AaE/s320/188pauloneill.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paul O'Neill</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here's an uncle and nephew, both involved with the same organization. I met <a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2014/02/paul-oneill.html" target="_blank">Paul</a> in 1994 at a Yankees spring training game in Dunedin, Florida. This past summer I met his nephew, <a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2018/11/michael-oneill.html" target="_blank">Michael</a>, who was playing for the Tampa Yankees.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rob Butler</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEZ9NXL1PFf57LRQZdRRgUhro3sP0ywGRQXwyhwDUgJ5DS7fetK1EMaIvpjWnH4W5ngumT3GSU_vx6IywNwDfDIwNKak167GM-VTuYPXIZTK7YfujWdilThzgjbEnh3phgcvuHkUDLOlc/s1600/96richbutler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEZ9NXL1PFf57LRQZdRRgUhro3sP0ywGRQXwyhwDUgJ5DS7fetK1EMaIvpjWnH4W5ngumT3GSU_vx6IywNwDfDIwNKak167GM-VTuYPXIZTK7YfujWdilThzgjbEnh3phgcvuHkUDLOlc/s320/96richbutler.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rich Butler</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Butler brothers were the first siblings that I ever got autographs from. <a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2013/11/rich-butler.html" target="_blank">Rich</a> signed a card for me in 1993, my first year of attending Florida State League games. The following spring I was able to get <a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2014/01/rob-butler.html" target="_blank">Rob</a> to sign a card for me.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh78NRc-w_ouU45UHes3gAX9K6xWmlQ11T7fRQeD89SoSS9JDW8rOPBbxT6vqckI8REuHUSSYvad4jjIajyuXdo2liukCNPX9q8nSeZ2hmpi9HljF_X4fVIggesV3t-NAyjFVniYJA65r0/s1600/193darylboston.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh78NRc-w_ouU45UHes3gAX9K6xWmlQ11T7fRQeD89SoSS9JDW8rOPBbxT6vqckI8REuHUSSYvad4jjIajyuXdo2liukCNPX9q8nSeZ2hmpi9HljF_X4fVIggesV3t-NAyjFVniYJA65r0/s320/193darylboston.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daryl Boston</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDDQzctN73RK5bHdKDwQ8HUApF_qfUapRiVEiDzv1c-K0v17QHycESAj6sscxGt1n5o58qEGoUVIhrswO_k8YfIB9p_8Bs_5bAAM3lrmSP9rI6vvj7mjb9nSehLWm3JlbD3ma-c0ZZkMQ/s1600/254djboston.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDDQzctN73RK5bHdKDwQ8HUApF_qfUapRiVEiDzv1c-K0v17QHycESAj6sscxGt1n5o58qEGoUVIhrswO_k8YfIB9p_8Bs_5bAAM3lrmSP9rI6vvj7mjb9nSehLWm3JlbD3ma-c0ZZkMQ/s320/254djboston.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">D.J. Boston</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I met <a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2014/03/daryl-boston.html" target="_blank">Daryl</a> in 1994 when he was with the Yankees during spring training. A few weeks later, at the start of the Dunedin Blue Jays season, I was able to add his brother, <a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2014/05/dj-boston.html" target="_blank">D.J.'s</a> autograph to my collection.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhMR5L3HrTtrfgojx6urXy93EKzYCIAE69WGNq7y4lSXLGZoHpbUE3VxX7fTOCednbCwK8Lf4xT98inzwuhBZDACRIYEU6gF-aUfUXiFeLlOA2_TQon2063mUTaSW1AdcrfeueJTVcVYI/s1600/207ramonmartinez.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhMR5L3HrTtrfgojx6urXy93EKzYCIAE69WGNq7y4lSXLGZoHpbUE3VxX7fTOCednbCwK8Lf4xT98inzwuhBZDACRIYEU6gF-aUfUXiFeLlOA2_TQon2063mUTaSW1AdcrfeueJTVcVYI/s320/207ramonmartinez.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ramon Martinez</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-YebsWRE7T_uleJ9sizKpCP7p46buA4l5sZVYmwuVSbf3JR9OX1xPK5_PCKsf2kOVU8ExGJAUWJdloXFs07zC0xd4jqsKwQVyWSEdNsW7h3KBHkvyexMCWuCwyrlzXVn9zvI5A_PpIAM/s1600/282jesusmartinez.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-YebsWRE7T_uleJ9sizKpCP7p46buA4l5sZVYmwuVSbf3JR9OX1xPK5_PCKsf2kOVU8ExGJAUWJdloXFs07zC0xd4jqsKwQVyWSEdNsW7h3KBHkvyexMCWuCwyrlzXVn9zvI5A_PpIAM/s320/282jesusmartinez.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jesus Martinez</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Two Dodgers brothers that I got autographs from in the exact same spot, just a few months apart. In 1994, the Dodgers traveled to Clearwater to play the Phillies in a spring training game. <a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2014/03/ramon-martinez.html" target="_blank">Ramon</a> got the start and signed for me once he was pulled from the game. A few months later, the Vero Beach Dodgers came to play the Clearwater Phillies. <a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2014/06/jesus-martinez.html" target="_blank">Jesus Martinez</a>, standing in the same spot his brother did, signed a card for me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I would love to add their Hall of Fame pitcher's brother, Pedro to my collection someday.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinTGQyd9FY7v0_inwP8mCmNuOEupiZMERQxrOSNaJrMRHSvGFxwH6vIBd-Kn1U9VVdyrWwJC6eXAx4aTM2rp0mYVyCWQ2U1LNqWn7EkMb63YDHZF5tK1is_p2x3EbvP6eGVovVBV09cNo/s1600/218trippcromer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinTGQyd9FY7v0_inwP8mCmNuOEupiZMERQxrOSNaJrMRHSvGFxwH6vIBd-Kn1U9VVdyrWwJC6eXAx4aTM2rp0mYVyCWQ2U1LNqWn7EkMb63YDHZF5tK1is_p2x3EbvP6eGVovVBV09cNo/s320/218trippcromer.jpg" width="229" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tripp Cromer</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikDOBCNiXHDKCsCEf4a4PMr1gYAzzcn8c1B7VZ9TzA_PxXiKKOkmj_ag_uhIJybMWcB1_RECYz6R-37Mvw-sqpi5hWdcY20CQTQzzs16f8awh7TQOdTalMUlM0dwPliKoRlRdbZ51nRKw/s1600/514brandoncromer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikDOBCNiXHDKCsCEf4a4PMr1gYAzzcn8c1B7VZ9TzA_PxXiKKOkmj_ag_uhIJybMWcB1_RECYz6R-37Mvw-sqpi5hWdcY20CQTQzzs16f8awh7TQOdTalMUlM0dwPliKoRlRdbZ51nRKw/s320/514brandoncromer.jpg" width="229" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brandon Cromer</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2014/03/tripp-cromer.html" target="_blank">Tripp</a> signed a card for me in the spring of 1994. A year later I met his brother, <a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2015/03/brandon-cromer.html" target="_blank">Brandon</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">There was a 3rd brother, D.T., but I never had a card of his.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Austin Manahan</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU2W5inLCpUhxyUS7V_TLtM6S-yoctdrM7H-mzXJUTIQoP3v1_ijIf83npoHNBgoBHv6bgibTbGC61XtWJ5UwZio_bZjM9mF6XRYNGmZmWQfxfHCt6mBSBOmG6CVGmEpbi7QR16hRY96w/s1600/537anthonymanahan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU2W5inLCpUhxyUS7V_TLtM6S-yoctdrM7H-mzXJUTIQoP3v1_ijIf83npoHNBgoBHv6bgibTbGC61XtWJ5UwZio_bZjM9mF6XRYNGmZmWQfxfHCt6mBSBOmG6CVGmEpbi7QR16hRY96w/s320/537anthonymanahan.jpg" width="229" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anthony Manahan</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Manahan's were the first relatives I got autographs from where neither person made it to the Major Leagues. Both were first round picks, and while I haven't checked, that may be a first for my collection. Regardless of how their careers played out, I'm still very happy to have both of their signatures.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I met <a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2013/09/austin-manahan.html" target="_blank">Austin</a>, the younger of the two in 1993 while he was with the West Palm Beach Expos. In 1995, I met <a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2015/04/anthony-manahan.html" target="_blank">Anthony</a> during his first spring training with the Phillies.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hal Morris</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bob Morris</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2015/05/hal-morris.html" target="_blank">Hal</a> signed a Beckett magazine cover for me in the spring of 1995. His younger brother, <a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2015/10/bobby-morris.html" target="_blank">Bobby</a> signed a card for me a few months later while he was with the Daytona Cubs.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mark Mimbs</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjohcz68L5LbX5pJ4KpajV51sUa8Orlke3HYgJc4XE79hDXycIYoXmdlJJvSYaLVz7vehhmpMvqsbY7wwlt5oalGvPblhjYfIwivybwvdGsZ4BS_NsaEt5spT-IWNdYO5dxeRaMOHGk1sg/s1600/824mikemimbs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjohcz68L5LbX5pJ4KpajV51sUa8Orlke3HYgJc4XE79hDXycIYoXmdlJJvSYaLVz7vehhmpMvqsbY7wwlt5oalGvPblhjYfIwivybwvdGsZ4BS_NsaEt5spT-IWNdYO5dxeRaMOHGk1sg/s320/824mikemimbs.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mike Mimbs</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In a spring training game in 1996, something historic happened between the Texas Rangers and Philadelphia Phillies in Clearwater, Florida. The starting pitchers for both teams were twin brothers. The Rangers had Mark Mimbs taking on his brother, Mike Mimbs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">At that game, I spent the majority of it inside the visiting Rangers clubhouse. I knew the visiting clubhouse manager and he invited me in as long as I stayed out of the way. I got to talk to a lot of the players, including <a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2016/01/mark-mimbs.html" target="_blank">Mark Mimbs</a>. Once Mark was finished with his outing, he signed a card for me and I got to talk to him about what it was like facing his brother. He noticed that I also had a card of <a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2016/01/mike-mimbs.html" target="_blank">Mike's</a>. He was actually on his way to the Phillies clubhouse to go talk to his brother and offered to take my card along to get signed. I prefer getting autographs myself, but I knew this day was special, so I happily accepted Mark's offer.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSIXSzTU2HtPtNi4r8gDajF8X3pFXpDWZz3KIs2Z9wa7ySFSjYt1CbbLq1eZcOpldaqIjQq2XqEj4mzW5JEx6ysZdpR0PXrZ8GuvL7KnPn9xssYHfRBWPFkKSSnA9H8skm8WV6vdprGWA/s1600/579mikebell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSIXSzTU2HtPtNi4r8gDajF8X3pFXpDWZz3KIs2Z9wa7ySFSjYt1CbbLq1eZcOpldaqIjQq2XqEj4mzW5JEx6ysZdpR0PXrZ8GuvL7KnPn9xssYHfRBWPFkKSSnA9H8skm8WV6vdprGWA/s320/579mikebell.jpg" width="226" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mike Bell</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzEupFhx0pwzga-eWmQpMYEXrzpWhj7KVidszxsqj6L4QZYLsOOfYx-cGZijvB8F7fdzmHXbp4jlOzPsYIIxjmyKqn82o0dP2TBc8_Fvl2t-qL71HJP1d6dJuFGq7bu4mTHhl71f8VsrE/s1600/841davidbell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzEupFhx0pwzga-eWmQpMYEXrzpWhj7KVidszxsqj6L4QZYLsOOfYx-cGZijvB8F7fdzmHXbp4jlOzPsYIIxjmyKqn82o0dP2TBc8_Fvl2t-qL71HJP1d6dJuFGq7bu4mTHhl71f8VsrE/s320/841davidbell.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David Bell</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Earlier in this post where I posted my Bob Boone and Bret Boone autographs, I mentioned the Bell family. While I never got Gus Bell, or had the chance to meet Buddy, I did get autographs from the 2 brothers, Mike and David, who both reached the Major Leagues like their father and grandfather before them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I met <a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2015/05/mike-bell.html" target="_blank">Mike</a> while he was with the Charlotte Rangers in 1995. I got to meet his brother, <a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2016/02/david-bell.html" target="_blank">David</a> the following spring while he was with the Cardinals.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaEpitkBWQSkJPTp9v571XgBu5XlLdnf478Urh_KFten5POcTrqcXUs8NMFCErXrZlyjBNLEaE_1XS84SkMxIjY1srezzRcsAGVrINCKB4J4fcN4mu_TUnVMwoEeVgeJTYwtVQqC8IOAk/s1600/624scottpisciotta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaEpitkBWQSkJPTp9v571XgBu5XlLdnf478Urh_KFten5POcTrqcXUs8NMFCErXrZlyjBNLEaE_1XS84SkMxIjY1srezzRcsAGVrINCKB4J4fcN4mu_TUnVMwoEeVgeJTYwtVQqC8IOAk/s320/624scottpisciotta.jpg" width="229" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scott Pisciotta</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxmtb4O8TrtFNrnzSGEwXRWZopsg5JVbDqiaQneZ6P3CMFzlAg-nlc9hVV8hPo2plxbd496hKHQ-6Ytv9SD6oqAgjnvq1wrtf80CPE3XKTLv8V4uLr5Q1vDqS59kxHEbJv-jXUPkH0_3A/s1600/882marcpisciotta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxmtb4O8TrtFNrnzSGEwXRWZopsg5JVbDqiaQneZ6P3CMFzlAg-nlc9hVV8hPo2plxbd496hKHQ-6Ytv9SD6oqAgjnvq1wrtf80CPE3XKTLv8V4uLr5Q1vDqS59kxHEbJv-jXUPkH0_3A/s320/882marcpisciotta.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marc Pisciotta</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2015/07/scott-pisciotta.html" target="_blank">Scott</a> signed a card for me in 1995 while he was with the West Palm Beach Expos. The following spring, when the Pirates came to play the Phillies, I was able to get <a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2016/03/marc-pisciotta.html" target="_blank">Marc's</a> autograph.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barry Larkin</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyOLPoKahidrH-qindvmjPQsZyMMlopoT7EgQb9YTCTf0CsEHd7mvKa4Kfr3m-wITzHAcwdALkXoqiLyC6Lh0Vg5qOCRM320FUiFINYWz4Ye_sDe3eA8i_OhHCZhwSsKR2ARLj2nemQy4/s1600/1023stevelarkin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyOLPoKahidrH-qindvmjPQsZyMMlopoT7EgQb9YTCTf0CsEHd7mvKa4Kfr3m-wITzHAcwdALkXoqiLyC6Lh0Vg5qOCRM320FUiFINYWz4Ye_sDe3eA8i_OhHCZhwSsKR2ARLj2nemQy4/s320/1023stevelarkin.jpg" width="231" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stephen Larkin</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Two brothers with vastly different Major League careers. <a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2015/02/barry-larkin.html" target="_blank">Barry</a>, the Hall of Fame shortstop, who played in 2,180 games, signed the back of a magazine for me at a spring training game in 1995. <a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2016/08/stephen-larkin.html" target="_blank">Stephen</a>, who played in only 1 Major League game, signed a card for me during Instructional League with the Reds in 1996.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Todd Stottlemyre</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mel Stottlemyre, Jr.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A big reason I'm into collecting autographs is because of <a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2013/08/todd-stottlemyre.html" target="_blank">Todd Stottlemyre</a>. Todd would often golf at the course near my neighborhood. I would see him all the time there. There were often celebrity tournaments held there and one time I was lucky enough to meet his brother, <a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2016/08/mel-stottlemyre-jr.html" target="_blank">Mel</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I grew up as a Mets fan, and their father was the Mets pitching coach for most of those years when I began watching. I still haven't gotten to meet Mel Sr.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gavin Cecchini</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Garin Cecchini</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Having two brothers autographs from the same card set is another first for me. Both <a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2017/06/garin-cecchini.html" target="_blank">Garin</a> and <a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2017/04/gavin-cecchini.html" target="_blank">Gavin</a> signed 2014 Topps Pro Debut cards. I actually met Gavin first when he was with the St. Lucie Mets in 2014. I met Garin the following spring when he was with the Red Sox.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chadwick Tromp</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jiandido Tromp</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The most recent siblings autographs that I got was the brothers from Aruba, Chadwick and Jiandido Tromp.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2018/11/chadwick-tromp.html" target="_blank">Chadwick</a> signed a card for me in Clearwater, when the Daytona Tortugas faced the Threshers. It was his first time playing professionally against his brother. I didn't have a card of <a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2018/12/jiandido-tromp.html" target="_blank">Jiandido</a> at the time, but I did eventually get one and was able to get it signed this week.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Of course, my collection isn't just limited to baseball players.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This past spring I saw the New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer play in a spring tournament.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Red Bulls have 2 brothers that play for them, <a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2018/05/shaun-wright-phillips.html" target="_blank">Shaun Wright-Phillips</a> and his younger brother, <a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/2018/05/bradley-wright-phillips.html" target="_blank">Bradley Wright-Phillips</a>. Both signed for me one after the other. First time getting brothers back-to-back.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shaun Wright-Phillips</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIkX2MmU9_gR_s_9kgC0yfRHl5BMEFgngniKQ8jtQJ34BgmZLaTF4RRa98-f6EplhuO00yPRVOHlzBJUzsTzENSAYisxgyjv7_XHmkaQsmwdHfTeuflSSysplj4I-QbPjHb_rZ1J284_E/s1600/1634bradleywrightphillips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIkX2MmU9_gR_s_9kgC0yfRHl5BMEFgngniKQ8jtQJ34BgmZLaTF4RRa98-f6EplhuO00yPRVOHlzBJUzsTzENSAYisxgyjv7_XHmkaQsmwdHfTeuflSSysplj4I-QbPjHb_rZ1J284_E/s320/1634bradleywrightphillips.jpg" width="231" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bradley Wright-Phillips</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Some links in this post will not work. It's intentional. They will work eventually, when their time comes up.</span></div>
Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752021286110760999noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591264709565647223.post-10444044878453551072016-05-03T17:30:00.000-04:002016-08-12T08:44:49.834-04:00A Rare Breed<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">That's what U.S. Soccer international and current New York Red Bull, Dax McCarty called me when he signed an autograph for me this past February.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhLSwv_tEp_tGHG-cTb7xCBE7QtRIiDuXc4Zj1BWvRMYtfmPYJ0LgmZ4CDQrZUpDN5333zlArfHZLqbK-9K85IKCz-TEGukqkNc8fI_L1eO21znU3LU9n9E9UTPhJGdIr8nmwd1PhVj5Y/s1600/1629daxmccarty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhLSwv_tEp_tGHG-cTb7xCBE7QtRIiDuXc4Zj1BWvRMYtfmPYJ0LgmZ4CDQrZUpDN5333zlArfHZLqbK-9K85IKCz-TEGukqkNc8fI_L1eO21znU3LU9n9E9UTPhJGdIr8nmwd1PhVj5Y/s1600/1629daxmccarty.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I called him over when he got off the team bus and asked him if he'd sign my card. He walked over to me and I handed him my card and Sharpie. He said to me as he began signing, "just one?" I told him "yes, I never ask for more than one and this is the only time I will ever ask for your autograph." He seemed to like that answer as he smiled and said "you're a rare breed. I wish more people were like you."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'm not posting this to bash those who ask for multiple items to be signed. I get why a lot of people do it. Some are set collectors, trying to get every card in that particular set signed, others are collecting for themselves and friends/relatives who may not be able to attend, and then there are those who just want every card that they get signed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Those are typically the honest collectors. Of course, there are people who get autographs and then post them immediately for sale on eBay and Instagram.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'm not a fan of the latter. While I don't seek out autographs on eBay, I do follow a lot of collectors on Instagram. Sadly, many have their eBay store links in their profiles. I refuse to follow any of those people.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Even when autograph collecting became a hobby for me back in 1992, I was a one-and-done collector from the start. I can remember that memorable day when it all began. I was on the practice putting green at my local golf course. An employee approached me and asked if I liked baseball and then told me that Blue Jays pitcher, David Wells was golfing that day. I immediately ran home (the course was less than half a mile from my house), and went straight to the W's in my alphabetized box of baseball cards. Instead of just grabbing all of my Wells' cards, I went through and picked the one that I thought would look best with an autograph.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I think I kept the "1 per" policy going because I didn't want to carry a ton of baseball cards to spring training and Minor League games. I just wanted to focus on getting as many different players autographs, rather than getting the same people over and over.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">While I have kept this policy of mine going for several years and have no intention of ever breaking it; it does make opening packs of cards less enjoyable.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I recently bought a pack of 2016 Bowman Baseball. Six of the cards in the pack were of players that I already had autographs of.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIS8m0d9NT0tVvNHyR9QRFb6iGkbdy1ux9VXOJoFdZbOlZscRI_5XdG7Xva5v20NiTQRWCEf_R7OBq4tnRjIC2ZO7TPQfNNvIO-eS0DSFBQ_UYuWI4A0BgILKipoX483a7-tVZ0KcpLQk/s1600/cespedes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIS8m0d9NT0tVvNHyR9QRFb6iGkbdy1ux9VXOJoFdZbOlZscRI_5XdG7Xva5v20NiTQRWCEf_R7OBq4tnRjIC2ZO7TPQfNNvIO-eS0DSFBQ_UYuWI4A0BgILKipoX483a7-tVZ0KcpLQk/s320/cespedes.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yoenis Cespedes</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsb_gZhyP7Gta-ht8IYm9mWwVGeCdnHv78qPDBVaprVIQtYGcHYaZRmBovqDEHx7OTWLTcaNBU1VeemrDuX1p-MorhMCO94TunO4dZwc2P3H4H1UBfBHjbixmRAgPLAK5ZbdmW1da_0AM/s1600/alford.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsb_gZhyP7Gta-ht8IYm9mWwVGeCdnHv78qPDBVaprVIQtYGcHYaZRmBovqDEHx7OTWLTcaNBU1VeemrDuX1p-MorhMCO94TunO4dZwc2P3H4H1UBfBHjbixmRAgPLAK5ZbdmW1da_0AM/s320/alford.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anthony Alford</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnAaLcbA2APxyqcQ0eZG-Jq-ZFRY0qq-gEuYErC5eYDP2SCJtsgBH_DgMcKN4i_Dj63UkCWeSxcRPRFbCmiCOhzTc3_iCesi2XoAJlco2KrWik-HocNzsxIEgPpkWicuPYyScvRr_WuGg/s1600/kang.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnAaLcbA2APxyqcQ0eZG-Jq-ZFRY0qq-gEuYErC5eYDP2SCJtsgBH_DgMcKN4i_Dj63UkCWeSxcRPRFbCmiCOhzTc3_iCesi2XoAJlco2KrWik-HocNzsxIEgPpkWicuPYyScvRr_WuGg/s320/kang.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jung Ho Kang</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtkOWe8dAdzpO-LgCNzkVzIu1ekm2lnDEWLKO8FWGPcIzfxY2-LcjU6MtJhsuCsN1YnTmISe8fJmmDsW8ohyphenhyphen0QLzj4DU3AhJEyPgQuccgmkrEEwMQjO0gtCEiPBt1aDPyVlR707F-dJiQ/s1600/hanson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtkOWe8dAdzpO-LgCNzkVzIu1ekm2lnDEWLKO8FWGPcIzfxY2-LcjU6MtJhsuCsN1YnTmISe8fJmmDsW8ohyphenhyphen0QLzj4DU3AhJEyPgQuccgmkrEEwMQjO0gtCEiPBt1aDPyVlR707F-dJiQ/s320/hanson.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alen Hanson</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andrew Knapp</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwvezzrhxgxVKysroDjeqDwXYbf0hxl2bt155QCXLKJ3QOaktB7JZ-zU6o_CkM7ovL5hVriDBWWDJkfxiUfUmax4hDhtD0FyJyAOW5wG6ftPPkR8hTq7z9guvnf45oGbPr8iuKDEOBT7M/s320/williams.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="228" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nick Williams</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A lot of collectors would be happy with this pack and would look forward to getting these new cards signed. As for me, I flip through the pack and mumble to myself, "already have his" as I place them in a separate pile and then make them available on my <a href="http://www.sportlots.com/dealers/?dealer=dang1974" target="_blank">Sportlots</a> page.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzRBPNferJDBzxSGxpqpk5mstrrlSr4k5vCtYI4H6D0_zhoNY06tzuqUJ-whb_stKpD0sTLhuXw-qwn0nQ_4meJDF1I-JFQGSrSDlIl1vyz8eX6U7lo6Kak6iUA4Prx8Cc-8-3n_sI6oM/s1600/1472yoeniscespedes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzRBPNferJDBzxSGxpqpk5mstrrlSr4k5vCtYI4H6D0_zhoNY06tzuqUJ-whb_stKpD0sTLhuXw-qwn0nQ_4meJDF1I-JFQGSrSDlIl1vyz8eX6U7lo6Kak6iUA4Prx8Cc-8-3n_sI6oM/s320/1472yoeniscespedes.jpg" width="227" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yoenis Cespedes</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgty9CqHVgdQSDQ-Mm51J-qrYfSfM2xflavFxPvOZ9A9LquHeTUZoyLb9mC39piC54VdTKupG7gVpgEH3vmCFz51CBNTNQ5AyqL20gziUgO_ioSNQ3r_98wQi7XPg9PFMNqPn9t_ISNrEE/s1600/1521anthonyalford.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgty9CqHVgdQSDQ-Mm51J-qrYfSfM2xflavFxPvOZ9A9LquHeTUZoyLb9mC39piC54VdTKupG7gVpgEH3vmCFz51CBNTNQ5AyqL20gziUgO_ioSNQ3r_98wQi7XPg9PFMNqPn9t_ISNrEE/s320/1521anthonyalford.jpg" width="227" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anthony Alford </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jung Ho Kang</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR5i47UUseSO-LlpvBytzf3Xygfnv4zehvOaDdgTux6bzCVl5i43mgOdVVsGvWQSzkfAOa7d-FLN4R0Ew8TVZO_s8b5_BuMAzgxp4MMGuNz3e94vru73rkDZkPHLitpkaNO7HRTa_-lIs/s1600/1720alenhanson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR5i47UUseSO-LlpvBytzf3Xygfnv4zehvOaDdgTux6bzCVl5i43mgOdVVsGvWQSzkfAOa7d-FLN4R0Ew8TVZO_s8b5_BuMAzgxp4MMGuNz3e94vru73rkDZkPHLitpkaNO7HRTa_-lIs/s320/1720alenhanson.jpg" width="227" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alen Hanson</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTuYp_0o-KHWbbOLI8A6OJoN_6CjzyOPDQW5MnrlI9wr2hFXB-zTXQiyyA7TWFeLXiJinOzyIvttd965_rjXte476gn8ZwRj_mEURI5gaD-h5_Jj9bnoXNpdOyeDocMUtdD3mFnsBG0cs/s1600/1379andrewknapp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTuYp_0o-KHWbbOLI8A6OJoN_6CjzyOPDQW5MnrlI9wr2hFXB-zTXQiyyA7TWFeLXiJinOzyIvttd965_rjXte476gn8ZwRj_mEURI5gaD-h5_Jj9bnoXNpdOyeDocMUtdD3mFnsBG0cs/s320/1379andrewknapp.jpg" width="227" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andrew Knapp</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijZpVB7tJWArVXyUQjL_QIxi89k-fXzevWsmR4Jxuv_DoXEIQSKcKsfEMdkJ-Q3Axg3YRreyU3QLKSZH3PpX29n3fsDcY4gi8N99-acYMsKVcw3cUmIf3FtEsTfAoOAWdd6WAFU01WR4A/s1600/1703nickwilliams.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijZpVB7tJWArVXyUQjL_QIxi89k-fXzevWsmR4Jxuv_DoXEIQSKcKsfEMdkJ-Q3Axg3YRreyU3QLKSZH3PpX29n3fsDcY4gi8N99-acYMsKVcw3cUmIf3FtEsTfAoOAWdd6WAFU01WR4A/s320/1703nickwilliams.jpg" width="229" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nick Williams</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I like being a rare breed. My box of cards of players that I don't have autographs of is big enough. I don't need to add players that I already have to it.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMczMsAZySszY-Y6ePpXmfCLHRY1oE-FQfvzALd1VhrIgICN5SSmgvxX5EPcIkhbtxF7qhu88c262GfyFR24Vm2idxHOwqI-6EqK6HHx9CJXMKBQuG67mYESg0Pb-yyb4O6MEHLw9DZow/s1600/abcbox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMczMsAZySszY-Y6ePpXmfCLHRY1oE-FQfvzALd1VhrIgICN5SSmgvxX5EPcIkhbtxF7qhu88c262GfyFR24Vm2idxHOwqI-6EqK6HHx9CJXMKBQuG67mYESg0Pb-yyb4O6MEHLw9DZow/s640/abcbox.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752021286110760999noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591264709565647223.post-90309302519533404472016-04-28T20:06:00.000-04:002016-04-28T20:06:49.150-04:002016 Bowman Baseball<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Been a while since I've posted here. Haven't been buying any packs lately, just a bunch of random singles from Sportlots and getting a whole lot of them autographed. I plan to post some highlights from spring training as well as some that I've gotten early in the Minor League season.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">For now, I'll share my lone pack of Bowman cards that I picked up today.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCrygU4IJlXMtCKWVkmm1unClEPZvND5ItSdd6Suq6c-A4yLY1z-XLoCdU50b82SCWgK8dShwlouKI-xHGOK9iyvRTK1xuwQ7SSDkKI7Y0HPNarfPh7TnlxLmaH6qcTTSpdZ5JVxlIWe4/s1600/2016bowman.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCrygU4IJlXMtCKWVkmm1unClEPZvND5ItSdd6Suq6c-A4yLY1z-XLoCdU50b82SCWgK8dShwlouKI-xHGOK9iyvRTK1xuwQ7SSDkKI7Y0HPNarfPh7TnlxLmaH6qcTTSpdZ5JVxlIWe4/s640/2016bowman.jpg" width="354" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A Brewers fan would have been happy with this pack, as there were 4 Brewer cards inside.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4wkjzjbIpARxkG38gDea_SdMw07aT7HRVWdstYHJ6V6a7hHwq2iHZony6RmsmZ05RKx_JQzGKbPquRo7LDBZG1Yt_LGLf2qGzdGLdUcsCG4H09nKbF7q1POFCASbBu-6XVg3EWNjWMaQ/s1600/brewersjorgelopez.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4wkjzjbIpARxkG38gDea_SdMw07aT7HRVWdstYHJ6V6a7hHwq2iHZony6RmsmZ05RKx_JQzGKbPquRo7LDBZG1Yt_LGLf2qGzdGLdUcsCG4H09nKbF7q1POFCASbBu-6XVg3EWNjWMaQ/s400/brewersjorgelopez.jpg" width="281" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jorge Lopez</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBVBnBEGdyb36WQJzoryeSD_CdDcVmNWNJt1OBwHP-5HOen0f8hcqqfxKuDuhLRRc_PXQRbZx0R3COs7uVMlFe4RMnSJcSUZmGLeJjahxzwHVcnejaM3l3vpi2FKMifDk68OdpYSdagHQ/s1600/brewersorlandoarcia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBVBnBEGdyb36WQJzoryeSD_CdDcVmNWNJt1OBwHP-5HOen0f8hcqqfxKuDuhLRRc_PXQRbZx0R3COs7uVMlFe4RMnSJcSUZmGLeJjahxzwHVcnejaM3l3vpi2FKMifDk68OdpYSdagHQ/s400/brewersorlandoarcia.jpg" width="281" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Orlando Arcia</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Though, I was happy to get a card of David Denson...I didn't need 2 in the same pack.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjLmvZZalFk8Tu4H19WLVkfnksdA1HRlSW1re-y8Go4csG_1ufR2rqS275gihA7X7L1xIzY5f6XlscEcY5DfWXcnDjgl3ilUCkDx0uP6pvzUmFS02ve1MqnSmR4721S4UlqVW50eNfM2o/s1600/brewersdaviddenson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjLmvZZalFk8Tu4H19WLVkfnksdA1HRlSW1re-y8Go4csG_1ufR2rqS275gihA7X7L1xIzY5f6XlscEcY5DfWXcnDjgl3ilUCkDx0uP6pvzUmFS02ve1MqnSmR4721S4UlqVW50eNfM2o/s400/brewersdaviddenson.jpg" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David Denson</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4zpruhwpg1ANROZP_w1p8KmixsGKaiSniLCjljbgJMsLkjzkTR0SA_xuA5iVM4-B8P3RUBmRpX6PAhb-WxXm_JMPDzaNP34vX7z9SUDpZLYvV2nfc1o_NrYu72z-v7uu1U2Jc7FRAURY/s1600/brewersdaviddensonchrome.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4zpruhwpg1ANROZP_w1p8KmixsGKaiSniLCjljbgJMsLkjzkTR0SA_xuA5iVM4-B8P3RUBmRpX6PAhb-WxXm_JMPDzaNP34vX7z9SUDpZLYvV2nfc1o_NrYu72z-v7uu1U2Jc7FRAURY/s400/brewersdaviddensonchrome.jpg" width="281" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David Denson</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Bowman likes to split the packs with MLB stars and Minor League prospects. While I prefer the prospects half of the pack, I was okay with the MLB half, which gave me my first Jose Fernandez card, as well as a Francisco Lindor Sophomore Standouts insert.</span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzSc3TPRFRTESkD2vpx6mv00rMAz2HEMxkxTiktCFu9iBHG8JAw9S1voR3mECwgw_UMFRdF2rGSoIUpMilDfofzux8yUWMcZiiaW-f9ViNwy21eaACZNr6qO0XhYDXeOImcnmQmctV4-M/s1600/josefernandez.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzSc3TPRFRTESkD2vpx6mv00rMAz2HEMxkxTiktCFu9iBHG8JAw9S1voR3mECwgw_UMFRdF2rGSoIUpMilDfofzux8yUWMcZiiaW-f9ViNwy21eaACZNr6qO0XhYDXeOImcnmQmctV4-M/s320/josefernandez.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jose Fernandez</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVoZjTpszF6H_hKsi2gH2ZZgip8lm2eB9G6uTWZjwIK4zjtQfy7LmS10fBEDu0x3KchFJZP9xKmYwRyGTEU1KlmF6ZeCsE4XvepuZmwMPkFTGsIgxFf69pJM_kGa8QHENkhXN_37VStWM/s1600/jdmartinez.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVoZjTpszF6H_hKsi2gH2ZZgip8lm2eB9G6uTWZjwIK4zjtQfy7LmS10fBEDu0x3KchFJZP9xKmYwRyGTEU1KlmF6ZeCsE4XvepuZmwMPkFTGsIgxFf69pJM_kGa8QHENkhXN_37VStWM/s320/jdmartinez.jpg" width="236" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">J.D. Martinez</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXuihcMMfSoCzNNyBFOPOa3IvrT0ltWfuDwgFDP4EvlHf6T72zrGRnoKwoouBaHpIdrl3x8maFaBq08hmibdG_WFVhI8SFqHUrjDxzCtTbx0mWO0qIh-l_RM1PaZbEkKGEnUozHZ-3txA/s1600/franciscolindor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXuihcMMfSoCzNNyBFOPOa3IvrT0ltWfuDwgFDP4EvlHf6T72zrGRnoKwoouBaHpIdrl3x8maFaBq08hmibdG_WFVhI8SFqHUrjDxzCtTbx0mWO0qIh-l_RM1PaZbEkKGEnUozHZ-3txA/s320/franciscolindor.jpg" width="224" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Francisco Lindor</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJJl9a3YeM-ou8RexaholgyVlO04mCTbedBALcVkx-6K1FRU8vxGXD3uIg-L9T1H0O2Jtsx6hnyG6dIDR1xdAO41f0oYaRsaxEZPnO63bG8tmb1zsA2dlH6oseWs-JusYjGQAEF40T_O0/s1600/ryanhoward.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJJl9a3YeM-ou8RexaholgyVlO04mCTbedBALcVkx-6K1FRU8vxGXD3uIg-L9T1H0O2Jtsx6hnyG6dIDR1xdAO41f0oYaRsaxEZPnO63bG8tmb1zsA2dlH6oseWs-JusYjGQAEF40T_O0/s320/ryanhoward.jpg" width="226" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ryan Howard</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I was extremely happy to pull this Jhailyn Ortiz card. He's currently playing in extended spring training near my home, so I should be able to get this card signed real soon.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9PA_OJcpQ7RVMSjHnZbp0_AjOSu9q1eMcOo0T-DcSG9XjAzBigdujXxC7z0Vki690hJKFAJMqxLc9QXvj8OeYLMri6l0u9ls2frca6J_pMX7Tsjn7BQTM4GqYNZhZNsrjrwdWmXmN8lU/s1600/jortiz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9PA_OJcpQ7RVMSjHnZbp0_AjOSu9q1eMcOo0T-DcSG9XjAzBigdujXxC7z0Vki690hJKFAJMqxLc9QXvj8OeYLMri6l0u9ls2frca6J_pMX7Tsjn7BQTM4GqYNZhZNsrjrwdWmXmN8lU/s640/jortiz.jpg" width="456" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jhailyn Ortiz</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Since I live in the Rays market, it's cool to pull a Rays prospect. I'll probably have to wait until January to get this signed, assuming Garrett is invited to the Rays annual rookie development program at Tropicana Field.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8K5xDIyqpPK-cJvp5MUfEABR-zVIy1stmOPgj3FpPrRYQE4lJbABzjuPxqVPwU9lYLOu7lKQYw_y1MFZwYowxi1wUXALuw2cRS5eOtx1ILL7jeB4wXOTf453xSxWAJ8SpFIyBR3ErKyA/s1600/garrettwhitley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8K5xDIyqpPK-cJvp5MUfEABR-zVIy1stmOPgj3FpPrRYQE4lJbABzjuPxqVPwU9lYLOu7lKQYw_y1MFZwYowxi1wUXALuw2cRS5eOtx1ILL7jeB4wXOTf453xSxWAJ8SpFIyBR3ErKyA/s640/garrettwhitley.jpg" width="454" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Garrett Whitley</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'm very pleased with this year's set. I look forward to buying more and hopefully getting several of them signed.</span></div>
Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752021286110760999noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591264709565647223.post-6132495376631135262016-03-21T22:13:00.001-04:002016-03-22T20:08:13.694-04:00Half an Autograph<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I've seemed to have neglected posting here after the succession of soccer related posts, but I have just been busy going to spring training games this month.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So far this spring I have gotten 79 different cards signed. Well, actually, make that 78<span style="background-color: white; text-align: -webkit-center;">½.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: -webkit-center;"><br /></span></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: -webkit-center;">I went to the Phillies Minor League complex today to see the AAA and AA Phillies host the AAA and AA Pittsburgh Pirates. Unfortunately, the teams decided to switch the schedule, and instead it was the A ball teams playing each other, while the AAA and AA Phillies traveled to Bradenton to play the Pirates at their home complex. I didn't have many cards of the lower level guys, so it was a little disappointing to show up not knowing things had changed.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: -webkit-center;"><br /></span></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: -webkit-center;">However, I did have a card that I was excited to get signed. The man in charge of the Phillies player development, Joe Jordan. Joe played <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.cgi?id=jordan001joe" target="_blank">one professional season in 1985</a> with the Everett Giants. He was there long enough to have a baseball card made of him. It took me quite a while to track down, but I was finally able to acquire it. I just chose the wrong day to try to get it signed.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: -webkit-center;">All spring, the weather has been in </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: -webkit-center;">the </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: -webkit-center;">70's/80's, shorts and t-shirt weather. Today was different, it was very cold and extremely windy.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: -webkit-center;"><br /></span> <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: -webkit-center;">The Joe Jordan card is not made of your typical card stock. It's small and almost feels like a magazine page. Since it was small, I felt that if Joe signed it, he should probably use a hard surface to keep it on. So, what I did was had the card sticking out of the nine-pocket page when I called Joe over. Joe got a laugh at seeing the card and one of the Phillies coaches got an even bigger laugh when he took a look at it. Sadly, Joe never fully pulled the card out of the page when he signed it, so a portion of his signature is on the page itself.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipeADLKBdqDVE15C3_AEoIzEPY7bFS7hX-_Cz489K-7Y2cS2RPZpeI0C3_h8SgGvJ9d0ljOMaQP7Y5pbAbX8nfQCZ4_28HShWwKaT9_ECI_FuZkUgXv26sWaC4wZXQlqdFYLSpY26R6rc/s1600/IMG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipeADLKBdqDVE15C3_AEoIzEPY7bFS7hX-_Cz489K-7Y2cS2RPZpeI0C3_h8SgGvJ9d0ljOMaQP7Y5pbAbX8nfQCZ4_28HShWwKaT9_ECI_FuZkUgXv26sWaC4wZXQlqdFYLSpY26R6rc/s640/IMG.jpg" width="472" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here's a closer look at the card in the page.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzG1VNidcgnNqkvB-g1azoS-JB8J2QYOwJ28Wq2jgz3m5L6m9X2co0er1SgWacPyHtqFwTb3qR7OT1v4Goz-_T0qx-qEpMYcOR_QKlNJtMaNm8_IxQC8KbjdbgL8ve7wOAFvcVyL5K-ds/s1600/joejordanfull.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzG1VNidcgnNqkvB-g1azoS-JB8J2QYOwJ28Wq2jgz3m5L6m9X2co0er1SgWacPyHtqFwTb3qR7OT1v4Goz-_T0qx-qEpMYcOR_QKlNJtMaNm8_IxQC8KbjdbgL8ve7wOAFvcVyL5K-ds/s640/joejordanfull.jpg" width="430" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">The final outcome.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw4_7H0C0kN_qcjzlVp4uUDPxbkq0uZ_c2tLaRa0PIrIq4aJWSlAs3ljEVC_3GEU9tuTw7Sj4yvrpwdeAacREXhX0PKMlqzniXGyV8yhduMoDehXAyiTAUkanCl8gnSZ9oVcs9w-dVo5g/s1600/joejordan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw4_7H0C0kN_qcjzlVp4uUDPxbkq0uZ_c2tLaRa0PIrIq4aJWSlAs3ljEVC_3GEU9tuTw7Sj4yvrpwdeAacREXhX0PKMlqzniXGyV8yhduMoDehXAyiTAUkanCl8gnSZ9oVcs9w-dVo5g/s640/joejordan.jpg" width="419" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">Kind of comical and just makes </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">this </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">autograph experience even more unique.</span></div>
Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752021286110760999noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591264709565647223.post-76142324369289660172016-02-27T22:47:00.001-05:002016-02-27T22:47:18.086-05:00Tampa Bay Rays Fan Fest 2016<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It was back to <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="bf0c2446-b99f-4db3-bce6-48a8581b84db" id="2e7a715b-112a-4351-853d-34649ae03cd4">getting</gs> baseball cards signed today, as the Tampa Bay Rays held their annual fan <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="bf0c2446-b99f-4db3-bce6-48a8581b84db" id="d8564da9-a88e-4c56-84e5-69ec16c7e4b9">fest</gs> at Tropicana Field.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I always look forward to this yearly gathering, mainly for the 40+ retired baseball players who show up and sign for free. Though, many of the same players <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="70dedc7d-4f35-42a9-bb2b-7f756a35a841" id="afc76c70-e2c7-49bd-9e0c-617c89e1f40c">return</gs> year after year, which means less and less new players to add to my collection.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The alumni players are split into 3 groups, each signing for an hour before the next group comes in.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIf5ltmku56NRpFH6s2EtKvd_9B84iJ4rc9Wj5WjZX6Biwgym36d_yFxeZd64nLF3aR3yBYeAddJsR57hzKQFWvkGbYWZ6mCXxutVNY7Rnv7VjKnKiX7QpVrugoxqq7X_a7Gf_qXeClAI/s1600/group1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIf5ltmku56NRpFH6s2EtKvd_9B84iJ4rc9Wj5WjZX6Biwgym36d_yFxeZd64nLF3aR3yBYeAddJsR57hzKQFWvkGbYWZ6mCXxutVNY7Rnv7VjKnKiX7QpVrugoxqq7X_a7Gf_qXeClAI/s640/group1.jpg" width="312" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Group 1 </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Of the 15 players listed in group 1, I already autographs from 11 of them from previous years. Unfortunately, one of the players listed (Casey Cox) was a no-show. I had ordered a really nice card of him this past Monday night and amazingly it arrived on Friday, just in time for today. Hopefully he'll show up next year.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I still ended up with 4 autographs from group one. Josh Fogg, who spent several seasons with the Pirates and Rockies, was not listed with any of the groups, yet, he was there to sign. He's appeared at these fan <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="69f999bf-f69e-439a-a3b6-c1909ffef871" id="d02c5875-4bcd-4587-a47a-5199f0eabc37">fests</gs> before, but I just never had a card of him. Thankfully, a fellow collector had extras on him and gave me one.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here are the aforementioned 4 autographs from that first group.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkuR02LXfpEYD8sAf-vZv8tmSA_QLJLpe5lGYkxY0ZInsdDzOgSxbJLv1UTVecET0i4lJ73A5A66OcgS1T4dPP_fBT6x2SV9bu0WlUZm2HChGvDPxN-k5TMd8CAL2K-6nsPaHxlXZyHfw/s1600/1638mikedifelice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkuR02LXfpEYD8sAf-vZv8tmSA_QLJLpe5lGYkxY0ZInsdDzOgSxbJLv1UTVecET0i4lJ73A5A66OcgS1T4dPP_fBT6x2SV9bu0WlUZm2HChGvDPxN-k5TMd8CAL2K-6nsPaHxlXZyHfw/s1600/1638mikedifelice.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mike DiFelice</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI4iaQ506bj9Z-Cz2A9xqzoNf41uHU8YxcMVxP3x-xBCP-wr85lqNdOGRhuDduQ0-wO3bS-IsgulG2igxXL01sG7dh_b2Mpco8xExWOAgbDX73MDbf43AHGWybj8OBdO-ngNtKpOKDB3s/s1600/1639brianstokes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI4iaQ506bj9Z-Cz2A9xqzoNf41uHU8YxcMVxP3x-xBCP-wr85lqNdOGRhuDduQ0-wO3bS-IsgulG2igxXL01sG7dh_b2Mpco8xExWOAgbDX73MDbf43AHGWybj8OBdO-ngNtKpOKDB3s/s1600/1639brianstokes.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brian Stokes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTJVWksY6FvQslXAcP8vusPe-nacxEH8G3Xw-GOFhYvGICVn7eJgqTODvDqo9-922WwO-Bu7mKtYTm4TmE4Si51c5Itj-JTvFIMCo1OMUh-dNAj4j4_abthF6-5NwDCc_oJo0T3NfzRy4/s1600/1640joshfogg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTJVWksY6FvQslXAcP8vusPe-nacxEH8G3Xw-GOFhYvGICVn7eJgqTODvDqo9-922WwO-Bu7mKtYTm4TmE4Si51c5Itj-JTvFIMCo1OMUh-dNAj4j4_abthF6-5NwDCc_oJo0T3NfzRy4/s640/1640joshfogg.jpg" width="450" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Josh Fogg</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1wS8lUajwdE5mm54acMjo_-BPJNb9ndkUH7WXAGjSB8dOUBsRsn_QnaCvYzHkMnCXPX5kBrIVWKs5y9mabu7GFMKzebuuiZbxZQ8SADVaPC1ODbM8iRcD35R9cL5s2uQWVGJD3lNbd-Q/s1600/1641glennbeckert.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1wS8lUajwdE5mm54acMjo_-BPJNb9ndkUH7WXAGjSB8dOUBsRsn_QnaCvYzHkMnCXPX5kBrIVWKs5y9mabu7GFMKzebuuiZbxZQ8SADVaPC1ODbM8iRcD35R9cL5s2uQWVGJD3lNbd-Q/s1600/1641glennbeckert.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glenn Beckert</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I was really happy to get that Glenn Beckert card signed. I bought that card last year anticipating him to be at the 2015 fan </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="7abfb19a-4505-4b3d-b939-2aea5daee0e1" id="b34d91be-749e-4317-bc72-116697695419">fest</gs></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">, but he didn't show up.</span><div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I breezed right through the second group. I only needed 2 listed, but one was pushed back to group 3, which meant I was standing in line for 1 guy.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGvfmD36pmtJdh0hNNRaFLOKRlCPGY4XnucZfRR6FPP2723AN0FyDx28xBSu9Wtpdt4BlW3G6R0nkf-onBtCugmPrOZYB7FXhvyhfAKcD4jFarz6I4DF6F0t4Lh3XK_IIb9ZNV14AolAI/s1600/group2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGvfmD36pmtJdh0hNNRaFLOKRlCPGY4XnucZfRR6FPP2723AN0FyDx28xBSu9Wtpdt4BlW3G6R0nkf-onBtCugmPrOZYB7FXhvyhfAKcD4jFarz6I4DF6F0t4Lh3XK_IIb9ZNV14AolAI/s400/group2.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Group 2</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJWqfeEllO67QZksAOK5RAQv6RY0hmoTRsgx-S8Oery4H_6QaRM5y-02Fz_6tmFq3Zp-LGkkymOwnpzCMnA_MeMjomRAsi8yqfhO2A4iiMLGttToi-TD2_MABKLSBx2LFhu8Nqhwg0_VM/s1600/1642rickreichardt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJWqfeEllO67QZksAOK5RAQv6RY0hmoTRsgx-S8Oery4H_6QaRM5y-02Fz_6tmFq3Zp-LGkkymOwnpzCMnA_MeMjomRAsi8yqfhO2A4iiMLGttToi-TD2_MABKLSBx2LFhu8Nqhwg0_VM/s1600/1642rickreichardt.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rick Reichardt</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Rick Reichardt signed this 1981 TCMA card of players from the 1960s.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I only needed 4 players from the third and final group, which included the last player listed in group two.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf3lBo1fPLGDzaBEKS7aEOsOA7-5y5Evp-BODCxVcbUuE45I0RBISnU18b0CoBh0Ll1AJMGsGje7A1wuq4YdEfsWU9aWiSWp2p-coM9QADWqQrt3rUzKX4_-nO7hKvEQRrjzBg_7v4ijo/s1600/group3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf3lBo1fPLGDzaBEKS7aEOsOA7-5y5Evp-BODCxVcbUuE45I0RBISnU18b0CoBh0Ll1AJMGsGje7A1wuq4YdEfsWU9aWiSWp2p-coM9QADWqQrt3rUzKX4_-nO7hKvEQRrjzBg_7v4ijo/s320/group3.jpg" width="282" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Group 3<br /><div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4yXSBGm71DsF6CFlYmF9OYC-S8_26AP5waTlR2Df_Xa3U7tb3Bn9l1swqnBl2TGi1gwsz5hePSDoKvdmZLHGDWr7cM1MLBgG_IL-qubaKfqh9-ymHfAkjHV7Gq4UhZg2nuGP2NTKuSA0/s1600/1643billstein.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4yXSBGm71DsF6CFlYmF9OYC-S8_26AP5waTlR2Df_Xa3U7tb3Bn9l1swqnBl2TGi1gwsz5hePSDoKvdmZLHGDWr7cM1MLBgG_IL-qubaKfqh9-ymHfAkjHV7Gq4UhZg2nuGP2NTKuSA0/s1600/1643billstein.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bill Stein</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0tb0wHdhooJXs_EhHxFPCjOJoaVU9W0o982ZH_AgoMRY6FjrOKm7t_iAN2d_c1Gs6yV0jXlSJSDMl-v4choZ_3cFLLbh5ps2iYSr_-ASYJw6XJnrwJcTXedfnbtkpvG7r9Qy4t_IuODQ/s1600/1644aaronledesma.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0tb0wHdhooJXs_EhHxFPCjOJoaVU9W0o982ZH_AgoMRY6FjrOKm7t_iAN2d_c1Gs6yV0jXlSJSDMl-v4choZ_3cFLLbh5ps2iYSr_-ASYJw6XJnrwJcTXedfnbtkpvG7r9Qy4t_IuODQ/s1600/1644aaronledesma.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aaron Ledesma </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpTOH0XZYTqZ0YhJsV3af2VkCajplWTGH_n0KkThb1Us986YDpNhLXW63bW1kP5F0iVx-Wd9q1CpQJTy1FBYM8lx64g65Z6bXQbwa-MtSSutX5DJ4HJtU7OjgpC5Sa6i1EB_lPAYUl5WI/s1600/1645sethmcclung.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpTOH0XZYTqZ0YhJsV3af2VkCajplWTGH_n0KkThb1Us986YDpNhLXW63bW1kP5F0iVx-Wd9q1CpQJTy1FBYM8lx64g65Z6bXQbwa-MtSSutX5DJ4HJtU7OjgpC5Sa6i1EB_lPAYUl5WI/s1600/1645sethmcclung.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seth McClung </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKm8yjVnIwWRHEKq6v2qppSihzreHttFrR2K9L3UGxAFgA0z_SQy7Rij7hajhjXKxcz_pvW1LBf9w2yBPXC0RFfdjiJaySgXEqpU3AMrkYJzhM87DhfIOa3i7eb9NKIb2QQRdzkBQ_qGk/s1600/1646dewonbrazelton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKm8yjVnIwWRHEKq6v2qppSihzreHttFrR2K9L3UGxAFgA0z_SQy7Rij7hajhjXKxcz_pvW1LBf9w2yBPXC0RFfdjiJaySgXEqpU3AMrkYJzhM87DhfIOa3i7eb9NKIb2QQRdzkBQ_qGk/s1600/1646dewonbrazelton.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dewon Brazelton</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">You have no idea of the fear I <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="2040b18f-a677-45ec-bc27-5bd78a14d4ab" id="d196fd85-6039-4b7e-b7a3-e2c43be4bced">had watching</gs> Seth McClung sign that 2007 Topps card. Recently, Zach at <a href="http://autocards.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">autocards.blogspot.com</a> posted his 2007 Topps autographed cards. However, because of the glossy finish, some of those cards came out very poorly. Luckily, mine came out practically flawless.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I try to stay away from cards with pre-printed signatures on them, but this was the only card that my local card shop had of him.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">After the alumni players were finished signing, I decided to walk around to see who else I could get.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I spotted Hall of Fame writer, Peter Gammons <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="75959d87-43cf-45f3-83cf-ef89998139e7" id="6bf0f8be-96a8-4f5b-9636-0f45ca4dcd57">doing</gs> a Q&A with Rays manager, Kevin Cash and team President of Operations, Matt Silverman. When it concluded, I approached the stage near where Gammons would be exiting.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSQeZJL8kGkVy59nMQQk2i-PXiUEgn9qIjlseTuSeo-z8T81WuPvUXIxyXNMPTM7q-0YW8H6Jkb3hbG6jsfZSS5keWbjzRgObAl0Pv83mvW6pZW0snABdoW_tdwn_deJAq3CfVaofeY4k/s1600/1647petergammons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSQeZJL8kGkVy59nMQQk2i-PXiUEgn9qIjlseTuSeo-z8T81WuPvUXIxyXNMPTM7q-0YW8H6Jkb3hbG6jsfZSS5keWbjzRgObAl0Pv83mvW6pZW0snABdoW_tdwn_deJAq3CfVaofeY4k/s1600/1647petergammons.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peter Gammons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I was fortunate to get him. Security immediately whisked him away when he handed me my card back.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It's not uncommon to see Rays players walking around to different parts of the stadium. They're always with at least 1 security guard who is basically there to thwart people from asking for autographs. While a lot of players won't sign, they do often stop to pose for pictures. There are players that will sign. I was able to find three of them.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghL8IwBtqEz-cd-NiiRf3vTsOzZfDfBj2FZ3tZHQMWkN-plLXXPAsDBoyANad1Z_xO_QWILDYzNtQWMjnumcwnRHi7Kgg4IRL0o-KXs0uCrn4FEoHDlmHsPmiU9CcKQhddhqVFHlXqClw/s1600/1648coreydickerson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghL8IwBtqEz-cd-NiiRf3vTsOzZfDfBj2FZ3tZHQMWkN-plLXXPAsDBoyANad1Z_xO_QWILDYzNtQWMjnumcwnRHi7Kgg4IRL0o-KXs0uCrn4FEoHDlmHsPmiU9CcKQhddhqVFHlXqClw/s1600/1648coreydickerson.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Corey Dickerson</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3_CGf4VLFxjPgllPHm2AWeEemep0AP6LqGVHikfl6XMgCg39sSqtRz-IZkjsc2xOTBYkcHqV-Lx85o5rmvu_a9opB9dtD4PnayMmd9yUM9e7TMeEKQ_oYYogbprJAl8rdD4RKfkajreo/s1600/1649mikiemahtook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3_CGf4VLFxjPgllPHm2AWeEemep0AP6LqGVHikfl6XMgCg39sSqtRz-IZkjsc2xOTBYkcHqV-Lx85o5rmvu_a9opB9dtD4PnayMmd9yUM9e7TMeEKQ_oYYogbprJAl8rdD4RKfkajreo/s1600/1649mikiemahtook.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mikie Mahtook</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE1N40bHJHGB00FaQMmATc3HMEKJf2dCYfSwG5JHOuwMcjWoCqJ6YX8kfOmG0B1OVoQgn7l1UXhD6sO5DibjoMW-Yqwm4kOXzL9AoLrsdTvBqb0wUZl7ZUz4U3F5-MgtlYcp9yvOBguCs/s1600/1650hankconger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE1N40bHJHGB00FaQMmATc3HMEKJf2dCYfSwG5JHOuwMcjWoCqJ6YX8kfOmG0B1OVoQgn7l1UXhD6sO5DibjoMW-Yqwm4kOXzL9AoLrsdTvBqb0wUZl7ZUz4U3F5-MgtlYcp9yvOBguCs/s1600/1650hankconger.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hank Conger</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Coming home with 13 new autographs is a pretty successful day, I must say.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It felt good to get some baseball autographs after spending most of the month of February getting soccer cards signed.</span></div>
Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752021286110760999noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591264709565647223.post-20531181070114370432016-02-25T21:23:00.001-05:002016-02-25T23:44:00.830-05:00My Last Soccer Post...For Now<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">When I first started this blog, it was just going to be about baseball and baseball cards. I had no other intentions for it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Even the name, 'Keys to the Batter's Box,' based on a common prank used on new <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="2e89f154-d381-404b-994e-19b863aac84f" id="a72dcc6a-b54e-4a8e-bec0-522452537d74"><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="ac60ccdb-6b1e-43a6-8c5e-807ce26fd4e7" id="e08d918f-e033-4403-b6fc-1d472debb5af">batboys</gs></gs>, signifies a baseball related website.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This blog is just over a year old. I don't pay attention to dates and just now noticed that I created this site on February 5, 2015. Sorry, no anniversary post for me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">That first post had a total of 18 views. My highest rated baseball related post, <a href="http://keystothebattersbox.blogspot.com/2016/01/meeting-mets.html" target="_blank">Meeting the Mets</a>, had 246 views. That was largely aided by comedian Jim Breuer RT'ing me about that post.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0e_qWtSRYcBwuRhKiHKE6hM9xOLYQhILm-k8s57zV9EYF-RQnP-Itu3EdhUXJh2M3R7D7GjKRuhxWeED_hnPbaGYpXUaj8KAI0QsCFSew_gBaN-VNJ-O-Xrur5zwJHYhO0nbDymgifyI/s1600/breuertweet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0e_qWtSRYcBwuRhKiHKE6hM9xOLYQhILm-k8s57zV9EYF-RQnP-Itu3EdhUXJh2M3R7D7GjKRuhxWeED_hnPbaGYpXUaj8KAI0QsCFSew_gBaN-VNJ-O-Xrur5zwJHYhO0nbDymgifyI/s640/breuertweet.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This month I started posting about soccer autographs, a new hobby that I picked up, thanks to me discovering that 6 Major League Soccer teams were having their pre-season near my home. I quickly started buying singles and team sets, hoping to get them signed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">My last post, <a href="http://keystothebattersbox.blogspot.com/2016/02/yeah-yeah-another-soccer-post.html" target="_blank">Yeah, Yeah, Another Soccer Post</a>, far outnumbered my Jim Breuer aided post. A week old and it's had 960 views. The lack of comments is a bit of a downer, but I'm just happy to have people visiting my site.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOxzSHl39vo2qrhtldGeYWm1aDyMQFC0XuWlUUSXmmFKEcrew37a_w_1L4Jv7Df65NDMuJ12oLY6JFBOAWqcZ2PaX5qqz1sebqjLU10MpZK98PxJJsnjzroZcdAVByAAkJc5ApQQPnKc8/s1600/960.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOxzSHl39vo2qrhtldGeYWm1aDyMQFC0XuWlUUSXmmFKEcrew37a_w_1L4Jv7Df65NDMuJ12oLY6JFBOAWqcZ2PaX5qqz1sebqjLU10MpZK98PxJJsnjzroZcdAVByAAkJc5ApQQPnKc8/s640/960.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I never even promoted that post. I just wrote it up and hit send. Didn't share it on any social networks.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Thanks to that post, the US, my home country, is no longer my biggest audience. The Ukraine now leads in that department.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLeuQnU32KniX8GyVXSCXM_Si6mq381cmwVIfkTGtOl-6-t7XEtOKWFTmho_hS-nuN3duzYR0R9Z1-HS581r0u_x0dojzenz1vi1FrboU8lv7dPTNMJ5-G1H9xhzRm2oxoRxl-qI3cYVg/s1600/ukraine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLeuQnU32KniX8GyVXSCXM_Si6mq381cmwVIfkTGtOl-6-t7XEtOKWFTmho_hS-nuN3duzYR0R9Z1-HS581r0u_x0dojzenz1vi1FrboU8lv7dPTNMJ5-G1H9xhzRm2oxoRxl-qI3cYVg/s1600/ukraine.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The MLS pre-season is wrapping up. The last matches for the teams training here are this weekend. My autograph collecting wrapped up when the 11 remaining cards I had were signed last night.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I ended up with 30 autographs from the 6 MLS teams this month.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAYcj9pCAww9o7vRlm55ITs0ag-faorEXTWSekyShrYfEBs7fuhtMf063tS5WRwzrbSLR3xrqrACR4TIYTIG568sLVZfR1uZGbhzXsjiOqluVwcFhMpJGYzK3uZ1OhjkbrUW3wEJisodg/s1600/soccer1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAYcj9pCAww9o7vRlm55ITs0ag-faorEXTWSekyShrYfEBs7fuhtMf063tS5WRwzrbSLR3xrqrACR4TIYTIG568sLVZfR1uZGbhzXsjiOqluVwcFhMpJGYzK3uZ1OhjkbrUW3wEJisodg/s640/soccer1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0rFZ8GTVnAB0h4u-rnN2llsl-f0owaycLLxG2Q1a0gLNkS-Zox57mBGBouz94cJmkoBvUJq4u-NrBmSmWIrpF7Z1JtnNtrVFBI9PtXkZ_DxPJPWnQrUAf965onct4LOcclYy5s2xlCN0/s1600/soccer2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0rFZ8GTVnAB0h4u-rnN2llsl-f0owaycLLxG2Q1a0gLNkS-Zox57mBGBouz94cJmkoBvUJq4u-NrBmSmWIrpF7Z1JtnNtrVFBI9PtXkZ_DxPJPWnQrUAf965onct4LOcclYy5s2xlCN0/s640/soccer2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC7hzSPz0sFOGt8qSzfmPMYev6VMY93iXaTl5YxSP48QdrcS1zdBhiEMg3tXF9iqGGCY0hu1wmYeljLYm-oCOmIKqCAzUDG0LJan_yI83pla8rORbs_6etUxyCqqq33A8Rffg8a6H66BQ/s1600/soccer3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC7hzSPz0sFOGt8qSzfmPMYev6VMY93iXaTl5YxSP48QdrcS1zdBhiEMg3tXF9iqGGCY0hu1wmYeljLYm-oCOmIKqCAzUDG0LJan_yI83pla8rORbs_6etUxyCqqq33A8Rffg8a6H66BQ/s640/soccer3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It will be back to baseball posts shortly. Actually, I've already gotten several baseball cards signed this spring. I just haven't shared them on here. I'll get started on baseball related posts this weekend. The Tampa Bay Rays are holding their annual fan <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="38fcd87e-bbfd-49b1-b5d0-7d6aed77bc34" id="7e98b552-3171-4c1e-ac08-0457502e5d93">fest</gs> on Saturday, so I'll hopefully have some autographs to share. Many former players will be in attendance signing autographs.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilbt-umjoVC-hPX5L06Rt7XVlwBmhx4LIab0f5LVxNz3vTHtjVDMEtsEskfrg7i7pbJ7Aks0oiWsEFkL0AWRIMCLlJsz5psyIhASGMg28vl9QppsgXNhHrfgGM3aY3GEVjE2J0hS2X1Mw/s1600/fanfest2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Rays fanfest alumni 2016" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilbt-umjoVC-hPX5L06Rt7XVlwBmhx4LIab0f5LVxNz3vTHtjVDMEtsEskfrg7i7pbJ7Aks0oiWsEFkL0AWRIMCLlJsz5psyIhASGMg28vl9QppsgXNhHrfgGM3aY3GEVjE2J0hS2X1Mw/s1600/fanfest2016.jpg" title="Rays fan fest alumni 2016" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sadly, these future posts will cause me to lose my Ukranian readers. At least I should gain some Americans, and maybe get a few comments, too.</span>Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752021286110760999noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591264709565647223.post-54249664766991128652016-02-18T22:20:00.000-05:002016-02-18T22:20:27.463-05:00Yeah, Yeah, Another Soccer Post<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I know in my previous post, I mentioned that I had bought a <a href="http://keystothebattersbox.blogspot.com/2016/02/day-2-of-soccer-autograph-collecting.html" target="_blank">2016 Topps Baseball Blaster</a> and that I'd post about that box. Well, it wasn't an exciting box. I did get a few Mets, which were nice, but as for the hits, I ended up getting rid of several of them before I even had a chance to scan them.</span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This concludes the baseball portion of this post. Soccer fans, you're going to love this, especially if you're a Chelsea fan.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, last night was the second day of the 2016 Suncoast Invitational, a pre-season tournament hosted by the Tampa Bay Rowdies, featuring six Major League Soccer teams.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLpYj42A6WIgpBoJQ92p_hKeLE6pXFJDAHYFrHakMAKKFWRG-cYssSKycW_xAsFaGk-m2LQSpd3fqBU_dQIwCk1xTLrfFD8diOJU6Is6dEvnil5wHngiXJqDzssSIGIvlNXFcGyxhS4bg/s1600/suncoastInvitational2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLpYj42A6WIgpBoJQ92p_hKeLE6pXFJDAHYFrHakMAKKFWRG-cYssSKycW_xAsFaGk-m2LQSpd3fqBU_dQIwCk1xTLrfFD8diOJU6Is6dEvnil5wHngiXJqDzssSIGIvlNXFcGyxhS4bg/s640/suncoastInvitational2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It was a double header that started at 4pm. The first game was between D.C. United v. Philadelphia Union. The match I was looking forward to was the nightcap, New York City FC v. Montreal Impact. Each of those clubs featured my 2 favorite soccer players, who also happened to play for my favorite team, Chelsea FC in the English Premier League.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">When I started actively following Chelsea 10 years ago, I was immediately drawn to Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard as my favorites on the team. While I love watching them on TV each week, I never dreamed that I'd see the club play in person. That still hasn't happened, but last night I was able to see Lampard and Drogba in person on opposing teams. Unfortunately, neither of them played, but it was still a thrill to see them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">If you know anything about me, then you'd know some scanned autographs are to be expected. I will not disappoint.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I got to meet Didier Drogba first as he arrived to the stadium. When I ordered a card of him to get signed, I made sure to find one of him in a Chelsea kit. When the card arrived, I had no idea that it would be in Japanese. It's also slightly smaller than a standard card. No big deal, I think it's a nice looking card, especially since it is now signed.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFVxq6wuOXjbRkCS4_i6U8YSp0Hh95gyZkT2f1VjiIJr1WAAO4_hNejg_Gsna19gZh1r7QEvJsrPIxOEEGQssMSh_21tgVyxW3SHfxPF1dLZ5UEhHRkr-uGQgREXS-yAonJmZwRyFLIEk/s1600/drogbaautograph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFVxq6wuOXjbRkCS4_i6U8YSp0Hh95gyZkT2f1VjiIJr1WAAO4_hNejg_Gsna19gZh1r7QEvJsrPIxOEEGQssMSh_21tgVyxW3SHfxPF1dLZ5UEhHRkr-uGQgREXS-yAonJmZwRyFLIEk/s640/drogbaautograph.jpg" width="430" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here's the back of the card.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWA-q8G4N7m0HbUoYZJeFZe4lUnOISvumQ8Bw5n6wX8wmSbomPdLuXioDI-Em6kNixNMAwFHMAL_pK9JQgjNbeKhfDs1OalzabUWZTqqgOajBVlJepbx1gK_R-8COOWI58rbmk_VDh3w0/s1600/drogbaback.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWA-q8G4N7m0HbUoYZJeFZe4lUnOISvumQ8Bw5n6wX8wmSbomPdLuXioDI-Em6kNixNMAwFHMAL_pK9JQgjNbeKhfDs1OalzabUWZTqqgOajBVlJepbx1gK_R-8COOWI58rbmk_VDh3w0/s640/drogbaback.jpg" width="432" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I have no idea what the serial code is for.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Unknowingly, a security guard captured the moment that I met Drogba with his cell phone. He told me he did it and then asked for my number so that he could text it to me.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlhOq4uGmrOkcE4tlM29llhV-DsQ5GF84h4t2F5zxPl8jrKGPmn_nqQBLXalVhXd7eW41G31BBZjrl2E4I2dvE49lXYWxKgtGyWMOpmCECNEHDtEFtHoU37YJQubQTcVela9HQvKegk2o/s1600/dananddidier02172016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlhOq4uGmrOkcE4tlM29llhV-DsQ5GF84h4t2F5zxPl8jrKGPmn_nqQBLXalVhXd7eW41G31BBZjrl2E4I2dvE49lXYWxKgtGyWMOpmCECNEHDtEFtHoU37YJQubQTcVela9HQvKegk2o/s640/dananddidier02172016.jpg" width="479" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Inside the stadium, I spotted Frank Lampard signing autographs for many fans. I managed to squeeze myself in a tight spot and get Frank's attention.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0HfjZ6BKeQVbNXuBjzR2D5VEaBo5Yho8k7Vih1iu8LiQE9LlsV5ptk8JQyOi2lb9W0UzVIC_v_2sjl1-6nOgZ27h9EQyZVHZjx3AUfPDKP_-27ydsQic0m0-2_sllL1pAExHBg9DWZPE/s1600/lampard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0HfjZ6BKeQVbNXuBjzR2D5VEaBo5Yho8k7Vih1iu8LiQE9LlsV5ptk8JQyOi2lb9W0UzVIC_v_2sjl1-6nOgZ27h9EQyZVHZjx3AUfPDKP_-27ydsQic0m0-2_sllL1pAExHBg9DWZPE/s640/lampard.jpg" width="448" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I have already updated my <a href="http://www.dailyautograph.com/" target="_blank">Daily Autograph</a> site, which these cards will not be posted until April of 2018.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjLjCSMDKgdN-iOPaPFnl67MXZomMikxpuPzuxDJGSvpBbcdmE1o4ExCBMAYeX6imaPIwVbS_HvbS8pyR6r5WkfpOoWEI3V8EE7Zj_sYHbmC6su5ouxdM24a2uvQKUbzF3LIwiaOWmjpk/s1600/drogbapreview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjLjCSMDKgdN-iOPaPFnl67MXZomMikxpuPzuxDJGSvpBbcdmE1o4ExCBMAYeX6imaPIwVbS_HvbS8pyR6r5WkfpOoWEI3V8EE7Zj_sYHbmC6su5ouxdM24a2uvQKUbzF3LIwiaOWmjpk/s400/drogbapreview.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjupgyY57Sv9toFwJaVGL6pGlucITeEraJZgsYvfb5N9zYqKCnx7ZDgZXrNKyPOj0zKKvC_TRYmw23vRoo9ygTfZv4aI1q710x6ACUkZoTwjWJWQk_ktLCUx6FgOHI8ZCLDYqumfnUgdJc/s1600/lampardpreview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjupgyY57Sv9toFwJaVGL6pGlucITeEraJZgsYvfb5N9zYqKCnx7ZDgZXrNKyPOj0zKKvC_TRYmw23vRoo9ygTfZv4aI1q710x6ACUkZoTwjWJWQk_ktLCUx6FgOHI8ZCLDYqumfnUgdJc/s400/lampardpreview.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I was amazed when I saw those preview pages. I never imagined that I would have the opportunity to have both of these Chelsea legends autographs in my collection.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">There's no way I could top this day. I joked last night to a fellow collector that I could retire from collecting after the success I just had. By the way, those weren't the only autographs I got last night, but I'll save those for my website<gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="0fca9551-adfb-4e79-bc90-253219d24ca7" id="c7978860-0af7-4554-b9ee-7a4022f3918a">...</gs>in April 2018.</span></div>
Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752021286110760999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591264709565647223.post-86446352496768959472016-02-09T20:16:00.000-05:002016-02-10T13:06:25.052-05:00Day 2 of Soccer Autograph Collecting<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">After <a href="http://keystothebattersbox.blogspot.com/2016/02/first-time-collecting-soccer-autographs.html" target="_blank">yesterday's successful day of collecting autographs from soccer players</a>, I decided to try my luck with a different team, Major League Soccer's Philadephia Union, who hold their spring training at the Joe DiMaggio Sports Complex in Clearwater, Florida.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I arrived at 9am to an empty field. I figured since the Rowdies started at 9 yesterday, other teams would, too. It was closer to 10 when a Philadelphia Union van pulled up and the driver and passenger started unloading the equipment and carrying it to the field.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Shortly after, a bus pulled up. It stopped right in front of me and I figured this is going to be easy, but as people began stepping off the bus, I wasn't recognizing any of them. They did all have USA emblems on their <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="40520554-716e-4d5e-8af8-79ce8ab0517b" id="543a84cf-4741-4e67-b138-e4dc005380ab"><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="d43e8d6e-66b9-4bdf-b8a8-789ea87861de" id="43b085a1-c513-48e9-b9bb-9c884d60388b">sweatsuits</gs></gs>, and they looked fairly young. I assumed that they must've been the US Men's U-17 team. Just to be sure, I asked one of the coaches, who confirmed my assumption.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Minutes later, vans full of <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="f02c7466-40d4-4833-ac92-eb72d6f96ce5" id="325d55ee-2525-4939-a5d2-b00e54657c36"><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="d020a564-8ac3-4215-bfb3-e104c8d56c17" id="acb0edf5-74f5-4253-9e2e-9b1c9e895dc5">Union</gs></gs> players and staff arrived.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I thought I was going to be getting autographs and watching a practice, instead, I got to watch a full game. Oh, and obtained some autographs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The head coach of the Union, Jim Curtin was the first one I got.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ky6wbEVPyikWVM2AcaVaDqDX9FWf5Ywzraur1XAc-gQ3OdkFsoMnsumnlEufe3i3XkVqVS4QxUn5T0NEeiUeOxSsvBINazu75WJhxUOqIJcdaY6frh0PGwXG-IiqI39msL0LU5JCcKc/s1600/jimcurtin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ky6wbEVPyikWVM2AcaVaDqDX9FWf5Ywzraur1XAc-gQ3OdkFsoMnsumnlEufe3i3XkVqVS4QxUn5T0NEeiUeOxSsvBINazu75WJhxUOqIJcdaY6frh0PGwXG-IiqI39msL0LU5JCcKc/s640/jimcurtin.jpg" width="449" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The next guy I got was interesting. A lot of Brazilian soccer players go by just one name, players such as Pelé, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, and Kaká. Today, I added to my collection, Fabinho.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn1c_KGZwQtCvIi1L9pa1unybo5_kAk219zp4qr9UUT6o4AosiZqgZTw7lxOqXL5yyPQ9IXmbVKq_yiaMUj7QesslWEvYECU_M1PSo1jY4_qgPb_KuXkpJ8W-bcIpMYVkHZ7Mb-GuwBcI/s1600/fabinho.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn1c_KGZwQtCvIi1L9pa1unybo5_kAk219zp4qr9UUT6o4AosiZqgZTw7lxOqXL5yyPQ9IXmbVKq_yiaMUj7QesslWEvYECU_M1PSo1jY4_qgPb_KuXkpJ8W-bcIpMYVkHZ7Mb-GuwBcI/s640/fabinho.jpg" width="448" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">He isn't my first single name autograph, though. Last summer, Mets prospect Amed Rosario signed a card for me with only his first name. Perhaps he's emulating the ways of the Brazilians.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFPCIh-QxZflwpASfA0nnUgQO0X95x2b3lVOqobv782Lf2LvaKhpS0DUDq5P1FyleHuqOPnOJhVTZVxK-QyzADgxC-CQdu7oh1VZXG1U8qpewhGiWdYC3HGVrnqY361EvFgMzibhijnVA/s1600/1420amedrosario.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFPCIh-QxZflwpASfA0nnUgQO0X95x2b3lVOqobv782Lf2LvaKhpS0DUDq5P1FyleHuqOPnOJhVTZVxK-QyzADgxC-CQdu7oh1VZXG1U8qpewhGiWdYC3HGVrnqY361EvFgMzibhijnVA/s640/1420amedrosario.jpg" width="452" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Former Los Angeles Galaxy player and current Union technical director/assistant coach signed this card for me.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR5WtoR-9yaM_CT1ALxmXGb8Y4AmBWHaAPnRAFNMGFmamOqtyN6PtMI_Tc5YWacAlB6SIpojAhu33uEIrU2Gu41astsfY-0CC0EobYCUulodaRUWraGymKEhPaxjkfA-XLVTyxLY509_Q/s1600/chrisalbright.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR5WtoR-9yaM_CT1ALxmXGb8Y4AmBWHaAPnRAFNMGFmamOqtyN6PtMI_Tc5YWacAlB6SIpojAhu33uEIrU2Gu41astsfY-0CC0EobYCUulodaRUWraGymKEhPaxjkfA-XLVTyxLY509_Q/s640/chrisalbright.jpg" width="450" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Had to wait for the game to end before I got the rest of these autographs.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Unintentionally, I got two of the Union's French players to sign back-to-back for me. Though, they were several minutes apart when I met them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">First was Vincent Noguiera.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigLrtJ_yKLm_QY5ov3GBcXgoYQhBZUQTIJS3L9uPdUoTP-Yj2lDzqSR0mS95tnGE-gFRtCkj7wzmvyluePoWPqt9qcNRJhlMeyDUrpL6Ss3hbfvv_353gzTvZ0uPhIqfO5_P4mtvy_8fc/s1600/vincentnoguiera.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigLrtJ_yKLm_QY5ov3GBcXgoYQhBZUQTIJS3L9uPdUoTP-Yj2lDzqSR0mS95tnGE-gFRtCkj7wzmvyluePoWPqt9qcNRJhlMeyDUrpL6Ss3hbfvv_353gzTvZ0uPhIqfO5_P4mtvy_8fc/s640/vincentnoguiera.jpg" width="450" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Next was </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sébastien </span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Le Toux, who had scored 2 goals, or a brace, for those who know their soccer lingo.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sébastien </span>asked if I wanted him to add my name to the card. I didn't want to say no and give him the idea that I was going to try and sell it, so I gladly told him my name. I don't mind <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="0dc035c5-7069-4eb3-b7b0-81c82f9f54e7" id="86d02440-0b5b-4ef5-b7f0-5be0fbff8457"><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="27c7cd5f-f54d-483c-9546-3f38675cc5ab" id="661c1d27-81e2-49ba-857a-65503df33c6a">personalizations</gs></gs>. I have no intention of ever getting rid of my collection.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6JOwrDyOPHhXNuEkAoyQh3YK9iR4LI6Z9LBj5UJLHznGqiFNFq44F0XRR-_ywC2YXNv4RBY0-m4PDvTda0VhXdAQ9UNGcJQHM1tR04lgiYHc7Bre1dszGXVV0jmM5kdA-4JINKnb4QRg/s1600/sebastienletoux.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6JOwrDyOPHhXNuEkAoyQh3YK9iR4LI6Z9LBj5UJLHznGqiFNFq44F0XRR-_ywC2YXNv4RBY0-m4PDvTda0VhXdAQ9UNGcJQHM1tR04lgiYHc7Bre1dszGXVV0jmM5kdA-4JINKnb4QRg/s640/sebastienletoux.jpg" width="450" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here's a pic of Le Toux scoring a penalty kick just past the diving goalkeeper.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVCCnYpasFUncBpLPBSMl-4C0_VOgGRhYqHVsvWM4povlTsJipDvl1nnNihsgHZCvnahB3AktKOngz1MG0aRbVg7w1UZxNq29JLo8P82rd_KgflkEC2gJfSl14w6FkbO3Y0qk6d6Cwkww/s1600/letouxpk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVCCnYpasFUncBpLPBSMl-4C0_VOgGRhYqHVsvWM4povlTsJipDvl1nnNihsgHZCvnahB3AktKOngz1MG0aRbVg7w1UZxNq29JLo8P82rd_KgflkEC2gJfSl14w6FkbO3Y0qk6d6Cwkww/s640/letouxpk.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The last autograph that I got was a huge highlight for me. I was hooked on the 1994 World Cup and loved rooting for the USA. One of my favorites from that squad was Earnie Stewart.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">He is now the sporting director of the Union.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'm happy that I was able to tell him that he's a big reason why I'm still such a fan of this sport. The autographed card from him was a big thrill.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib9JbQ6w-Qw-pqvOmBiExkbmYjMZZgN7La7ZnJZAS_xaXBAEyU9j9lpVCmlMWbDB_1x-CpOgSDQp6ElXxIugTKIrrXhrtWoEfcthaqV3SK0Ed_3foCUYL2ZlEmUk6tU6T1TisP8ZVxpmk/s1600/earniestewart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib9JbQ6w-Qw-pqvOmBiExkbmYjMZZgN7La7ZnJZAS_xaXBAEyU9j9lpVCmlMWbDB_1x-CpOgSDQp6ElXxIugTKIrrXhrtWoEfcthaqV3SK0Ed_3foCUYL2ZlEmUk6tU6T1TisP8ZVxpmk/s640/earniestewart.jpg" width="446" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I promise, it's not all going to be soccer talk on here. Look what I bought today after getting all those autographs.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgZiIp0UjMWUXewRG-fUc4eGJdMYtGmfdB_pnRC3k30CCV8ImgeohVMzasBdaLV2cwK0Gn_A5GyjKt-opUGBOaqQR4uc2kOhm2VJwhBJ0eJfYOfPsmilLEw1FIdxPFGSbDrvU5vC6UJVQ/s1600/toppsbox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgZiIp0UjMWUXewRG-fUc4eGJdMYtGmfdB_pnRC3k30CCV8ImgeohVMzasBdaLV2cwK0Gn_A5GyjKt-opUGBOaqQR4uc2kOhm2VJwhBJ0eJfYOfPsmilLEw1FIdxPFGSbDrvU5vC6UJVQ/s640/toppsbox.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'll post about those cards in a separate post. I wouldn't want to bore my new soccer readers.</span>Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752021286110760999noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591264709565647223.post-53929294165557378702016-02-08T18:21:00.000-05:002016-02-08T21:18:57.774-05:00First Time Collecting Soccer Autographs<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Today was the day that I decided to try a new experience. After a weekend of having my mailbox stuffed with arriving soccer cards, I decided to take some of those cards to the Tampa Bay Rowdies pre-season workout this morning.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I got to Al Lang Stadium around 8:15 this morning. As I was walking toward the stadium, I noticed several people that looked like players, walking from the parking lot and into the stadium. I couldn't believe how easy this was going to be. The players park in the same lot as everyone else. I hung out for a few minutes, hoping I'd at least recognize someone. An <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="5ac3518b-aeaa-4f55-8cf5-e07f2af134ea" id="3cf3b8b3-4ec2-49dc-895c-3db003fae12e"><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="a9ea44d2-4e18-4c33-b851-99644d6dd825" id="fadd39a1-a382-43af-8545-3502721b0d8f">SUV then</gs></gs> pulls in and I instantly recognized Freddy Adu behind the wheel. As Freddy is coming toward me, I approached him for an autograph. He said he was going to be late, and then asked what I wanted <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="68b5394a-e897-42b3-9f49-5f2c245ded03" id="a6a0fde0-bf06-4293-980d-6cc79d061883"><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="c1fd98ac-bf28-487c-8b13-546cea1cfa2f" id="f3e59c25-f462-4b45-a6d8-cd49ed6d1c48">signed</gs></gs>. I held out my card and pen and he said, "oh, just this. Okay." I guess he thought I was going to spring several items on him.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Unfortunately, my first soccer autograph did not live up to my expectations. I didn't prep the card, and it shows. It also got smeared upon him handing it back to me. Oh well, I'm still very happy that I was able to get it.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiipb9dZhd4hNm0wodLdtoStKVETKGuJsXDhzJWbzYDCgAsvAZ8Q-5Ai588PeAJEx1AJ-9WQZhMjgA5Mn6BZfWm5I3eO35ap3vhY-WnykM7toMI23S26C1edol10XwbIwhDLTFAW-1Ivrc/s1600/freddyadu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiipb9dZhd4hNm0wodLdtoStKVETKGuJsXDhzJWbzYDCgAsvAZ8Q-5Ai588PeAJEx1AJ-9WQZhMjgA5Mn6BZfWm5I3eO35ap3vhY-WnykM7toMI23S26C1edol10XwbIwhDLTFAW-1Ivrc/s640/freddyadu.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Freddy wasn't lying about being late as he seemed to be the last one to show up. I decided to walk around the outside of the stadium to see if I could see any players on the field. None were to be found, but I knew that the team has also been working out at the nearby college recreation field.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">After getting lost by walking about 4 blocks the wrong way, I backtracked and was able to find the field.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7rZ6v1kdtALUeRmnPbaHQrAaV6prQ7Xs31CuNTxU5M9IJ-i3TCiELHsiUomoPdwheSwhsu-Emgol40dZHQ3FJeW07GR942Tm1dj2RqOxtIDNvadIGbGDdHIYak_59PWC2vvoJCgZCFK4/s1600/rowdiesusfsp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7rZ6v1kdtALUeRmnPbaHQrAaV6prQ7Xs31CuNTxU5M9IJ-i3TCiELHsiUomoPdwheSwhsu-Emgol40dZHQ3FJeW07GR942Tm1dj2RqOxtIDNvadIGbGDdHIYak_59PWC2vvoJCgZCFK4/s640/rowdiesusfsp.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I was very happy to see that it appeared to be the entire squad working out. I soon started recognizing every player that I had a card of.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I hung out at the entrance of this field, which was on the opposite side of where I took the above picture.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As the morning workout was winding down, the coaches and staff were cleaning up and loading the van with their equipment.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Stuart Campbell, the head coach of the Rowdies, told me that when the players were finished, they'd come back to my area to change their shoes, but then they'd exit the field back on the other side<gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="3c444076-6660-40ec-9fb5-d558e8659c8f" id="b005f9fb-12a0-408c-97d1-41960c9c852f"><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="1663a9c5-92bf-4ae3-8a86-79961090e93e" id="f98a49ba-d7e0-4d07-a35f-05001c2c88f5">...</gs></gs>you know, right by where I took that picture. I had failed to notice that there was a gate on that side. He told me that I was welcome to go on the field to get the autographs that I needed. I declined, and headed back to where I was. As I'm getting ready to sit on a bench, I noticed a Barnes & <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="bf1e717f-7bb2-4ea1-8475-081865ca0464" id="4ac60965-a20f-4284-98ae-cb7361894896"><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="22fe220f-84b4-443f-a351-d1d5ff1921ea" id="4cd96849-d5c2-49ff-84ac-086ebdec8cb8">Noble store</gs></gs> across the street with outdoor tables and chairs. I crossed the street, propped my book on a table and pulled out each card so that I would have them ready.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_OJGVEufd2lWqnsfdoJOW4cHq1603Ekg69MiYdEgC-4k2WQv2tcHxV0pp9CcB2I5gvfJxwJvBG0GUgKoJzJW9xXmih_0e8gWdRb5sIV6ixM2Hiwe_POHUPHstQMcejansG0eMpMVards/s1600/bn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_OJGVEufd2lWqnsfdoJOW4cHq1603Ekg69MiYdEgC-4k2WQv2tcHxV0pp9CcB2I5gvfJxwJvBG0GUgKoJzJW9xXmih_0e8gWdRb5sIV6ixM2Hiwe_POHUPHstQMcejansG0eMpMVards/s640/bn.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Google Maps</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I was at the table directly in front of the park bench. A portion of the practice field can be seen to the right of the image.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Instead of being bussed between the stadium and the recreation field, the players all walk the short distance.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMrCSsyT799DlL5P3qs9zdG5c2PMcoxC-oiNlnYT47pGAjshLBMmfE9zJKVfbpy_xlrvx6K0luUxXh3fsjXAKwyjTn42UIdFCnindPR6YaXfH4gUZU_phAr96IGfIJDxX6NtViF7bU508/s1600/rowdieswalk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMrCSsyT799DlL5P3qs9zdG5c2PMcoxC-oiNlnYT47pGAjshLBMmfE9zJKVfbpy_xlrvx6K0luUxXh3fsjXAKwyjTn42UIdFCnindPR6YaXfH4gUZU_phAr96IGfIJDxX6NtViF7bU508/s640/rowdieswalk.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Google Maps</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sitting at the table was a great decision. It gave the players a solid surface to sign on.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I ended up getting all of the cards signed that I brought with me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The first player to approach the table was Michael Nanchoff. He was walking with Freddy Adu. I wondered if I had waited, if Adu's signature would have turned out better if he had signed it on a table.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Anyway, Michael was showing his card to fellow teammates, commenting on how old the card was. As he was signing it, he was struggling to remember what number he wore when he was with the Vancouver Whitecaps. It then came to him and he added it to his signature.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzo8EOFQEYQCWfaVHWrdi0Iq-Gozi0NtSzcjWLsxT6U_ULnztJzqZQT0enB8QonSAsciUQlg0NtAHuSw5_wJznqjd-Dl5wJUArlOnuouqT8uc-pQIwoYdHHWP3xz_RDxsRZ_7oQM91sDc/s1600/michaelnanchoff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzo8EOFQEYQCWfaVHWrdi0Iq-Gozi0NtSzcjWLsxT6U_ULnztJzqZQT0enB8QonSAsciUQlg0NtAHuSw5_wJznqjd-Dl5wJUArlOnuouqT8uc-pQIwoYdHHWP3xz_RDxsRZ_7oQM91sDc/s640/michaelnanchoff.jpg" width="450" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Tom Heinemann was next. He looked kind of shocked when I called for him. He was just signed by the Rowdies less than a month ago, so it was probably weird for him to be recognized.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDH-4kGoN4z89RJ7VLUN7CZmjaCp6ZZeHErDdRw0Ffq77pml976pBDf7mKPdVoZ74dAzEcqKqqu4WR6L8v_3An9wBbpo79SYpNjaKzKiulcL__xu9zS0LeYnIyGehN1yQomKht2AfWVVU/s1600/tomheinemann.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDH-4kGoN4z89RJ7VLUN7CZmjaCp6ZZeHErDdRw0Ffq77pml976pBDf7mKPdVoZ74dAzEcqKqqu4WR6L8v_3An9wBbpo79SYpNjaKzKiulcL__xu9zS0LeYnIyGehN1yQomKht2AfWVVU/s640/tomheinemann.jpg" width="452" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Several players were all walking together toward me, and 3 that I needed were all bunched together. I called for the closest one to me, Kalif Alhassan. He stops to sign, notices the 2 unsigned cards (Danny Mwanga and Matt Pickens) and says to the guys to stop and sign for me.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGg06om4kMeP-z3VH040hyxhGRksWRPhu-1BKHVUpy5PjrOjxPcmgY1C1nD5Iw4ozTH_TP3J-IIf4zpNMlM6gSxLP-WOoT0r1uxb4eeJGuXX8ox0vH-aJikweI4aDt3sbC4DlAuugdDfw/s1600/kalifalhassan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGg06om4kMeP-z3VH040hyxhGRksWRPhu-1BKHVUpy5PjrOjxPcmgY1C1nD5Iw4ozTH_TP3J-IIf4zpNMlM6gSxLP-WOoT0r1uxb4eeJGuXX8ox0vH-aJikweI4aDt3sbC4DlAuugdDfw/s640/kalifalhassan.jpg" width="450" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI5nIjDe_FnPQIUqUr4n5ELPnsAIhj6YtafEh7GdDzn4ERYfLLtRsHKpCylOzMU35JSfiSrxM3vKi-Od9bmQpsGl0AJ3EgMG2ZQM6yIu_oevWH2cOsJNojMyNSJGUSgIVoSwtUws-8N6o/s1600/dannymwanga.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI5nIjDe_FnPQIUqUr4n5ELPnsAIhj6YtafEh7GdDzn4ERYfLLtRsHKpCylOzMU35JSfiSrxM3vKi-Od9bmQpsGl0AJ3EgMG2ZQM6yIu_oevWH2cOsJNojMyNSJGUSgIVoSwtUws-8N6o/s640/dannymwanga.jpg" width="450" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBWa-gLRxAqo4TUVCwUOBbSq8tchRXaHXPAiXP9B57v68oTu3enNYoCEdQy7t2M3PVRdhyphenhyphenJcJ3AZmAY57mxyivPVK9vUZ6PMlu_QCZgKDbbSRpkTEd5K0r8ghaZJjfSm25iMCRf7LpMs0/s1600/mattpickens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBWa-gLRxAqo4TUVCwUOBbSq8tchRXaHXPAiXP9B57v68oTu3enNYoCEdQy7t2M3PVRdhyphenhyphenJcJ3AZmAY57mxyivPVK9vUZ6PMlu_QCZgKDbbSRpkTEd5K0r8ghaZJjfSm25iMCRf7LpMs0/s640/mattpickens.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It was a very successful day for me. The players were all extremely friendly.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'm not ready to give up on baseball autographs, but it was so refreshing getting autographs in a relaxed atmosphere.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Fun day, with hopefully more ahead. The plan is to go see the Philadelphia Union practice tomorrow in Clearwater.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Any more soccer talk and I may have to change the name of this blog to Keys to the Goalie's Box.</span>Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752021286110760999noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591264709565647223.post-26600389000671219022016-02-05T23:31:00.000-05:002016-02-05T23:31:24.530-05:00A New Hobby<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Before I became a baseball fan and baseball card collector, the sport I fell in love with <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="5c069948-83f0-48f3-9599-a17d2a011536" id="b5dca053-39b5-4e93-b03e-1ef88f45f184">first</gs> was soccer.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Tampa Bay Rowdies became a team in 1975, the year after I was born. They joined the NASL (North American Soccer League) and promptly won the Soccer Bowl in their first year of existence. While I have no memory of that inaugural season, I do remember my parents taking me to Rowdies games at Tampa Stadium when I was around 3 or 4. I got to see some great players in those days, including, arguably the greatest of all time, Pelé, when he played for the New York Cosmos.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The NASL folded in 1984, ironically, the same year that I started collecting baseball cards.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Soccer was no longer a part of my life until 1994, when the World Cup took place in North America. I was caught up in the hype and watched every match that was broadcast. From then on, I looked forward to every 4 years to watch the World Cup.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In 2006, after the conclusion of the World Cup in Germany, I discovered a cable TV network called FOX Sports World. On it, they aired live and tape delayed matches from the English Premier League. I was once again hooked on soccer, with Chelsea FC <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="37f81da3-6ec5-44e1-9f71-4dc151f23d1f" id="eb1a1992-66a2-42ed-b077-71aff0c6808b">becoming</gs> my favorite European team.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In 2010 the Rowdies came back, though, due to a licensing issue, they were called FC Tampa Bay. I went to their first game, held at the New York Yankees spring training stadium in Tampa that April.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In time for the start of the 2012 season, the Rowdies were officially allowed to use their name.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">As long as I've been a soccer fan, I never felt the need, nor really wanted to collect any cards. As far as I know, the NASL never had any licensed cards and the English Premier League cards were hard to find and very expensive.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">February is not only a time for spring training in baseball, but for soccer as well. The Philadelphia Phillies have their spring home in Clearwater, Florida. Major League Soccer's Philadelphia Union have followed, and make their spring home right across the street from the Phillies.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">If you're not bored already, let me get to why I decided to create this post.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Rowdies are hosting a spring tournament this month, featuring 6 MLS teams. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOqKha-x4uYtDym51fQwkAVgWZCYzrGirfeVxk5c7FPbZNFXKAJ3Nk9rTY6tCIa_qhNMTL0uEezw-9JHHIgS6tHkuXvoHQlC-vYFM3ngbk2Zmx2dw219fo-mhtaY6Qzaj0ZNAfWND14U4/s1600/suncoastInvitational.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOqKha-x4uYtDym51fQwkAVgWZCYzrGirfeVxk5c7FPbZNFXKAJ3Nk9rTY6tCIa_qhNMTL0uEezw-9JHHIgS6tHkuXvoHQlC-vYFM3ngbk2Zmx2dw219fo-mhtaY6Qzaj0ZNAfWND14U4/s640/suncoastInvitational.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Not only do I want to attend these games, but I also want to try and get some autographs. This week I<gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="840e45ad-6ba4-4128-92c1-a8f262388855" id="9f44a8b2-1ab7-4bc9-8205-0e6e4b529864">'ve been buying</gs> a lot of soccer cards from COMC, eBay and Amazon.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Several cards began arriving today.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">First, I went over the Rowdies roster and ordered cards of anyone that I was able to find a card of.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Perry Van Der Beck played with the Rowdies when I was a kid. He is now the Technical Director for the Rowdies.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfGBfAeGXEw7MdqSXz4XBbhlWAF1WpioKDLcMcmp2IIrh-aLMOGiCfoGiTGkpn7Sy8NvPgn-bBHvTAsuORU8_iHEFdx0vW_G6n-rTA53Th1SgeM2O9K6gaBR3lh_9_LQTOOxCH1yiXtgg/s1600/perryvanderbeck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfGBfAeGXEw7MdqSXz4XBbhlWAF1WpioKDLcMcmp2IIrh-aLMOGiCfoGiTGkpn7Sy8NvPgn-bBHvTAsuORU8_iHEFdx0vW_G6n-rTA53Th1SgeM2O9K6gaBR3lh_9_LQTOOxCH1yiXtgg/s400/perryvanderbeck.jpg" width="281" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here's cards of players that are currently on the Rowdies roster.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY3zZTs2GAxRouEnTpy0qVp9dUK4bTafSaMrc8Y9Bp2lIlnAYfZ8mjxrEL2d90OQjkqCNyqbPPrEjheqX8EIZdEGSs4-nxMfH7JMNkxEc5QtlB93bFicLrEmSYVAvodG6tT1ubRV0NbKY/s1600/freddyadu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY3zZTs2GAxRouEnTpy0qVp9dUK4bTafSaMrc8Y9Bp2lIlnAYfZ8mjxrEL2d90OQjkqCNyqbPPrEjheqX8EIZdEGSs4-nxMfH7JMNkxEc5QtlB93bFicLrEmSYVAvodG6tT1ubRV0NbKY/s320/freddyadu.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Freddy Adu</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjygSVs8xnIAWxfJLTfxQoEMo3C3xx2m2_Cn8KahqqZHopH4S65fqIyW2-pek6JPJd2cwznGwSt80v1VFvmjI5fHdzytpFuEuzQpmYMg0CAAKAKU38QC7fA_tP7K2ZDe5Ht1qn5HNeuKZg/s1600/mattpickens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjygSVs8xnIAWxfJLTfxQoEMo3C3xx2m2_Cn8KahqqZHopH4S65fqIyW2-pek6JPJd2cwznGwSt80v1VFvmjI5fHdzytpFuEuzQpmYMg0CAAKAKU38QC7fA_tP7K2ZDe5Ht1qn5HNeuKZg/s320/mattpickens.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Matt Pickens</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA91btDFVEWnDcM-3wiINoK-kNsQuYeOEau29BhfoO81SE5AFfBQHOAma-znd9TLqCAp3ZQW_swKyl5FW2sJfcsVzJYrvWMhtkbD5rLfWp6vdDicslxePcVOWKX-y_N1E_EmI8uMwufEw/s1600/kalifalhassan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA91btDFVEWnDcM-3wiINoK-kNsQuYeOEau29BhfoO81SE5AFfBQHOAma-znd9TLqCAp3ZQW_swKyl5FW2sJfcsVzJYrvWMhtkbD5rLfWp6vdDicslxePcVOWKX-y_N1E_EmI8uMwufEw/s320/kalifalhassan.jpg" width="227" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kalif Alhassan</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEw2NewIGF5rN_G1Es2zklG2d7i2E7o1dWXUcimlaXUeQhO0gQbzv9JxN_BhMqz2U5CSnYa2OT2K4wAk_q9PfBh-rKn-cPyZ3zZoX4g1dJ6LTKOXa9PaitaY0ns5yI5_w2jBmr3MIsaj0/s1600/michaelnanchoff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEw2NewIGF5rN_G1Es2zklG2d7i2E7o1dWXUcimlaXUeQhO0gQbzv9JxN_BhMqz2U5CSnYa2OT2K4wAk_q9PfBh-rKn-cPyZ3zZoX4g1dJ6LTKOXa9PaitaY0ns5yI5_w2jBmr3MIsaj0/s320/michaelnanchoff.jpg" width="224" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michael Nanchoff</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfT300XqJHJyPUvokpWjhoP9r9yIkI8jjE09v-SiCsasYV3PmUp0Gj8qk169FlR2kf6Mb4CBI1NorJewZ0Xaz8O3DLdoCtutHQoqei4u5AsEYVazK_wFqvtFwEBbj_STguEj41D6uqgqk/s1600/tomheinemann.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfT300XqJHJyPUvokpWjhoP9r9yIkI8jjE09v-SiCsasYV3PmUp0Gj8qk169FlR2kf6Mb4CBI1NorJewZ0Xaz8O3DLdoCtutHQoqei4u5AsEYVazK_wFqvtFwEBbj_STguEj41D6uqgqk/s320/tomheinemann.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tom Heinemann</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJQghMPz8bAjEBmQ-44YJnnoMiKtq_UTf4TN_ozFWVcYh1Su3KmhnOl68J6FKYxRFMptIjCqzqB3x_hY_VYndTJhpZjl6myPmq_1zTzTxMzw_8e8ZNQMPPl-3qDkcMgJM0NnBavBnEsQE/s1600/dannymwanga.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJQghMPz8bAjEBmQ-44YJnnoMiKtq_UTf4TN_ozFWVcYh1Su3KmhnOl68J6FKYxRFMptIjCqzqB3x_hY_VYndTJhpZjl6myPmq_1zTzTxMzw_8e8ZNQMPPl-3qDkcMgJM0NnBavBnEsQE/s320/dannymwanga.jpg" width="227" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Danny Mwanga</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This tournament features my favorite player who used to play for Chelsea.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Frank Lampard is Chelsea's all-time leading goal scorer with 211 goals. He now plays for New York City FC, but I just had to find a card of him in his Chelsea kit.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTnPLipDQSYFF8_VGWsfTrshvC_WFFXY-Qzw8LM2pB1Y4gbFZJCcKY7YhV0QfKh5DWDhy8o_3vawQCrL0egL9nWP_5NS9v2e9KVV4VjkMu-Ra9zofEgfkSPRv74BpuLwxKV7EziroQ5H0/s1600/franklampard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTnPLipDQSYFF8_VGWsfTrshvC_WFFXY-Qzw8LM2pB1Y4gbFZJCcKY7YhV0QfKh5DWDhy8o_3vawQCrL0egL9nWP_5NS9v2e9KVV4VjkMu-Ra9zofEgfkSPRv74BpuLwxKV7EziroQ5H0/s640/franklampard.jpg" width="456" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="efe1f208-0804-4a74-a126-93dd883e5119" id="09da59a6-7e2f-4041-a60f-b302e22495b3">Since the Philadelphia</gs> Union will be <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="efe1f208-0804-4a74-a126-93dd883e5119" id="c5b5fc0f-6d4c-4a9e-94f4-dd2363ba0545">training</gs> so close to my home, I decided to buy a 2015 team set.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfXTEvMVJB4RDR8ysVD2D1-e3Zpvsa2WverA-0Gi9FTekotGRd0W3jFvksaGWfZ8k3s6jK5RCvlTdZ1HZ690J3CkDreK0-h6SuIZmc7nTtDyZflYMk0ZCe7-tROnOVVKgKyYL4sofnBm4/s1600/union.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfXTEvMVJB4RDR8ysVD2D1-e3Zpvsa2WverA-0Gi9FTekotGRd0W3jFvksaGWfZ8k3s6jK5RCvlTdZ1HZ690J3CkDreK0-h6SuIZmc7nTtDyZflYMk0ZCe7-tROnOVVKgKyYL4sofnBm4/s640/union.jpg" width="506" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Only 4 players from that set are no longer with the team.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I also bought cards of the Union's coaching staff.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqv-78MXveRzS5QD4_MiNYzPEizcaC_u7rwUdTK0KVG79W5bmawVDEwtkDiMgdKuHuaWrAyh9EkBEvBjW133Gu3JU_5AK-YKcr_Na9FX0ih8cf9dtzhAmboon5J2HdME1PZPJdeFhYjYE/s1600/chrisalbright.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqv-78MXveRzS5QD4_MiNYzPEizcaC_u7rwUdTK0KVG79W5bmawVDEwtkDiMgdKuHuaWrAyh9EkBEvBjW133Gu3JU_5AK-YKcr_Na9FX0ih8cf9dtzhAmboon5J2HdME1PZPJdeFhYjYE/s320/chrisalbright.jpg" width="224" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chris Albright</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPco6B_38hQqyiPcjNKGfqOfKZ6xMczDdzHNK7hiIF-yTmH-X8OLspOKuPdIG8mYwsfi6e_h95-jcktSsOPEC5N3y-Pakt-PQsLhxI7So7Xk7YCZV8dNwcLXZIf0vJ48_9GrR_xgfh9EA/s1600/jimcurtin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPco6B_38hQqyiPcjNKGfqOfKZ6xMczDdzHNK7hiIF-yTmH-X8OLspOKuPdIG8mYwsfi6e_h95-jcktSsOPEC5N3y-Pakt-PQsLhxI7So7Xk7YCZV8dNwcLXZIf0vJ48_9GrR_xgfh9EA/s320/jimcurtin.jpg" width="224" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jim Curtin</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiofs9A5We83eUHkhuCXv9fTqgPqUedj-mSwtFlsvPc_jCZgBPXI_CPy_uuBrHKaww3p2DTaDzQsM4wqwTNkfxjuBNlsHN3BlotibU8dHHMvikPISnmBTuByfXk5l2QGC0dk3ot4777tPI/s1600/mikesorber.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiofs9A5We83eUHkhuCXv9fTqgPqUedj-mSwtFlsvPc_jCZgBPXI_CPy_uuBrHKaww3p2DTaDzQsM4wqwTNkfxjuBNlsHN3BlotibU8dHHMvikPISnmBTuByfXk5l2QGC0dk3ot4777tPI/s320/mikesorber.jpg" width="224" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mike Sorber<br /><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Also picked up a card of the Union's Sporting Director, Earnie Stewart. I remember watching him play for the USA in the World Cup in 1994.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi6t3v2AtKJhp3ecT7OFja2VgEeVxIuXfMi3a6V6BhBra8Wq5mdy2B6LivOMsIq6JlSC-Kl-l3VHNyWrQFclooCL7R9_1m17S46asN4bHd9Zy6Cr_9R0hyphenhyphenkUmquawyR7FiDmdyzMuTJtQ/s1600/earniestewart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi6t3v2AtKJhp3ecT7OFja2VgEeVxIuXfMi3a6V6BhBra8Wq5mdy2B6LivOMsIq6JlSC-Kl-l3VHNyWrQFclooCL7R9_1m17S46asN4bHd9Zy6Cr_9R0hyphenhyphenkUmquawyR7FiDmdyzMuTJtQ/s640/earniestewart.jpg" width="444" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I ordered a 2014 and 2015 team set of the New York Red Bulls.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Only the 2014 set has arrived thus far.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdLlEf_PHvEqyWBBfYV6y-uzJSi65_V_lNEvNyLXO338rV348nfqgHzRpitUPwGdGdSxJ02rQsgdMd6MEV8vEk_iTMjPEqzjGMHYSRF-ym7yBdyQZiHcL3ZPoXjd04-qIhVYm8nPFAihk/s1600/2014redbulls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdLlEf_PHvEqyWBBfYV6y-uzJSi65_V_lNEvNyLXO338rV348nfqgHzRpitUPwGdGdSxJ02rQsgdMd6MEV8vEk_iTMjPEqzjGMHYSRF-ym7yBdyQZiHcL3ZPoXjd04-qIhVYm8nPFAihk/s400/2014redbulls.jpg" width="232" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Inside that set was a card of Claudio Reyna, a former US player and current NYC FC Sporting Director.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyCJ0RrUkzqZZTMumx3V1-VbS6_G56E7dKgfuANBmenybnsdn8pJbku7dpE-7i6yx1qFPJHssEsC2JtwZj42jRWCNyRDJwc8EBIdnUEv2Bg20toOZlHaUJCND2gbfjAezW-EY8stjx_Ew/s1600/claudioreyna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyCJ0RrUkzqZZTMumx3V1-VbS6_G56E7dKgfuANBmenybnsdn8pJbku7dpE-7i6yx1qFPJHssEsC2JtwZj42jRWCNyRDJwc8EBIdnUEv2Bg20toOZlHaUJCND2gbfjAezW-EY8stjx_Ew/s640/claudioreyna.jpg" width="452" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I didn't know he'd be included in this set, because I had already ordered one elsewhere. Well, now I'll have 2 once the second card arrives. Luckily, I ordered myself a different card.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'm looking forward to getting some of these cards signed. It's going to be all new to me, and I really have no idea what to expect, but hopefully I'll figure out the right places to stand and get a chance to meet most of these guys.</span>Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752021286110760999noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591264709565647223.post-39562405134507917892016-02-04T19:17:00.000-05:002016-02-04T19:17:04.460-05:002016 Topps Jumbo Pack<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I bought my first pack of 2016 Topps today. I was able to find jumbo packs available at Target.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAZrZmkMENwnR6NX1yWvfwJS5tSND60-qqhxtLYMaUPao0i3S9GTssqqCnPUDbn9DpnJX0vEpfyktBIQ1lY5Xe4yipBtPntvaMm6n6zV3MxYkP9hSW3564UeeYAuASFHgvmgNGi6ZsClU/s1600/IMG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAZrZmkMENwnR6NX1yWvfwJS5tSND60-qqhxtLYMaUPao0i3S9GTssqqCnPUDbn9DpnJX0vEpfyktBIQ1lY5Xe4yipBtPntvaMm6n6zV3MxYkP9hSW3564UeeYAuASFHgvmgNGi6ZsClU/s640/IMG.jpg" width="282" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">To me, it was just an average pack. Nothing really stood out. I really like the look of the cards this year. Borderless is a great choice.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My lone Met was Future Star/Topps All Star Rookie, Noah Syndergaard.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqBLUzbttMBuarOyTxPs4S1dCpon6qAhJYZEs-5mx8hDATaT_9qMv0QbxdUPHn3skfy-C1fAQYqxm_wpvXLWAxXX-mG9YXHgrPE-99V47ug2_8UjS1ROP_sFE6uIsOPJ7CZZT_nlMykQ8/s1600/2016noah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqBLUzbttMBuarOyTxPs4S1dCpon6qAhJYZEs-5mx8hDATaT_9qMv0QbxdUPHn3skfy-C1fAQYqxm_wpvXLWAxXX-mG9YXHgrPE-99V47ug2_8UjS1ROP_sFE6uIsOPJ7CZZT_nlMykQ8/s400/2016noah.jpg" width="283" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A few other highlights from this pack include:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A gold parallel of Chris Sale (0114/2016).</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu0FEaM5IxUkavkIn6dtw0H05hFPH7IPbP8kd12hd3B_EsEF3MCuWXBE3657daqNdAqs1KbHJTGQd2FkMhMS0Zxwm5VnAkzFYWwsmhkTCt3wjJGrnxl5DPwGFJhrdYdjnzmnRqVUytu_0/s1600/2016sale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu0FEaM5IxUkavkIn6dtw0H05hFPH7IPbP8kd12hd3B_EsEF3MCuWXBE3657daqNdAqs1KbHJTGQd2FkMhMS0Zxwm5VnAkzFYWwsmhkTCt3wjJGrnxl5DPwGFJhrdYdjnzmnRqVUytu_0/s400/2016sale.jpg" width="282" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Rainbow foil rookie card of Zack Godley.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirWFPfNl4DuJuCV4ISq7ki8vJiN_aM2XUjZrmQne63udF8M3H4x4K17TDJLGHW-IRA0-GcooZxlVfZI21BfB_YVCgvOaknFauWqrxB3jsPGiwgaCzAjX__PqI6rmV7zsUT64EzJdZu3kY/s1600/IMG_0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirWFPfNl4DuJuCV4ISq7ki8vJiN_aM2XUjZrmQne63udF8M3H4x4K17TDJLGHW-IRA0-GcooZxlVfZI21BfB_YVCgvOaknFauWqrxB3jsPGiwgaCzAjX__PqI6rmV7zsUT64EzJdZu3kY/s400/IMG_0002.jpg" width="281" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Wade Boggs <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="4c9c8859-c5af-4671-9c4a-83db861a6cc2" id="14605627-9099-444e-ba12-9a58be4aa832">shown</gs> pitching on a baseball card.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ16Ppt7Wd6QiHtYwMybaHS2Sn7loeNiSjAG0TOfbkHOpKp8DkSzPF17kl8Yf4ucz9tBbXQZz_0T-eb7w4yIwWRUqqLDirRA1KGHI7O1OXz8ajkxoyH2Clm1caS29gMhDkzZxHmowZhnw/s1600/2016boggs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ16Ppt7Wd6QiHtYwMybaHS2Sn7loeNiSjAG0TOfbkHOpKp8DkSzPF17kl8Yf4ucz9tBbXQZz_0T-eb7w4yIwWRUqqLDirRA1KGHI7O1OXz8ajkxoyH2Clm1caS29gMhDkzZxHmowZhnw/s640/2016boggs.jpg" width="452" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A card highlighting Jacoby Ellsbury's MLB debut.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR6rzvcnihilqwe6Yi6AZScgF2pWcz_bZ1A1TR9fW3d9GbKSAV1ZAfC1QQ2NYKnvfiHZINLKycmMlZvcNfMmMEz-CyUh9WSdSmpSWelII-m0dXu5L_C_2KLg_i-zxcrroR8RIU0ifkdKk/s1600/2016ellsbury.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR6rzvcnihilqwe6Yi6AZScgF2pWcz_bZ1A1TR9fW3d9GbKSAV1ZAfC1QQ2NYKnvfiHZINLKycmMlZvcNfMmMEz-CyUh9WSdSmpSWelII-m0dXu5L_C_2KLg_i-zxcrroR8RIU0ifkdKk/s640/2016ellsbury.jpg" width="456" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I really like this Perspectives card of Jhonny Peralta. I wish all the base cards looked like this.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3_csPydQSEPWiZR8nNgwDfzzilj7c7TdtRlZAwa-B2P2iz8lhQQDtYAmTAu5OGhS1xcXCLPYei8HrtKGCu-lpIxci1QIl2xLewOqkQszPfcsZ2osp8dHBDQJ6ObTtu7BRKVayWrGqnQA/s1600/2016peralta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3_csPydQSEPWiZR8nNgwDfzzilj7c7TdtRlZAwa-B2P2iz8lhQQDtYAmTAu5OGhS1xcXCLPYei8HrtKGCu-lpIxci1QIl2xLewOqkQszPfcsZ2osp8dHBDQJ6ObTtu7BRKVayWrGqnQA/s640/2016peralta.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Major League Baseball is getting their own version of Wacky Packages this year. This sticker card was in my pack, I guess as promotional material.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I used to buy Wacky Packages when I was a kid. Some made me laugh. I can't see myself buying these baseball ones when they come out in March.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4-C05vEbtdkXDTkfLcqPWo2emI5ihdeGE_5fsInr4AzT5ylyXE_dnzqZ664s-U5EHRtoMLCoTV2xJPGMJLs2YavbqwF5EV-L6Qw9hjBB_dO9KaCv_zRJI0oBEttqxD6eWlZsdxUhJk7o/s1600/IMG_0004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4-C05vEbtdkXDTkfLcqPWo2emI5ihdeGE_5fsInr4AzT5ylyXE_dnzqZ664s-U5EHRtoMLCoTV2xJPGMJLs2YavbqwF5EV-L6Qw9hjBB_dO9KaCv_zRJI0oBEttqxD6eWlZsdxUhJk7o/s320/IMG_0004.jpg" width="225" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS5a8JK6Jp1Blsm1PZyKZ7-qRKJjL-losnhyHwW6-6bLaAFnTqA6JXFEbo-CAdDF0PE4CEvuC-Ar9aNm6NyQR0fbhh2wmvlpJnlJnV8BzPiMSP-VeLoUQpTKs7KNhqBI_RLW9Y4aMk9Xs/s1600/2016royals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS5a8JK6Jp1Blsm1PZyKZ7-qRKJjL-losnhyHwW6-6bLaAFnTqA6JXFEbo-CAdDF0PE4CEvuC-Ar9aNm6NyQR0fbhh2wmvlpJnlJnV8BzPiMSP-VeLoUQpTKs7KNhqBI_RLW9Y4aMk9Xs/s320/2016royals.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I look forward to buying more of these 2016 Topps cards, and of course, getting some signed this year.</span></div>
Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752021286110760999noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591264709565647223.post-30040741979487168212016-01-30T04:33:00.000-05:002016-01-30T04:33:48.685-05:00Meeting the Mets<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Today I went on a 3 hour+ road trip with my brother and nephew to see the Mets fantasy camp at Tradition Field in Port Saint Lucie, Florida.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It was my first time visiting the stadium and I had such a great time, plus, I did really well with getting autographs.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The players and the staff were all incredibly nice. Just about every player took the time not only to <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="3b219888-e8a3-485c-8759-6973ae4165a7" id="eae0d14a-6c8a-4494-a3a3-221d53188162">sign</gs>, but also to have a conversation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">As a lifelong Mets fan, it was a huge thrill for me to see Mets players that I grew up watching, as well as players who played prior to me becoming a fan, including those who played on the Mets' first World Series championship team in 1969.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">There were Mets players from all decades of their existence.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The first player that I met was Felix Millan, who played his final season with the Mets when I was only 3-years-old. I didn't become a Mets fan until I was 8, when my dad took me to Shea Stadium in 1982.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmD8B2GYipTHCpVTVPgqn0EtfgBGjBKkBm3jis5-9mNtUHLwDUiCG3IEODx4ivxUEm0h0WnFjdFtYHt8fQ9si6FhCROG-F2cSZZAerPf5MPY7zqoIFieH4Jv61tlPe705i4CqjnJhB6A4/s1600/IMG_0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmD8B2GYipTHCpVTVPgqn0EtfgBGjBKkBm3jis5-9mNtUHLwDUiCG3IEODx4ivxUEm0h0WnFjdFtYHt8fQ9si6FhCROG-F2cSZZAerPf5MPY7zqoIFieH4Jv61tlPe705i4CqjnJhB6A4/s400/IMG_0001.jpg" width="281" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Next up was Lance Johnson, who had a solid season and a half with the Mets in the mid-90's.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidp-vADeWfIYs2DZxrznj5siLICSs6JGCc1DVokQkqepQT8rdUJyOte9Mpk7LbyQ3UkPo1hoWO4uCnv0T8qUOuoqOdrfcsj_dS25ZTcfStU3JhbO-blvJJP9jr7Y6zxQIobR7HIbQpPoI/s1600/IMG_0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidp-vADeWfIYs2DZxrznj5siLICSs6JGCc1DVokQkqepQT8rdUJyOte9Mpk7LbyQ3UkPo1hoWO4uCnv0T8qUOuoqOdrfcsj_dS25ZTcfStU3JhbO-blvJJP9jr7Y6zxQIobR7HIbQpPoI/s400/IMG_0002.jpg" width="272" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I love that he added his nickname, "1 Dog" along with his signature.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">When I met Pat Zachry, he told me that he wanted to make sure that he was holding the card right, so that I'd get a legible autograph. I told him that he must've done this thousands of times. He replied, "it never gets old," which I really appreciated him saying.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjty4JXZFY5V-Sc3gBe4Q7zf8l6dwakqtcjf7x2lUw1WDadOAc8S6gQ-OEf8WcaAb6AZE17O5TAPmVAt_PWTix0Mq4RwXo-reQRzBjlHWVke1b0o5cAoquji99nogI-LHbI4m1i5S_2IcU/s1600/IMG_0004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjty4JXZFY5V-Sc3gBe4Q7zf8l6dwakqtcjf7x2lUw1WDadOAc8S6gQ-OEf8WcaAb6AZE17O5TAPmVAt_PWTix0Mq4RwXo-reQRzBjlHWVke1b0o5cAoquji99nogI-LHbI4m1i5S_2IcU/s400/IMG_0004.jpg" width="280" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">One of my favorite Mets, simply because of his name, Butch Huskey.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlVYVmEP-U9AYYyr2J7jUllRkslE7I5SxifQzKcRIUs6kprPb8pWCK-fmAHY3lDN6EL09DauL1oBCyyOCg90DfNTbB1ZDDr2ujHH_EQ0uWF_jZoGMbLjwrKlLJo7etI-DNsYXTGpFAfBo/s1600/IMG_0005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlVYVmEP-U9AYYyr2J7jUllRkslE7I5SxifQzKcRIUs6kprPb8pWCK-fmAHY3lDN6EL09DauL1oBCyyOCg90DfNTbB1ZDDr2ujHH_EQ0uWF_jZoGMbLjwrKlLJo7etI-DNsYXTGpFAfBo/s400/IMG_0005.jpg" width="280" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My next card that I got signed, I believe, is my first autographed oddball card. I'm not even sure how I ever obtained this card, but I'm happy I had it, as it was the only card I had of him.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here is Ron Swoboda animated, making his infamous catch in the 1969 World Series.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUNo9_OOGrJnagCxo0BkCR0VdJ7_DXknW0Lx0t568lQ39mftPC4naoAPFjqpK4zU0wWxVYIAdXmV327LE0gWZXbEW503wNDrIOWIaYGP6VgdAgZhrHLrf3vxPb8rwHT36t9V02LsE0C7g/s1600/IMG_0006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUNo9_OOGrJnagCxo0BkCR0VdJ7_DXknW0Lx0t568lQ39mftPC4naoAPFjqpK4zU0wWxVYIAdXmV327LE0gWZXbEW503wNDrIOWIaYGP6VgdAgZhrHLrf3vxPb8rwHT36t9V02LsE0C7g/s400/IMG_0006.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuLbOSb5OZqlC2Ns1Irp9PfbR64tQed3dHZpQNYbTRolWA_Hx__17zrsfZgEWGxQrjorjGxKj40PwxD1NF3M9YwbWjTrGUxYaS4fIlf4DjvE7H5BbsHkjB3P4rbZ_Hl034MUX7qjEL4io/s1600/IMG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuLbOSb5OZqlC2Ns1Irp9PfbR64tQed3dHZpQNYbTRolWA_Hx__17zrsfZgEWGxQrjorjGxKj40PwxD1NF3M9YwbWjTrGUxYaS4fIlf4DjvE7H5BbsHkjB3P4rbZ_Hl034MUX7qjEL4io/s400/IMG.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Breaking up the autograph collecting, I was able to get a picture with comedian/actor Jim Breuer, who was participating in the camp as a player.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBoEUme2UiVB5cmn_RyhlKzT5kaAclQhT649dnqZ-oeY6hUuwX15XYgJO7a7_hyoH4A-jyRdnYO-Kmknj54GZqOFU0byXY11foBS7p8ujBibfBBiUC2kMett7m5nQK69HXvrJSucePv-4/s1600/jimbreueranddan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBoEUme2UiVB5cmn_RyhlKzT5kaAclQhT649dnqZ-oeY6hUuwX15XYgJO7a7_hyoH4A-jyRdnYO-Kmknj54GZqOFU0byXY11foBS7p8ujBibfBBiUC2kMett7m5nQK69HXvrJSucePv-4/s400/jimbreueranddan.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">After discovering that the original picture that my brother took of Jim and me was too dark, I approached him a second time. Jim was cool about it, grabbed the phone from my brother and insisted on a selfie.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My nephew wanted in on the action, so Jim took one with him as well, which my brother promptly photobombed.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhryK5xGQdHYJEazl4ex1hkqEHEmbAafy6qiQKkyIkjMmirc38_fbXiMsRKyMneDBl78BYCi8ZYkHgQ-KUlxz11U1tZJ-OhHchZ8x8qtevQglS5wU9IJuE_hxpW8NeAfFOqNr_70bWMrgs/s1600/jimbreuerand+brian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhryK5xGQdHYJEazl4ex1hkqEHEmbAafy6qiQKkyIkjMmirc38_fbXiMsRKyMneDBl78BYCi8ZYkHgQ-KUlxz11U1tZJ-OhHchZ8x8qtevQglS5wU9IJuE_hxpW8NeAfFOqNr_70bWMrgs/s400/jimbreuerand+brian.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Jim spent several minutes with us. Turns out that he's from the same part of Florida that my brother and I grew up in. I told him that I'd like to print out the picture that we took and have him sign it the next time he's in the Tampa Bay area doing comedy. Off the top of his head, he knew the exact date and venue, and then offered us free tickets. He asked for our contact info, so hopefully he'll come through for us.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Back to the autographs, it was a big thrill for me to get a Met who played on the inaugural team in 1962. Unfortunately, I didn't have an original card, but I'm pleased with the archive card of Joe Pignatano.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn9PZp8qhYoBL6u-9CqoztRsBJr5GvsukTts1QFKXOX55yjCSSCW6TxLNPtLM0pA0L8YX3jYV7oaY0_RUak5j7Ptv2ttWEaoSAbiMDqJxzI0MTipEMMEe7mBwN57CJgSQJbOGgViTNGak/s1600/IMG_0007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn9PZp8qhYoBL6u-9CqoztRsBJr5GvsukTts1QFKXOX55yjCSSCW6TxLNPtLM0pA0L8YX3jYV7oaY0_RUak5j7Ptv2ttWEaoSAbiMDqJxzI0MTipEMMEe7mBwN57CJgSQJbOGgViTNGak/s400/IMG_0007.jpg" width="283" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A player that I constantly rooted for during his MLB record 27 consecutive game losing streak, was Anthony Young. It was a miserable time to be a Mets fan, but you couldn't help but feel bad for him.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO2urpF2a7_mmXcCrvlOzmVmC14xY7uTqkC2sn4wDcC2qcT0udc4tD9IzYhR-a-BgXXNBH4dmJUkhYdKAXkLNeGLnu0RmL8OV3PAMvrsJl4xn62gHpOVS0u82PaBM7citG9QU9uS6qPJI/s1600/IMG_0008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO2urpF2a7_mmXcCrvlOzmVmC14xY7uTqkC2sn4wDcC2qcT0udc4tD9IzYhR-a-BgXXNBH4dmJUkhYdKAXkLNeGLnu0RmL8OV3PAMvrsJl4xn62gHpOVS0u82PaBM7citG9QU9uS6qPJI/s400/IMG_0008.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It was cool to finally meet Turk Wendell, a player probably more known for his superstitions than his playing abilities.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8tltUQWZOxr5L7O_O9MHqywvZF-ewLLzDeo35X68R5DFaSp2g6ZK2xp1sQoEDVgqhjNUf4g5Do_svpJtFe76Yoggi3RQlKlHnEW3HEPzXl5UPTlaYAeGGIcVu7eIXuPbyf9XFQBdsNew/s1600/IMG_0009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8tltUQWZOxr5L7O_O9MHqywvZF-ewLLzDeo35X68R5DFaSp2g6ZK2xp1sQoEDVgqhjNUf4g5Do_svpJtFe76Yoggi3RQlKlHnEW3HEPzXl5UPTlaYAeGGIcVu7eIXuPbyf9XFQBdsNew/s400/IMG_0009.jpg" width="282" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here's the only card that I own of John Stearns. Brian of <a href="http://subjectiveandarbitrary.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Highly Subjective and Completely Arbitrary</a> sent me a package full of Mets cards several months ago and this card was included. Glad I was able to get it signed today. Thanks, Brian!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDAukEEhxYGPFsY6LrkRZIpLDliMMgnK60NZDyGnJzT-4so5uswrQ3s8GQ1h_HVyTHOgWbpguVICAnGJtFZ3-jCod-X8WytwHt5NCpbI_WmGv3oRrrvEHdDXe3LKQjDP96Qqb3S-VEwr8/s1600/IMG_0010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDAukEEhxYGPFsY6LrkRZIpLDliMMgnK60NZDyGnJzT-4so5uswrQ3s8GQ1h_HVyTHOgWbpguVICAnGJtFZ3-jCod-X8WytwHt5NCpbI_WmGv3oRrrvEHdDXe3LKQjDP96Qqb3S-VEwr8/s400/IMG_0010.jpg" width="276" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here's a Met that I watched in the Minor Leagues, but never had a card of him to get signed, Edgardo Alfonzo.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Another 1969 World Series champion, Duffy Dyer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The tallest baseball player that I've ever gotten an autograph from, 6'10" Eric Hillman.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmKcchbBTl8a05lawt6BjjaENi39UAW3lzTBgUTWsvYGBu0wotiofy_fJGU98MHBCUtnKq2rOU8sfyapX0lb965PN8a3_PFSw3jPAO7mqASxOzSd_flAEEChoDbGG-O9Jvy7QVEAlFBy8/s1600/IMG_0013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmKcchbBTl8a05lawt6BjjaENi39UAW3lzTBgUTWsvYGBu0wotiofy_fJGU98MHBCUtnKq2rOU8sfyapX0lb965PN8a3_PFSw3jPAO7mqASxOzSd_flAEEChoDbGG-O9Jvy7QVEAlFBy8/s400/IMG_0013.jpg" width="283" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It wasn't just retired players at the complex. Immediately after meeting Eric Hillman, I spotted Zack Wheeler <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="13924c50-7ee8-4f41-be7e-b051e1eef469" id="1f565c7b-0ffe-457f-a465-5aa553d95e34">exiting</gs> the stadium. Literally, minutes before I left this morning for Port Saint Lucie, I decided to bring some cards of current Mets, just in case they were there early <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="f3e2e5ed-77f1-479f-8770-ca639df0ddff" id="18b0542e-f12a-4229-a3e0-acdea3a6c061">for</gs> spring training. It certainly paid off.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Happy to add a 1986 World Series champion to my collection, Tim Teufel.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And with that, that ended my day at the Mets fantasy camp. I ended up getting all the cards signed that I brought of the fantasy camp coaches.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">As we're leaving, we decide to drive through the parking lot to the opposite side of the stadium. There, sitting in his car with his door and trunk opened, is Lucas Duda.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">What a great way to end this day with the Mets.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">He wasn't even the last autograph I got that day. We decided to head over to Palm Beach, Florida, where the St. Louis Cardinals were also having a <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="5edd942b-e490-4844-89d6-19e2b5dd2806" id="bb5e1620-1adc-4e06-90cf-f2197bc6d207">fantasy</gs> camp.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Upon entering Roger Dean Stadium, we spotted Hall of Famer, Whitey Herzog, sitting in a golf cart on the first base side.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBO3nJH-ynrClxftGjQbyBalaATfRKD9pt4G-mgru3rG2ICreU5LQyIgfbqP0YowE1CVm9ddaJTs1MFk1Fwc5R3lIVfY1UMXU4MZUE0_qjn-34J-6M7wPz7Q0hrONB8NBTglZRTgOsBmY/s1600/IMG_0017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBO3nJH-ynrClxftGjQbyBalaATfRKD9pt4G-mgru3rG2ICreU5LQyIgfbqP0YowE1CVm9ddaJTs1MFk1Fwc5R3lIVfY1UMXU4MZUE0_qjn-34J-6M7wPz7Q0hrONB8NBTglZRTgOsBmY/s400/IMG_0017.jpg" width="280" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Such a great signature and the added inscription, which I didn't even ask for.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This was definitely one of my better autograph collecting days. It'll be hard to top the memories I came away with from today.</span>Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752021286110760999noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591264709565647223.post-31899197508393055422016-01-24T00:59:00.001-05:002016-01-24T22:47:18.073-05:00Three Baseball Complexes in One Day<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">January is a time for fantasy camps. A time for grown men who spend thousands of dollars to play baseball for a week on their favorite team with former Major League players who actually played for those teams.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It's also a great time for autograph collectors like myself to be a spectator and meet players that I grew up watching, as well as players who retired before I was born.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Today, my brother, my nephew, and myself visited George M. Steinbrenner Field, the spring training home of the New York Yankees, to watch the Yankees fantasy campers play 2 inning games against the Yankee legends on the<gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="b43871da-908d-4d12-b8fd-6837dc5038e5" id="fc329348-f160-4305-ae04-6da6c441c7e3"> final day of the Yankees fantasy camp.</gs> There are so many campers that attend these camps, that they have to group them into teams. In order to give everyone a chance to play, they limit each game <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="d5f6f3a8-da41-4c38-a74c-ec0fc9b617c3" id="64c84a82-41cc-430a-bf52-040e6494042a">to</gs> 2 innings.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It's pretty cool to see a guy in his 60s get a base hit off of Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez, but then it's also fun to see El Duque get his revenge and line a triple to center.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Yankee game was not opened to the public, but thanks to my nephew being as charming as he is, he ended up making friends with a few of the campers earlier in the week at the hotel that they were staying at. He was invited to attend the game and was put on the guest list.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Autographs were fairly easy. Players were <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="4c2d1f43-3408-4a1e-b8d2-e9eac495de5e" id="20e5c432-abfc-4d41-b3a8-1efb53fdf34a">signing</gs> before, during, and after each game.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I ended up getting all 5 cards signed that I brought with me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">After we finished with the Yankees, we decided to drive to Clearwater to see if the Phillies camp was still going on. To our surprise, it was. All 4 fields at Paul Owens Training Facility at Carpenter Complex were being utilized. It was campers vs. <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="298d6e57-0ee2-432c-be4b-f25f09b7e9d8" id="ca60d91c-d1fb-41c7-bafa-fbbf86fd2ba1">campers</gs>, while the Phillies alumni coached their respective campers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Since the Phillies complex is closest to my home, I visit it the most, and therefore have gotten most of the Phillies legends autographs in previous years.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Of all the legends invited to this year's camp, only 2 were players that I had never met.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKdRQypGiLoRmjnb_WJo9CnFELgWd-1ogs1SIAel54Gj-yu2PkMp2xX5xTAixBeRvz3bOsjELI4k5sB_X1LyybfK2T_VzxtcYgALTfkVV_p3lkL5VIiKGqsP5CanJC5t4AGL1c1wzok-o/s1600/philliesfantasy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKdRQypGiLoRmjnb_WJo9CnFELgWd-1ogs1SIAel54Gj-yu2PkMp2xX5xTAixBeRvz3bOsjELI4k5sB_X1LyybfK2T_VzxtcYgALTfkVV_p3lkL5VIiKGqsP5CanJC5t4AGL1c1wzok-o/s640/philliesfantasy.jpg" width="486" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Thankfully, I was able to knock one name off that list today. I spotted Chris Coste coaching on one of the fields as soon as I arrived.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrXaasSJqVjSwJBqGeyXXHcLeMN-iQSMrnf2PhuBusFUE2unrF2Bb9qInMTXOwZ_9y7ZUVi0viWxIKDOj35wKOtBtbMev1_EGidcSI2SJlnFXJYPUmLrGgdXVAS3q88ktiVp3m0AJFL7A/s1600/IMG_0007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrXaasSJqVjSwJBqGeyXXHcLeMN-iQSMrnf2PhuBusFUE2unrF2Bb9qInMTXOwZ_9y7ZUVi0viWxIKDOj35wKOtBtbMev1_EGidcSI2SJlnFXJYPUmLrGgdXVAS3q88ktiVp3m0AJFL7A/s400/IMG_0007.jpg" width="283" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">That leaves me with Matt Stairs as the only on that list that I don't have an autograph of. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find him today.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">After a long day, we headed back to my home. My brother then suggested that we go to Bradenton to see if we could get some Pittsburgh Pirates. I didn't have any of my Pirates cards on me, so while I took my dog out for a much needed walk, my brother went and pulled cards of mine of Pirates he expected to be there.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It was almost 8pm when we arrived in Bradenton. We knew it was the Pirates first day of camp and that there's always a reception party the first night, we just didn't know where. Ultimately, we found it, it just happened to be at Pirate City, the Pirates spring training complex, just a few miles from their spring training stadium. Like the Yankees, this also was not opened to the public. However, from the sidewalk we were standing on, we could see the entire party. We arrived as the Pirates alumni were being introduced to their campers. It was indoors, but even though we couldn't hear anything, we were still able to identify several of the players.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">What we didn't know about Pirate City is that they have dorms there, so most of the players ended up staying there. We did get lucky, though. Mike LaValliere came out to his car to get his luggage. I called to him from behind the gate and he was nice enough to come over and sign for us.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1MXBcvsFecDVdfx2Jv-PIBo7yD1ElquPf-4dodT6FS_PybQ75_iSyrftelrFZPz0iGXRzcuxPcQCTvxmn7BrN9TgzkJsAD-yV7Q6_3Nu0TEsRRn9jiIkB8AxWF7v-ob15yb1uI5iqSAs/s1600/IMG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1MXBcvsFecDVdfx2Jv-PIBo7yD1ElquPf-4dodT6FS_PybQ75_iSyrftelrFZPz0iGXRzcuxPcQCTvxmn7BrN9TgzkJsAD-yV7Q6_3Nu0TEsRRn9jiIkB8AxWF7v-ob15yb1uI5iqSAs/s400/IMG.jpg" width="282" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It was a fun, long day. Definitely the most complexes I've visited in one day. I'm just happy that there were no wasted trips, since I was able to get at least one autograph at each visit.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752021286110760999noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591264709565647223.post-17904938721012524102016-01-21T22:21:00.001-05:002016-01-22T09:45:41.406-05:00My Ray Burris Dilemma<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I like collecting autographs. I'm not a greedy collector. I would never hand a stack of cards to a player or open a sketch book with multiple cards expecting them to all be signed. I ask for one single autograph and that's it. Once I get a player to sign for me, I never ask that player again, no matter how many times we may bump into each other.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The term "racking" has never and will never be a part of my lexicon.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I have around 1,700 different autographs in my collection. Of those, two I paid for. In 1987, six years before autographs became an obsession for me, I paid $5.00 to meet the 1986 American League Rookie of the Year, Jose Canseco.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXTeQ1bSixwk88bvK3ZRrqjEznuh1vVDhNM5f9FDKBfDqohQl5sc2lMq3cSrRigLJIHLy2ALM2NDHvkCQ85mzJ7fpJLGPkGFkViExgthxxRPMiFh4XI5DLuFWcyjyLk61s5b7OL-tkTd8/s1600/cansecoticket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXTeQ1bSixwk88bvK3ZRrqjEznuh1vVDhNM5f9FDKBfDqohQl5sc2lMq3cSrRigLJIHLy2ALM2NDHvkCQ85mzJ7fpJLGPkGFkViExgthxxRPMiFh4XI5DLuFWcyjyLk61s5b7OL-tkTd8/s320/cansecoticket.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzNSsGIboFE7F51MyIR6ZVoEkwNiXx98zOrBwI4Enrbszx6MBiUglaGlorkJFqh6dGFO5twczbBFgvrD0uVp_fIyVnSvzJMg6tTs1Gbz5tSPikzCDR9f9quhBxbYXjpchr0VDkcZov1K8/s1600/01josecanseco.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzNSsGIboFE7F51MyIR6ZVoEkwNiXx98zOrBwI4Enrbszx6MBiUglaGlorkJFqh6dGFO5twczbBFgvrD0uVp_fIyVnSvzJMg6tTs1Gbz5tSPikzCDR9f9quhBxbYXjpchr0VDkcZov1K8/s320/01josecanseco.jpg" width="222" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">That same year, a local baseball card store had Toronto Blue Jays pitcher, Dave Stieb signing autographs for a $2 fee.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibyHZM84dCvISzFU3QDb_fYwJ05nrEoAmAEuNyWUCXrP-XzLt7cqQFUHrH5LUGfmkko82niPJRVQhA-0bD0y477XQSa-GbrfNYCoRerBwShTMaLYB2l7Y-2Pw1mH8k3a5t__-UlXSk5Wc/s1600/02davestieb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibyHZM84dCvISzFU3QDb_fYwJ05nrEoAmAEuNyWUCXrP-XzLt7cqQFUHrH5LUGfmkko82niPJRVQhA-0bD0y477XQSa-GbrfNYCoRerBwShTMaLYB2l7Y-2Pw1mH8k3a5t__-UlXSk5Wc/s400/02davestieb.jpg" width="282" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Since then I found that I could easily acquire autographs in person at games. Living in Florida has <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="35048cba-88de-4937-87f1-e87a8e849060" id="5419587e-3d38-4bb0-adff-d5a03f41f468"><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="3b1742b5-da2f-49cf-aad3-a514a3759f92" id="7630b54d-8e9a-47a7-bdbc-e97008d00e8c"><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="afcd5c83-a716-4feb-af65-a29301bccec6" id="c3c4c4c3-8e1d-43a2-89d1-edce96a02033">it</gs></gs></gs> advantages during the spring, I soon discovered.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Anyway, let me get to the reason for this post.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Last year during spring training, I found out that Ray Burris was a Minor League pitching coach for the Phillies. I had a 1984 Topps card of him, so I looked forward to getting it signed.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVOqf7IjOIMaDxGd3H-9YHqQligX7lHrDBr0khXe12pe0zDj5AEIVmLA2vsR09fS9L9m2CjCFJdaibb9bZZVSCecwfk7lNjr76z7yQYVZwb_qVuREaq1_Vz1WFbjBiVDQ3VtAp4jHrc9Y/s1600/rayburris.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVOqf7IjOIMaDxGd3H-9YHqQligX7lHrDBr0khXe12pe0zDj5AEIVmLA2vsR09fS9L9m2CjCFJdaibb9bZZVSCecwfk7lNjr76z7yQYVZwb_qVuREaq1_Vz1WFbjBiVDQ3VtAp4jHrc9Y/s400/rayburris.jpg" width="281" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I had numerous encounters with him that spring, but he turned me down each and every time. However, he was always polite about it. Spring came and went and my card remained unsigned.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Later in the year, after the baseball season had ended, Ray was back at the Phillies complex, this time coaching in the Florida Instructional League. I attended a game where I was the lone fan. I figured there's no way I'm going to miss him this time. When the game ended, I stood in a spot where Ray would be walking right towards me. As he got closer, I called out to him, "Mr. Burris, can I please get an autograph?" Without stopping, he continues walking and says "nope, I don't sign autographs anymore." I then quickly asked for him to personalize it, before he disappeared into the locker room. Again, he proclaims, "no, I don't do <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="88bce4c8-e935-4d97-b6c9-ce16cf52b60e" id="e8942222-8263-453b-a669-dc1b8e7b56d9"><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="77fbbbec-9a0b-4489-afbe-e734b174f3cd" id="3df4a23b-5e06-415b-bae9-f4f4c79c0fd1"><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="4720221f-4d65-4fb2-b0f1-58a97ed44f8a" id="757fadfa-c351-4308-900b-6a03aa10a79a">personalizations</gs></gs></gs> either. I'm done with autographs." I thanked him anyway, and not even in a sarcastic manner, I was being sincere.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I contemplated just leaving the card there. If I can't get it signed, it's really no good to me. I ended up keeping it and headed home to put away all of the other autographs that I acquired that day. Thankfully, because of where I was standing, I ended up getting an autograph from Charlie Kerfeld, who I didn't even know was in attendance. I just happened to have a card of him on me as we crossed paths. So, thanks, Ray!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEGtgSG8dM4rpDHqCXZjY798jB1oeO4ptYEAba2aV62mjeogZyL1o_Tx12tutkakkQrVM8QtDXKKZT5oamiB4pNm-2P2_DpVKOqg9ObQ3r-zHALqPlG4tTOywl8DNV2AFBVEg5rTayhcA/s1600/1533charliekerfeld.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEGtgSG8dM4rpDHqCXZjY798jB1oeO4ptYEAba2aV62mjeogZyL1o_Tx12tutkakkQrVM8QtDXKKZT5oamiB4pNm-2P2_DpVKOqg9ObQ3r-zHALqPlG4tTOywl8DNV2AFBVEg5rTayhcA/s400/1533charliekerfeld.jpg" width="283" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">For the 2016 season, Ray Burris has a new job title. He is now the Phillies rehab pitching coach, which means he'll be spending the majority of his time here in Florida, working with any pitchers who are injured during the season.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This week, the Phillies Fantasy Camp is going on. I went down there today to get autographs from former players participating in the camp.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Guess who was there? Yep, Ray Burris. Me, being the hopeful that I am, still carried his card with me. He's not there as part of the camp, he's here working with the few pitchers who have arrived early for spring training.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I had many opportunities to approach him, but part of me feared that he'd remember me and say, "what did I tell you 3 months ago?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, I left him alone.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I was busy collecting autographs anyway. I was fortunate enough to show up on a day where the Yankees brought their fantasy campers to battle the Phillies campers. They did the same thing last year when I attended. I wasn't prepared that day and saw many autograph opportunities slip by. This year I <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="f7b7ec50-69de-469e-954f-e4f5ac71fe09" id="e40ba6de-5498-41ff-929a-b4b6bf966327"><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="d1c3206d-e007-46c7-bbe8-e4cef525da21" id="c04dd669-50e9-4b42-a24a-cd32a7674d11"><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="1d2fb9aa-32d0-4be2-be66-936bc0e8302f" id="63652ab8-124f-4955-94f5-8bc4be5d887b">came</gs></gs></gs> prepared and brought cards of all the Yankee Fantasy Camp instructors that I had. I did pretty well.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtM-w2lZaUBMyajD3sbnixn4OyyVTjW0ooxUwP-zh9Idcg_rPI6xqO7qYENgbBT76qJLC9tOyiovzLBT9rKVZIsk9kOqxtxCUXru0Q3Lk3xAfQpNqIfzX8CS1Ykl3Hqz9XSa6v3C8NijY/s1600/yankeesfantasy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtM-w2lZaUBMyajD3sbnixn4OyyVTjW0ooxUwP-zh9Idcg_rPI6xqO7qYENgbBT76qJLC9tOyiovzLBT9rKVZIsk9kOqxtxCUXru0Q3Lk3xAfQpNqIfzX8CS1Ykl3Hqz9XSa6v3C8NijY/s640/yankeesfantasy.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">When the games ended, Ray visited some of the Yankees coaches. I waited for him to finish talking and then I saw someone approach him and successfully get an autographed card from him. I wasn't going to be turned down now, but yet, I still kind of <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="5f000ccd-a70d-4780-9462-175d4b305d09" id="2111b408-a1d2-4f45-89d5-bd042b8be463"><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="f56f9530-26e5-48fe-b74f-b77c5caa6868" id="62228a65-c764-4280-a024-86479f0b3282"><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="71bd1866-c326-45d2-be5c-cc4339ef96c0" id="7ab662bc-58aa-4b10-b33e-d12e84d0c498">was</gs></gs></gs>. As I'm holding my card and marker, I asked Mr. Burris for an autograph. He says to me, "I have to charge you $5.00." I had cash on me, but I groaned and told him, "oh, I don't have any money on me." He said, "it's okay, I'll be around."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I then walked over to the guy that had just gotten his autograph and I said to him, "Burris charges?" He said, "yeah, I had to give him five bucks."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">After the autographs that I had gotten earlier, I just couldn't justify slapping a five in someone's hand for an autograph.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I could understand if he was doing a signing like the ones I went to to get Canseco and Stieb, but even those I wasn't handing money directly to the players before they signed my cards. They were being paid for their appearance by a promoter.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I know I'm going to be bumping into Ray Burris many times this spring and summer. That same 1984 Topps card will most likely be with me each time. I just don't know if it will ever be signed.</span>Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752021286110760999noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591264709565647223.post-23707222579796138642016-01-13T18:18:00.000-05:002016-01-13T18:18:26.556-05:00My Own Birthday Present<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In case you couldn't tell by the title of this post, today is my birthday. In all my years of collecting autographs, I have never gotten an autograph on my birthday. It doesn't really come at a good time as far as the baseball season goes, but thanks to the Tampa Bay Rays having their annual Winter Development Program this week, I headed down to Tropicana Field to see if I could get some cards signed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Each January, the Rays <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="30667ef3-d331-42a1-a011-7c83f032e9f7" id="4eb273b2-48fc-458d-8f79-9f89a551d99f">invite</gs> their <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="30667ef3-d331-42a1-a011-7c83f032e9f7" id="ae223c40-88be-4e32-88fc-224f771ead5b">top prospects to</gs> work out at the home stadium so that coaches can evaluate them before spring training starts.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Unfortunately, these workouts are not opened to the public.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I hung out outside of the <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="3880c635-7c6a-47ba-a524-d1b355f9b269" id="bb3f391b-9c64-4bf2-bdf2-a9bf5721a74c">players</gs> parking lot, hoping that I would be able to recognize the guys that I had cards of.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It was tough, but out of the 20+ players that all rolled out together, I was able to spot 2 that I knew for sure.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The first was Brent Honeywell. As of this posting, he is considered the Rays' number 3 prospect.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdkhf8F95ZryCJpIYzarXvMaoGDfIt3wmFWPVpE-S6rV8QVF3W-izaeioE_leiLFF9tg9pFueqvplkLbom9WlX-UOV_Wu9WsU341fAcuLBVIA_6AJ0jZ7NyFyBuaacIrnoxjPhZfHaZ3k/s1600/IMG_0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdkhf8F95ZryCJpIYzarXvMaoGDfIt3wmFWPVpE-S6rV8QVF3W-izaeioE_leiLFF9tg9pFueqvplkLbom9WlX-UOV_Wu9WsU341fAcuLBVIA_6AJ0jZ7NyFyBuaacIrnoxjPhZfHaZ3k/s640/IMG_0001.jpg" width="448" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The other player I got was Ryne Stanek, who was a Florida State League Top Prospect this past season.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyd1DAknQ775dPBsnrpU75N2owTLX5-P3sHStwjwW-8kBTQSPOd5jVRhXfT-rkNEL-dErZop3N91-a6rX3Scpxo2r-9yIpJX-DPPm6skjXsPKIZrP671qmioCVmF3Rqcw7ZoIYmFHcJVI/s1600/IMG_0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyd1DAknQ775dPBsnrpU75N2owTLX5-P3sHStwjwW-8kBTQSPOd5jVRhXfT-rkNEL-dErZop3N91-a6rX3Scpxo2r-9yIpJX-DPPm6skjXsPKIZrP671qmioCVmF3Rqcw7ZoIYmFHcJVI/s640/IMG_0002.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ryne asked me how I was doing, to which I replied, "it's my birthday, so I can't complain." He then wished me a happy birthday before signing my card.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It was a good day. First time getting autographs on my birthday and the first time a player acknowledged it.</span>Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752021286110760999noreply@blogger.com4