TTM Success - Keith Moreland

Here's another 1987 Topps from a private signing.  This time, it is Keith Moreland, and I was able to get his autograph for $25.00.  He hadn't signed TTM since 2013, and this was his first private signing, so I made out pretty well.

Moreland (b. 1954) played in the majors from 1978 to 1989 for the Phillies, Cubs, Padres, Tigers and Orioles.  He had 1,279 hits, 121 home runs and a .279 batting average.  He finished in 17th place in the 1985 NL MVP voting.  He won the World Series with the Phillies in 1980.

I sent to the private signing on June 12 and got the card back on June 30.

TTM Success - Chase Anderson

I'm still not as good with getting current players TTM as I am with past players.  Still, I try to remember when I see other people's successes and put cards aside.  I got Chase Anderson recently on this 2018 Topps, and it turned out really well.

Anderson (b. 1987) has played in the majors since 2014 for the Diamondbacks and Brewers.  He has a career record of 45-36 with 597 strikeouts and a 3.89 ERA.  His Brewers are about to make the post season for the first time in several years.

I mailed to Anderson on May 24 via the Brewers and got the card back on June 29, for a 36-day TAT.

TTM Success - Jim Palmer

I heard that Jim Palmer was signing TTM, so I had to send a couple cards along and add him to my TTM successes list.  I have gotten him to sign cards in person plenty of times, but I definitely wanted to try to get these two done TTM, and I have to say, they look awesome.  The above 2018 Panini Diamond Kings looks awesome!

The Diamond Kings card was the first one I chose to send, then it came down to this one.  Since I have gotten so many 1987 Topps signed, I thought it was fitting to add this mini from 2012 Topps to the album as well.

Palmer (b. 1945) played in the majors from 1965 to 1967 and 1969 to 1984 for the Orioles.  He is the greatest pitcher in the history of the Orioles.  He has a career record of 268-152 with an ERA of 2.86 and 2,212 strike outs.  He is a three-time Cy Young Award winner (1973, 1975 and 1976) and a six-time All Star.  He finished second in the AL MVP Award voting in 1973 (Reggie Jackson was the winner).  He won 20 or more games eight times.  He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1990 when he was named on 92.6% of the ballots cast (his first time on the ballot).  He is the only Oriole to have been on all three Orioles World Series Championship teams.

I mailed to Palmer on June 4 and got the cards back on June 30, for a 26-day TAT.  I paid $10/card.

TTM Success - Terry Puhl

Here is another 1987 Topps that I got signed through a SCN private signing.  This Terry Puhl turned out really well, even though I chose an off-centered card.  I haven't been very particular about the cards, and did want a few that represented a true 1987 set.  I believe I have a couple with wax and/or gum staining on the back.

Puhl (b. 1956) played in the majors from 1977 to 1991 for the Astros and Royals.  He had 1,361 hits, 62 home runs and a .280 batting average.  He was an All Star in 1988.

I mailed to the private signing on June 2 and got the card back on June 23, for a 21-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $10.00.

TTM Success - Alex Trevino

The private signings on sportscollectors.net are really helping me add some good autos to my 1987 set.  This Alex Trevino turned out really well, and only cost me $20.

Trevino (b. 1957) played in the majors from 1978 to 1990 for the Mets, Reds, Braves, Giants, Dodgers and Astros.  He had 604 hits, 23 home runs and a .249 batting average.

I mailed to the private signing on June 2, and got the card back on June 23, for a 21-day TAT.

TTM Success - Luis Gonzalez

It took quite a long time, but I got these cards back signed from Luis Gonzalez.  He was among the earliest rounds of players I sent to, way back in the day.  I thought these cards were all gone,

Thankfully, I got them all back, and forgot that I sent an extra 1992 Triple Play (that he signed).

Gonzalez (b. 1967) played in the majors from 1990 to 2008 for the Astros, Cubs, Tigers, Diamondbacks, Dodgers and Marlins.  He had 2,591 hits, 354 home runs and a .283 batting average.  He was a 5-time All Star (1999, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2005) and finished a career-best 3rd in the 2001 NL MVP voting.  He won the World Series with the Diamondbacks in 2001.

I mailed to Gonzalez on March 1, 2016 and got the cards back on June 21, 2018, for an 842-day TAT.

Another TTM Success From Ryan Burr

Last year, I received a TTM success from Ryan Burr when I sent to him via the Visalia Rawhide.  He was then traded to the White Sox, and I saw that he would be with Winston-Salem this season.  He wasn't with Winston-Salem for long, but I was stuck with a bunch of extra cards that I had picked up for the games.  I decided to send them TTM to Birmingham, and was lucky enough to get them back signed.

Burr didn't actually play for Winston-Salem this season, but was on the roster to start the year, which is why I had sat a bunch of stuff on my dest for him.  He actually made the majors this year, which is pretty cool.

Burr (b. 1994) pays for the White Sox and has appeared in 7 games so far this season.  He is 0-0 with a 3.12 ERA.

I mailed to him on May 5 and got the cards back on Jue 21, for a 47-day TAT.

TTM Success - Ozzie Guillen

The private signings on SCN really have helped me get a few tougher 1987s out of the way, like this Ozzie Guillen.  I don't know when I would have been able to get him on a card, so this really was my only hope.

Guillen (b. 1964) played in the majors from 1985 to 2000 for the White Sox, Orioles, Braves and Rays.  He had 1,764 hits, 28 home runs and a .264 batting average.  He was the 1985 AL Rookie of the Year and was a 3-time All Star (1988, 1990. 1991).  He won a Gold Glove in 1990.  His best (and only) MVP finish was 17th in 1990.

He went on to manage the White Sox from 2004 to 2011 and the Marlins in 2012.  His overall managerial record is 747-710 (.513 win %).  He won the World Series with the White Sox in 2005.  He was the AL Manager of the Year in 2005.

Guillen appeared on the 2006 Hall of Fame ballot, but received only 1.0% of the vote.

I sent off for the private signing on May 29 and got the card back on June 19, for a 21-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $25.00.

TTM Success - Gary Matthews

I answered another private signing with this success from Gary Matthews on a 1987 Topps for the set.  I wasn't sure how I would get Matthews, since he didn't really sign a whole lot.  Luckily, I saw the signing and got this done.

Matthews (b. 1950) played in the majors from 1972 to 1987 for the Giants, Braves, Phillies, Cubs and Mariners.  He had 2,011 hits, 234 home runs and a .281 batting average.  He was the 1973 NL Rookie of the Year, was an All Star in 1975 and finished a career best 5th in the MVP (NL) voting in 1984.

I mailed for the private signing on May 29 and got the card back on June 19 for a 21-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $15.00.

2018 National Pickup - 1955 Bowman Ernie Banks

I believe this is my last post regarding the 2018 National.  I succeeded this year where I have failed in all of the past years.  I got everything posted that I had set aside to post.

I decided to start the 1955 Bowman set so that I would have plenty of cards to look for while at the show.  With my 1969 Topps set winding down, I figured it would be good to go ahead and get rolling on 1955 Bowman and 1972 Topps.  With those two, I also have 1967 Topps and 1995 Topps going.  I plan on wiping out the last few 1995 Topps the next time I sit down to make a Sportlots purchase.

The 1955 Bowman set will be fun.  I have most of the big names already taken care of.  The umpires will be tricky, but that will be a large part of the challenge.

Here's to hoping I can get this one done soon, and not break the bank.

Some Norfolk 50/50s

While my friend Jackson and I were waiting around after the Norfolk game we went to a while back, we realized one of the guys we were talking to was a fellow instagrammer.  He goes by the handle "poppadoc" and had won a giveaway I had done a few years ago.

He volunteered to take a few of my cards, since I wasn't sure if I would be able to make it back up to Norfolk before the end of the season.  I was right, I didn't get back up there.

So, I was able to get my Jaycob Brugman and several of my Ruben Tejada cards signed.

The Topps Tejadas will go toward my Topps Autograph Project, of course.  The two chrome were just nice to liberate from my box.

Taking Care of Some Set Needs at the National

With the help of my awesome friend, Nate, and a few pickups of my own, I knocked out a ton of 1972 Topps for my set.  I began the set with the belief that I would wrap up my 1969 set, which I did.

Nate had a ton of 72s that he cut me an awesome deal on, and I can't thank him enough.  I am well on my way with this set, and I hope it doesn't take me as long as 1969 did.

National Gift From Noah

I'm just about done with all of my pickups from the National.  Of the things I have left to show, one is this awesome Bowman auto of Chance Sisco that my friend Noah gave me when we met up.

The card looks amazing anf is numbered 74/99.

Sisco hasn't had the best of years, so here's hoping he can bounce back and do better next season.  I think he was a bit rushed.

Thanks so much for the card, Noah!  I love it!

Destin Hood Auto From John

My friend, John, from instagram hooked me up by taking this 2008 Razor Destin Hood and getting it signed for me at Frisco.  I had realized when I was in Frisco that I forgot this card, so John said I could send it to him to be signed.

The card is  numbered 43/200 and has been sitting in my boxes for 10 years now.  I'm glad to get it signed and into my binder.  Thanks John!

TTM Success - Dave Roberts

Here are some cool cards that I received signed TTM from Dodgers manager, Dave Roberts.  I had heard he signed, so I sent off a few cards and was glad to get them back.  You can never go wrong with a signed Allen & Ginter.

I added a couple Topps cards to my Topps Autograph ledger, and these are two years that are very under-represented.  I need to find some bulk 09 Topps.  I got rid of all of my bulk years ago, but now I regret letting it go since I now use it for TTMs and stuff.

Roberts (b. 1972) played in the majors from 1999 to 2008 for the Indians, Dodgers, Red Sox, Padres and Giants.  He had 721 hits, 23 home runs and a .266 batting average.  He won the World Series with the Red Sox in 2004.

Roberts managed the Padres for one game in 2015, then became the Dodgers manager in 2016.  He led the team to the World Series last year, losing to the Astros.  He holds a career managerial record of 280-198 and won the NL Manager of the Year Award last season.

I mailed to Roberts on February 10 at Spring Training and got the cards back on June 18, for a 128-day TAT.

TTM Success - Bronson Arroyo

I was really excited to receive a TTM success from fellow Pearl Jam fan, Bronson Arroyo recently.  I had heard he was signing TTM, so I sent these two 2014 Topps, which turned out really great.

Arroyo (b. 1977) played in the majors from 2000 to 2014 and 2017 for the Pirates, Red Sox, Reds and Diamondbacks.  He had a career record of 148-137 with 1,571 strike outs and a 4.28 ERA.  He won the World Series in 2004 with the Red Sox.  He was an All Star in 2006 and his best Cy Young Award finish was 12th in 2010.  His best MVP finish was 23rd in 2006.

I mailed to Arroyo on May 23 and got the cards back on June 16, for a 24-day TAT.

I Made A Friend, And He Hooked Me Up With Some Autos

I never did get to Buies Creek this season for a game.  I really wanted to, but never got the chance.  Instead, I went elsewhere and got autos.  During the season, however, I made friends with a few of the graphers who come regularly to Wood Ducks games.  One of them, Ben, also came to the Mudcats while we were there.  The more and more we chatted at games, the more and more we enjoyed ourselves.  At the end of the season, while I was in Kinston catching the Wood Ducks against the Dash, Ben went to Buies Creek.  He was more than willing to take a few cards for me, and hooked me up with a few autos.

Unfortunately, the game ended early due to rain, so Ben's graphing was limited, but he was able to get me the above cards.  He missed out on JB Bukauskas, since he had been promoted a few days prior.  Still, I was happy with the cards that Ben got done for me.

Thanks so much, Ben!  I can't wait to graph the Wood Ducks with you next season!

TTM Success - Michael Mader

I did fairly well this year with TTMs from prospects and current major leaguers.  I didn't send too many before this year, but now I have gotten quite a few back this season.  I wanted to put a few of my 2014 Bowmans to use, so I sent off these two to Michael Mader via the Mississippi Braves and got them back signed.  The blue parallel is numbered 118/399.

Mader (b. 1994) reached as far as AAA Gwinnett this season in the Braves system.  He did a lot of bouncing back and forth between AA and AAA.  This season he went 7-4 with a 3.71 ERA.  The Braves acquired Mader and outfielder Anfernee Seymour in 2016 for reliever Hunter Cervenka.

Mader was a third round pick by the Marlins in the 2014 June Amateur Draft out of Junior College.

I mailed to Mader on April 11 and got the cards back on June 15, for a 65-day TAT.

TTM Success - Charlie Maxwell

Another of my 1958 Topps that I sent out came back signed TTM, and it turned out to be a really nice one.  Charley Maxwell signed this in thin blue marker, and his signature looks really nice.

Maxwell (b. 1927) played in the majors from 1950 to 1952 and 1954 to 1964 for the Red Sox, Orioles, Tigers and White Sox.  He had 856 hits, 148 home runs and a .264 batting average.  He was a two-time All Star (1956 and 1957) and finished a career-best 18th in the 1957 AL MVP voting.

I mailed to Maxwell on June 4 and got the card back on June 14, for a 10-day TAT.

TTM Success - Bob Speake

I added another nice vintage card to my album with this TTM success from Bob Speake.  The old 1950s cards really scan well, especially the red ones.  I do enjoy the solid red backgrounds sometimes.

Speake (b. 1930) played in the majors in 1955 and 1957 to 1959 for the Cubs and Giants.  He had 170 hits, 31 home runs and a .223 batting average.  He was actually acquired by the Giants from the Cubs in exchange for Giants legend, Bobby Thomson.

I mailed to Speake on June 4 and got the card back on June 14, for a 10-day TAT.

Set Complete - 2018 Topps

It only took a hurricane, but I finally sorted my 2018 Topps Series 2 cards and completed my set.  Normally, I get them sorted in the weekend in which they arrive, but I kept myself busy with games and TTMs this summer, and left the cards sitting on my desk since June.

Not to worry.  We were housebound with the hurricane that came through beginning on Thursday night, and I began sorting the cards yesterday.  My son, Chris, was allowed to pick the entertainment on Netflix, and we watched Sharknado 2 through 4 yesterday.  I'm not sure I'll be allowing him to choose the movies from here on out.  The same child who said those movies were funnier than the Naked Gun movies.  Something is wrong with him.

Anyway, yeah, I completed my 2018 Topps set, and can now finally go through the Series 2 duplicates and prep them for spring training TTMs and graphing.

Also, I was able to put 2 sets together, so if anyone is interested in the second set, it is available.  Shipping on those set boxes is a bit high, so keep that in mind.

Some Signed 87 Topps From Blog Reader Rich

It seems that my quest for signed 1987 Topps cards has gotten the attention of some blog readers.  I received an email recently from a blog reader named Rich, who had a few extras that I needed for my set.  I am now able to cross off Mickey Brantley, Reggie Williams and Dennis Lamp from my checklist.

These are guys who I wouldn't have been able to get TTM, so this really helps out with the set.  I have over 300 signed cards out of the 792 in the set.  If anyone has any ideas on how I can get the Roberto Clemente Turn Back the Clock signed by a member of his family, then I am all ears!

Thanks so much for these three cards, Rich.  I appreciate the help, and I appreciate that you read my posts!

Another TTM Success From Bob Skinner

I was drawn to send another TTM request to Bob Skinner since I got this Father/Son 1985 Topps signed by Joel Skinner.  I have wanted to get one of these completed for quite a while, and finally was able to get one done.  I also have the Schofield one pending.

I also added this 1955 Topps to the request, since you can never have enough of these signed.  There is a limited number of cards in the 1955 set, and an even smaller number of players still alive who sign.  I actually raided my 1955 set so I could get these in the mail, and replaced the card with an upgrade off of EBay.

I originally received a return from Skinner, on a ball, back in May 2012.

I mailed to Skinner on June 4 and got the cards back on June 14, for a 10-day TAT.

2018 National Free Signer - Joe Charboneau

Here is the last free signed from this year's National.  I got a bunch of stuff signed, and spent a lot of time in line, but I enjoyed it, and would do it again.  I had to buy a few Joe Charboneu cards, since all I had were a couple 1982 Topps.  This 2004 Fleer Greats was a nice pickup off of COMC.

Of course, I used one of my 1982s as well, and it turned out nicely.

Charboneau (b. 1955) played in the majors from 1980 to 1982 for the Indians.  He had 172 hits, 29 home runs and a .266 batting average.  He was the AL Rookie of the year in 1980.

TTM Success - Nolan Ryan

Because I am working on the 1987 set, it was an easy decision on what to send Nolan Ryan when I wanted to get his autograph TTM.  He's expensive, but well worth the price.  I paid $60/card to the Nolan Ryan Foundation but the card came back signed and even had an authentication sticker affixed to the back.

Ryan (b. 1947) played in the majors in 1966 and from 1968 to 1993 for the Mets, Angels, Astros and Rangers.  His seven no hitters are a record.  His 5,714 career strike outs are a record.  His 383 strike outs in a single season (1973) are a record.

He had a career record of 324-292 with 5,714 strike outs and a 3.19 ERA.  He won 20 or more games twice in his career (1973 and 1974) and led the league in ERA twice (1981 and 1987).  He won the World Series in 1969 with the Mets.  He was an 8-time All Star (1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1985 and 1989) and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1999 (first ballot) when he was named on 98.8% of the ballot.  At the time, that was the second highest percentage (to Tom Seaver) and is now third, since Ken Griffey, Jr. has the highest.

Ryan never won a Cy Young Award.  He finished second in 1973.

I mailed to Ryan on March 30 and got the card back on June 11, for a 72-day TAT.

A Surprise Gift - Larry McCall Signed Baseball

It has been 9 years since I moved from Cornelius to the Greenville area.  One of the few things I hated about leaving was that I was leaving some good neighbors behind.  The couple that lived next door to us, Chris and Heather, were awesome neighbors.  Even though I know Chris still is secretly mad at me for talking him into helping me move a China cabinet into a second-floor bedroom in that house, they have kept in touch with us.

I received a random message from Heather a month or so ago on Facebook asking for my address.  She explained that she has a family friend who played baseball, and told him all about my blog.  She had him sign a baseball for me, and sent it out this way.

It turns out, her family friend is Larry McCall, a former New York Yankee.  The ball is amazing, and was a really nice surprise gift from some really awesome people.

McCall (b. 1952) played in the majors from 1977 to 1979 for the Yankees and Rangers.  He has a career record of 2-2 with a 5.04 ERA and 10 strike outs.  McCall was originally signed by the Orioles as an amateur free agent back in 1971.  He was a member of the 1975 Asheville Orioles with also had a young 21-year old infielder named Eddie Murray.

McCall was a member of the 1977 and 1978 World Series Champion Yankees.

Thank you so much for the awesome baseball, Heather!  I really appreciate it!

Another TTM Success From Steve Carlton

I'm slowly knocking off the Hall of Famers who charge fees for TTM autos for my 1987 set.  Carlton charges $35/card, so it was a little high, but I wanted to cross this card off of my set needs.

Carlton (b. 1944) played in the majors from 1965 to 1988 for the Cardinals, Phillies, Giants, White Sox, Indians and Twins.  He had a 329-244 record, 4,136 strike outs and a 3.22 ERA.  He won 20 or more games six times in his career.  He won the Cy Young Award four times (1972, 1977, 1980 and 1982).  His best MVP finish was 5th (3 times).  He won the World Series with the Cardinals in 1967 and the Phillies in 1980.  He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1994 when he was names on 95.6% of the ballot (first ballot).

I mailed to Carlton on April 25 and got the card back on June 11, for a 47-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $35/card.

2018 National Pickup - 1952 Topps Yogi Berra

I've just about wrapped up my posts from this year's National.  Usually, I forget to post stuff, then it gets too far removed from the show, and I just give up posting stuff.  I feel like I did a pretty good job getting stuff on here, so it worked out.

I added this awesome 1952 Topps Yogi Berra to the collection while at the show.  I kind of have a Berra PC going, even though he played for the evil Yankees.  I have wanted this card for a long time, and got a good deal on it.  I need to sit down and see what all Berras I have in the collection, but I'm pretty sure I have a bunch of good ones.  He was an awesome player, and I have no shame in admitting he is one of my favorites.

2018 National Free Signer - Randy Jones

I sent TTM to him over two years ago, and the cards are still out there somewhere, so I was glad to be able to meet Randy Jones at the National and get a card signed.

I had this 1975 Topps in my box, still, so it was the one I decided to get signed.  I believe this one came from my good friend, Max.

Jones (b. 1950) played in the majors from 1973 to 1982 for the Padres and Mets.  He had a career record of 100-123 with 735 strike outs and a 3.42 ERA.  He was the 1976 NL Cy Young Award winner when he went 22-14 with a 2.74 ERA.  That season, he started 40 games, and threw 25 complete games.  Needless to say, he never reached those heights again.  He was an All Star in 1975 and 1976.  He won 20 or more games one other time in his career in 1975 and finished second in the ML Cy Young Award voting that season.  In both 1975 and 1976, he finished 10th in the NL MVP voting.

Jones appeared on the 1988 Hall of Fame ballot, but received no votes.

TTM Success - Gary Ward

 Here is a TTM success from Gary Ward that added another 1987 Topps to my set.  I also had him sign the above 1983 Topps, which turned out well.

I also had him sign a 1985 (left) and a 1990 (right) in addition to the 1987.

Ward (b. 1953) played in the majors from 1979 to 1990 for the Twins, Rangers, Yankees and Tigers.  He had 1,236 hits, 130 hits and a .276 batting average.  Ward was a two-time All Star (1983 and 1985) and his best MVP finish was 32nd (AL, 1982).

I mailed to Ward on March 7 and got the cards back on June 11, for a 96-day TAT.

2018 National Free Signer - Gregg Jefferies

For some reason, extra VIP vouchers for Gregg Jefferies were hard to come by at this year's National, so I was only able to get one card signed.  Out of the huge lot of cards of his that I had, I chose this 1991 Post Cereal card as the one I would get done.  I picked this card because it reminds me of when I first started collecting cards.  I remember getting a few of these and being really excited.  I didn't have any in the album yet, so this one was a good choice.

Jefferies (b. 1967) played in the majors from 1987 to 2000 for the Mets, Royals, Cardinals, Phillies, Angels and Tigers.  He had 1,593 hits, 126 home runs and a .289 career batting average.  He was an All Star in 1993 and 1994 and his best finish in the MVP voting was 11th in 1993.  Oddly enough, he received Rookie of the Year votes in both 1988 and 1989, finishing 6th in 1988 and 3rd in 1989.  The weirdest thing about that is, he only appeared in 29 games in 1988.  In those 29 games, he had 35 hits and a .321 batting average.  He appeared on the 2006 Hall of Fame ballot, but received only 0.4% of the vote.

TTM Success - Dalton Jones

I added some nice 60s and 70s cards to the album with this TTM success from Dalton Jones.  I had a few of his cards in my vintage box, and also got his 72 and 73 Topps cards from my boxes I recently picked up in Columbia.  He has a very simple autograph, wish he did in blue ballpoint pen.

Ballpoint pen actually fits with the vintage cards, somewhat.  The autos are very unassuming and subtle.

Jones (b. 1943) played in the majors from 1964 to 1972 for the Red Sox, Tigers and Rangers.  He had 548 hits, 41 home runs and a .235 batting average.  He lost the 1967 World Series with the Red Sox, but it wasn't his fault offensively.  He hit .389 (7 for 18) across 6 games.

I mailed to Jones on May 23 and got the cards back on June 11, for a 19-day TAT.

2018 National Free Signer - Tommy Helms

I had previously gotten Tommy Helms TTM, but when I saw that he was one of the free signers at the National, I picked up a few cards that I hadn't gotten signed the first go-round.  I got enough cards for my friends, and a few extras for me.  I ended up with three of his vouchers, so I got three of the cards I brought along signed.

I ended up trading one of my cards for the above 1969 Topps while I was in line for Helms.  The 1978 came out of one of my boxes.  I don't exactly remember meeting Helms, but that is because I spent so much time in line, it all blends together.

TTM Success - Chuck Essegian

I grabbed a handful of 50s cards from somewhere (it's really bad that I can't remember where I got them) and sent them off TTM.  A few of them came back around the same time, the first of which was this 1958 Topps Chuck Essegian.

The card looks really nice, and was signed with a thin black pen.

Essegian (b. 1931) played in the majors from 1958 to 1963 for the Phillies, Cardinals, Dodgers, Orioles, A's (KC) and Indians.  He had 260 hits, 47 home runs and a .255 batting average.  He was a member of the 1959 World Series Champion Dodgers.

His time with the Orioles consisted of one game, in 1961.  He would then be traded to the KC A's for Dick Hall and Dick Williams.

I mailed to Essegian on June 4 and got the card back signed on June 11, for a 7-day TAT.  I guess I raided my vintage box for this, but I definitely can't remember.

Aug 31-Sept 3, 2018, Graphing of the Dash at Wood Ducks

The day has come where there are no more Wood Ducks games in 2018.  They ended the season in last place, one year after winning the Carolina League Championship.  Such is life in Minor League baseball.  With the turnover of teams form year to year, it is hard to sustain any kind of dynasty.  I accepted that a long time ago, and have continued to enjoy the games, whether the Wood Ducks are in first place or last.

During the final series against the Winston-Salem Dash, Chris and I hit every game.  We got a ton of cards signed, and almost finished up with everything we had.  I was especially happy to knock out a bunch of Omar Vizquel cards that I have had for as long as I have been collecting.  However, I was most excited about the newest Vizquel in my collection, the above 2018 Bowman Chome National Exclusive.  This will look awesome in my binder, and turned out really well.

A fellow grapher got my 1987 Topps 30th anniversary insert signed, which was nice.  The red paint pen actually does well on the card.

The series before (against the Pelicans), Chris and I met a kid Chris's age names Kolby.  Kolby is a grapher that comes to games, and he and Chris really hit it off.  Kolby is a really nice kid, and offered to help me get stuff signed.  So, he got a few Omars done for me during the series as well.

Chris and Kolby were the ones who called Omar over on Friday, and he signed for them.  On Saturday, they called him over, and he responded with "Whaaaat?  Oh, I signed for you already.  I remember you from yesterday.  It's the glasses..."  Chris now wears Rec Specs for baseball, and Omar recognized him.  Of course, Chris responded with "Oh, no, you've never met me before!"  Omar responded with "Oh, it must have been your evil twin brother."  Well, he signed for Chris on Saturday, anyway.  On Sunday, he recognized Chris again, and Chris told him "Yeah, and I'll be here tomorrow, too!"  So, before the game on Monday, Chris and I decided we would try to throw Omar a changeup.

We went to a local party store and picked up a 'disguise'.  Omar thought it was hilarious, and agreed to pose for this photo with Chris.  He also signed his card, as usual.  Omar will be in the Hall of Fame one day, but Chris will always remember "playing a trick on him."  I'm glad he has a sense of humor.

The Winston-Salem Dash are a stacked team.  The White Sox have a good number of prospects with the team, so that made for graphing them a lot of fun.  Nick Madrigal is a recent call-up to Winston, and I was abe to get everything I had done for him across the four games.

It was even more exciting to get Luis Robert on a few cards.  I got my three cards signed, and one for my good friend, Gerard.  Apparently, Robert is a pretty tough sig, but he signed for us three out of the four days.

I knocked out a bunch of my Blake Rutherford cards over the four days.  He signed 2-per for us, but we were able to get him before and after most of the games.  I hated bothering him so much, but he has a ton of cards, plus he was in the just released Carolina League Top Prospects set.  I got one for me, one for Chris and one for Gerard.

He also signed my 2017 South Atlantic League All Star set card, and some older stuff that I had.

No relation to the Diamondbacks World Series Hero, but Luis Gonzalez is a pretty decent White Sox prospect, nonetheless.  I got everything I had of him completed.  Chris missed his South Atlantic League Top Prospects card, so one must hope Gonzalez starts the season in Winston-Salem next year.

I got two other South Atlantic League All Star cards signed, by Mike Morrison and Kyle Kubat.  Also, Kolby didn't want the coach cards from his Winston-Salem set, so he gave them to me.  I got Charlie Poe and Matt Zaleski to sign these.

I found the top two Guillermo Quiroz cards in a dime box at the National.  The bottom was a leftover that Chris missed back in April, and of course, I got Kolby's team set card signed.

I had a couple Gavin Sheets cards that weren't here during the previous series.  I found the 2017 Bowman refractor at the National, and 2018 Pro Debut came from my box that I ordered.

 

Lincoln Henzman is another recent callup to the Dash that I had cards for.  This Elite Extra Edition came from the National.  I was happy to get a 2013 Perfect Game card signed, as well, since I still have a ton leftover from the 2017 National.

Alec Hansen was recently demoted to the Dash from AA Birmingham.  He only would sign one-per, but I was still able to get a few nice cards signed.

I got a few Spokane team set cards done as well, from the guys who used to be Wood Ducks.  Ti'Quan Forbes left in the Miguel Gonzalez trade, but he is still popular in Kinston.

Yeyson Yrizzari wasn't a Wood Duck for long, and was on the DL for this series, but he still traveled with the team, and signed my Spokane card.

Each of these Leody Taveras cards came from the National.  I actualy finished every Leody card that I had, which I didn't think would be possible.

The Wood Ducks made one last call-up to the team with Tyler Phillips.  He started the next-to-last game, and was available to sign the last game.  I had two Hickory team set cards, and a Spokane card, so I was able to get those done.

Thanks to a 50/50 from Gerard, I got this Ricky Tyler Thomas card.  I have one of my own, somewhere, but haven't been able to find it since he was called up to the Wood Ducks.  I imagine he will be here next season; plenty of time for me to find where I misplaced the other card.

They did an entire team signing session before the Sunday game.  I was able to knock out a few more Spike Owen cards.  I'm not certain he will be back next season, but if he is, I doubt I will push too hard to get anything of his signed.  We hit him a lot this season.

Finally, continuing with getting my close graphing friends on 1987 Topps checklists, I was able to get my good friend, Jackson, on one.  He has an amazing autograph that he has been practicing for years.  I somewhat helped him get a job with the Wood Ducks this season.  I enjoyed him coming and sitting next to me at the ends of the games once his on-field promotions duties were over.

With that being the last series of the season, I recently counted up how many games I had attended, and how many autographs Chris and I obtained.  By my rough potato math, I counted that I attended 45 baseball games this summer.  That includes 39 MiLB (31 Wood Ducks), 2 MLB, 1 independent, 1 exhibition, 1 All Star and 1 college games.  We amassed 2,055 autographs on cards (plus a couple photos, some balls and a Rafael Palmeiro bat) between the January 9 Hot Stove Event, Orioles Fan Fest and all of the aforementioned games.  This doesn't include the autographs I got at the National.