May 26, 2025, Graphing of the Redbirds at Bulls

Durham has become one of my favorite places to graph.  I typically do well there, and this time I graphed for the first time with my good friend Gerard.  I also had messaged my buddy Aidan on Onstagram that I was doing arrival in Durham, looked up, and Aidan was there.  He and I had the same plans.  He was able to meet Gerard and Mike as well, and it seems they hit it off.  Aidan is a great guy.

A highlight of the trip was getting this 2024 Bowman Chrome gold refractor of Tre Morgan signed.

I freed some cards from the Box Of Shame with some guys on Memphis.  My Nick Anderson cards were left over from last year's trips to Norfolk.  I also got some Rob Kaminsky cards that I had been holding into for a while. The yellow 2015 Bowman was a great hit.  I also got a green parallel from 2024 Topps Heritage High Number of Alex Fernandez signed.

Drew Rom was really great.  He got us on the board on arrival, and signed for me a second time pregame on two cards that I missed.  Thomas Saggese was happy to see Chris and I.  He hadn't seen Chris in a few years.  Saggese usually personalizes, but didn't for us. Apparently, that was a surprise to some other graphers.

Joe Boyle made a new friend in Gerard's brother, Mike.  Boyle really isn't too friendly to graphers, and it showed when Mike revealed his page of Boyle cards "ugh, you have too many. I'm only going to sign one..." "OK, that's fine, can you sign the yellow one?" "No." Gerard told me later in the week that Boyle did sign for him again, and was friendlier.

The main reason Chris came along was so that he could see Mason Englert in person again.  We missed him when we were in Columbus seeing Toledo last season.  He is now in the Rays system, and it was awesome seeing him again. 

Ha-Seong Kim was in Durham on a rehab assignment.  I didnt have any cards pulled for him, but two boys that were there gave me one of their extra cards after I gave them a few guys they didn't have.  It worked out doubly for me in that I got Kim and got rid of some cards that would have gone back in the boxes.

I cleared a few Andrew Stevenson cards out of the boxes, which helped clear a little room.  I also got a couple Durham team set cards taken care of.  I also got a couple Cole Wilcox cards that have been in my Durham box since last season signed.

Carson Williams was the last guy that we got.  I had made the decision to head out after getting a few autos post game, and the rain had returned.  I got Chris, turned around to say goodbye to Gerard and Mike, and saw them getting ready to get Williams.  Chris and I grabbed our books and knocked out two cards. 

One of the nicest guys we saw on this trip was another rehab assignment guy, Kevin Kelly.  I love this 2023 Topps Heritage.

We had a great time graphing with Aidan, Gerard and Mike.

In all, I got the following autographs: Nick Anderson x 2, Luken Baker x 2, Ian Bedell x 2, Howie Clark x 2, Jimmy Crooks x 2, Jose Fermin x 1, Ryan Fernandez x 2, Rob Kaminsky x 4, Michael McGreevy x 3, Cesar Prieto x 13, Drew Rom x 4, Thomas Saggese x 2, Mike Siani x 4, Andy Yerzy x 1, Zack Weiss x 1, Joe Boyle x 2, Mason Englert x 5, Brock Jones x 4, Dominic Keegan x 2, Kevin Kelly x 3, Ha-Seong Kim x 1, Tyler Ladendorf x 1, Tre Morgan x 2, Tanner Murray x 2, Pat Phelan x 1, Andrew Stevenson x 6, Jacob Wagiespack x 1, Cole Wilcox x 2, Carson Williams x 2 and Aidan Warnock x 1 (81 total autographs).

TTM Success - Jordan Nwogu

Not only had I been sending off 2021 Bowman Draft for TTMs; I had sent out a few 2021 Topps Heritage Minors, as well.  I got a TTM success back from Jordan Nwogu that had a 2021 Topps Heritage Minors (above) as well as a 2020 Bowman Draft Chrome and a 2021 Topps Pro Debut.

Nwogu (b. 1999) was a 3rd round pick by the Cubs in the 2020 June Amateur Draft out of the University of Michigan.  He played at Low A Myrtle Beach last season where he had 80 hits, 10 home runs and a .248 batting average.

I mailed to Nwogu on January 4 and got the cards back on January 19, for a 15-day TAT.

TTM Success - Shane Drohan

The above 2020 Bowman Draft Chrome refractor really scanned nicely.  Here is another series of recent cards that came back signed.  I went through a handful of 2020 Bowman Draft as I was waiting for 2021 Draft to come in and dropped these in the mail when I saw that Drohan signed.  All of the cards turned out great.

Drohan (b. 1999) was a 5th round pick by the Red Sox in the 2020 June Amateur Draft out of Florida State University.  Last season he played at Low A Salem (who did not come through Kinston).  He had a record of 7-4 with 86 strike outs and a 3.96 ERA.

I mailed to Drohan on January 3 and got the cards back on January 15, for a 12-day TAT.

TTM Success - Spencer Strider

There have been quite a few cards removed from my prospects boxes recently.  I sent off a few 2021 Pro Debut and Heritage Minors cards via TTM and had to make room for my 2021 Bowman Draft that came in.  One of the players I sent to earlier this month was Spencer Strider.  He has been signing regularly, so I got my 2021 Topps Pro Debut, a 2020 Bowman Draft and 2020 Bowman raft Chrome signed.

The cards turned out great.

Strider (b. 1998) was a 4th round pick by the Braves in the 2020 June Amateur Draft out of Clemson.  He made his Major League debut this past season, appearing in 2 games.  He went 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA and no strike outs.

I mailed to Strider on January 3 and got the cards back on January 15, for a 12-day TAT.

August 24-29, 2021, Graphing of Woodpeckers at Wood Ducks

This series between the Woodpeckers and Wood Ducks was the first one I caught all games of in quite some time.  The season is winding down, and the Wood Ducks are in the middle of the playoff picture, so I wanted to catch as many games as I could.  There were only 2 guys on Fayetteville with cards, so I didn't have a whole lot to prep for this trip.  Add in the fact that I didn't have many guys on the Wood Ducks that I needed, I ended up going for a couple days and not graphing at all, which was kind of weird.  On Saturday, though, my boxes of Pro Debut came in, and I had a few more cards stocked up in my autograph book.  I was able to finally get a certified card of Luisangel Acuna signed; something other than a custom or a team set, which was really nice.

My dude, Cody Freeman, was back in action, so I was able to get my team set card done, as well as a couple customs my friend Dugan made for me.  Cody liked them so much, he requested that Dugan make him some.

I got my Alex Santos and Jordan Brewer cards signed; the only Fayetteville guys who's cards I could find.  I also had a lot of 10 cards of Brady Smith come in, and found a few cards of roving instructor, Roy Silver.  I was excited when I saw that I had Silver's cards in my 1990 ProCards AAA box.

My friend, Ben, came for the Saturday game; his first game all season.  We graphed together a bunch in the past, and he has been missed this year.  He gave me some blank Rangers signature cards, so I got Gavin Collyer on one of them.  Gavin talked to Chris and I bunch this series, and has become one of our favorite guys on the team.

On Saturday night, Jayce Easley stole his 60th base of the season, which leads all of professional baseball.  I called it pregame, and Jayce was more than happy to sign and inscribe my ticket stub from last night.

We had a really good time this series.  The Wood Ducks won the series 4-3 (they finished a suspended game on Tuesday, followed by their regularly scheduled game) and as of last night, were tied with the Mudcats for the second playoff spot.  I'm hoping to catch all of the remaining home games as the Woodies continue to fight to keep the season going past that last series in September.

TTM Success - Bailey Horn

This TTM success came in well before the minor league season started, and also well before I actually was able to get Bailey Horn IP.  I may have looked through my boxes thinking I had a blue parallel somewhere.  I did later realize that the card had been sent TTM and was waiting to be scanned.  One of these days, I will finally be caught up.

Horn (b. 1998) was a 5th round draft pick by the White Sox in the 2020 June Amateur Draft out of Auburn University.  He has played in two levels of the minors, Low and High A.  He was traded to the Cubs in exchange for Ryan Tepera.  So far, he has a record of 2-3 with 48 strike outs and a 5.95 ERA. 

I mailed to Horn on January 8 and got the cards back on March 15, for a 66-day TAT.

TTM Success - Michael Toglia

Here are some nice prospect cards I got back from Michael Toglia.  The above 2019 Panini Prizm turned out great.  I didn't have a lot of them, so it was nice to add this one to the autograph album.

I also got a 2019 Bowman Draft and a 2020 Bowman Draft signed, and I like how they turned out.

Toglia (b. 1998) was a first round (23rd overall) pick by the Rockies in the 2019 June Amateur Draft out of UCLA.  He has played two seasons in the Rockies system, reaching High A.  He has 71 hits, 19 home runs and a .236 batting average.

I mailed to Toglia on January 27 and got the cards back on February 24, for a 28-day TAT.

TTM Success - Trent Palmer

This 2020 Bowman Draft Chrome purple refractor was the reason I looked Blue Jays prospect Trent Palmer up to see if he signed TTM.  He does sign TTM, so I sent the card off with a base one to get them signed.

Both of the cards came back looking great.  I was super happy to get them back, and I couldn't be happier.

Palmer (b. 1999) was a 3rd round draft pick by the Blue Jays in the 2020 June Amateur Draft out of Jacksonville University.  He has pitched at Low A Dunedin this season and is 0-1 with 14 strike outs and a 5.79 ERA.

I mailed to Palmer on January 6 and got the cards back on February 23, for a 48-day TAT.

TTM Success - Zach McCambley

Another 2020 Bowman Draft came in signed TTM when I got this success from Zach McCambley.  The card looks pretty nice, even though his signature is just a big loopy thing.

McCambley (b. 1999) was a 3rd round pick by the Marlins in the 2020 June Amateur Draft out of Coastal Carolina University.  He has pitched at High A this season.  He is 2-2 with 58 strike outs and a 3.07 ERA.

I mailed to McCambley on January 15 and got the card back on February 22, for a 38-day TAT.

TTM Success - Nick Loftin

Here are a few really nice cards that I was able to get signed TTM by Nick Loftin. The above card is another 2020 Donruss American Pride. I really enjoy getting these signed.

I also got a 2020 Stars and Stripes and a 2020 Bowman Draft signed. 

Loftin (b. 1998) was a first round (32nd overall) draft pick by the Royals in the 2020 June Amateur Draft out of Baylor University. He has played this season at High A Quad Cities. He has 23 hits, 4 home runs and a .221 batting average.

I mailed to Loftin on January 19 and got the cards back on February 17, for a 29-day TAT.

TTM Success - Reid Detmers

Here is another prospect that I was able to get to sign TTM earlier this year.  I had quite a few Reid Detmers cards, so, it was nice to be able to get some signed.  Especially a 2020 Panini Stars and Stripes (above).

I also got a 2020 Bowman and a 2020 Bowman Chrome done.  I have a lot more of his cards, so maybe I will send to him again, or maybe I can find someone who will 50/50 for me.

Detmers (b. 1999) was a first round (10th overall) pick by the Angels in the 2020 June Amateur Draft out of  the University of Louisville.  He had played this season at AA Rocket City (yes, the Trash Pandas).  He has a record of 1-2 with 40 strike outs and a 3.60 ERA.

I mailed to Detmers on January 12 and got the cards back on February 16, for a 35-day TAT.

TTM Success - Jeff Criswell

Here are some cool prospect cards that I got back signed TTM from Jeff Criswell.  The above 2020 Panini American Pride turned out nicely.  The card looks even better in person.

Criswell also signed a 2020 Stars and Stripes and a 2020 Bowman.

Criswell (b. 1999) was a second round pick by the A's in the 2020 June Amateur Draft out of the University of Michigan.  He had appeared in one game this season so far for Oakland's High A team in Lansing.  He is 0-0 with 1 strike out and a 0.00 ERA.

I mailed to Criswell on January 19 and got the cards back on February 16, for a 28-day TAT.

TTM Success - Logan Hofmann

A TTM request to Canada is what it took for me to get this 2020 Bowman Draft card signed by Logan Hoffman.  The card looks great, and it only took an international stamp and a few bucks included so he could pay for postage to send it back.

Hofmann (b. 1999) was a 5th round pick by the Pirates in the 2020 June Amateur Draft out of Northwestern Louisiana State University.  He has pitched in 6 games so far this season for the Low A Bradenton Marauders.  He is 1-0 with 21 strike outs and a 2.03 ERA.

I mailed to Hofmann on January 6 and got the card back on February 11, for a 36-day TAT.

TTM Success - Jesse Franklin V

A 2020 Bowman Draft card came out of my box and got signed TTM by Jesse Franklin V.  I enjoy opening Bowman products, but they are getting harder and harder to come by.  I opened a box of 2021 Bowman after getting shut out by my card supplier.  I wish Topps would boost production or do something to help people like me be able to find cards somewhere.

Anyway, the card came back looking amazing; Franklin has a great signature.

Franklin (b. 1998) was a 3rd round pick by the Braves in the 2020 June Amateur Draft out of some university in Michigan that I've never heard of.  Their mascot is a Wolverine.  He was assigned to High A Rome Braves this season, and so far, he has 7 hits, 0 home runs and a .219 batting average.

I mailed to Franklin on January 15 and got the card back on January 28, for a 13-day TAT.

TTM Success - Dax Fulton

I was able to get some nice cards from 2020 Bowman Draft signed when I got this TTM success back from Marlins prospect, Dax Fulton.  

Both of the cards look great; now I need to find a way to get Max Meyer to sign this dual card.

Fulton (b. 2001) was a 2nd round pick by the Marlins in the 2020 June Amateur Draft out of high school.  He started this season with Jupiter, the Marlins Low A affiliate.

I mailed to Fulton on January 4 and got the cards back on January 26, for a 22-day TAT.

TTM Success - Bryce Jarvis

Here are a couple nice cards that came out of 2020 Bowman Draft that I got signed by Bryce Jarvis TTM.  The above chrome 20 in 20 turned out really well.  I was glad to be able to add one of these to my album.

This 2020 Bowman Draft base also turned out well.  The base cards need to be prepped, but they look really nice.

Jarvis (b. 1997) was a first round (18th overall) pick by the Diamondbacks out of Duke University in the 2020 June Amateur Draft.  He begins his pro career this season; in a few days, actually.

I mailed to Jarvis on January 2 and got the cards back on January 23, for a 21-day TAT.

TTM Success - Carson Ragsdale

I added a 2020 Bowman Draft to my autograph album with this TTM success from Phillies prospect, Carson Ragsdale.

Ragsdale (b. 1998) was a 4th round pick by the Phillies in the 2020 June Amateur Draft out of the University of South Florida.  He has yet to play in pro ball.

I mailed to Ragsdale on January 7 and got the card back signed on January 19, for a 12-day TAT.

TTM Success - Tink Hence

I got another 2020 Bowman Draft card signed when I got this one back TTM from Tink Hence.  That's a pretty cool name, all-around, I think.  The card looks great and even better in my now 14th album.  I filled #13 up this weekend and moved on to #14.

Hence (b. 2002) was a 2nd round pick by the Cardinals in the 2020 June Amateur Draft out of Watson Chapel High School in Arkansas.  Due to the pandemic, he didn't play in organized ball this past season.  Interesting to see where the Cardinals start him out in his minor league career.

I mailed to Hence on January 4 and got the card back on January 13, for a 9-day TAT.