Spring Training Returns From Drake

My friend, Drake, may appreciate how I have my autograph albums set up almost as much as I do.  I enjoy the variety of each page and how so many different cards from different sets populate the albums.  Drake has helped me get cards signed for a few years now, and he really came through during this year's Spring Training.

He even mentioned to Maikol Escotto (above) how the card he was signing would end up as the cover photo of a future blog post (even though I don't blog by request).  I honored Drake's wishes and put this card first as part of a deal we made while he was assembling the return package.

Drake helped me clear a lot of room in my prospects boxes by taking the cards he took for Spring Training.  He also helped get a bunch of cards out of the box of shame, which clears room for some missed opportunities from this season.

I was really happy to add the 2022 Panini Capstone Pablo Lopez (top right) to the album.  Those cards look really nice, and look even better signed.

I was really happy with the 2022 Topps Cosmic Chrome Griffin Jax that Drake got done for me.  That was a cool box that I ordered off of Topps.com, and this is the first from that set that I have been able to get signed.

Drake got Joey Gallo to sign (top left), but Gallo switched markers on him.  I don't care, though, he gets added to the album anyway.  The 2014 Bowman Byron Buxton turned out nicely, as well.

Several Bowman Draft highlight this page, as well as a 2017 Topps Heritage Minors Chance Sisco.  I missed Sisco a few times, but was finally able to get this card out of my boxes.

Drake added a couple extras of his own, like the 2019 Topps Heritage Minors Brock Deatherage blue parallel and the 2014 Leaf Perfect Game Andrew Cabezas.  He also tossed in the 2022 Panini Prizm Curtis Terry, which was nice, since Terry is a former Wood Duck.

There is a 2001 Topps Rocco Baldelli that Drake got done for me, as well as a 2020 Topps Big League orange parallel of Chance Sisco that I really wanted to get signed.  Drake read my mind, and got that one taken care of for me.  He also provided me with several project cards with multiple players to try to get signed.  Thanks buddy!

I was surprised to see this 2021 Topps Heritage Minors Austin Martin stickers insert get signed.  I'm sure it was tough to add it to his page, but it is cool to add one of these to my album.  Martin was tough last season when I went to Wichita, so for Drake to get two cards done for me out of my box of shame, I was really happy.

Finally, Drake added this 1989 Donruss signed by David Cone that Drake traded for.  He had a friend get Cone at Royals opening day (I think), and it is something really awesome to add to the album.

Thank you for all of your hard work, Drake!

TTM Success - David Cone

This is another of those cases where my scanner clearly did an injustice to a really nice card.  This is a 1998 Fleer Metal David Cone that I sent TTM through a private signing.  I really liked the card because of the World Trade Center in the background, so I wanted to get it signed and into my album.  In person, the card looks awesome.  The scanner just crapped the bed on it, I guess.

Cone (b. 1963) played in the majors from 1986 to 2001 and 2003 for the Royals, Mets, Blue Jays, Yankees and Red Sox.  He had a career record of 194-126 with 2,668 strike outs and a 3.36 ERA.  He was a 5-time All Star (1988, 1992, 1994, 1997 and 1999).  He was the Cy Young Award Winner in 1994 (AL) and finished 9th in the MVP race that season.  He won the World Series 5 times (1992 with Toronto and 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000 with the Yankees).  He pitched a perfect game in 1999.

Cone appeared on the 2009 Hall of Fame ballot, but received only 3.9% of the vote.

I mailed to the signing on August 17 and got the card back on October 13, for a 57-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $35.00.