Another TTM Success From Nolan Watson

Earlier this season, I saw that Nolan Watson was on High Point's roster.  I went on Ebay and picked up a couple of his cards, and also dug through my stacks at the house for one of Gerard's team set cards that never got signed when Watson was with Wilmington.  All of this was nice and all, until I asked Watson with High Point for his autograph.  He said "Dude, I'm a catcher."  Yeah, wasn't the same guy.  Oops.

I found an address for this Nolan Watson and mailed to him.  The cards I sent all came back signed and looked great.  I noticed when they came back that I had gotten Watson before, back in April of 2021.

Since then, Watson (b. 1997) has moved.on from the Royals organization to the Padres system.  He was in AAA this year, but was on the 60-day IL when I mailed to him. 

Currently, Watson has a career record in the minors of 32-53 with 488 strike outs and a 6.14 ERA.

I mailed to Watson on August 14 and got the cards back on August 26, for a 12-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Austin Rei

This TTM success from Austin Rei was exciting because I was able to complete this card already signed by Braden Bishop that my friend Sam sent to me for Christmas. I had intended to send to Rei for some time now, and this card pushed him to the front of the line.  The card looks great now that it is complete.

I also sent off a 2015 Bowman and a 2016 Bowman Chrome.  Both of them look really nice.

Rei (b. 1993) was a 3rd round pick by the Red Sox in the 2015 June Amateur Draft out of the University of Washington. He played in the minors from 2015 to 2019 and 2021.  He reached AA in the Red Sox system, then went to the Diamondbacks AA for a season.  He finished his career in independent ball in 2022.  In affiliated ball, he had a total of 242 hits, 19 home runs and a .216 batting average.  I'm sure I got Rei on a 2015 Bowman when he played at Salem, but I went ahead and sent this one to get it out of the box.

I mailed to Rei on February 10 and got the cards back on March 14 for a 33-day TAT. 

Christmas Gift From Sam

My friend, Sam, sent me a surprise package for Christmas. I hadn't heard from him since he hooked me up with a couple cases of ROMLBs a few months ago. He's been busy working.  Sam sent me a ton of autos to clean out his collection. There were some great guys in the stack that he sent me, like the above 2014 Bowman Josh Hader.

I'm going to try and name all of the players that Sam sent, so everything is searchable.  That helps me with future graphing and posts, which is something should have been doing all along.  In this scan are cards of Ryon Healy, Jake Skole, Logan Shore and Braden Bishop, It has been a while since i added a 2015 Panini Contenders, which was one of the Braden Bishop cards (top left).

The top left dual of Braden Bishop and Austin Rei is one i could finish.  I've seen that Rei has been signing.  The rest of the cards in this scan are of Marvin Gorgas, Bryson Brigman, Nick Wells, Raul Mondesi and Logan Allen.

Johendi Jiminian (bottom center and right) is a guy that I've never heard of.  I'd have tried to send to him TTM if i had some of his cards, with that unique name.  The other guys in this scan are Delino DeShields Jr, Lance McCullers, Hunter Dozier, Cameron Rupp, Vernon Wells and Luke Jackson.  Jackson used to be Sam's guy for a while. 

The next batch of guys was Mike Nikorak, CJ Edwards, Jacob Nix, Scott Blewett, Foster Griffin and DJ Peters.  I had gotten Blewett myself a while back, but never on the 2016 Bowman.  I don't know how I missed that back then.

The next guys are Ariel Jurado, Mitchell White, Jose DeLeon, Grant Holmes, Mike White, Mike Leake, Travis Kuhn and Justin Nicolino.  I jad hoped to catch Nicolino last season in High Point.  I believe he was on one of the teams I saw there.  I e gotten Grant Holmes before.  He's been around for quite a while.

Finally, here is Max Muncy on a 2013 Panini Prizm and a 2014 Midland RockHounds teak set card.  I was also happy to see this Daniel Vogelbach 2013 Bowman Chrome.  Danny Effin Burgers.

Sam also sent me a stack of certified autos and several signed baseballs.  I don't know what I did for Sam to send me all of this stuff, but I am so appreciative. Sam has taken care of me as of late.  I hate that we don't get the chance to talk like we used to around 10 years ago, but he's still a good friend.  Thank you so much, Sam!

TTM Success - Chuck LeBlanc

This 2016 Bowman blue parallel of former Wood Duck, Chuck LeBlanc showed up in my boxes somehow.  I don't remember where I got it, but once I realized I had it, I wanted to get it signed.  I finally got it signed this season via Spring Training. 

LeBlanc (b. 1996) played in the majors last season for the Marlins.  He had 41 hits, 4 home runs and a .263 batting average. He was a Wood Duck back in 2018.

I mailed to LeBlanc via Marlins camp on February 27 and got the card back on March 14, for a 15-day TAT. 

Memorial Day Weekend 2023 Graphing in Augusta and Columbia

Happy Memorial Day to everyone. This weekend, I drove by myself to Augusta and Columbia for a little break and graphing since last week was a tough one.  On Tuesday, I got confirmation that the Wood Ducks would be moving to Spartanburg and would be replaced supposedly with a wood bat league team.  Yeah, that's definitely not the same.  Anyway, depression aside, I got out and did some major relaxation with some graphing therapy.

The weather was terrible, but i was lucky that Augusta has a little enclave you can hang out in and still get stuff signed without getting rained on.  Nolan Martinez was one of my goals, sknxesi had sent these three cards TTM last year, only to have them returned to sender.  They're signed now with some miles on them and in my album.

I was disappointed that I had let Terry Pendleton walk by me. Had I gotten him, I'd have left earlier than I did.  I stayed til the game was called and ended up picking up a team set from the team store and added a few more autographs to the trip. 

I was pretty tired by the time I was home and able to scan everything from the trip.  Since there wasn't really a game in Augusta, I combined everything.  I went there on Saturday, then caught a double header in a misty rain on Sunday in Columbia.  The Fireflies played the Charleston Riverdogs, so I was able to knock down a couple big stacks of cards for those two loaded teams.  I also had hit Augusta because I won't see them until August and there's a chance some of those guys will already be moved up by then.

My friend, Jessie, gave me a couple Bowman Platinum of Spencer Schwellenbach.  He was really nice.  Owen Murphy signed TTM for me recently, but in black, so this blue 2022 Bowman Draft is an upgrade.

I hit a few guys in the team set while I was waiting on Pendelton to come back out.  Those guys were really nice, as well.

Pendleton finally did come back out and laughed that he had spoken to me before he went in and I didn't get my card out.  I knew I had it but wasn't even thinking.  The rain really had me out of sorts.

In Columbia, I had no shame. I had the mascot, Mason sign 3 of my cards and a girl at customer service gave me another signed card (the one in black).  The two Heritage Minors cards are ones I've had for a while and am glad I got them done.

Both the Riverdogs and Fireflies are stacked.  The double header helped me get everyone I set out to get.  The mist messed up a few of the cards, but I had a dry erase marker on me and I was able to fix the smeared cards.

I was really glad to get Dominic Keegan.  He's batting like .334 or something like that, and I feel like he will be moved up soon.  I bet he's not here when Charleston comes through Kinston in July.

I finally got some of my Ryan Spikes and Cooper Kinney cards signed.  Some of them have been in my boxes for a while.  They also have some 2022 stuff and those were good to get signed as well.

The mist was off and on but the games were pretty good.  They were also pretty quick.  My brother, Adam, joined me for part of the second game, which was nice. 

There are several 2022 Topps Pro Debut that look really similar. That's probably part of the reason I kept getting Columbia and Charleston players mixed up. 

Steven Zobac was really cool.  Right when he put marker to card, the mist started coming down and 4 of the cards were ruined.  Or so I thought.  During the first game, I fixed them with the dry erase marker and they cleaned up.  I asked him if he would mind touching them up for me between the first and second game, and he obliged.  That was really nice of him.

During the trip, I got the following autographs: Jorge Bautista x 1, Jair Casanova x 1, Tyler Collins x 1, Dawson Dimon x 1, Francisco Floyd x 1, Didier Fuentes x 1, Elison Joseph x 1, Nolan Martinez x 3, Owen Murphy x 4, Connor Narron x 3, Terry Pendleton x 1, Spencer Schwellenbach x 4 and Ethan Workinger x 1, Jhon Diaz x 1, Chandler Simpson x 1, Xavier Isaac x 1, Dominic Keegan x 4, Cooper Kinney x 4, Trevor Martin x 4, Ryan Spikes x 8, Mason x 4, Mack Anglin x 1, Frank Mozzicato x 3, Shane Panzini x 5, Erik Pena x 5, Tony Pena, Jr. x 6, Lizandro Rodriguez x 6, Daniel Vazquez x 6 and Steven Zobac x 8 (90 total autographs).

TTM Success - Kyle Survance Jr.

The 2016 Bowman design is one that I enjoy getting signed, and this TTM success from Kyle Survance, Jr. was a nice one.  The cards have to be prepped, but they tend to look really nice when signed.

Survance (b. 1993) was an 8th round pick by the Angels in the 2015 June Amateur Draft out of the University of Houston.  He played in the Angels system in 2015, 2017 and 2019, reaching high A ball.  He had 132 hits, 1 home run and a .231 batting average.

I mailed to Survance on February 5 and got the card back on February 16, for an 11-day TAT.

TTM Success - Ben Rortvedt

Ben Rortvedt was one of those guys whos cards I kept seeing in my boxes, so I finally found an address and sent to him TTM.  I was happily surprised that I got a success, even though he used a dying marker on my cards.

Rortvedt (b. 1997) was a 2nd round pick by the Twins in the 2016 June Amateur Draft out of high school.  He made his major league debut this season with the Twins (on April 30) and has 1 hit in 8 at bats.  Currently, he is batting .125.

I mailed to Rortvedt on January 4 and got the cards back on January 25, for a 21-day TAT.

TTM Success - Skylar Szynski

I added this nice 2015 Bowman Draft of Skylar Szynski to my autograph album when I got it back TTM from him.  I had to search his address and take a shot, but it worked, and the card turned out pretty well.

Szynski (b. 1997) was a 4th round pick by the A's in the 2016 June Amateur Draft out of high school.  He played in Rookie ball in 2016 where he went 0-3 with 8 strike outs and an 8.10 ERA.  Szynski remains in the A's system after missing the last several seasons due to injury.  According to MILB.com, he is on the Midland Rockhounds roster.

I mailed to Szynski on January 4 and got the card back on January 15, for an 11-day TAT.

TTM Success - Colby Woodmansee

I got a 2016 Bowman out of my Bowman box when I found an address for Colby Woodmansee.  The card came back signed quickly.  I've gotten pretty good at finding working addresses.  I've had a few fails, but overall, my success rate has been pretty good.

Woodmansee (b. 1994) was a 5th round pick in the 2016 June Amateur Draft by the Mets out of Arizona State University.  He played in the minors in 2016 and 2017, reaching High A.  He had 91 hits, 3 home runs and a .213 batting average.

I mailed to Woodmansee on October 26 and got the card back signed on December 11, for a 45-day TAT.

TTM Success - Logan Ice

I had a bunch of Logan Ice cards put aside for minor league graphing, and I never got an opportunity to get him.  So, I finally sent a couple of the cards to him, and got this 2016 Bowman signed.  The signature is in ballpoint pen, but the card is still signed.

Ice (b. 1995) was a second round pick by the Indians in the 2016 June Amateur Draft out of Oregon State University.  He has spent 4 seasons in the minors, reaching AA.  He has 180 hits, 18 home runs and a .206 batting average.

I mailed to Ice on September 28 and got the card back on November 20, for a 53-day TAT.

More Autos From Jackson T.

My friend, Jackson, used to live in Arizona, but recently moved back to Chicago.  He has now enrolled in school, but still take the time to get cards signed for me when he can.  Recently, he asked me to send him Steve Holm cards, and I obliged.  Jackson was able to get several of them signed for me, and they all turned out well.

In addition to the Holms, Jackson included a couple extra autos, just because.  I really appreciate the gesture, but Jackson didn't have to do that.  He is a really good guy, and I am always glad to send him cards that he can get taken care of for me.

TTM Success - Bryan Reynolds

I meant to post this TTM success from Bryan Reynolds yesterday, but I was very busy, so it got pushed back to today.

I was able to get a few cards out of my prospects box and have them signed, and they really turned out well.

Reynolds signed everything with a thin blue Sharpie, and the cards look great.

Reynolds (b. 1995) was a second round pick in the 2016 June Amateur Draft by the Giants.  He made his major league debut this past april and played 134 games for the Pirates.  He finished 4th in the NL MVP voting after collecting 154 hits, 16 home runs and a .314 batting average.

I mailed to Reynolds on November 25 and got the cards back on December 14, for a 19-day TAT.

An Autograph From Ryan

My friend Ryan went to a Richmond game toward the end of the season and tried to get a few more cards signed for me.  They were playing Bowie, but the only autograph he was able to come away with for me was Ryan Mountcastle on this 2016 Bowman.  The card looks really nice.

Thanks for getting it signed for me, Ryan!  I can't wait to go back next season!

Graphing the Salem Red Sox at Wood Ducks

Last year, I missed the Salem Red Sox when they came through Kinston.  I ended up seeing them in Zebulon at the Mudcats last July 4, but didn't come away with very many autos.  This year, I caught them in Kinston, and I did much better.

The highlight was this 2014 Bowman Red Ice Jake Cosart.  I had found the card at the Chantilly show in April, sent it to my friend Gerard for a 50/50, then it came back here when Cosart was sent down to Salem.  It has some frequent flier miles, but I finally graduated it to my autograph album.

Cosart was really nice, and called me "sir".  Over two games, I got most of the Salem guys that I had brought with me.  I was glad to get the Roldani Baldwin and Trenton Kemp done.  The Kemp came out of my 2013 Perfect Game boxes that I got at last year's National.

I got some 2018 Bowman out of my box, as well.  I have done pretty well in getting some of those signed already this year.  The cards look nice when signed.

Brett Netzer only will do two-per when he signs, but his signature looks great.  I had a couple of his cards left over, but I may try to catch Salem if they come to one of the neighboring teams.

Bobby Dalbec was awesome.  He signed everything we had.  I missed a couple cards in my box, so I have some more to bring with me if I try to see them again.

I had some cool cards of him, though.  The Team USA and South Atlantic League set cards turned out really well.

I pulled the green Dalbec Heritage when I got my box, and was glad to get it done.  The others were from 2017 Pro Debut and 2016 Bowman.

Finally, I got these two Wood Ducks cards done.  I had the 2010 Pro Debut Robby Rowland since i bought the box in 2010.  Been in my box for a long time.  The Ricky Valencia was from my South Atlantic League All Star set, but he had been hurt for a while.

July 9, 2017 Graphing of the Burlington Royals at Danville Braves

It had been a long time since I had added a new minor league park to my list of parks I have been to, but with my trip to Bowling Green earlier this year, I can now say that I have added two this season.  I decided to take a little day trip yesterday to Danville, Virginia, to see the Danville Braves vs the Burlington Royals.

The 2 hour and 45 minute drive to Danville from the house wasn't too bad, and I had plenty of time this past weekend to prepare for the trip.  I had picked up some cards to take with me for graphing, and it forced me to make the trip, so the cards could get signed.  I waffled for a bit on whether or not I was going to go, but I kept thinking, "what else am I going to do?", so I went.

I had a great time at the game, even though it was really hot!  I spent a lot of time by the Braves' bullpen listening to the banter between the pitchers.  It was really interesting just sitting there and listening to them.

There isn't much to American Legion Field.  It is king of reminiscent of the field in Auburn, NY, where I saw the Doubledays.

I made the trip on a good day, I guess, because Fred McGriff was in attendance as a roving instructor.  I said hey to him, and he raised his arm in acknowledgement.  I didn't ask him for an autograph, because I didn't bring an OMLB with me, nor did I have any of his cards.  Oh well.

 I really enjoyed the game, but it was so hot.  I bought two hot dogs (they were great), a souvenir soda, then a Dippin Dots in a plastic helmet, and then an extra large soda.  I think I sweated out all of the junk food, or I walked a lot of it off.

The Braves won the game in the bottom of the ninth on a walk-off hit.  It was nice to see the celebration after the game.  Especially with how awesome everyone was at signing.  A far cry from the Salem Red Sox, for sure.

The first auto I was able to get was Kanekoa Texeira, the pitching coach of the Braves.  I was able to find his cards really quickly, since the 2010 Topps that I have are all pretty much in order.  The auto is tough to see on this 2010 Chrome, but regardless of the curving of the card, looks really nice in person.

Texeira was really nice in person.  He has a handlebar mustache growing; kind of like Rollie Fingers.  So, we talked mustaches while he signed.

I was able to get some older Topps out of my boxes and into my album with these two from Barbaro Garbey.  He is the hitting coach for the Danville Braves, and was really nice while signing.

These two die cut Derian Cruz cards turned out really nicely.  They are both numbered to 200.

I had to wait until almost game time before I could get Keith Weisenberg on this Perfect Game card.  He was really nice, when he finally came out with the other pitchers and signed the one card I had.

I tried to get Kyle Muller pre-game, but since he was the starting pitcher, I had to wait until after the game.  He walked by, and I asked him if he would sign, but he wanted to shower first, so he told me he would come back out.  True to his word, a little while later, he came out in his street clothes, and signed for everyone.  What I really liked about this stadium was that the players all come out of a gate and chat with fans following the game.  So, I stood with a fellow Instagrammer, and chatted while the players came out and signed.  I didn't wait around to see if McGriff came out and signed, but I wasn't going to bother him anyway.

Since Muller bypassed me pre-game, and I waited to get Weisenberg, I was afraid that I had run out of time to get Jeison Guzman from the Royals.  So, once I had gotten Weisenberg, I ran over to the visitor's side ad the Royals were still stretching.  So, I called out to Guzman, and he came over to sign for me.

He signed all three of the numbered, die cut cards that I had, which was really nice.  I like that my LCS had these three, and sold them very cheaply!

I had a great time in Danville, and I definitely would go again!