September 2022 Graphing of Tides at Bulls

With several PDOs to burn, I took two days off this week to go up to Durham for Stranger Things night on Thursday and also to do some graphing for what might be my last time this season.  The Norfolk Tides were in Durham, and I was able to assemble my book fairly quickly, since I already had a good many Orioles minor leaguers put aside.  Still, the prep work was tedious, but worth it in the end.

I finally got to graph Grayson Rodriguez, and luckily was able to get him on two cards.  The above 2021 Bowman Chrome purple mojo refractor turned out great, and is numbered 220/250.

Also, Tyler Glasnow has been rehabbing in Durham, and I was able to get this orange foil 2020 Donruss signed.  This card will look really cool in my album, and will be somewhat unique, since I didn't open much 2020 Donruss.  This card came out of one of the former card shop boxes.

I wish I had pulled out two Brujan cards for him to sign, other than letting him choose the two, as I had a 2022 Topps chrome mojo 87 that I would have rather he sign.  I tried getting him on arrival today, but never saw him.  Oh, well.  The 2022 Bowman and 2022 Topps are fine additions to my album anyway.  I finally got my 2021 Mosiac Josh Fleming done.  I had sent one to him TTM, but haven't seen it come back yet.  I also finally got Josh Lowe and Luke Railey done, after missing them several times in Durham.

Today's arrival was really nice; I got Yonny Chirinos on two, with the help of my good friend, Jackson.  Seeing Jackson the last two days after missing him all season was also really great.  I finally got my 2021 Bulls team set card of Reinaldo Ruiz signed after missing him a bunch of times.

I also finally got this 2019 Topps gold Rays card signed by Ralph Garza.  Since he has played at Tropicana, I figured I'd get him to sign it, since I didn't have any other cards of his.

Surprisingly, I was able to finish four of m 2019 Midwest League All Star cards: Chris Vallimont, Logan Gillaspie, Xavier Edwards and Grant Witherspoon.  The Gillaspie had been randomly sitting on my desk for a while, and finally has a home in my album.

Speaking of finally getting cards into my album, here are a few that i have had my eye on getting signed for a little while now.  The 2015 NY-Penn League All Star card of Spenser Watkins brought a comment from him when he saw it.  I also was finally able to finish the dual card of Grayson Rodriguez and Cadyn Grenier from 2018 Bowman.  The 2020 Topps Pro Debut Chrome refractor of Yusniel Diaz is another that I really wanted done, and I was smart enough this time to only show that one to him when he was signing.  That way I knew it would get done.

Also, I got some nice cards signed by Brett Phillips.  Jackson told me ahead of time that Phillips was really nice, and he didn't disappoint.  He really was cool, and talked to us a good bit.

Phillips signed a bunch, and I really appreciated it.  He got a nice assortment of cards done for me, which I appreciated.  I left without any of his cards to put back into my boxes.

I got a lot of Orioles affiliates' team set cards signed, as well as some other stuff.  I upgraded my 2022 Topps signed by Bruce Zimmermann, since the one he signed for me TTM was signed in ballpoint pen.  I also got my 2022 SAL Top Prospects Connor Norby card signed, and had a nice conversation with him about ECU.

Chris Vallimont was really cool.  He was easy to spot; he was wearing a retro Cleveland Browns jersey, as the Browns were playing last night.

Finally, Nick Vespi wouldn't sign outside for arrival, but did tell us that he would sign inside.  I asked him if he would be in the bullpen, since my seats were right there.  He said yes and that he would look for me inside.  He was true to his word, and signed for me right before the National Anthem.

Last night's game was exciting, with the Bulls winning in a walk off.  Their Stranger Things jerseys were really cool, and I may bid on one of them.  I was wearing the one that I won years ago, signed by Brandon Snyder.

In all, I got the following signatures: Cooper Criswell x 1, Yonny Chirinos x 2, Xavier Edwards x 3, Ralph Garza x 1, Angel Perdomo x 3, Reinaldo Ruiz x 2, Vidal Brujan x 2, Josh Fleming x 1, Tyler Glasnow x 1, Josh Lowe x 2, Luke Raley x 2, Grant Witherspoon x 1, Ryan Conroy x 2, Yusniel Diaz x 2, Cam Gallagher x 1, Logan Gillaspie x 1, Morgan McSweeney x 2, Tyler Nevin x 1, Connor Norby x 1, Jacob Nottingham x 1, Brett Phillips x 8, Justin Ramsey x 1, Grayson Rodriguez x 2, Ramon Sambo x 1, Chris Vallimont x 6, Nick Vespi x 3, Spenser Watkins x 1 and Bruce Zimmermann x 4 (58 total autographs)

Graphing Recap - Aberdeen Ironbirds at Greensboro Grasshoppers

Because Rob Manfred seriously jacked up the minor leagues, opportunities to graph Orioles prospects in Kinston have become a lot harder to come by.  This season, unless I go on the road, I won't see Delmarva at all.  I missed a couple classes of Oriole prospects the last couple of years, so when I saw that I could catch Aberdeen in Greensboro this past weekend, I hit the road.  The High Point game on Saturday supplanted a possible 2-game viewing of Aberdeen, but the graphing at the Rockers was well worth it.  That left me with a 2PM game on Sunday in Greensboro, which ended early enough for me to get home at a reasonable time.

One of the key cards I wanted to see signed at this game was the above 2002 Bowmans Best Ruben Gotay relic card.  I found it on Sportlots for a steal, not knowing it was a relic card.  It looks awesome, even though Gotay's autograph isn't much to look at.

I realized this morning that I had several other Callix Crabbe and Ruben Gotay cards that I had ordered, then mistakenly put in the wrong stack.  So, I will have to go back to Greensboro to get those taken care of.

The graphing of the Grasshoppers was a big case of missed opportunities.  One guy I missed last season when I went was Sammy Siani, whom I finally got on this 2020 Topps Pro Debut.  I ran into a fellow grapher that I see from time to time, and he showed me three other guys with cards that I just flat out missed when I was searching my boxes.  Oof.  Better luck next time.

Another oof was that I paid $20.00 to get Hudson Head TTM a couple months ago.  If I knew then that I would see him in Greensboro (and get the same card signed), I would have saved the money.  Oh well.

My mistakes aside, I was very successful in graphing Aberdeen.  I only ended up with one unsigned Orioles card, and that was an extra of last year's first round (#2 over all) pick, Colton Cowser.  He was one-per inside, and signed again for us outside (again, one per).  The above dual with Reed Trimble was the card he signed outside.

Coby Mayo signed every card I had in my book.  I only had one 2021 Bowman draft base card of former ECU standout, Connor Norby.  Donta' Williams signed 2 cards inside and my remaining card outside.

Finally, John Rhodes was one-per inside, then signed my remaining two cards outside.  I ended up with a couple extras of the Aberdeen guys.  All of them were pretty nice.  I gave Norby a little bit of crap outside, since he went to East Forsyth High School.  I went to West, so I had to represent.  We laughed about it.  He seems like a really nice guy.

I enjoyed Greensboro, even though I messed up a bit and didn't bring all of the cards I needed.  The good thing is, the field is close, so I can always go back later this summer.  In all, I got the following autographs:  Colton Cowser x 2, Donta' Williams x 3, Connor Norby x 1, Coby Mayo x 4, John Rhodes x 3, Sammy Siani x 1, Hudson Head x 2, Callix Crabbe x 1 and Ruben Gotay x 2 (19 total autographs).