August 26, 2023, Hope For The Warriors Johnny Bench Signing

The annual Hope For The Warriors celebrity meet and greet came around again this weekend, and Johnny Bench was back.  He missed last year, so it was nice being able to go and get some more of his cards signed.

The above 1968 Topps rookie card was given to me by an old friend, Joey, who had upgraded the one in his collection.  Because I had helped him long ago when he was first getting started, he gave me this card for free.  It was in rough shape, but I was happy to get it signed nonetheless. 

I got a bunch of Bench cards signed this time around.  The price was really good, and I enjoy helping this charity.  So, I got 20 Bench cards done.

I held back a select few from my album so I could give some to a couple friends.  I'm really happy with the ones I kept, though.

I had a friend send me some photos of some Bench cards that he would like to have signed, and I am already excited about going again next year.  I hope Bench keeps coming out this way.

Doug Flynn was also along for the signing. He signed a couple of my cards with a donation to the cause, and then signed a few more for my friend, Jesse, who finished off what I had brought with me.  Flynn is always super nice when we have been able to meet him. 

In all, we got the following autographs: Johnny Bench x 20 and Doug Flynn x 8 (28 total autographs).

Another Meeting With Johnny Bench and Doug Flynn

The annual Hope for the Warriors golf tournament is this weekend, and tonight was the Mad Boar Block Party in Wallace, NC, where Johnny Bench and Doug Flynn come out every year to support soldiers in need.  This was my third time attending the event, and I came away with a good many signed cards, and a few more Bench baseballs.

I found the above 2021 Topps Stadium Club card at the National, having seen it on Twitter the day the set came out.  I saw it and knew that would be one of the cards I brought with me to the event.  If I got no other cards signed, I wanted this one.  It was the only Bench card in the entire box I searched through at the show, but I only needed one.  It turned out great, and I was glad I was able to get it signed.

I also got this 2020 Topps Decades' Best chrome card signed.  The signature didn't show up too well on the scan, but it definitely looks sharp.

I also got an assortment of Bench cards signed that I had been collecting as the year went on.  I pulled a ton from the boxes I got from the former LCS, and also took some from my good friend, Max.  I also got a few signed for him.  I took a consignment for my friend, Cal, and got him hooked up, as well.

Either Max, or my friend Gerard, had sent me a bunch of Doug Flynn cards a while back, and I went ahead and got all 11 of my cards signed for a donation to the cause.  Flynn is super nice, and I always am glad to chat with him at this event.

I had a lot of duplicates left over of Flynn, so I will pass them out to a few friends who have helped along the way.

The Hope for the Warriors golf tournament is every August in Wallace, so you should make plans to come out and show them some support.  They're a class group, and I have enjoyed the Mad Boar Block Party each time I have gone.

Incoming Cards From Doug Flynn

I finally got around to posting the cards I got back from Doug Flynn after meeting him a couple months ago.  He sent several cards, but a few of them were duplicates that I gave Chris.  These are the ones that I didn't yet have in my album.  The above card is a custom with the 1975 Topps design.  It look pretty sharp, I think.

He also sent a 1983 Topps that I didn't have.  Both cards look great, and I'm glad Flynn sent them along.  I wish he had written a note, but I honestly can't complain.

I Bought Johnny Bench A Margarita

That has to be one of my best blog titles that I have come up with.  Yes, tonight, I did buy Johnny Bench a margarita.  I also bought one for Doug Flynn.  After weeks of on again and off again updates, the Mad Boar Block Party for the Hope For The Warriors charity was held tonight.  With COVID going on, it looked like the event was going to be canceled this year.  Up until this afternoon, I thought it had.

I had been talking directly with folks from the charity on Facebook, and they weren't even sure that Johnny Bench was going to be there tonight.  I had heard from a couple friends that he was going to show, but this was after I had already told my friends Dugan, Jackson and Billy that I had confirmed he wouldn't be here.  Those three ended up making plans today, so I was disappointed that they weren't able to come tonight when I did confirm through the Mad Boar restaurant that Bench would be coming.

Luckily, I already had my cards ready to go; I especially wanted this 1973 Topps card that I had already had signed by Blue Moon Odom signed by Bench.  His signature pretty much drowns out Odom's, but it still is a really cool card to get both signatures on.

Of course I had to go with a couple 1987 Topps themed cards.  I really wanted to get one of my National Card Show VIP cards (above right) signed by someone, and the 2017 Topps Silver Pack 87 chrome really looks awesome in person.

I also got this 2017 Topps 87 mini signed because the rate they charged me for my Bench autos was too good to pass up.

The two 1982 cards (above middle and right) were leftovers from when I went last year, but didn't get them signed.  Again, the rate was so good, I couldn't pass them up, so I ended up getting everything I had with me signed.

Speaking of everything I had with me; I did bring one Doug Flynn card with me.  I had found a 1986 Topps card of Flynn.  Apparently, for the longest time, Flynn would never sign that card.  Recently, Bench held an auction for a children's hospital and Flynn signed around 20 of those cards for a $400 donation.  He held my card and debated with Bench for a while (Bench told him to charge me $20), until Flynn finally asked me for my address and told me he would mail me "something nice" instead.  I'm interested to see what that would be.

Oh yeah, I bought Flynn a margarita as well.  The story behind the drinks is that last year, after our first go round with Bench (which, truthfully didn't come off all that well), I went back through the line after Bench had partaken of some beverages.  I told Bench that I'd buy him a drink, but then someone else brought some.  He said "Oh, I've already got one, but thank you..."  So, this year, I told him that I still owed him a drink, and he said he would always be up for one.  He and Flynn both wanted margaritas, so I went to the bar and bought them some.  When I got back with the drinks, both Flynn and Bench were really surprised (as were the Hope For The Warriors personnel); and both Bench and Flynn now know my name.

Also, when I was getting my cards signed, I asked Bench who he had been the most star struck in meeting.  He responded with "Well, I met Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford.  Had candlelight dinner with both Bushes.  I used to call Bob Hope every week."  I thought that was pretty cool.  My experience with Bench this year was far better than last year (and last year really wasn't all that bad, don't get me wrong).  I definitely will mark the Hope For The Warriors benefit on my calendar and try to go again next year.

50/50s From Reds Caravan

It's Fan Fest and Caravan season and a few of my Instagram trading buddies offered to take some 50/50s for me.

A guy named Andrew that I've done 50/50s with in the past hooked me up by taking a bunch of my cards to Reds Caravan (a different one that what my buddy Kaleb went to).

Andrew got me a huge assortment of cards signed, including several that he had leftover from what I sent last year. I'm pretty much out of David Bell and Tom Hume cards now, which is good because it makes room for new cards in my boxes.

I really appreciate Andrew taking the time to reach out and help me with getting this stuff signed. I'm hoping he and I can do some more 50/50s this summer.

Meeting Johnny Bench and Doug Flynn

My friend Billy, who Chris and I met at the Wood Ducks games a while back, told me recently about a signing that was to take place in Wallace, NC with Hall of Famer, Johnny Bench.  The signing was going to happen at the Mad Boar restaurant in Wallace a few days before the Hope For The Heroes golf tournament.  Apparently, Bench has been coming out this way for years, and the benefit has grown.  I went ahead and searched for a ton of cards, as the lady I spoke to on the phone told me that autographs would be between $5-$10.  I knew there was no way, but from what Billy told me, the prices were very reasonable with a donation going toward the cause.  He donated a sum last year and got his items signed, so I figured I had a good chance to get a ton of stuff taken care of.

In all, I got 11 items signed by Bench, and 14 items signed by Doug Flynn for a donation of $330 to the cause.  Bench was a little surly at the start, but during the second time through the line, he had a couple more drinks in him, and he had settled down.

I made the trip with my son, Chris, and met up with my good friend, Jackson, and also Billy.  Jackson made the trip through the line with me initially and got a couple baseballs signed.  He and I went back through with his Doug Flynn cards, and a couple more baseballs, and that was when Bench had warmed up a lot more.  He offered for us to come behind the table with him and take some pictures, which made the initial surliness a distant memory.

 I had to raid some of my sets to have some good Topps cards for Bench to sign.  Also, I had sent most of my Flynns to someone else for graphing, so I was pretty short on his stuff.  I did get rid of a couple 1976 Topps Reds team cards, which is always a plus.  I put Flynn on those and gave one to Chris.

My amazingly awesome friend, Max, sent me an assortment of Flynn cards to go along with the few that I raided from my completed sets.  All of the cards turned out great, and I was glad to get everything signed.  I don't mind replacing what I robbed from the sets at a later date.

I did find a ton of 1983 Donruss Doug Flynn cards, but that was because that box is at the very bottom of my stack of 5,000-count boxes, and apparently, I was too lazy to look through it for the 50/50 I had sent off for earlier on.

This was Surly Bench, early on.  He made a comment about how I wasn't really donating, but paying to get cards signed.  I got the point, but because I believed in the cause was why I spent so much.  If it was a donation to fund an underwater basket weaving class, I wouldn't have spent as much.

Bench was a lot happier when this photo of Jackson and I was taken with Bench and Flynn.  He really ended up being cool, and I imagine he was just trying to bust my chops early on.  I get it, and I definitely am not bothered by it anymore.

The main piece that was signed was this photo from 2013 of Chris and Bench.  Photo cred goes to old friend of the blog, the great Drew!  (Drew, time for you to come back to the blogs)

Finally, I upgraded the Bench ball in my collection with one of these, and I got an extra one done, just because.

I was happy to contribute to the Hope For The Heroes cause, and also spend some time with my son and a couple good friends.  Thanks to Billy for telling me about the event, and thanks to Jackson for making the trip.I definitely will go next year!