July 2022 Graphing of Fireflies at Wood Ducks

Last week's series between the Fireflies and Wood Ducks showed me that I am getting to be just about ready for the season to come to a conclusion.  While I had a ton of cards to get signed, and an extra pair of hands this week, this was still one of the tougher series I have had.  The series before against the Cannonballers was probably the toughest, but this one tried my patience at times.

Still, we did well graphing.  We got a lot of different cards signed.  I was able to move a bunch of 2021 stuff out of my boxes, and add them to the album.

There were also a good many cards from older sets that I was able to get signed, and there would have been more, had the coaches for the Fireflies not been so tough to get to sign.  Tony Pena, Jr. stopped pre-game once for us during the series.  He would sign different cards, so I was able to get a few taken care of.  Later in the series, however, he would tell a group of us that he would sign outside after the game.  So, for the first time this season, I waited outside.  Pena walked by us and ignored us.  This was Saturday.

To be fair, the graphing crowd on Saturday was the largest that I had seen in Kinston since probably 2018, when Luis Robert was in town.  There was a group of graphers from the Raleigh area, and two teenagers (both named Dylan, oddly enough) who were visiting from Durham.  I talked to the first Dylan for the better part of the game, and helped him get some stuff signed after the game.  He and his friend seemed like nice people, and I think they enjoyed their time in Kinston enough to want to come back during the Fredericksburg series.

Glenn Hubbard would take the long way to the opposing dugout; skipping where we were standing entirely.  Tuesday, after the game, he went down the left field line and signed everything for everyone.  After that, he wouldn't sign for anyone at all the rest of the series.

John Habyan, by far, was the nicest of the coaches.  He stopped for everyone every time he walked by, which was great.  I didn't pull much of his stuff, and a couple of his cards were given to me by a fellow grapher.

The toughest coach was Chris Nelson.  He stopped one time after Tuesday's game, then signed one per for the three of us.  After that, he would completely ignore us, with the exception of answering me one time when I asked "Do you have time to sign" to which he replied "Ummm, Nah." and kept walking.

The pitchers, by far, were the best signers of the week.  Ben Hernandez signed everything we had over the week.  I was glad to get my blue 2021 Heritage Minors parallel signed.  The card is numbered 60/99.  The Panini Elite Extra Edition is a die cut parallel and is numbered 159/999.

I was glad to get Frank Mozzicato to sign the cards that I had.  He was the Royals first round pick last year.

I had some parallels and stuff for the Wood Ducks as well, and this 2021 Panini Elite Extra Edition of Cam Cauley is numbered 479/499.

My friend, Gerard, sent me a bunch of Jose Rodriguez parallels from 2022 Bowman and a Mitch Bratt refractor from 2021 Panini Prizm.  Regardless of the issues with the coaches, I had a good time graphing this week.  In all, I got the following autographs:

Maximo Acosta x 6, Cam Cauley x 22, Ryan Garcia x 9, Dylan MacLean x 2, Ian Moller x 10, Jose Rodriguez x 12, Jesus Azuaje x 1, John Habyan x 8, Glenn Hubbard x 16, Chris Nelson x 5, Ben Hernandez x 23, Carter Jensen x 7, Frank Mozzicato x 8, Shane Panzini x 8, Erick Pena x 21, Mitch Bratt x 1, Ben Kurdna x 7 and Tony Pena Jr x 15 (182 total autographs).

June 2022 Graphing of Mudcats at Wood Ducks

The Carolina Mudcats came back to Kinston for a 6-game series against the Wood Ducks after the Wood Ducks had been away for two weeks.  It felt like longer, with all of the stuff we had going on recently, so it was nice to get back into a groove at Grainger Stadium.

I caught all 6 games, and got to see the Woodies sweep the Mudcats, which was great.  THere were some really close games, and great pitching.

I had taken a lot of 50/50s for this series; more than usual, and was able to almost finish everything off.  Prepping on Monday was a pain, but I got it all done, and ended up doing very well, even though a lot of the Mudcat players were limiting us on signing.  I enlisted a little help here and there to polish off a few guys, and it helped.

I was also able to find Demetre Kokoris's Vancouver Canadiens team set card, which he was excited to see.  I am glad to finally add him to the autograph album.  A lot of the stuff I got done for the Wood Ducks was parallels that I got in a 50/50 from Gerard.

I finally got some of my 2022 Bowman cards out of my box when the Mudcats came.  Jackson Chourio was the highlight of the series.  He was one per every time he walked by, so we were able to get him to sign most of the games pre and post-game.  I also got him to sign a baseball after the Sunday game.

A big difference between the first series of the year between the two teams and this series was that Hedbert Perez and Jeferson Quero were limiting pretty heavily.  I was still able to get the stuff signed that I wanted signed, which was nice.

I raided my closet and found this 2019 Aberdeen team set card of Jean Carmona.  I had bought the set to get Adley Rutschmann, and ended up not even opening it once the 2020 season was canned.

In all, I got the following autographs: Jackson Chourio x 11, Jheremy Vargas x 9, Hendry Mendez x 12, Hedbert Perez x 17, Dylan MacLean x 3, Ryan Garcia x 30, Maximo Acosta x 6, Jeferson Quero x 9, Eduardo Garcia x 14, Demetre Kokoris x 3, Jean Carmona x 2, Xavier Valentin x 1, Mitch Bratt x 3, Cam Cauley x 9, Ian Moller x 4 and Jose Rodriguez x 9 (142 total autographs).

May 2022 Graphing of Woodpeckers at Wood Ducks

Another series is in the books, along with a bunch of signed cards.  The Wood Ducks won the series 5-1 and I finally got some 2022 Bowman in.

I hit up Sportlots for a few Dickie Joe Thon cards, and they all turned out great.  I got three different 2011 Bowman Platinum chrome parallels, and two 2011 Bowman Chromes.  I was really happy with how all of these turned out.

I thought I had some Thons somewhere, but I was never able to find them.  Sportlots made it easy, and now these cards are put away in the album.

I was really happy to see Vincent Blue on the coaching staff, as I had his 2007 Bowman ever since that set came out.  I also had these Jayson Schroeders in my boxes for quite a while.

I didn't have any Logan Cernys until late in the week, but did end up finishing everything I had gotten in by Sunday.  Alex Santos was really tough, but we did have a nice conversation on Sunday to make up for him bypassing Chris the other day, insisting he had signed for Chris the day before, even thought Chris missed that game due to work.

My Steve Mintz Auckland Tuatara card finally came in, and I promptly got it signed.  This is from when he managed in New Zealand a few years ago.

The 2022 Bowmans came rolling in, as well, and I got a 2022 Bowman Chrome blue ray wave refractor and a purple paper parallel of Jose Rodriguez signed, along with my 2022 Bowman Chrome and a Bowman paper.

I also was able to add a Maximo Acosta 2022 Bowman and Bowman Chrome to the album.  The 2021 Panini Prizm blue parallel of Mitch Bratt came from Gerard.

I had misplaced this Cam Cauley Bowman paper from 2021 in my box, but found it before the series ended.  It got signed, and turned out nicely.  Gerard sent me these 2021 Prizms as part of a 50/50 and I was able to keep these of Cauley and Ian Moller.

In all, I got the following autos: Logan Cerny x 8, Jose Rodriguez x 15, Alex Santos x 5, Guilder Rodriguez x 2, Maximo Acosta x 7, Cam Cauley x 6, Ian Moller x 6, Steve Mintz x 2, Leury Tejada x 2, Jayson Schroeder x 13, Mitch Bratt x 3, Dylan MacLean x 1, Vincent Blue x 2 and Joe Thon x 5 (77 total autographs)