May 26, 2025, Graphing of the Redbirds at Bulls

Durham has become one of my favorite places to graph.  I typically do well there, and this time I graphed for the first time with my good friend Gerard.  I also had messaged my buddy Aidan on Onstagram that I was doing arrival in Durham, looked up, and Aidan was there.  He and I had the same plans.  He was able to meet Gerard and Mike as well, and it seems they hit it off.  Aidan is a great guy.

A highlight of the trip was getting this 2024 Bowman Chrome gold refractor of Tre Morgan signed.

I freed some cards from the Box Of Shame with some guys on Memphis.  My Nick Anderson cards were left over from last year's trips to Norfolk.  I also got some Rob Kaminsky cards that I had been holding into for a while. The yellow 2015 Bowman was a great hit.  I also got a green parallel from 2024 Topps Heritage High Number of Alex Fernandez signed.

Drew Rom was really great.  He got us on the board on arrival, and signed for me a second time pregame on two cards that I missed.  Thomas Saggese was happy to see Chris and I.  He hadn't seen Chris in a few years.  Saggese usually personalizes, but didn't for us. Apparently, that was a surprise to some other graphers.

Joe Boyle made a new friend in Gerard's brother, Mike.  Boyle really isn't too friendly to graphers, and it showed when Mike revealed his page of Boyle cards "ugh, you have too many. I'm only going to sign one..." "OK, that's fine, can you sign the yellow one?" "No." Gerard told me later in the week that Boyle did sign for him again, and was friendlier.

The main reason Chris came along was so that he could see Mason Englert in person again.  We missed him when we were in Columbus seeing Toledo last season.  He is now in the Rays system, and it was awesome seeing him again. 

Ha-Seong Kim was in Durham on a rehab assignment.  I didnt have any cards pulled for him, but two boys that were there gave me one of their extra cards after I gave them a few guys they didn't have.  It worked out doubly for me in that I got Kim and got rid of some cards that would have gone back in the boxes.

I cleared a few Andrew Stevenson cards out of the boxes, which helped clear a little room.  I also got a couple Durham team set cards taken care of.  I also got a couple Cole Wilcox cards that have been in my Durham box since last season signed.

Carson Williams was the last guy that we got.  I had made the decision to head out after getting a few autos post game, and the rain had returned.  I got Chris, turned around to say goodbye to Gerard and Mike, and saw them getting ready to get Williams.  Chris and I grabbed our books and knocked out two cards. 

One of the nicest guys we saw on this trip was another rehab assignment guy, Kevin Kelly.  I love this 2023 Topps Heritage.

We had a great time graphing with Aidan, Gerard and Mike.

In all, I got the following autographs: Nick Anderson x 2, Luken Baker x 2, Ian Bedell x 2, Howie Clark x 2, Jimmy Crooks x 2, Jose Fermin x 1, Ryan Fernandez x 2, Rob Kaminsky x 4, Michael McGreevy x 3, Cesar Prieto x 13, Drew Rom x 4, Thomas Saggese x 2, Mike Siani x 4, Andy Yerzy x 1, Zack Weiss x 1, Joe Boyle x 2, Mason Englert x 5, Brock Jones x 4, Dominic Keegan x 2, Kevin Kelly x 3, Ha-Seong Kim x 1, Tyler Ladendorf x 1, Tre Morgan x 2, Tanner Murray x 2, Pat Phelan x 1, Andrew Stevenson x 6, Jacob Wagiespack x 1, Cole Wilcox x 2, Carson Williams x 2 and Aidan Warnock x 1 (81 total autographs).

May 23, 2024, Graphing of the Redbirds at Bulls

Needing to burn some PDOs, I took yesterday and today off with the intention of hitting arrival at Durham.  I was able to rack pretty well during the trip up there; so much so, I was able to get autographs 5 times (arrival, batting practice, inside pregame, inside postgame and outside postgame.  I prepped for the trip for several weeks and was really happy with how I did, along with my friend, Jordan.  The main card I wanted to get done was the above 2024 Topps Jordan Walker black gold insert.  I hit it outside, so everything else later was gravy.

Shane Baz was the other guy that I really wanted to get.  He hit a whole page outside on arrival.  The (bottom left) 2018 Bowman Hi Tek was the other card I really wanted to get.  Baz was really cool.  He did comment outside postgame about how many cards I had.  What can I say, I had a ton. 

Chris Devenski was the first graph we got; he was really cool and signed a 2019 Topps Heritage, and the above (bottom left) 2016 Heritage Minors Minor Miracles card that I just happened to see that he was on.

I spent a lot of time looking for the 2017 Topps Heritage Minors CJ Hinojosa (top, second from left), so I was really excited to get it done.  The 2013 Topps Emerald Parallel of Rob Brantly just happened to appear on my desk and I was able to add it to the book for this trip.  I was alsonavle to get Ronny Simon and Logan Driscoll. 

Yu Chang was on the IL, but was still in town.  He hit two per for us the two times we saw him.  He was really nice and I hope I can get him a few more times. 

The guys on Memphis were all really cool.  I got Ben Johnson, Howie Clark, Moises Gomez, Jose Fermin, Adam Kloffenstein and Zack Thompson.  The Fermin was the first IP 2024 Topps that I've gotten.  His signature looks awesome.

Cesar Prieto hit everything I had in the book.  He said he'd sign after stretching, then walked by without signing.  I called his name again, and he pointed at me, acknowledged me and came back by.  He was really nice.

I also hit Luken Baker, who is a large human being, Andre Pallante and again, Jordan Walker.

Finally, here is a 2022 Topps Pro Debut Michael McGreevy.  I got him inside postgame.  He pitched a great game (a complete game), but took the 1-0 loss after a passed ball allowed a runner to score.

In all, we got the following autographs: Shane Baz x 11, Rob Brantly x 5, Yu Chang x 5, Chris Devenski x 2, Logan Driscoll x 3, CJ Hinojosa x 1, Ronny Simon x 2, Edwin Uceta x 1, Luken Baker x 3, Howie Clark x 1, Jose Fermin x 1, Moises Gomez x 5, Ben Johnson x 1, Adam Kloffenstein x 5, Michael McGreevy x 3, Andre Pallante x 3, Cesar Prieto x 6, Zack Thompson x 1 and Jordan Walker x 2 (61).

September 13, 2023, Graphing of Redbirds at Tides

The next stop on my birthday week trip was up in Norfolk to try to get denied by Jackson Holliday again.  My friend, Jordan, accompanied me on the trip.  We did arrival in Norfolk, and did really well. I finally got this 2019 Bowman Chrome atomic refractor of Daz Cameron signed.  It turned out great.

For the longest time on arrival, the Tides one perred me to death.  Mike Baumann broke that streak, though, and signed everything i had.  I finally got all of the team set cards if his that i had done.

I picked up a team set inside during the game, so I got some of those signed post game outside.

The biggest names i was able to get were Coby Mayo and Connor Norby.  Norby signed everything I had, which was great.

Austin Voth also signed everything I had.  He was super nice and seemed genuinely happy that Jordan and I were out there talking with him.  Tyler Wells was also really nice.

I had brought this one 2019 Topps Orioles team card with me and got Wells to sign that, also.

This shimmer parallel from 2022 Topps that I got signed by Bruce Zimmermann was a pickup from the National, and it turned out great. Jordan pointed out that Zimmermann played at Mount Olive College, so we talked to Zimmermann about that, briefly.

Most of our trip was concentrated on Norfolk, but our seats were by the Memphis Redbirds dugout.  I knew the Norfolk side would be a mess, so I brought a little bit of stuff for Memphis.  We also got to see Thomas Saggese, who used to be a Wood Duck.  He was nice enough to pose for a picture and asked about Chris.  He remembered us.

Of course, we didn't see Jackson Holliday on arrival.  Post game, outside, he went to the other side of the barricade, skipping Jordan and I (along with the other folks on our side), so, of course, I missed him again.

In all, I got the following autographs: Mike Baumann x 7, Anthony Bemboom x 1, Buck Britton x 1, Daz Cameron x 3, Lewin Diaz x 2, Kyle Dowdy x 1, Maverick Handley x 3, Josh Lester x 1, Chayce McDermott x 3, Coby Mayo x 2, Connor Norby x 6, Kyle Stowers x 1, Austin Voth x 8, Ryan Watson x 1, Tyler Wells x 4, Bruce Zimmermann x 1, Cesar Prieto x 1, Mike Siani x 1 and Juan Yepez x 2 (49 total autographs).