Spring Training 2025 Plus Other Autos From Max

As he always does, Max delivered a huge package of autographs a few weeks ago.  He went to Cubs Convention and Spring Training and took a bunch of my cards with him to get signed.  I was glad to get a bunch of room cleared in my boxes.  The above Topps Pro Debut relic card of Ryan Vilade was a big hit.

Here are cards sigbed by Riley Adams, Paul Bako, Moises Ballestros, Matthew Boyd, Rob Brantly, Alex Call, Dave Clark.  I liked getting the Winston-Salem Spirits card signed by Bako. I'm pretty sure I got to see him play at Ernie Shore Field.  

These cards are signed by Kenedy Corona, Ryan Dempster, Bob Dernier, Chris Devenski, Sean Doolittle, Joe Espada, Jose Fermin, Daxton Fulton.  I'm certain that I am out of Dernier cards at this point.  It was funny Max got Corona for me; I just got him myself while seeing Sugar Land last week.

I finally got my old Greensboro team set card back signed by Joe Espada.  That was a cool team set to pick up for $5.  Well worth it to have something for Espada to sign.  I was also glad to add a Jose Ferrer card to the album ince I saw him past year but had none of his cards on me at the time.

This group is Ryan Flaherty, Ben Gamel, Stone Garrett, Luis Guillorme, Ricky Gutierrez, Jon Jay.  I did a search and I didn't see that I had any Flaherty signed cards until this moment.  I'm glad I finally found these.  I think Max asked me for Flaherty stuff early last year and it took me forever to find when I had mine sitting.  My Ben Gamel Bulls team set card finally got done, as well.  I was afraid that one wouldn't get done. 

I found several more Luis Guillorme to take with me to the Durham game while Sugar Land was there but Guillorme wouldn't stop and sign for us.  He was in a hurry to catch their flight.

These are Chris Johnson, Reed Johnson, Matt LeCroy, Bill Madlock, Brice Matthews, CHas McCormick, Victor Mesa, Jr., Noble Meyer.  That 2024 Panini Crusade of Meyer turned out nicely.  I had heard that Chris Johnson was a tough graph but Max got him on several cards, which helped get a good many out of my boxes. 

The next batch is of Brian McRae, Jake Meyers, Drew Millas, Rodery Munoz, Connor Norby, Glenn Otto.  That Diamond King Otto is pretty cool.  I didn't even know I owned that card before.  Max really helped to get some older team set cards signed.  That's great because they just end up sitting in a box unsigned otherwise. 

Daniel Palencia, Mitchell Parker, Nate Pearson, Konnor Pilkington, Cal Quantrill, Ethan Roberts, Drew Rom are in this next group.  I love the 2019 Topps Holiday Cal Quantrill.  Those are fun cards to add to the album.  I finally have Drew Rom, a former Oriole farm hand who is in the majors with St. Louis.

Here are Jackson Rutledge, Jon Singleton, Mike Soroka, Geovany Soto, Caleb Theilbar, James Triantos.  Thay 2010 Topps Pro Debut says Kyle Heckathorn on the card but it is actually Caleb Thielbar pictured.  That was a cool novelty card to get done.

These are Keegan Thompson, Luis Vazquez. Christian Walker, Donovan Walton, Ryan Weathers, Forrest Whitley.  Another 2019 Midwest League All Star Card got done.  Im down to just a handful of these.  I couldn't believe I didn't have the 2015 Topps Chrome Christian Walker in the album yet.  He's really gone on to have a good career.

The Jacob Young above is a really cool card.  I didn't know I sent that one also or maybe Max gifted it to me because he's such a great guy. I was also surprised I had and Jordan Wicks cards left in the boxes to send out.

These are 2024 Topps Heritage minis of Rilety Adams, Jose Ferrer and Dane Myers.  I loved last year's Heritage.  Hopefully this year's using the 1976 design looks good as well.

These horizontal cards of Ron Coomer, Stone Garrett, Reed Johnson, Konnor Pilkington, Cesar Salazar, Jesus Tinoco mixed upky alphabetization of the signatures, but that's ok.  They all look great.

Max also helped with several generic cards by getting Paul Bako, Anthony Bender, Declan Cronin, Joe Espada and Calvin Faucher to sign.

Here are more team cards: Colton Gordon, Ronny Henriquez, Ryan Ignoffo, Bryan Lavastida, Andrey Lara, Jon Lieber, Riley O'Brien, Javier Sanoja.

Finally Eric Wagaman and Carlos Zambrano signed a bunch of these. 

Again, thanks so much for taking the cards from me and getting some signed, Max.  I always appreciate it, even though it seems like it takes me forever to scan and upload them.  Here's to another season of graphing!

TTM Success - Kevin Jarvis

Here are some nice cards that I got back signed from Kevin Jarvis.  I especially liked the above 1993 Classic Best Minor League card showing Jarvis in a Winston-Salem Spirits jersey.  This was back when the Spirits were associated with the Reds.

I also got this 2006 Topps card signed by Jarvis.  It also turned out nicely.  One of these days, I'm going to have to pick up some bulk 2006 Topps Update for TTM purposes, but I don't want to spend a whole lot.

Jarvis (b. 1969) played in the majors from 1994 to 1997 and from 1999 to 2006 for the Reds, Twins, Tigers, A's, Rockies, Padres, Mariners, Cardinals, Diamondbacks and Red Sox.  He had a record of 34-49 with 453 strike outs and a 6.03 ERA.  I mailed to Jarvis on October 1 and got the cards back on October 17, for a 16-day TAT.

TTM Success - Sean Cheetham

I pulled a couple older Winston-Salem minor league cards from one of the boxes I got from my former LCS and put them aside to see if I could get them signed TTM.  This card of Sean Cheetham was one that I was able to get done, and it looks good.  I like seeing the old ads in the background.

Cheetham (b. 1971) was a 4th round pick in the 1990 June Amateur Draft by the Cubs out of Woodbridge High School in Virginia.  He pitched in the minors from 1990 to 1992, reaching high A ball.  He had a record of 10-13 with 151 strike outs and a 4.52 ERA.

I mailed to Cheetham on December 1 and got the card back on December 11, for a 10-day TAT.

TTM Success - Ozzie Timmons

I received a TTM success from a player that I remember watching at Winston-Salem's Ernie Shore Field back when I was a kid.  Ozzie Timmons played in 86 games for the Winston-Salem Spirits in 1992.  That was back when my mom would take us to the field to watch the Frederick Keys.  My grandfather would also take us to a few Spirits games, as well, but I believe that was a couple seasons before.

Timmons (b. 1970) played in the majors from 1995 to 1997 and 1999 to 2000 for the Cubs, Mariners and Devil Rays.  He had 95 hits, 20 home runs and a .235 batting average.

I mailed to Timmons via the Durham Bulls (he is their hitting coach) on April 5 and got the cards back on April 15, for a 10-day TAT.

TTM Success - Chad Fox

I received a TTM success from another former Winston-Salem Spirit the other day when I got two cards in from Chad Fox.  I mailed to Fox on November 15 and got the cards back on November 25, for a 10-day TAT.

Both of the cards look great.  The top 1995 Upper Deck Minors is a really sharp card.  I also really like the above Fleer Ultra Gold Medallion cards.  I picked them up from my LCS and was very happy to be able to use them.

Fox (b. 1970) played in the majors from 1997 to 1999, 2001 to 2005, 2008 and 2009 for the Braves, Brewers, Red Sox, Marlins and Cubs.  He had a career record of 10-12 with 262 strike outs and an ERA of 3.79. He won the World Series with the Marlins in 2003.

TTM Success - Pat Watkins

I've said it before that doing TTM requests has really helped me expand what I look for when I look through a box of cards.  Gone are the days when I would look for just "name" players and toss all of the non-stars in a box, just to be packaged up as gift packs to give to kids (or Goodwill).  Now, I am able to take some of those cards, and request some autos, and maybe learn a little more about some of those forgotten players.

I was going through a box that Mom had gotten me, and found a few 1995 Upper Deck Minors cards.  I was happy to see a couple old Winston-Salem Spirits cards in the stack.  The Spirits were the Carolina League (A) team of the Cubs when I was a kid, then became associated with the Reds.  I went to a couple Spirits games with my grandpa, and also my mom would take us as well.  I don't remember whether or not if we saw Pat Watkins play, but odds are that we did.

I was really happy with how this card turned out.  I can't really tell, but it doesn't appear that the photo was taken in Winston at Ernie Shore Field, but I could be wrong.  I mailed to Watkins on November 9 and got the card back on November 23, for a 14-day TAT.

Watkins (b. 1972) is a North Carolina native, which is pretty cool.  He also went to ECU, which is right down the road from where I live now.  He played in the majors from 1997 to 1999 for the Reds and Rockies.  He had 46 hits, 2 home runs and a .236 batting average.  He was a former first round pick (#32) in the 1993 amateur draft by the Reds.