Tiny Progress with the Mantle Project!

Hey guys, Drew back here! Today I'm going to explain to you exactly how not to sign for fans (even if you are the free signer). At the White Plains card show my Dad & I recently met Mariano Rivera at, we also took the time to wait in line for Ruben Sierra, who as I mentioned before was the day's free signer. I wouldn't have had much interest in meeting Sierra had he not been eligible (under my standards) to sign my Mickey Mantle 16x20 photo. I figured he'd be one of those nice little names to balance out the big guns that already signed the picture, such as Berra, Jackson, and Henderson. Well, he signed it... but that was about it.

While signing my Mantle picture and a card I also brought along, Mr. Sierra was taking a phone call, and it wasn't one of those ordinary "Hold on I'm busy let me call you back" sort of calls. It was more of a "How are you? Oh yeah... I can talk" conversation, even though I believe he was speaking Spanish but it was hard to tell with the noise of the building. I don't know about you, but I feel like if you're doing a meet and greet, you should probably at least try to look like you care. I thought Sierra was beyond disrespectful and that little amount I may have ever liked him has basically gone away. I couldn't even get a picture with him because he didn't even look up at me. I tried leaning in for a photo and was ready to say to him "I hate being rude and interrupting your phone call and all but would you mind posing for a picture?" Whatever.

Sierra signed directly below Charlie Hayes, and about the only positive I can draw from the experience was that he has a nice signature. Otherwise, autograph #51 on the Mantle poster was as lackluster as it got. I know Sierra was a freebie, but so was Roy White and so was Ron Blomberg, two of the nicer guys I'd ever met. It's just another example of how most modern day players are nothing like Mariano Rivera.

Here's my other "prize" from the Sierra encounter. A signed 1992 Studio card. Yippee!

I'm not disappointed, because I didn't expect much from him. Heck, I hardly even wanted to meet him in the first place. But this was pathetic.

Feel free to share your rude autograph seeking experiences in the comments below. And do you think having a phone conversation is crossing the line?

See Ya! 

Meeting One of my Heroes

Hey guys, Drew back here. I told you all to stay tuned a little over a month ago, because I knew something big would soon happen. What I didn't realize was that nothing else would really come between then and now, so my apologies for making you all wait so long (in case you cared). But, anyway, here we are, I'm still kind of speechless writing this post but I want to make sure I cover as much of this as I can while its still engrained in my memory.

On Saturday, my Dad, Schuyler, and I went down to the Westchester County Center for a JP's Sports Show! Obviously most of you who have been around this blog for a while know that this is nothing new for us (I actually recently counted, this was my Dad & I's 15th trip), but the day had the potential to be the most special of them all. And in some ways, it was. I didn't plan to do much at the show other than make the most of the enormous fee I had to pay to meet one of my all time favorite players; someone I grew up loving more than anyone with the lone exception of Derek Jeter.

So... Mariano Rivera. When I saw his name grace the JP's Sports lineup for this March Madness show, I was stunned, and even with a lofty autograph price, I knew I had to do what I could to shake his hand. And, that I did. It turns out that Steiner Sports were responsible for the event as I figured they would, given their deal with Rivera that many other big name Yankees have agreed to. On his left sat his Steiner representative while on his right was apparently his agent. They sold 400 autograph tickets to the fans and from what I heard, it sold out relatively quickly. Steiner is awesome when it comes to allowing players to appear for public signings and I think they do a great job with their business, however I knew that I wouldn't get the full experience, even with Mo's wonderful and charismatic personality.

It was very odd seeing Mariano sitting behind a table rather than preparing for the 2014 season. I guess it still hasn't sunk in that the only times "Enter Sandman" will play again in Yankee Stadium are when Rivera makes his occasional returns. Otherwise, I have to say that I was truly honored to watch him play. And with as much as I could've said to the man, between time constraints and nerves, that was about all I could say to him. He thanked my Dad and I and shook Schuyler and I's hands, and it was a short and simple experience. What can you expect from the man who owned the 9th for 17 years?

My biggest complaint from it all was that Steiner pushed us out before we got a chance to take a quick picture with him, and that is something that will bug me until the next time I get to meet him (fingers crossed). I understand that he was scheduled to sign for 400 people in 2 hours, but I don't see why leaning over the table for 5 extra seconds would make for such a big problem.

There is Mariano signing my picture. He was happy and gracious as always, and it was really cool getting to see that up close. I've always admired him for his charity work and contributions to baseball more than his actual performance. He's a larger than life role model for people of all ages, and I have to say seeing him kiss baseball goodbye last year really proved to me how much of an impact he's made on me (hence why I cried like a baby all throughout his final game). Jeter and Mo will always be in a league of their own in my heart as a diehard Yankee fan, and seeing them both make their way out of the pinstripes these past few years has really caught me offguard.

With all of that said, I introduce my latest autograph project, featuring 4 of my all time favorite players. Check it out:

When I got this issue of Sports Illustrated in the mail I absolutely loved the cover, but I didn't think about getting it signed by all four members of the Core Four- Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera, and Andy Pettitte! I spent weeks weighing my options of what I wanted to get Mariano to sign, but ultimately I felt brave and decided "You know what? Let's get em all!" I ordered an 11x14 copy of the cover on sicovers.com, which came out very nice, but the second I got to the show I saw it as a 16x20 and had to make that mine instead. The guy who sold me the 16x20 is a friend of my Dad and I's, and he was saying that if I were to do that project, it'd come out much nicer on the bigger photo, and I couldn't argue with him on that. 

Mariano signed Andy's arm beautifully in blue, and I already have 25% of the project complete! Getting Posada and Pettitte on it shouldn't be impossible, with Derek being another story. If I ever do complete this, I'd be a lucky man, but given my luck in the past, I'm sure I can do it. I'd be disappointed if I lived the rest of my life and never got to shake Derek Jeter's hand. I've written about him in several school reports over the years and outside of family members, he's been my idol growing up. But that's certainly nothing against Mo, who's been a close second, and getting shake his hand was probably the coolest thing I've ever gotten to do in this hobby (from a personal standpoint at least). I shook the hand that threw the cutter, the hand that was responsible for recording an unprecedented MLB record 652 saves, and the hand that closed out 4 World Series championships for my all time favorite team. Woah. It all just hit me.

Be sure to check out the blog soon for more from the show! And thank you so much Dad for taking me and helping me with the cost of this event! 

See Ya!

2013 Fall Classic Card Show Recap! Pt. 2

Hey guys, Drew back here! In celebration of finally pushing the SAT behind me, my Dad & I made our way down to White Plains in an attempt to meet one of our personal white whales. Before I get to him however, we also met 3 other former players throughout the day, and I'll start with the free signer- Mr. Frank Howard!

Frank Howard played most of his career throughout an era filled with Mantle's, Mays', Aaron's, however many viewed him as the most powerful hitter of them all! He played most of his career on a terrible Washington Senators team, but had a few seasons that somehow were not enough to push his team over the hump. He led the league twice in home runs, and in 1969 he hit 48 home runs while knocking in 111 runs!

For a free signer, meeting "The Capital Punisher" was a complete steal! He was a very friendly guy, as we ended up talking to him on and off throughout the day. He's a huge guy, standing at 6'8, and when shaking his hand I swear I felt some of his bones crunch! It was sort of disgusting, but otherwise the experience was pleasant. He signed two cards of mine, including one from my 1988 Pacific Legends set, and a beautiful 8x10 that I'll gladly place in my autograph binder.

Next up was someone I've met before, but don't think I could ever get enough of, "Sweet Lou" Piniella himself! Although Lou was a solid player in his day, baseball fans will more than likely picture him kicking dirt in an umpire's face before they think about him losing a ball in the sunlight at Fenway Park. 

When I first met Lou, I was a little star struck, and I didn't have much to say. This time, I felt a little more at ease with him, and he was in a "sweet" mood. Go figure. Before we posed for a picture, he addressed me as "buddy" and put his arm around me. It was a little surreal, and it made me an even bigger fan of his. 

The third and final signer I'll talk about today was Yankee great Bucky Dent! I had never met Dent leading up to this day, but I've always heard that he's a good guy towards fans. Sure enough, the rumors were correct, and I think having Lou Piniella next to him all day made things all the better for us autograph seekers.

 

Dent signed my Mantle photo along with an 8x10, and they both came out very nice! Dent and Piniella both really enjoyed my piece, each calling it a beautiful project. It's definitely cool getting praise from guys who have gotten their fair share of praise in the past!

I believe that every Yankee fan should have a piece of this nature in their collection, because most likely if you love the Yankees, you hate Boston (if not, I don't know what to make of you). Dent's statement homerun in the playoffs is one of the most memorable images in Yankees history, and I had him sign it, inscribing "Curse of the Bambino"! It came out awesome if I do say so myself!

I don't know why I used red to highlight Piniella and Dent's autographs on the photo, but I believe you'll be able to find them if you do a quick scan of it. They both signed in solid locations, and Dent inscribed his number 20! I still don't know what to make of that Charlie Hayes inscription, but next post you'll see something that may be considered worse. Either way, they respectively were the 48th and 49th players to sign the photo!

Thanks to all the players mentioned above for being total class acts! I appreciate you all taking out time in your busy lives to shake my hand (along with many other big fans')! As for you readers, I've got a big one coming up very soon... stay tuned.

See Ya!

Three More for the Mantle Project! Part 1

Hey guys, Drew back here! As I mentioned in my last post, while I haven't been very active in the blogging world of late, I've certainly still been involved in the hobby. I attended the White Plains card show last Sunday, mainly to add players to my signed Mickey Mantle photo I've been working on! I got to meet 3 players that day (2 of which I'd met previously), and added autograph #39, 40, and 41 to the picture! 

First up was Tommy John, who I'd met back in April 2011 as well, but was relatively unimpressed with. Back in 2011, he signed a Yankees custom I made of him in between signing 8x10 after 8x10 for the JP's Sports company, so we didn't really get to say much. However, I had a funny feeling that I was just unlucky that day, and there was more to the man with his own surgery than I thought. Sure enough, I was right! The cool thing was, my friend Matt and I were toying with my mom's nice camera, and we found out how to take pictures while recording. Fortunately, we got our whole conversation recorded, and I posted it on YouTube for you guys to watch! Check it out, and make sure to turn your volume up!

Yeah, simply put, Tommy John is an awesome guy. Between the story about him and Al Rosen, the priest comments, and his opinion on Jim Coates; I could not have been better entertained, and this experience completely made up for the last one! 

John signed directly below Lee Smith on the right hand side, and officially become the 39th autograph in the project; the 10th that I acquired since I won it!

Be sure to be on the lookout for the next few players I got the chance to meet! Have a good one guys, and See Ya!

Two More for the Mantle!

Hey guys, Drew back here! After a day and a half long adventure in upstate New York visiting a few colleges, I'm back here to complete my recap from last Sunday's card show! Meeting all of the old Pirates players was really awesome for me, but that wasn't the main reason I asked Dad to go to this show. I hadn't added to my Mickey Mantle multi-signed photo in a few months, so with two of his former teammates signing I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity!

First up was former All Star second baseman Bobby Richardson! Richardson was one of the best all around players in the league back in the late 50's and early 60's, so I was excited to add him to the photo! Known exclusively as the only player to ever win a World Series MVP on a losing team, Richardson also won 5 Gold Gloves and made 8 All Star teams. He happily signed the Mantle photo directly below the Chairman of the Board, becoming autograph #37 on the picture.

I felt bad because with my Pirates gear on, Bobby would never know I was a Yankee fan. Hopefully the signed Yankee photo spoke for my true allegiance, but he obviously assumed me to be a Bucs fan. However, it didn't take away from the experience, as he was a very nice guy and posed for a nice picture with me!

The 38th autograph on the photo went to former spot starter and reliever Jim Coates! Before the show, I'd never heard of Mr. Coates, but after researching a bit I learned that he was actually a pretty good pitcher! In 1960, Coates went 13-3 with a 4.28 ERA, and if it weren't for several injuries he could've had a much more successful career. He gladly signed right below Richardson, which would've upset me if he wasn't one of Mantle's teammates. The spot Richardson signed I wanted to reserve for Berra, but the likelihood of getting Berra is getting slimmer and slimmer by the day. I'm glad these 2 guys took those spots though.

Coates was also a very nice guy. He charged $20 for an autograph, so not many people took the plunge on him unless they needed him for a team signed item. His wife (I assume) was with him trying to sell his autobiography, and she almost convinced us to buy it but I knew I probably wouldn't have much time to read it. 

The autographs look pretty good (below Whitey Ford towards the bottom in the center), although they signed on angles like Ford did. I'm not sure how that will affect the rest of the signatures on there, but I'm sure if I load it with a lot of other signatures it won't matter in the slightest. A guy in line for one of the signers was talking to me about the piece, and suggested when it's done to save up for a Mantle cut autograph to mat below the photo. I thought it was a smart idea, but it won't be very cheap.

What do you guys think? Would it be worth doing? Thanks in advance, and also thanks again to Dad, JP's Sports, and all of the great signers!

See Ya!

March 24th White Plains Show Pickups

Hey guys, Drew back here! So, on Sunday, Dad and I took a quick trip down to White Plains! I didn't bring as much money as I usually do, but I still had a good time and got some nice deals. The main reason I wanted to go was because some personal favorites of mine were signing autographs, and I wanted to add them into my signed baseball collection. You'll get to see all of that tomorrow, but for now, take a look at what I was able to pick up!

A little while into the show, I found a younger guy selling a bunch of prospect and star autographs, which is usually what I look for at these shows. Over time, I've composed a list of my Top 100 favorite players, and my goal is to eventually have an autograph of all of them (I have 66 of the 100)! However, this Ty Hensley autograph from the new Bowman Sterling stood out first to me, since I had the refractor version already. He wanted $8 for the card, which was a bit much for this one for me, so I tried to see if he could work with me. 

I then saw this sweet Zack Greinke autograph from 2004 Topps, and decided to ask the price on it. He said it books between $20 and $30, but then said he'd give me the two cards for $20! I couldn't pass up that offer, as Greinke had been an autograph on my list for a while now. However, I decided to keep looking and make sure there weren't any other cards I wanted. 

Well, there was one more, this sweet 2006 Upper Deck F/X Matt Cain autograph! Again, I inquired on the card, and he said it books around $30, but he'd give it to me for $10! I hadn't seen a Matt Cain autograph for around $10 in ages, so I pounced at the 3 for $30 offer he gave me! Cain and Greinke were two of the top pitchers I've wanted, so it was awesome to knock them both off in one swing. I don't believe that Greinke is deserving of the fattest contract for a right handed pitcher ever, but I guess he showed up to free agency at the right time.

Then, Dad & I went to a table ran by two girls that usually have the nicest new cards in the building. They have all sorts of rare 1/1's, printing plates, and parallels of prospects, you know; the stuff all out of my price range. However, they also had some mid-end stuff, including this beautiful Tyler Austin Bowman Chrome autograph! Austin's prices have skyrocketed since he became the Yankees 2nd best prospect according to many lists, so I've had a hard time getting a hold of this one for a solid price. Fortunately, I paid $30 for this one, which is certainly fair according to eBay value. The last time I spent $30 on a prospect autograph it was of Manny Banuelos, who proceeded to get injured directly after the purchase, crushing his stock. Hopefully that doesn't happen this go round.

My Dad decided to treat me to a sweet card also from the same girls, this 2006 Topps Finest Robinson Cano autograph! I can never add enough autographs of my favorite semi-affordable player, and Dad understood that by helping me out here. Now the 9th Cano autograph in my collection, this one is up there as one of the shiniest (go grammar!) of his that I own. However, this is already an old autograph in my Cano collection... and you'll see what I mean in a few days. 

Before Dad and I left the show we also picked up a jumbo pack of 2013 Topps! I haven't gotten to open any of it yet but made it a priority to do so at the show. I really like the design, and I think a lot of them would look great signed TTM. I counted about 8 cards in the 50 card pack that will probably be going out in the mail once the season starts, so hopefully I'll get a few of those back as well. It's amazing to see how clear and visually appealing Topps' flagship products have gotten over the years. I'm definitely impressed, even though I'm not exactly a huge Topps fan thanks to their poor customer service.

Fortunately, I did awesome on the inserts, although I didn't get a hit in the pack. I don't think I'd trade any of these, except for the Lowe emerald which will probably go towards William's set chase. By the way, if anyone has any of those emeralds laying around, be sure to go check out his blog and see if you can help with his daunting task! Final thoughts: the Calling Cards seem pretty pointless but I love the die-cuts and '72 minis! I tried the Million Dollar Chase and it is pretty lame. If anyone wants Desmond Jennings (who went undrafted in my 8 team fantasy draft) for their Topps team let me know.

Thanks again to Dad for taking me to the show and for the Cano! I've got a whole lot of awesome things to come; be on the lookout! See Ya!

Perhaps the Greatest 'Lefty' of All!

Hey guys, Drew back here! Man, it sure will be tough to follow up yesterday's story, however, I'm going to try. There was one more player on our autograph radar following Cal Ripken Jr. last Saturday, and I almost feel bad for saying that I overlooked the fact that I was meeting him. However, I'm sure I'm not the only person who has overlooked this guy before, because he pitched during a time of pitching dominance. He went down as one of the best left handed pitchers ever, however; and certainly should be recognized more often for his remarkable achievements. Yes, I am indeed talking about "Lefty" himself, Steve Carlton!

Believe me when I tell you, I sure did have to save up for this show! I got a little nervous while waiting in line for Ripken; knowing that Carlton's session was about to end, although I couldn't really do anything about it. The Ripken representatives told us they'd hold our spot in line so I could go run down and get Carlton, but by looking at the line remaining for him, I didn't want to take any chances. So, following Ripken, we all ran downstairs to see if he was still signing, and luckily for us, he was just getting up to conclude the signing when I ran up to him! I handed the JP's Sports guy my ticket and sort of rushed myself into asking Carlton to sign the ball for me. He was kind enough to do so, and although he didn't say a whole lot else, we thanked him for allowing us to get our chance, and he posed for a picture as well.

Fortunately for us, Carlton has one of the best signatures in the Hall of Fame, and I was lucky to get one, with the HOF 94 inscription to go with it! I had this one certified for $6 by JSA as well (they run specials on the players who sign at the shows), and it looks real nice propped up in a ball cube along with my other baseballs! I've been jealous of my friend Mike for years, because we once split a box of 2008 Upper Deck Baseball Heroes, and he pulled a Carlton relic autograph numbered to 10. I loved that card, however now I've got my 1st Lefty auto to match it with! And it feels good! 329 Wins, 3.22 Lifetime ERA, 4,136 strikeouts, and 4 more Cy Young's than the immortal Nolan Ryan? C'MON MAN! Give this man some loving!

I'd love to say that was all for my fantastic card show experience, however I'm not quite done, as you'll see over the next few days! Hope everyone has enjoyed the stuff so far, because I know I certainly have!

See Ya!

Meeting the Iron Man.

Hey guys, Drew back here! It was a great day today, as we got to leave school early due to a few inches of snow! I spent most of my afternoon indulging in my latest book for English, "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", however I found a little spare time to finally update the design of the blog, and well, write this post! Before I get to it all though, I want to say rest in peace to my dear old blog logo, as it is no longer present on the site. I went with the new Blogger template, and I'm yet to see if it'll actually keep the same template without automatically changing like last time. Let me know if you like what you see with the new layout!

As I may have warned you all a few times, there have been a few big posts planned. Yesterday, I showed you all my experiences with Harold Baines and Sparky Lyle, and I hinted towards two more big names that would each deserve their own respective post. Ladies and gentlemen, I met the Iron Man, Cal Ripken Jr.!

Ripken made his first appearance in White Plains last weekend, and was regarded as "the guy" for the entire show! When he was first announced, I wasn't exactly sure how excited I was, because his price point was, well; ridiculous. However, I ended up deciding that no matter how high the price was, since Christmas helped me fund more towards my show budget; that I would go in and do it. I mean, come on, the guy has an entire baseball LEAGUE in his honor, how could I resist the opportunity to shake his hand?

The first thing I noticed about Mr. Ripken was that he wouldn't be somebody I'd want to mess with. He's listed at 6'3; and definitely appeared to be every bit of that! I'm not sure if it was just that I've always overlooked his height, or if his larger than life persona just made me picture him to be bigger than he actually was on stage that day! He brought his own company representation with him for the signing, which was so refreshing considering that many of the JP's sports workers get very grouchy and aggravating. These people handled us fantastically, even holding our spot in line for us when we realized time was running out for one of the other signers we had an autograph ticket for! They all cracked jokes and were really personable, which set Dad, Schuyler and I up really well for "the moment".

That moment eventually came, and there he sat directly in front of me. I opted for him to sign a baseball, as a custom card just wouldn't have been logical for the price I paid. I, of course; was thrown offguard by the fact that a baseball legend was signing my baseball, however; Dad told Ripken how much he enjoyed his career and told him that he'd never forget the game he passed Lou Gehrig for most consecutive games played. Ripken (who's heard that same script too many times to count I'm sure) thanked him, and that was about it. In reference to the picture above, Ripken held still and told me it'll be a cool action shot!

But, that wasn't all. After every set of 5 or so people got their items signed, they received a photo opportunity with Cal! They threw all of us in "The Bullpen", where we waited to be called back up and get our pictures taken. The representatives again handled everything well, allowing us to take two pictures instead of the one we were originally allowed. "I'll retake it once for you if needed, or twice even, but if I have to retake it a third time it's not the camera, trust me," said one of the guys.

Ripken got up, posed for a few pictures; telling everyone that we're his friends. We stepped up as a group eventually, got our photo ops in, and just when we were leaving I shook his hand again, thanking him, and Dad told him along with his representatives that they did a great job with the experience. Ripken's response: "Thank you! I'll be here until midnight."

The other day, I reflected on the whole thing, and I could see why Cal is revered throughout professional sports. He's a class act, he did everything in his career in the most respectful way possible, and he's one of the best true players during the Steroid Era. If I grew up 15 years earlier than I did, I have no doubt in my mind that Cal would be one of my favorite players, because he seems so similar to my favorite player, Derek Jeter! I still can't believe I got the chance to meet him, and I'm glad I saved up my money in order to do so!

Oh, and by the way, the baseball came out beautiful! I got it certified for the discounted price over at JSA immediately following the signing, and it officially has become a staple in my memorabilia collection. This makes my 3rd Ripken autograph; I have him also on a card with his brother as well, and on his recent children's book "Hothead" (which I enjoyed reading)! 

Overall, this was a phenomenal experience, and even though I was quiet, I don't think I'll ever forget it! Thank you to Cal and his company for really making my day! You guys will always be friends of mine!

See Ya!

January 19th White Plains Show Recap, Part Two!

Hey guys, Drew back here! As I said yesterday, last Saturday's card show was one of the best days I've gotten the privilege to enjoy during my time in the hobby! I had the honor of meeting a total of 4 players, and my friend Schuyler met the free signer who I didn't have the time to get in line for. For today, I'll show you the first few guys we met, and to make you anticipate everything more, each of the next two will get their own individual post! This isn't to take away from the guys below though, as they all certainly had their day as a great player, and it was an honor to meet them as well!

Sparky Lyle was first on our agenda this go round! Lyle has always been one of my favorite players from the 1970's Yankees teams, although I didn't get the opportunity to watch them growing up (I got the overrated, money corrupted team). A few years back I read Lyle's book, "The Bronx Zoo", and due in part to that I became a fan. I love Goose Gossage as well, but I feel bad that Steinbrenner kind of pushed Lyle (reigning Cy Young winner by the way) out of the closer role for no reason. 

Lyle was a really funny guy! I told him I read his book, and that I loved every bit of it, and he responded by saying "That isn't something you'd find in a church library! My mom still hates me for some of the things I said in that!" That got a good laugh out of all of us, and made the experience definitely a fun one! 

It's official, I've joined the "Signed Ball Junkie" club! For a long time, I never really cared much for signed baseballs, but they've grown on me. I doubt I'll buy a ball of a player with a terrible autograph though, I think only the nice autographs, such as Sparky's, look good on baseballs. Sparky inscribed "77 AL Cy" below his name, which is what I requested of him. For $25, I don't think I could've made out much better!

Next on our agenda was to meet Harold Baines, the 6 time All Star, and one of the best designated hitters to play the game! I don't think I'll ever forget what Upper Deck put me through when I pulled an expired redemption for an autograph of his, but they ended up coming through and sending me it, along with a Dick Allen autograph! I didn't have a major connection to Baines in any other way, so I passed on getting myself an autograph of his. Instead, I got a ball signed for William in a little trade we did (you'll see it over on his blog in the near future), and I got a photo and the chance to meet him in the process! Baines enjoyed the fact that I was wearing a Yankee hat and my new Andrew McCutchen jersey, calling me an all around baseball fan. He was pretty humble otherwise, but it was cool to get to meet him!

Lastly (for now), Schuyler got the chance to meet the day's free signer, 1967 American League Cy Young winner Jim Lonborg, the former Red Sox hurler! Schuyler didn't have a whole lot to say to him, but I couldn't really blame him since he (along with myself) didn't have much of a connection with him either. Mr. Lonborg seemed real nice though, and he signed his card and inscribed it for no extra charge! It was a pretty kind response to a kid wearing a Yankees sweatshirt, and I gave the man props for signing here in New York!

Thanks everyone for looking, and for the players for the great experiences! See Ya!

January 19th White Plains Card Show Recap!

Hey guys, Drew back here! I literally just got home from my SAT test, and boy do I feel relieved! It wasn't easy, but even if I didn't fare all that well I still have two more chances to make up for it. Hopefully I won't be taking it for at least a few more months. Anyway, getting back on track, last weekend Dad, my good friend Schuyler, and I took the trip down to the Westchester County Center for our first card show since August! As most of you know, my collection thrives off of many great sources, but none can reach the amount of opportunities that JP's Sports & Rock Solid Promotions have provided me over the years! However, none of those shows brought anticipation quite like this one. But before I get to who I met, let me show you all the few cards I added at the show:

Dad bought me two cards towards my 1961 Topps set, the above Yankees team card and the Dick Groat MVP card! Any bit helps, as we approach the half way point of the entire set. I've been considering dropping the high numbers and just finishing the regular set, and worrying about the high numbers at a later time. The older sets are a lot of fun to work on, but the high numbers really seem to drag them out, especially when you're dropping $20 plus on cards of Rollie Sheldon and Ron Perranoski, for example. The Yankee team card is beaten up a bit, but it's definitely one of the cooler cards from the 60's considering how great they were in the 1961 season! They were certainly one of the best teams to ever take the field!

I find it pretty funny that of the money I put towards cards, all of it (with the exception of one card) were bought off of my good friends Rich and Hunter! They put out a nice affordable bargain bin, with prices half off on all of the cards, which are mainly relics and autographs from the mid 2000's. I feel like it's almost obligatory to buy a few Yankee relics once in a while, and I certainly did so at this show, without even realizing it. This Bernie Williams bat card was just something I couldn't pass up. I don't think I have enough of Bernie's in my collection, but then again, I don't think many people do, as he was one of the most underrated players of his era!

Billy Martin was another one of the Yankee's more underrated members. He wasn't the best of players, however he did outplay Jackie Robinson in the 1952 World Series, which has to say something. Through his life he was a gritty, tough-as-nails type of guy, but most of all, he really seemed to love the game of baseball. This is my first relic of his, back from his playing days with a beautiful pinstripe right across it. For 10 bucks, I couldn't pass it up.

I guess I really was sympathetic towards the underrated players last Saturday, considering I also picked up this beautiful dual patch of Vladimir Guerrero! Patches still intrigue me, which is sort of strange considering lately I've really ventured away from relics. There's just something so cool about a nice low numbered three color patch of one of baseball's quietest but most dangerous sluggers in history! I really enjoyed watching Vladdy play; chasing pitches in the dirt and still knocking them out of the ballpark. With the way prospects are being brought up today, I think it'll be a while before we see another player like Vlad.

The final card I bought at this month's show was this beautiful Yankee Stadium Legacy relic of who else but Yogi Berra! Two posts in a row topped off with a beautiful card of Yogi is something I know most collectors would be more than happy to do. Come on now, I know most of you hate the Yankees; but there's something seriously wrong if you don't like Yogi. I've been trying to expand my Berra collection a lot lately, taking advantage of any nice prices I see. Patches and wool swatches seem to really get my collecting gears on, and boy did they kick off what ended up being an incredible day!

Over the next few days, you'll see just what made this show experience above and beyond all the past shows we've been to! Thanks Dad for the 61 help, and to the rest of you, See Ya!