Hall of Fame Signed Baseball - Willie McCovey

Hey everyone! I know, you're probably shocked that I've posted three days in a row. And you probably also think that in a week I won't post again for another three months. If so, I totally get that, and there's definitely a likelihood that will be the case. For now, we're going to let the good times roll.

In order to properly put a bow on the Bronx Baseball Bonanza show I went to last Saturday, I have to show off my other new prize. At the show, my vendor friend Joe I mentioned in yesterday's post was really helpful with some non-hobby related ventures of mine, and my Dad and I thought it would be best to buy something from him as a "thank you". And now that you're caught up, voila...

My 24th Hall of Fame signed baseball is of Willie McCovey! This ball is in mint condition, and is certified by Steiner. When compared to the other McCovey balls he had, I felt as though this was the one to have because it appears that the signature had the best chance of lasting long-term. It wasn't cheap, but it was worth it. I've been wanting a ball of the Giants slugger for some time now, and have come to the conclusion that I probably won't ever get to meet him considering his declining health.

Ultimately, I think a big reason I don't often go after Hall of Fame signed baseballs is because I plan to try to meet as many of them as possible. But when I know the chances are slim, I'm more likely to pounce on one. Dad paid for a majority of the ball, so thank you so much for the great gift. This one is already in my Hall of Fame baseball display, and will stay there for the foreseeable future.

Alright, I'll talk to you guys tomorrow (hopefully)!

Baseball Palooza Card Show Recap!

Buongiorno, everyone! I can't believe how long it's been, and how much has changed since my last post. It's been two weeks since I left the United States for the first time, and I am now temporarily living in the beautiful country of Italy. It is such an honor to get the chance to share these next few months studying in Florence, perhaps the cultural capital of the world.

I had a little time to kill this morning, so I decided to share with you what took place the day before I left. Unfortunately, half of my computer screen broke on one of the first days, just a week after I accidentally chipped my front tooth. I haven't been all that lucky lately, but then again, I am getting to wake up every day in an amazing city. I had my computer repaired for a semi-lofty cost, but it feels new and improved. With that in mind, let's get to the gettin'.

Dad and I first attended the MAB Celebrity Yankees card show last January. It was there that we met Don Larsen, Tino Martinez, and several other Bronx greats. We also met Frankie for the first time, and it was an excellent day when all was said and done. When MAB began to reveal the lineup for their 2016 "Baseball Palooza" at the same location, we knew we had to go. It was the best parting gift I could possibly ask for.

One of my main gripes with the show last year was that it was based in a very small room and got really tight in certain sections. There were vendors selling autographs scattered throughout the room, but it was hard to get a hold of them. Unfortunately, the location was the same this year, and they decided to expand the audience by adding Mike Piazza to its lineup. This was Piazza's first public signing since he was inducted into the Hall of Fame last month, and Mets fans flocked to the scene to get that fancy inscription. On top of it all, it was after the huge snowstorm hit New Jersey, so there was barely any parking available. After some time and frustration, we made it into the show and panicked to get in lines because some players were finishing their sessions before the scheduled time if they didn't have a line left.

One of such players was the first we met this year, John Wetteland. Last year, Dad basically had coffee with him, and this year we decided to get a ball signed spur of the moment. We didn't have any baseballs in advance, and Wetteland was preparing to leave until we let one of the MAB employees know we had a ticket. Dad dashed back to buy baseballs amidst the wild crowd, and came back as quickly as he could.

At this point, I don't remember too much about my exchange with Wetteland. I told him I was born the year he was World Series MVP, which I hope he didn't take as an old joke. My dad reminded him of their encounter from last year, which he seemed to vaguely remember.

I really wanted to find a 1996 World Series ball to have him sign, but should've ordered one in advance. There was no way I was getting anything other than a regular ball with the crowd the way it was. Until Piazza's signing ended, it was practically a mosh pit. But hey, autographs!

Wetteland inscribed a ball with his "96 World Series MVP" for me. Not many people remember how good he was at closing games in his prime. He currently ranks 14th all time in saves (330), and he added 3 All Star nods to his resumé in his 12 years. He was a guy I'd been meaning to add for quite some time, particularly on my Mantle 16x20. With the limited space left though, I passed on the opportunity for some other bigger Yankees I still need.

From there, I bounced over to Topps' newest representative, and one of my current PC players, Luis Severino! I've talked a great deal about the Yankees emerging ace through all of my pickups (My PC), and I knew this event was in the cards the second he was added to the lineup. 

I didn't know all that much about Luis until I started collecting his cards, but I'm definitely rooting for our top pitching prospect (if he's even considered that anymore). He was pretty friendly, but I knew he didn't speak the best English. What sucked was that he chose not to allow photos, which seemed like a bit of a prima donna move to me. However, I respected his decision, told him I collect his cards, and went on my way with a signed baseball to add to the collection.

Severino has a pretty interesting autograph, which I'll take over a just plain terrible autograph. It is definitely distinguishable the more you see it. Although I was really disappointed I couldn't get snap a photo with him, the experience could've been much worse (ie: anything involving Reggie Jackson).

Next, we made our way over to a Hall of Famer who has somehow managed to elude us ever since our very first card show. I'll never forget being at the Westchester County Center for the first time and standing behind Dave Winfield in the Nathan's line. It made the show feel larger than life (especially considering how big of a guy he is), and although I didn't get his autograph that day, shaking his hand was such an honor for me.

Mr. Winfield has been in the news a little bit lately, as he recently launched his own personal brand that will focus on some apparel. He was so friendly, just as I remember when he was waiting for his hot dog. He asked whose jersey I was wearing, and I showed him the big #2 and mentioned how cool it was that he was Jeter's favorite player growing up. I also mentioned the brand to him because I read a SportingNews article the night before about it, and he appreciated the support and told us that he wants to do some cool things with it.

He really seems like the kind of player you could have a really fantastic conversation with. In our brief moments together, I really gained respect for the Hall of Fame slugger.

I haven't been doing well lately with where players are signing on my Mantle 16x20. Many of them are accidentally leaving noticeable gaps between autographs, but I guess that's just what comes with the territory of being a perfectionist. However, Winfield signed perfectly where I wanted him to. He signed it large enough to realize it was his signature but small enough to give space for one or two autographs directly below Mantle.

As if the day couldn't get off to a better start, we then met our current shortstop Didi Gregorius! Didi blew us away with his kindness. I told him how I thought he deserved the Gold Glove last year after how much he evolved defensively down the stretch, and he was so humble and thankful for my remarks. We learned afterwards when talking to one of the showrunners that he drove Didi to the show, and really enjoyed getting to know him. I wish I could drive big league players around.

Didi doesn't have the most special autograph, but my baseball came out nice! He kindly inscribed his number, and as we walked away Dad told him he did an excellent job stepping into Jeter's role. I overheard someone say something about my Dad's comment, and Didi just shrugged and said "What are you gonna do?" with a big grin on his face. He embraces his role in Yankees history, but isn't letting it affect his performance. I really like that.

For a baseball player, it does not get much bigger than "Big Mike" himself, Michael Pineda. Pineda was acquired in a controversial trade involving our former top prospect Jesus Montero. Neither player has overly impressed, but Pineda easily has provided more for the Yankees than the Mariners have gotten out of Montero. 

Pineda occasionally flashes his potential, but injuries have frequently put his hot streaks to a halt. Last year, he struck out 16 batters in 7 innings against the Orioles on May 10th in what was his best career performance. Dad and I saw him pitch last summer against the Mariners, and were looking forward to getting to meet him at this show. I told him we love him in New York and were excited to see him pitch next year. We got a little smile out of the big man and a "thank you, my friends". It was the happiest I've ever seen the guy!

Aside from the injury bug haunting him, I think Pineda needs to get a little better at controlling his emotions on the mound. You can clearly see that he pitches differently when he knows he doesn't have his best stuff, and that is a quality that makes or breaks major league pitchers. When he's confident, there aren't many better pitchers in the game. But it's been a rocky road since he became a Yankee in 2012. 

I'm a little tough on Pineda because I know he has the potential to be something special. Also, I've tried to justify for years why I traded my friend Scott my David Ortiz autograph for his Pineda rookie autograph. He was very nice though, and the baseball came out so well, again with a number inscription (that looks like it was written in by a toddler).

Last, but most certainly not least, was Alfonso Soriano! We had a really good feeling about Soriano after we saw how much he was interacting with those before us in line. He took his time, flashed his $100 million dollar smile, and really looked to be enjoying the signing. There is no more relieving feeling than that.

I didn't get to see much of Soriano's early years in New York, but I'm well aware of his huge home run in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series that almost sealed the Yankees' 27th championship. He left New York in 2004 when he was traded to Texas for Alex Rodriguez, and the rest was history. Looking back, I don't think I would've made that trade. The drama has outweighed Rodriguez's performance in the Big Apple, which is telling considering he's won two MVP's and helped lead us to our 2009 World Series title.

When Soriano came back to the Yankees in 2013, I paid attention. Sure, he was 37 years old when we acquired him at the trade deadline, but he hit. In 243 plate appearances, Sori hit .256 with 17 home runs and 50 RBI! That is what I'll most remember him for. I told him that when it was finally my turn to shake his hand, and he was really nice in return.

And he gave me a wonderful autograph to boot. Does it get much better than that?

I've learned to embrace the role as a bit of a "suck-up" in order to get the best experience from players, but it really is the way you should act in that situation. These players face so much adversity and pressure (especially in New York), and my job as part of the fanbase is to help boost these players' self esteem. I didn't have a single bad encounter with any of the players I met, despite the chaos surrounding them at all times. I just wish more fans would think before they say something regretful.

Before leaving the show, I decided to buy a photo I'd been eyeing since we first walked in.

This signed 11x14 of Luis Severino is without question the highlight of my PC now. I didn't think I would have what it took to add this to my collection, but I really couldn't pass up this beautiful Steiner authenticated action shot for the price. This picture was from his Major League debut against the Boston Red Sox on August 5th of last year. He gave up one run over 5 innings, but didn't get any run support and wound up being handed a L. His first win came on August 22nd against the Indians.

I really believe in this kid's ability after watching countless videos and highlights of his. I'm going to continue to collect his cards, although I probably can't afford to add much more while I'm away.

Dad and I really had a blast at this show, as we always do. I couldn't ask for a better card show teammate, and just Dad in general. I miss you, as well as the rest of the family.

Alright, time to get up and get myself a cannoli. Ciao!

Bird is the Word

Hey everyone, Drew back here! I can't begin to tell you how quickly this semester has gone, but yet I am just a few weeks away from a long vacation. I will be studying next Spring, however I will be in Florence, Italy, so being considered a "student" will be a bit of a stretch. I've spent some of my time lately in preparation for my opportunity of a lifetime, and I can't put into words how much I'm looking forward to leaving the country for the first time.

Anyhow, I never finished showing off my experience at the White Plains Thanksgiving card show last weekend, so I'm here to do just that. I've been gushing lately about the Yankees ability to hold onto their top prospects, and even started a Luis Severino PC in response to my confidence in Brian Cashman and the organization. They finally woke up and realized that baseball is becoming a younger man's game each and every day.

I had a rough week last week, battling through minimal hours of sleep and Black Friday. Thanksgiving felt more like a typical day than the holiday I've always loved. But I still needed to make the trip out to the Westchester County Center in order to shake hands with one of the players I hope will be calling New York home for many years to come.

Sure enough, I shook hands with Greg Bird! The headliners for JP's Sports' smaller Thanksgiving show were two young New York phenoms: Bird and Steven Matz of the Mets. I like Matz, but the price point was $20 higher than Bird's, so I just wound up adding the Yankee first baseman to my collection.

It was a weird experience meeting someone only a few years older than me. In most cases, I am as polite as can be to the established veterans and legends I've met, but it was near impossible not to just say "what's up man" when I stood in his presence. He was very approachable and humble from what I could tell, and I told him I was rooting for him and wished him the best of luck with the Yankees in the future.

I also managed to sneak a few pictures of Steven Matz in there for my Met fan friends. It was a lot of fun watching them play to the end of October, and nobody really saw it coming. I'm not sure if that will just be a one time thing because they may potentially lose a large sum of their offensive production this winter, but their pitching will most likely be lights out for a long time to come. Matz will more than likely continue to be their most undervalued hurler, and as a fairly local guy I know I'll be rooting for him also.

I really liked what I saw from Greg Bird this year in his limited time in pinstripes. I remember coming home from a bad day of work and listening to the Yankees WFAN Radio when he crushed a three run home run to put the team ahead in the top of the 10th inning against the Blue Jays. It certainly made up for that difficult night. He will be starting 2016 in Scranton to receive more plate opportunities while Mark Teixeira returns from his fractured shin to play out the final year of his 8 year contract. Bird will be waiting in the wings for if/when Teixeira fatigues or gets injured, and will most likely take over the spot for good in 2017.

If he hits anything close to the way he did in August and September, we'll be lucky to have him. And I'll be especially lucky to have met him and receive such a nice signed baseball of his.

See Ya!

2015 East Coast National: 3 Hall of Famers!

Hey everyone, Drew back here with the second installment of my 2015 East Coast National recap series. Before I begin, I just want to say that with all the stuff I need to catch up on, the Ten for Tuesday posts will start back up in September. I've got various new, great ideas ready to go, and I'm looking forward to sharing them with you all!

The big draws of the day at the Westchester County Center were Cal Ripken Jr. and Steelers greats Franco Harris and Hines Ward. I had already met Cal before, and with his expensive ticket prices, I decided to spend my money elsewhere, while the Steelers prices were far too high for a Jet fan to wish to pay. Instead, I bought tickets for three legendary players of their own rights; Al Kaline, Eddie Murray, and Brooks Robinson.

All three began signing at 12:00, and I immediately hopped on the Kaline line. I have heard some horror stories in the past about Mr. Tiger being moody, but luckily today he was all smiles. It was his first appearance at one of their shows, and I was towards the front of the line. He didn't say much to me, but was friendly, shaking my hand for the photo and thanking me for coming out.

I couldn't have received a better autograph from the man who once accumulated 3,000 hits and made 18 All Star teams. He inscribed his Hall of Fame year for free and gave me precisely what I was looking for. For 80 years old, he looks to be in excellent health, and it was nice to get a chance to meet him considering he seems to rarely make New York signings.

Eddie Murray was up next, and I could not wait to have a signed ball of his to add (along with Kaline's) to my Hall of Fame ball display. I've never heard anything particularly bad about him at signings, although he was once heralded as "bad with the media" during his career. After looking into it more, it just seems like he was a quiet, independent man that really just wasn't looking to be bothered. When I met him, I certainly got that vibe.

I didn't get much out of Murray either, but he was friendly enough to take a quick photo with me. Whenever I think of him, I think back to the days of the Grandpa Roy Column and the list we compiled of what is now 5 players in history who retired with over 3,000 hits and 500 home runs. Alex Rodriguez joined Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Rafael Palmeiro, and Murray when he recorded his 3,000th hit in 2015. It's an extra exclusive club that should warrant a Hall of Fame induction statistically, but most likely will not in the cases of Palmeiro and Rodriguez thanks to their ongoing PED allegations.

Murray really took his time in signing the ball as eloquently as possible. For the price I paid, he better have. It came out really well, and I'm glad I saved up to add him to my collection. This is now my 21st signed Hall of Fame baseball, and I believe that means I'm slowly but surely catching up to William. One day...

Finally, the player I had most been looking forward to shaking hands with. I always say how I forever have a deep love and respect for the third base position, and this man was the epitome of mastering the position. Some consider him the greatest to ever man the hot corner, but everyone calls him the best defensive player there without question. He's also one of William's favorite players, which gave me extra incentive to want to cough up the money to meet Brooks Robinson.

18 All Star Games. 16 Consecutive Gold Gloves. 2 World Series Rings. What didn't Brooks do? Beyond the numbers, the sparkling plays, and all of the trophies he can proudly display, what stands out over anything is the man that Brooks is. I was proudly wearing my Yankees gear, but that didn't keep him from treating me as if I were wearing his jersey and an Orioles cap. He has certainly seen his best years already, but he seemed to really want to make an impact on others as simply and sweetly as he could. The first two experiences were pretty quiet, but Brooks was as kind and polite as could be, and totally won me over for the day.

Props to Dad by the way for getting an awesome picture of Brooks and I.

Since my Dad bought me a signed baseball of his for my birthday a few weeks ago, I had to scramble to find something to have him sign. I mostly paid for his autograph to meet him rather than for the autograph, but I decided to have him sign an 8x10 of his famous World Series diving stop against the Cincinnati Reds in 1970. For his great all around performance (and especially phenomenal defensive plays), he was awarded the World Series MVP that year.

There was a free inscription along with any Brooks autograph, and I chose the 16 Gold Gloves over the Hall of Fame and World Series MVP because it says more about him than either of the other two. Many have been inducted into Cooperstown, and many have been named MVP of the Fall Classic. But no position player has ever won 16 Gold Gloves but Brooks (Greg Maddux and Jim Kaat did as pitchers, but that is besides the point).

Brooks was everything my Dad and I had hoped he would be, and then some. I'm going to proudly place my signed photo in my nice signed photo book to show off in the future.

See Ya!

A Golden Ball of a Gold Glover

Hey everyone, Drew back here! It already feels like the summer is beginning to wind down, but I'm far from ready for it to end. Unfortunately, I will not be flying to Chicago this weekend for the National, but I do plan on attending the East Coast National, hosted by JP's Sports, for the 7th straight year! They always make their lineup especially solid for their summer show, and I'm looking forward to getting three more Hall of Fame autographs in my collection that day. 

One of the players I planned to have sign a baseball for me was Brooks Robinson. Brooks is William's favorite player from everything I've gathered, and he seems like such like a wonderful man (not to mention one hell of a third baseman). My dad decided for my birthday to find something to spoil me with, and with his gift, I will have to find something creative for the Human Vacuum Cleaner to sign (perhaps a vacuum?).  

Yeah, that's right. For all of $25, my dad got me this awesome Tristar certified Brooks Robinson signed baseball; HOF Inscription and all! I researched the certification, which said that the ball was signed at a Houston card show in 1992; so it has a little bit of wear to it, but still looks great considering it's older than me! Robinson has one of the best signatures I've seen, especially among the Hall of Fame, and I've been wanting to get him on a ball for what feels like forever. He is now in my Hall of Fame ball case I got last Christmas, and after the card show I will have officially filled the case with nothing but Cooperstown's best.

Thank you so much Dad for the great surprise! Now, I ask you, the audience: what should I have Brooks sign for me at the show? I was debating between a bat or his famous World Series dive photo. Let me know in the comments below!

See Ya!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Hey guys, Drew back here! My own annual holiday is tomorrow, and as always I like to buy myself one nice piece for my collection in celebration. I recently set up a PayPal and eBay account of my own so that I no longer have to bother my Mom with any of my hobbies, and sold some things in order to collect enough money to get something I really wanted. In addition, I was emailed a $15 off coupon ($25 or more) from eBay to use on my first purchase with my account, and I was sure to take advantage of that excellent opportunity to reap the benefits of having my own accounts (finally). Here's what recently arrived in my mailbox in honor of turning 19 for the first and last time:

This year, I bought a 2014 World Series baseball signed by my favorite current player and main PC, Joe Panik! With his autograph prices rising constantly on cardboard, I haven't been able to add to this collection as much as I would like, outside of one certified autograph I bought several years ago and a few TTM successes. The ball is PSA/DNA certified, and is the first unique signed baseball I've had the privilege of owning. Panik inscribed his number 12, and I debated whether to spend double the price to get a "World Series Champs" inscription, but chose to go simply with his name and number.

Panik has been as impressive as one young second baseman could be in not even one full 162 game season into his career. He helped his team get to and win last year's Fall Classic, and pounded the "Sophomore Slump" myth into the ground with a first half that awarded him a spot on the National League All Star team. I couldn't be happier for Hopewell's very own as he is batting .316 on the year and is on pace for close to 200 hits.

See Ya!

Maasterful New Signed Baseball! (...or not)

Hey guys, Drew back here! It was an epic weekend in sports, even despite a relatively lackluster "Fight of the Century" between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. I spent the weekend working and preparing for finals and school projects, but I will be done with school by May 13th, so I'm excited for that! Anyway, my dad brought me home a gift from one of his work friends last week, and it completely caught me off guard.

The surprise was a Kevin Maas signed baseball, and was from my dad's friend John T.; who has actually given me some neat baseball stuff before! I've recently become a fan of signed baseballs, and I specifically like to collect Hall of Famers and former Yankees, and Maas fulfills the latter. Maas was supposedly going to be the next Don Mattingly, and looked the part when he was first called up, smashing 10 home runs in his first 72 professional at bats. He was also made famous by a group of women in the right field bleachers (where a majority of his home runs were hit) at Yankee Stadium who would take their tops off and jump up and down whenever he would hit home runs. 

Maas would become one of the better "One Hit Wonders" in Yankees history, along with Shelley Duncan and Aaron Small in recent years. He played for the Twins in 1995 before moving on to Japan's Central League and eventually retiring. 

*UPDATE: I can't believe I didn't catch this before, but the ball is actually signed by Kerry Wood, as reader Jackson Traylor of Jackson's Autographs brought to my attention. This makes much more sense, and I'm curious to hear how that got lost in translation over time. Wood was an integral part of the 2010 Yankees team when he was traded midseason to New York, and I almost added him to my pitching staff when constructing my All Time Watched Yankees team I created and wrote about in March. I even own an autograph of Kerry's on a card I got from my friend Ethan's collection a few years ago, and still didn't catch on. Wood was a former Rookie of the Year was about as much promise as anyone in history, and although he never quite reached that potential he will still always be known for what some have considered the greatest pitching performance of all time. On April 12th of his 1998 rookie season, Wood struck out 20 batters, tied for the most in history for a single game. 

Well, I hope you all enjoyed learning about Kevin Maas, but this was my mistake for not noticing before. Thanks for pointing that out Jackson, and I'll be sure to make sure of these things before I post them in the future. Chalk it up as an error on the stat sheet for the writer.*

Thank you so much for the piece of history, John! Whether it's signed by Kevin Maas, Kerry Wood, or John Kerry, I greatly appreciate the kind gesture!

See Ya!

Former Yankee Captain Signed Baseball!

Hey guys, Drew back here! We're about to take on (hopefully) the remainder of this horrible snow storm the next few days, and I just get more and more excited for baseball season the more this continues. I've went out to my Target twice now, and have come up empty as far as 2015 Topps goes, but hopefully I'll be able to get a few packs sometime next week. So far, everything I've seen looks super impressive! Anyway, at the Pinstripe Pandemonium show, I was able to also meet up with my buddy Michael, who is prominent on Instagram mostly and is beginning to run his own website. Michael is a young kid who can wheel and deal autographs like nobody I've ever seen at his age, and he had something I was interested in at the show that I was able to purchase off of him.

He was able to hook me up with this really nice Graig Nettles signed ball! I met Nettles once and had him sign my Mantle picture, but I wasn't particularly impressed with him and I haven't heard the best stories about him as a signer. However, he was a great player, and deserves to have a spot in my Yankees collection; and I think this ball will help do the trick! It was actually taken out of one of those TriStar baseball boxes, and Michael didn't really want it, so I was able to take it off his hands for a good price.

I'll always think of Nettles for his defensive prowess, but he was an above average offensive player too! He would've won more than his 2 Gold Gloves if he didn't play at the same time as Brooks Robinson, but Yankee fans remember him for his ability to make flashy plays at the hot corner. I played third base for a while in high school, and let me tell you, it's not easy. He was also named the 11th Yankees captain in franchise history in 1982, and with this ball I now own a signed baseball of their 11th-14th captains (Nettles, Randolph, Guidry, Mattingly)! I'd like to get a Jeter ball once his prices settle down a little, but that may be as far as I can go back, because Munson balls are hard to come by and don't run cheap at all. I thought it was particularly cool to have that streak of 4 players in a row though, and I'm glad I was able to make this deal with Michael.

Thanks for the help and great business Michael! See Ya!

The Conclusion of Pinstripe Pandemonium

Hey guys, Drew back here! I spent my Friday night at Madison Square Garden seeing Jack White with my Dad, and let me just say that he's as talented as it gets. In today's era of music, he is still keeping old fashioned rock and roll alive, and he does a phenomenal job live. If you guys want to hear last night's show, click here! Pandora is playing the show repeatedly over the next few days, which is a pretty unique idea; as Jack seems to be full of those. It's safe to say I'll be adding his 2015 Topps card to my collection as soon as possible.

Anyway, getting back to the conclusion of another amazing day. I originally had arrangements to meet Ron Guidry, and he apparently cancelled far prior to the actual show. Same with Reggie Jackson. I'm not quite sure what the deal was with that, because there was absolutely nothing on MAB's website to suggest that they wouldn't be appearing. However, I did decide to get one more guy on my picture before I wrapped it up for the day.

Former Yankee hero Jim Leyritz became the 56th name on my Mickey Mantle photo last Sunday! We already met Leyritz at MLB Fanfest about a year and a half ago, and we were both impressed by how nice he was. He has had a lot of legal troubles over the past few years, but it appears that he's gotten everything together.

Leyritz was no different from the first experience we had with him; very friendly. I had him sign my picture towards the top of the left side, a part in which I didn't believe I'd add to. It came out great, I think.

The ink looks a little dry on his signature, but I think that's because of the area he signed it. He has a beautiful autograph though, and I'm proud to add the guy who made a name for himself hitting home runs in key moments for the Yankees in their late '90's dynasty. 

And now... here is the updated full Mickey Mantle picture:

As you can see, there isn't much room left. I'm going to attempt to add 4 or 5 more signatures on it, but I'm not quite sure how just yet. From here on, I'm going to only add star names to the photo; such as Don Mattingly, Dave Winfield, Ron Guidry, or possibly Paul O'Neill. I have some ideas as to how to finish off the project, but I've got some time to sort it all out. I'm surprised how much I've been able to add in such a small portion of time, but then again, it hasn't been cheap. I'm not even going to try to add up each cost, but when it's all said and done it'll be my prized possession, and it'll all be worth every penny.

We finished our day by getting to meet Lee Smith for the third time in a few years. We didn't have any intentions of getting a ticket for him after already adding multiple autographs of his over the years (including on the picture above). But we were supposed to get a free autograph ticket for Charlie Hayes alongside our Tino Martinez ticket, and Hayes missed his flight that morning and didn't make the show. They reciprocated us with a free Smith ticket, and we decided to make good use of it, although we had to wait another hour for him.

Mr. Smith was great as always with us, and he made the autograph worth the wait.

We got a baseball at the show to have signed, and Smith inscribed his number and save total for free. It looks great in person, and while he is just on the cusp of being in my new Hall of Fame display, I have plenty of great places to display it. I don't need a whole lot else of Smith's from here on, but I really hope he can find a way into the Hall. Maybe he doesn't have the legacy of some players, but he is right there in my opinion with Goose Gossage, Bruce Sutter, and others of his era.

Doc Gooden was signing next to Smith, but as we walked by my Dad called him out and thanked him for all the wonderful experiences he's given us in the past when we've met him. He appreciated the compliment, and I was actually able to get a quick picture with him. Awesome.

I have a few more quick items to display from the show, but that was it as far as meeting the players went. It was an amazing day, and I'm really lucky to be able to share so many special days with my dad. I also got to meet Frankie of My Life in the Sports Card Hobby. Please, everyone do yourselves a favor and check it out if you haven't already. He's a smart young kid with a ton of promise in our hobby, and he's only in 7th grade! The emotion and passion he puts into his posts makes him seem much more mature and older, and it was great meeting him and his mother.

Thank you to everyone that helped make last Sunday so special! See Ya!

My New Hall of Fame Showcase!

Hey guys, Drew back here! I'm very proud to congratulate four great players on their inductions into Cooperstown, Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, John Smoltz, and Craig Biggio! I originally predicted 3 of those 4 to make it in 2015 with Smoltz barely missing the cut this year but making it in within a year or two, but I'm so glad that wasn't the case. We just missed adding Mike Piazza as well, but it looks like next year he and Ken Griffey Jr. will look to share the spotlight.

Since most of the baseball world has been focused on the Hall of Fame vote these past few weeks, I had been preparing this post for a little while now once the voting had concluded. This Christmas I received a really cool baseball holder, and I decided to hang it on one of the few open spots on my wall and put all of my Hall of Fame signed baseballs inside. I kept most of my Yankees balls together with the exception of the HOF'ers, and while I was originally 3 baseballs shy of filling the case with Hall of Famers, with yesterday's induction that was slimmed down to 2. About a year and a half ago, I met John Smoltz at the East Coast National Show, and added a signed baseball to my collection in hopes that he would be enshrined one day, and yesterday I was able to put him into my ultimate pitching rotation that spans two rows (or 11 of 21 total balls) of the case.

Here is how the display currently looks as of January 2015! I look forward to replacing two of the balls with Hall of Famers, but do wish Fred McGriff and Vladimir Guerrero all the best in being one day inducted.

Row 1: Gaylord Perry, Ralph Kiner, Rickey Henderson, Reggie Jackson, Vladimir Guerrero (non-HOF), Fred McGriff (non-HOF)

Row 2: Nolan Ryan, Bob Gibson, Whitey Ford, Bob Feller, Steve Carlton, Warren Spahn

Row 3: Fergie Jenkins, Jim Palmer, John Smoltz, Goose Gossage, Rollie Fingers

Row 4: Frank Thomas, Johnny Bench, Cal Ripken Jr.

Row 5: Yogi Berra

The lighting in the room seems to make most of the balls look more yellow than they actually are, but I've never been one to particularly care how worn the ball is as long as the signature is presentable. I never was interested in collecting signed baseballs but soon realized I couldn't have signed pictures of everyone because I didn't have enough space to present them all, so I took an alternative path and I now love to add baseballs of my favorite players and Hall of Famers. It will never quite compare to my good buddy William's insane 108 Hall of Famer deep baseball collection (please check this out if you want to be impressed), but I personally prefer to dabble all around the various highlights of our great hobby.

So what do you think? How do you all prefer to display your baseballs? Thank you to Mom and Dad for such a smart gift, it cleared a lot of space on my desk (for more baseballs)! Congrats again to all of the new members of Cooperstown's Finest, and for now, See Ya!

Sayonara, Hiroki

Hey guys, Drew back here! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday with your families, because I most certainly did. Spending time with my family has proven to be invaluable to me, and it never hurts to open some presents as well. 

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Yesterday, the Yankees were hit with some relatively bad but expected bad news. Our former #2/3 starter Hiroki Kuroda announced he would be leaving the United States to go pitch where it all started for him in Japan. At the age of 40, it makes a lot of sense for him to be wanting to wrap up his professional career, and he'll be able to put an official end to his journeyman career. Kuroda was an above average starter in his 7 big league seasons, compiling a 79-79 record with a 3.45 ERA and 986 strikeouts. He pitched his 4 seasons with the Dodgers, but finished his MLB stint with 3 years in pinstripes. He was known for being a better pitcher than his baseball card statistics would read, often receiving hard luck losses for well pitched games. 

While it was already just about predetermined that he wouldn't be returning in pinstripes in 2015, Hiroki and his respectful, professional demeanor will most certainly be missed. Best of luck, Hiroki.

Yesterday, I was reading back on my Cooperstown trip posts, and I realized I completely forgot to post about this baseball, as well as one other ball I'll show very soon. My dad bought me this awesome Kuroda autographed baseball in a card shop, inscribed with his number and everything. My friend Mike told me Japanese pitchers wear #18 to signify being the ace of their staffs. Masahiro Tanaka wore #18 for the Rakuten Eagles before having to give up the number for Kuroda upon joining the Yankees in 2014. This is one of my personal favorite signed balls because it's rare to find his autographs out there, and I always had a lot of respect for Kuroda. While he'll be in Japan next year, I'll always have this baseball to remember his success in the Bronx.

Thank you Dad for the baseball way back when, and See Ya!