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!

East Coast National: Best of the Rest

Hey guys, Drew back here! Since we're approaching one month since this last card show took place, it's probably best to get the show on the road! I met 3 other former players the day I shook Johnny Damon's hand, and one celebrity I didn't expect to come across! Check it out:

First up, should be Hall of Famer Lee Smith! I've met Smith on one prior occasion, but this go round he was JP's Sports' free signer of the day, and I couldn't pass up some signed pictures of one of the best closers in baseball history! Smith was really friendly for a free signer, and just like last time, we told him we'd love to see him get enshrined into Cooperstown, and he put his hands up to God saying he hopes so! It would really be something else if he got inducted and I was able to obtain so many cheap/free autographs of his, but chances are he won't make it at this rate.

Smith signed two photos for my collection; one of which with his 478 saves inscription. I couldn't decide if I'd rather have a picture of him with one of his better teams (Cardinals/Cubs) or with his brief Yankees stint, so my Dad and I got them both signed! In retrospect I would've had him sign the Yankees picture in silver, but it still looks really good! All in all, another great experience with Lee Smith, who has definitely made me a fan of his over the years.

I met Johnny Damon after Lee Smith, which you can see in the previous post below, and following that Dad & I went into the side room, where 3 Hall of Fame pitchers resided: Ferguson Jenkins, Rollie Fingers, and Jim Bunning! I already had plenty of Fingers and Bunning autographs, so I passed them up, but did choose to add Jenkins to my signed baseball collection!

Jenkins was extremely quiet when I eventually got my turn to shake his hand, but admittedly, so was I. I don't know much about Jenkins other than that he was one of the more underrated pitchers of his era who had never had much of a chance at postseason glory. However, he stood up to take his nice picture with me and inscribed his Hall of Fame year for free, which was pretty awesome!

I didn't take much from my experience with Jenkins, but I did add this beautiful signed baseball to my growing Hall of Fame ball collection! I'm sure a good few of you already have one of these in your collection, but I finally joined the ship and I'm glad I did.

Lastly, I got to meet a key cog of the Yankees 1990's teams, Jeff Nelson! Nelson was perhaps the best reliever on the Yanks outside of Mariano and possibly Wetteland during their dynasty, so it was nice to get to shake his hand and thank him for the great memories. He was really quiet too, but allowed for a picture and signed my Mantle picture nicely (although he doesn't have the nicest autograph).

Nelson was my 52nd autograph on my Mantle picture, and was placed between Ruben Sierra and Gaylord Perry! Fortunately, he inscribed his number, or else he'd be very difficult to identify down the road.

I believe I'm making some impressive progress on my picture, and already have a plan for how I'm going to finish it! I have a few big names to add before I cap it off though, and hopefully I get to do that sooner rather than later.

After I met Nelson, I started putting all of my items together and getting ready to leave. I saw Joe, the dealer my dad and I love to deal with sitting at an autograph booth next to someone I didn't recognize. I started talking to Joe about my Nelson and Damon experiences, and then he asked me if I wanted a picture with Eddie Munster! I watched the Munsters with my family once in a while when I was younger, and well, how could I pass up the chance? 

Joe actually sponsored having Butch Patrick on hand to sign at the show! My dad and I got pictures with him and talked to him and Joe about this being my last show before I left for college! They both wished me good luck, and Patrick remarked by saying "I had a 4.0 in college... Blood alcohol content"! He really was something else, and it was cool getting to shake hands with a classic TV character!

The August show was yet another productive one for my ever-growing collection! It was a blast hanging out with my Dad one last time before I went away to school, because I certainly miss him and everyone else for that matter an awful lot right now. Stay tuned for some more posts coming up, because I'm getting some TTM successes at home that my Dad sends me pictures of, and there's some good stuff coming! For now though, See Ya!

2012 East Coast National Recap! (Pt. 4)

Hey guys, Drew back here, with the 4th and final installment of my little card show series. Finally, after waiting almost an entire week, I got my hands on my pictures that were taken at the show, and I was pretty impressed with how they came out. It must have been a nerve-wracking experience for photographers back in the day when they couldn't view what they just took, so I guess I learned a pretty valuable lesson: never leave the camera home! With that said, let's finish this review out strong; here are the players I was fortunate enough to meet last Saturday!

The first former player I met was former Twins pitcher (among other teams) Jim Kaat! Kaat is a pretty well known name around baseball, given his 25 year career spanning the 50's, 60's, 70's, and 80's, as well as being a broadcaster basically from his retirement on. He made 3 All Star teams in his long career, but easily the most impressive statistic on his resume is his 16 gold gloves; the most by any pitcher in MLB history! "Kitty" Kaat retired with 283 wins and 237 losses, with an ERA of 3.45. 

A lot of people have talked about whether he should be in the Hall of Fame or not. Personally, while he was a very nice man, and I've always enjoyed listening to his broadcasts, I don't believe his statistics were dominant enough to put him in. He was a very good pitcher, but until Jack Morris gets in, I don't see Kaat getting in. 

He was a pretty nice guy though, even though he didn't really say a whole lot. I told him how I enjoy listening to his broadcasts, and he said he appreciated it, but besides that, not much else was said. I'm still very glad I took the opportunity to meet one of the few lifelong baseball men still around.  

Next, we met perhaps the greatest entertainer to ever put on the pinstripes, Mickey Rivers! I always loved hearing stories about Mickey through his Yankee days, like when he'd jump on the bullpen car begging the team not to bring in a certain pitcher, or starting plays in a runners position! He had a pretty solid career, and was a key contributor to the Yankees two World Series wins in 1977 and 1978. 

Rivers seemed to love the heck out of my signed Mickey Mantle photo, reading off all of the autographs and trying to identify who some of them were. A few players, Ron Blomberg in particular, made Mickey start cracking up, for reasons we're not all that sure. 

Finally, after he started to get bored reading off all of the autographs, he asked me where I wanted his signature, and I told him to put it anywhere. He ended up starting the right side of the picture with a nice, large autograph with his number 17! 

Mickey seems to love these autograph signings, with his big smile sticking out like a sore thumb throughout the show! He made it a really fun experience, and I can easily say he was one of the coolest players I've ever met, along with Ozzie Smith and Ernie Banks!

After Mickey, Dad and I jumped on the next line to meet the man behind the most legendary moustache in sports history, Rollie Fingers! Fingers was the 9th member of the Hall of Fame that I've gotten to meet, and it was a neat experience due to how influential he was towards the closer role in baseball that is a huge thing today! He pitched 17 seasons with the A's, Padres, and Brewers; making 7 All Star teams, winning 3 World Series, and his 1981 season earned him not only the Cy Young award, but the MVP as well! 

Rollie also wasn't the most open players I've met, but I told him how I made the custom card in his honor and he said it was pretty nice and he appreciated it. And, well, the moustache still is very much in tact, and it was an amazing sight to see, being a facial hair enthusiast!

Next was yet another borderline Hall of Famer, former first baseman Fred McGriff! I always had a lot of respect for McGriff, and I was thrilled when the "Crime Dog" was added to the lineup. I don't really know why, because I hardly know anything about him, but he just seems like a class act, and since there aren't any suspicions of him using PED's, it makes things a lot easier. Honestly, when you look at it, through that 1990's era, the best natural sluggers wound up being Jim Thome, Ken Griffey Jr, Frank Thomas, and Fred McGriff! He was only 7 home runs shy of 500 on his career, which was disappointing for him I'm sure, but it was a great career without a doubt.

I didn't have a whole lot to say other than what I wanted as an inscription, because I couldn't really think of much to say. He seemed like a pretty nice, humble guy though, which was nice. 

Former Yankees second baseman Willie Randolph was our next signer! I needed a little bit of money help to get an autograph ticket for him, and Dad obliged, which I really appreciated! We split the cost of the autograph ticket, which I've gone on record to say is a bit ridiculous for a player of his caliber. But then, after a big birthday turnout, and the thought of only having one chance to meet him, I decided to go for him as well. While Willie played for multiple teams during his career, he'll forever be known as a Yankee. 

The day before the show, I happened to be watching the final game at the old Yankee Stadium, which I had recorded back in 2008 onto a tape. When Randolph was announced during the player introductions, he took a slide into second base, so I had to commend him on his slide when I met him. He told me he ended up hurting his knee for about 3 weeks after that slide, but it was worth it because unlike the players who collected dirt into little holders, he went home with the dirt on his uniform, which he plans to hang up and frame in his house. I'm glad I remembered to bring that up when I got to talk to him, and he seemed like a really personable, nice guy.

Classic Photobomb by the guy in the background.. thanks buddy. 

The final player we met was the free guest of the day, should be Hall of Fame closer Lee Smith! We waited almost an hour to get this opportunity, as the free signer always has the longest line. However, even though his shift was almost over, Lee was still an awesome guy to us. He signed my Yankees picture, despite only pitching 8 innings for the Yankees (0 runs in those 8 by the way) in his very brief stint with them, as well as a card I had with me of his. Dad and I told him we believe his 478 saves deserve to have a Hall of Fame plaque, and we wished him the best of luck on getting into the Hall in the future. He said thank you to us, and  did a praying motion, saying he hopes he gets in one day. You have to feel for a player that is itching to make their way into Cooperstown. I'm rooting for Lee from now on. 

Still with me everyone? I know, the last few posts have dragged on and on, but I've had so many great opportunities lately that I need to document them somewhere! All of the signers we met were class acts, and fortunately, they all gave me very nice autographs too! Take a look:

Kaat is the second autograph below Mantle's right knee, and the other three are on the
top right corner. Up to 36 total autographs on the picture now!

Close up on Kaat

Rivers, Randolph, Smith

Bonus Smith autograph

Beautifully signed Fingers custom! But, not so sure how the signature
resembles Rollie, especially the 'R'... Help?

Got McGriff on a ball with a killer "Crime Dog" inscription! Sweet!

Well, I appreciate everyone who stuck it through to the end of my journey, and I'm curious to know how you think I made out! Thank you to everyone I met for the great experiences and especially to my Dad once again for sticking out even though you weren't feeling 100%!

See Ya!