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!

MAJOR Addition to the Mantle Project!

Hey guys, Drew back here! I have to tell you all, it sure is nice to be back. Sure, I haven't exactly disappeared this year, but I haven't exactly been very active in the community. To kick off a summer filled with adventures and unforgettable experiences, I made quite the purchase from the good folks at Steiner Sports. Steiner has always represented the high end part of our industry in my opinion, as things are typically overpriced but certainly high quality. I saw one of their recent private signings on their website and I couldn't pass this opportunity up. Take a look:

But it wasn't just any Yogi autograph...

Mission accomplished. Yogi Berra has now signed the 42nd autograph on my Mickey Mantle 16x20! This project wouldn't have felt complete if it went without an autograph from perhaps the greatest and undoubtedly the most quoted catcher of all time on it. However, I came in contact with Brandon Herlihy, the guy in charge of Athlete Signings and Send Ins at Steiner, and he gave me a price and helped me out with preparing and mailing the item. Everything came back in one piece, and although it wasn't exactly cheap by any means, it was an opportunity I would have regretted passing up. Berra signed right above Whitey Ford and Bobby Richardson, and it couldn't have gone over any other way. 

I have a lot of plans for this photo over the summer. As it stands I could possibly add at least 6 more autographs to it by the end of August. Having Yogi on it is a huge relief, considering I've now given up my hopes of meeting him due to his health condition. I wish the best for Yogi and thank him for making my picture so much more perfect! (now if only I could get Larsen on it...)

See Ya!

Knicks eBay Pickup: Novakane!

Hey guys, Drew back here! As expected, my second semester has not allowed for a whole lot of free time, but fortunately the weekend came before I knew it. I'm going with my friend to see Matchbox Twenty tonight, one of my favorite bands, so that should be a lot of fun. In the meantime though, check out this sweet picture I recently bought off of eBay for my Knicks collection!

Steve Novak is one of my favorite current Knicks easily, just because of the way he conducts himself as an athlete. Here's a guy who had a relatively low ceiling but was able to perfect the 3 pointer; giving him a big role off the bench on many contending teams in the future! Since I went to the Garden a few weeks ago, I only gained more appreciation for "Novakane", as he put Sacramento to sleep by draining 5 three pointers en route to the Knicks big win. 

I absolutely loved the picture as soon as I glanced at it on eBay. It's certified by Steiner, so there's no way it wasn't legitimate, and it showed Novak doing his famous "Discount Triple Check", taken from the Packer's Aaron Rodgers but done just as fabulously. I also really love the atmosphere in the background of the picture, with all those crazy New York fans jumping up and down behind him.

I got this picture shipped to me for under $30, which is highway robbery compared to if I actually bought this from Steiner Sports' website. I'm not sure what I'll do with it for the time being, but maybe eventually I'll make a little Knicks shrine in my mancave. You'll have to wait and see!

Before I go, I wanted to announce that I probably will be at the March White Plains show, although I don't have a whole lot of funds to put towards it. There are a few signers on the lineup that I'd like to get on baseballs, and one player towards my Mantle photo. It would really mean a lot to me if you gave my Check Out My Collectibles page a look, so that I could make my experience a little bit better. There are a lot of nice cards still available in my inventory, and remember I will consider any offer as long as it's reasonable!

Thanks so much everyone! See Ya!

July 14th MHCC Card Show Recap Part 5!

Hey guys, Drew back here after a long night of some crazy good rock and roll! If you didn't catch the end of my last post, last night I went with my friend Matt to see Aerosmith at the Izod Center in New Jersey. I had been to the Izod Center once before for a Nets game, but never for a concert, and I have to say it was a very good venue for a show. In the past three years I've now gotten the chance to see Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, and now Aerosmith in concert. It didn't quite top Paul in Yankee Stadium but it did outrock Ringo, at least in my opinion. Steven Tyler's voice sounded much better than I expected, and the set list kept shooting out hit after hit after hit. I didn't like Cheap Trick as the opening act, but Aerosmith more than made up for it by featuring a guest appearance by Darryl of Run-DMC to do the rap verse in "Walk this Way"! It's a very rare guest appearance, and coming from a hip hop and rock connoisseur, I loved it! It was easily the best birthday I've ever had, and I'm glad I got to share the opportunity with my friend.

But anyways, let me get back to the main purpose of this post. There was one final piece to last card show's puzzle, and that was a gift from my Dad for my big 16th birthday. He gave me an option and told me he'd pay for either one, and they were both marked at the same price. The one I passed up on was an autographed picture of Derek Jeter. That right there just goes to show how big this gift was for me, so without having you wait any longer, check out one of my favorite pieces in my entire collection:

Yes, I did pass on a Jeter auto to get a Rivera auto. Some may call me crazy, but others may call me smart. First and foremost I'd like to quickly pay my dues on just how sweet this picture is. One, the photograph really does justice for just how much of a champion Mariano Rivera is. Beside the middle photo are two memorable shots after the Yankees won the World Series in 1998 and 2000, and between his legs is his beautiful signature signed in silver sharpie! As you can see, it came with Steiner certification, so it's clearly real, and clearly worth every penny. 

So, why did I pass on Jeter? It is true that I like Jeter a tad bit more than Rivera, as I tend to like hitters more than pitchers. Both guys are true class acts and play the game the right way. But one) I liked the Rivera photo more than the Jeter photo, and two) I didn't have Mariano's autograph yet, and with this piece, I now own each member of the Core 4's autograph! As soon as I got home we hung the picture up and it won't be going down for a long time. 

Thank you so much Dad, again, I have no idea why you always spoil me this much. You're crazy, but I love you anyways, and you know how much I appreciate this. Happy Birthday to me I guess!

See Ya!