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!

Severino Sunday: Thanksgiving Show Haul

Hey everyone, Drew back here! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and got yourself some steals on Black Friday. I had the honor and privilege of dealing with crazy customers all throughout Thanksgiving night and all of Black Friday, so I guess you can say I've had better years. However, I was able to make it out to the JP's Sports Thanksgiving Show yesterday, and I spent some money on myself to make things a little more even.

This show was held in the basement of the Westchester County Center thanks in part to a coin show that occurred on the main floor. There were 175 tables as opposed to the typical 300, but being in the basement made autograph lines tight and there was a general lack of space. Luckily, they only do the show this way every Thanksgiving, so we can all be thankful for the rest of the shows they hold that allow for breathing room.

The weirdest part of this show for me was that it was the first one I've been to without my Dad. Dad is in the midst of deer season, and the lineup for this show really wasn't anything worth missing one of his vacation days for, so he sat this one out. I can't really blame him, but it did feel much different without him by my side.

I did my best to allocate my budget towards exactly what I wanted, and I'm really proud of the haul I returned home with. Since today is Severino Sunday, I figured I'd begin with sharing my latest additions of the Yankees young flamethrower.

- 2015 Bowman Inception Autograph Relic

A few weeks ago, I bought the patch autograph version of this card, and now I own the base auto as well. Bowman Inception is chock full of Severino autographs, and I was able to knock a solid dent into that piece of my wantlist yesterday.

- 2015 Bowman Inception Autograph Relic Green Parallel 80/99

See what I mean?

- 2015 Bowman Inception Autograph Relic Orange Parallel 24/25

I bought all three of these cards from the same seller, and got a fantastic package deal on the trio. They had the orange parallel marked as $60 initially, and I got all three of these for $70. The oranges are difficult to come by, and this one caught my eye from across the room. I made sure it came home with me, and with that, the only relic autographs I'm missing from Inception are the gold and red parallels. Not too bad, if you ask me.

- 2014 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects Orange Refractor 16/25

Orange doesn't make for the most aesthetically pleasing Yankees cards, but it is awfully hard not to like this card. While talking to one of my favorite vendors, I spotted that he had this card, and I was able to land it for a reasonable price. I'm chipping away at this particular rainbow, but still have plenty of work to do. 

I'm beginning to think that on top of only collecting his Topps & Bowman cards, I may also limit the collection to his pre-rookie and rookie years. Obviously, this can be decided down the road, but I think by narrowing the range of cards to collect I'll be able to afford a more impressive collection of his earliest licensed cards.

I was able to make significant progress yesterday adding my 33-36th unique Luis Severino cards. Three autographs put me at 7 total as well. I had to fight the urge to buy a gorgeous framed signed 11x14 of his, but I think I made the right call by staying on track and attacking my want lists.

I'll hopefully be back tomorrow to share the experience I had with another one of the Yankees young stars. 

See Ya!

A "Donnie" Baseball!

Hey guys, Drew back here! It has officially become the busiest time of the year for me; baseball season. Our school Varsity team is 2-0 to open the season and I'm making really solid contact with the ball as of now! The season is nowhere near as long as the MLB season but it sure can be a grind, especially when we have 3-4 games a week. Luckily for me, my senior year is all but wrapped up academically, as I only wait for my AP Calculus, Literature, and Government tests! Following that, my final quarter grade will be based on an internship project I'm going to be doing with the Hudson Valley Renegades! I'm really looking forward to working with them and it'll be a great way to transition my high school career into a college education and hopefully a great career in the Sports Management business.

So, now that you're all caught up with what's going on in my life, how about I show off the newest signed ball in my collection? Check it out:

Former Yankee captain and current Dodgers manager Don Mattingly is the most recent addition to my signed baseball collection! My dad bought this beauty for me at the last card show we were at, and it certainly makes for a great addition! Mattingly is one of my favorite Yankees of all time even though I was too young to see him play; he led the team the right way and was a respectable player throughout baseball. I don't know if he should be in the Hall of Fame or not, but with recent selections such as Roberto Alomar and Barry Larkin I don't see how he can't be. Maybe if he can lead the Dodgers to a few World Series championships he can go in later in his career similarly to Joe Torre, but regardless of whether or not he makes it, he will always be a fan favorite and Yankee legend. Having him in my signed baseball collection was a must, and I'm so glad I can now check him off the list!

Thanks so much Dad! As always, you didn't have to, but it will most definitely be hanging around in my collection for as long as I can foresee.

See Ya!

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! 

August 17th White Plains Card Show Recap (I)

Hey guys, Drew back here! So, last weekend my Dad & I made the journey to JP's Sports & Rock Solid Promotions' East Coast National! I just noticed that this trip marked my 5th consecutive East Coast National, which really speaks for how long I've been involved not only in the hobby but on my blog too. My goal for the show was to meet a solid core of players, most of which to add to my Mickey Mantle signed picture. I also wanted to move some pieces I didn't want and pick up anything that looked interesting.

As usual, I made a stop at my good friend's Rich & Hunter's table! They have treated me fantastically over the years so no matter what my goal for a show is, I always try to take at least something off their hands. I came up with these 6 cards that cost me about $25 in total!

Jeff Nelson was a very good reliever throughout the 1990's, primarily for the Mariners and Yankees. He caught on with the Yankees right on time to win 4 World Series, and he was an integral part of Joe Torre's bullpen. Those teams were just before my time, but my Dad watched a lot of the teams and knows pretty much all of the players. This was my 1st Nelson autograph and I couldn't pass it up for the price.

Johnny Damon was one of the few Red Sox I didn't mind when I start following baseball. Unfortunately, about the time I started following baseball, the Red Sox were on their road to recovery from their 86 year drought. Damon was one of the stars, and I couldn't stand the team, but there was something about that Caveman look that made me a fan. After he hopped over to the Yankees in 2006, I had an excuse to root for him and he was a solid player for the Yankees! I saw this quad relic of his from the World Baseball Classic and for just $3 I had to add it.

I don't have as much Jorge Posada stuff as I do the other core 4 members, so I added this 2007 Topps All Star relic. I don't know if it's the big nose and ears, but Jorge reminds me of the Core Four's version of Ringo Starr. With Jeter and Mo being legends and Pettitte a 'Dark Horse', Posada fittingly resembles Starr.

I always seem to forget about Hideki Matsui also, although I remember watching him vividly as I grew up. Here is a sweet 2005 Donruss Diamond Kings dual relic numbered out of 100 of 'Godzilla', one that won't be leaving my collection anytime soon!

This Topps Tribute Johnny Bench relic caught my eye the second I saw it! After meeting Bench last month and having a relatively nice experience, I'm more than happy to spend a little more on adding to my personal Bench collection. I recently came up with a list of players I'm going to collect from here on out, in an attempt to liquidate all of the rest. I'll have a post all about that coming up soon.

The final card of the 6 was this Reggie Jackson bat relic that actually has baseball seams engraved on the chip! I have a Willie Mays relic from the same set that I believe I bought from Hunter & Rich also, and it'll make a solid addition to my Jackson PC.

There you have it, that was all of the cards I bought at the show! Players and show stories coming soon to a computer in front of you! 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!

Tomorrow's Big Show! White Plains Anyone?

Hey everyone, Drew back here, but I won't be tomorrow! As some of you know, tomorrow there is a baseball card show down in White Plains, New York, which is a little ride from my house. I've been to about 4 of these shows in the past, and never left disappointed at all! I always save up a lot of money, and I'm able to not only add a bunch of nice cards to my collection, but also I get the opportunity to meet some former players. Tomorrow I will be meeting 5 different players, if the time works out on my side, and will have 5 signed customs to come home with! Mike is also coming along to the show, for his 3rd time, and as always Joemama! We can't wait any longer.

I have the wantlist ready to go, customs printed, as well as one more big item that I will be taking over to the show. I don't want to spoil anything, as always I have a tendency to want to surprise you guys more than just telling you what I'm going to do.

So stay tuned everyone! And PLEASE comment if you're going tomorrow! I would love to know!

See Ya!

By the way, the poll on the right is a new poll! (It won't be on the right for long) VOTE!!!

Hey guys, Drew back here, with big news. As Marie from A Cardboard Problem brought this up, it gave me some motivation! I'm going to White Plains tomorrow for a Card Show!!! This is the 1st I've been to in around 2 years, I had a place I used to go to, but the owner retired so it stopped! My dad tells me White Plains has big shows, and I'm really looking forward to it. I will get to meet 2 guys. There names are Bill and Al, and thanks to Bad Wax's free weekend signings post, I know whose autos I'm getting for free!

Here (as reported by chemgod) is the lineup for players signing at the shows!

Today: Gene "The Stick" Michael
Tomorrow (I'm seeing these guys!): Al Oliver, Bill Madlock
Sunday: Frank Howard

Sweet! I think I'll look for some of their cards I own tonight, and maybe I'll get a ROLB for them to both sign! Speaking of these, please tell me how this one costs so much!

Card wise, I think I'll try to get some of the Yankee rookie cards I need, fill some sets, and get some other good Yankee stuff! I've had some success at these shows, one of them got me a favorite player, Brian Bruney! Hopefully this turns out to be great, which it will! Wish me luck, and hopefully I'll come back with some nice stuff. To end this all off, I'll show the players (with me) pictures in the past! (Remember, these are from 2 years ago!)

1: Brain Bruney and Me
2: Roy White and Me




*** UPDATE THIS SHOW IS BIGGER THAN I THOUGHT!!! It is the East Coast National, with over 300 tables, and 7 retired players will be there tomorrow!***

Al Oliver
Bill Madlock
Cecil Fielder
Dave Parker
Orlando Cepeda
Steve Carlton
Dave Winfield

Some of them charge huge amounts of money, ahem, Dave Winfield. Well, at least I'll be able to see them! Wish me luck!