I Am Here to Discuss the Past!

Hey guys, Drew back here! On February 15th, Andy Pettitte's son Josh informed the world that his dad's number would be retired by the Yankees at some point during the 2015 season! It was a shockwave to all Yankee fans, and for the most part the reception was positive.

Heard it here first. @Yankees are making August 23rd Andy Pettitte day. Retiring #46 and honoring him with a plaque in Monument Park!!
— Josh Pettitte (@JPettitte21) February 15, 2015

Shortly after, it was also revealed that the team also planned to retire Jorge Posada and Bernie Williams' #'s 20 and 51, respectively, as well as awarding a plaque in Monument Park to former captain and second baseman Willie Randolph. Now, I know most of you in this hobby have more experience seeing players you've grown up watching receive special honors like these, but I must say it's a weird feeling when you first see this. It makes you feel rather old, I must say. I learned recently that only 2 active MLB players began their career before I was born: LaTroy Hawkins and Jamey Wright. I'm not saying I'm heading to my retirement, but it still feels like just yesterday when I first fell in love with baseball, and that was a decade ago.

With all of this mind, I figured I would share my two cents on these four greats players who have a legendary honor awaiting them over the course of this upcoming season. 

Jorge Posada

A born leader. This guy knew what it took to win, and he was as gritty as they get. I'll never forget when he came to the plate in a pinch hitting situation on September 22nd, 2011. We were sitting in our favorite seats we had ever had in the new Yankee Stadium; front row, field level in right field. Jorge came to the plate and broke the 2-2 tie with a two run single to not only win the game, but also the division! I always liked him, but after that moment I was forever a fan of his. I loved how much he defended the team over the course of his career with his fiery passion. People wonder why the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry is no longer what it was, but I think much of that hatred dissipated when Posada retired.

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Bernie Williams

The forgotten member of the Core Four. Call him Pete Best, because he really got the ball rolling for the Yankees until Jeter & co. took them to the next level (Beatles anyone?). I missed most of Bernie's good years but I've seen some footage and numbers that easily warrant this accomplishment. He was a quiet presence in the locker room, but could play a mean guitar. I got goosebumps when he played "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" at Fenway Park for Jeter's last game in 2014. He did a lot of things right during those championship seasons, and was fantastic in the playoffs. He may get shorted of recognition when people discuss the impact of the Core Four, but Yankee fans will never forget their best centerfielder since Mantle.

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Willie Randolph

Obviously Willie was way before my time, but nevertheless you can see his influence every year at Old Timer's Day and beyond. When I first started following baseball he was stepping into his role as Mets manager, and although it didn't necessarily end well in Queens, he's as much of a baseball guy as anyone else. Willie has been heavily involved in the game almost every year since 1975, whether it be as a player, manager, or coach. I had the opportunity to meet him once at a card show and he was such a nice man. One of few people alive today who could say they were captain of the Yankees; Randolph helped anchor those great late 70's teams to 2 World Series titles.

Andy Pettitte

Finally, Mr. Andrew Eugene Pettitte himself. PED's or not, Andy will forever be one of my favorite pitchers of all time. I really believe he got caught up in the wrong crowd with Roger Clemens when rehabbing the infamous elbow injury he suffered in 2002. But enough about that, because surely one mistake can be forgiven from the very apologetic and sincere Pettitte. Much has been said about the lefty's chances at making the Hall of Fame one day, and while I didn't quite see a Hall of Famer while watching him pitch, he was pretty darn close. With 256 victories and several other feats under his belt, Pettitte was the guy you wanted on the mound on a cold October Bronx night. His intimidating glare was enough to blow away batters for 18 seasons, and I had the pleasure of getting to see a solid portion of those games.

I'm really glad that these four are all getting their due this upcoming season, although it does bother me how many numbers are being retired at this point. Sure, they have the most championships of any major professional sports team spanning over 100 years of excellence, so there should easily be 20 players deserving a number retirement. Joe Torre and Mariano Rivera's numbers were forever locked away recently and obviously Jeter's will be coming soon as well. After that numbers 1-10 will never be used again, which I find strange. 

The problem now is that they went overboard in the first place, retiring numbers of great Yankees but nowhere near legends. Ron Guidry was a spectacular pitcher in his prime and pitched perhaps the best season for the team in the modern era, but I don't know if I agree with his number retired alongside Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mantle, Berra, and Ford. Billy Martin was a true Yankee at heart and devoted a majority of his life to pinstripes (when Steinbrenner let him), but again it may have been a bit much to retire his number. But now, with their numbers retired, it's only fair that new generation stars like Bernie, Jorge, and Andy get theirs. There's nothing you can do about it, and people will continue to make the "Yankees are going to run out of numbers" jokes for the rest of time, but that's okay. Monument Park provides a true celebration of baseball history as a whole, spanning decades of excellent stars that we will never forget.

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Welcome home once again boys. You're officially here to stay!

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!

Some Unexpected Amazing Pickups from Dad!

Hey guys, Drew back here! So, about last week, Dad found a few deals at an antique shop. He came home with 5 cards, and I'll let them do most of the talking, because well, they are some pretty darn good ones to have!

First was this 1988 Topps Willie Randolph autographed card! Of course, this is an IP autograph pickup, and I don't know how legitimate this one is, but it looks good and the autograph looks sweet on the card! I don't have too much of Randolph other than my signed baseball of his, so it's cool to add this one to the collection!

Second was this 2003 Topps "Blue Chips" Brandon Phillips rookie card autograph! Phillips was one of my most wanted autographs of MLB's current second basemen, only behind Rickie Weeks in terms of who I don't have yet. Phillips has definitely been one of the best second basemen in the league for a few years now, and last year he posted a .300 batting average with 18 home runs and 82 RBI. I would take that in a second baseman anyday, but fortunately enough my Yankees have even better with Robinson Cano!

Well, it started off good, which I means it could only go down! From 2007 Bowman Heritage, here's a Carl Crawford black parallel autograph numbered to only 52! Crawford sure did have a disappointing year in Boston, but boy was he good for my fantasy team two years ago when I went on to win the championship! I'll always have a bit of a soft spot for my 2010 2nd round fantasy pick, but I sure wish he never signed with Boston! Regardless of that this card is pretty sweet looking, and while I probably will end up hanging onto it, I'll certainly take offers for it in exchange for any Yankees autos you're willing to lose!

So now we're down to the final two. Let me tell you it sure was difficult to choose which one to write about first, but I guess I had to save the autograph I didn't have yet for last! Both cards book for close to $100 if not more, and are certainly huge additions to my overflowing population of cards in my basement! 

We start with the Ripken boys! Out of the 2005 Donruss Signature Series product, this dual autograph of Cal Ripken Jr. and Billy Ripken is a beautiful card, and it definitely made my day! Cal is one of my favorite players in the Hall of Fame, just because he's just so classy and memorable, and will always be perhaps the biggest class act to ever play the game. The fact that he stayed and signed an autograph for every fan after the Orioles' games was remarkable and unheard of in the sports world filled with money and greed. I do have Ripken's autograph in his children's book I picked up off of Barnes & Noble, but this one is just a really sweet card in general. I didn't have a Bill Ripken autograph, but I'll always know him for his awesome 1989 Fleer card, and not for his mediocre career as a player and analyst on MLB Network. 

The final card, is a very classy card as well, out of the 2006 Upper Deck Reflections product. It's a dual autograph of perhaps the best father-son combo in baseball history, Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr.! I have always wanted to pick up an autograph of Junior Griffey, as he's by far one of the greatest players of our generation. It was great getting to see him play, even though I wasn't really around much during the good times of his career. He retired with 630 home runs, all of which had not been surrounded by the questions of steroid use that majority of the players of his time used to get an edge. Sure, we may never know if or not Griffey did use the roids', but I highly doubt he did. Dad also recently got me an autograph of Griffey Sr. pictured in a Yankees uniform, so it's kind of cool to have one as a Red too. Upper Deck designed this card really well and it just is great looking in person, numbered only 26 of 99!

Thanks so much Dad, seriously I appreciate this so much. High school can really be a drag sometimes but its you and so many of my other great friends that know how to put a smile on my face!

See Ya!

My 1st Major Piece of Game Used Memorabilia!

Hey guys, Drew back here. Every once in a while, I like to branch out my collection a bit. It seems kinda boring to continually just add cards and occasional signed photos to your collection, so when I have the opportunity to mix things up, I very well might. So just recently, my good friend Anthony from the blog "Anthony's WPS and Vietnam Collectibles Blog" and formerly "Mike Pelfrey Collectibles" has been working on selling off his entire collection, including his incredible Mike Pelfrey cards. I've done a lot of business with him, and this just happened to be probably the best pickup yet! For a great price of $10, I got this wonderful new addition to my collection:

Anthony went to a Mets game about 3 years while former Yankees great Willie Randolph was manager. Randolph picked a ball off the ground, signed it, and tossed it up to Anthony in the stands! A stamp behind the autograph says Practice upside down, so obviously the baseball was used by either the Mets or the opposing team that day, which is really awesome. The ball is signed nicely on the sweet spot, and looks pretty nice in person! The baseball also has a lot of wear and dirt on it too, which is much cooler than a plain white baseball.

Willie Randolph was a great player back in the 1970's and 1980's, and was most known for being on the "Bronx Zoo" team featuring Reggie Jackson, Thurman Munson, Lou Piniella, Bucky Dent, Chris Chambliss, Graig Nettles, Catfish Hunter, Sparky Lyle, Goose Gossage, Billy Martin as manager, etc. He was a 6 time All Star and a 2 time World Series Champion as a player. He was a key role player, with a great glove and great speed, often near the top of the lineup behind Mickey Rivers. After playing for several other teams and following his retirement, he was the base coach and bench coach throughout the Yankees incredible World Series run in the late 1990's. He spent 2005-2008 managing the Mets and was fired, and now currently will become the bench coach for this years Orioles!

He's certainly lived a life in baseball so far, and I'm a big fan! I'll make sure to keep the story alive Anthony and you know I'll keep good of the baseball. Thanks so much!

See Ya!