2017 Bronx Baseball Bonanza Signing Recap!

Hey everyone, Drew back here for the first time in well, too long. I can't believe how long its been. I usually begin each post talking about how long its been, but this post gap crushes any of the previous ones. I've been around, as many of you have seen me on Twitter and Instagram amidst my absence. But to the rest of you, I hope you had a wonderful Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/etc., and New Year! 

I have quite a bit to share with you all, and I really don't know how I'm going to do it. I haven't put time towards the blog in any way, but I decided to renew it anyway in January in hopes that I would end up posting again. Hopefully I can try to take the next few months to give you some sort of idea as to where I've been. Similar to Michael Jordan, I took some time to explore some new ventures, realized they weren't quite as appealing (not drugs, I swear), and returned to what I thoroughly enjoy. Yeah, I just compared myself to MJ, have at me.

First; however, I wish to share this past weekend's adventures in New Jersey. Dad and I made the trip for the third consecutive year to the Hilton Doubletree Hotel in Fort Lee, where MAB Celebrity organized another fantastic Yankees autograph show. The lineup was stacked as usual, with 12 players from the 1977 World Series team in attendance on Saturday (and Ralph Macchio!). I used some of my Christmas funds to add some desperately needed names to my Mona Lisa; the Mickey Mantle 16x20 I've previously showed off.

If you've read this blog in the past, you may know about my affection for Roy White, former Yankees left fielder from 1965-1979. I met him at a local Holiday Inn card show when I was probably only 8 or 9, and he was the first player I ever met. I was probably the most excited kid in the world all throughout that day; knowing I had an autograph of a former big leaguer, and better yet, a Yankee. 

I've since met him several other times over the years at various shows, and he's always been very soft spoken but kind and courteous. The last time I met him, he signed an 8x10 copy of the picture of he and I (see here). This time, I finally had him sign the project I've been working on for about 5 years now. Dad brought up that I have pictures with him that really show me growing up, and White seemed bummed that I didn't have them on me to show him. I certainly plan on meeting him once more just to show him those. He's as classy as they come.

Next, we had an unexpectedly bizarre experience with "Louisiana Lightning" himself, Ron Guidry. Guidry is not a frequent signer in the Northeast. I believe he still lives in Louisiana, which is part of why I've never had the chance to meet him. 

Anyway, before we went up to shake his hand, we stopped at our good vendor friend Joe's table to catch up. He wanted to enhance our moment with Guidry, so he pulled out an old check of Guidry's from a box for me to give to him. The check emerged inside a lot of memorabilia Joe had purchased in the past, and it contained Guidry's Social Security number on it. It probably wasn't a good thing that his check was floating around, although Joe wouldn't have done anything to harm Mr. Guidry or his family.

Dad and I eventually got through the crowd and up to Guidry, and I told him exactly what Joe wanted me to tell him. He took the check, glanced at it, and then turned to his son, befuddled by the odd surprise. His son looked at the writing on the back of the check, and noticed it was his mother's, and they both grew concerned that their personal information could've been in anyone's hands. They were both appreciative of us and of Joe for giving it back to him, and he awarded me with being able to fit his signature into a noticeable gap on my Mantle project. 

At that point, Dad and I wondered just how this could get any better. Several minutes later, we found out exactly how when we met one of the three perfect Yankees pitchers, David Cone! I've always been a big fan of Cone, especially because I've grown up listening to him contribute to a lot of YES Network content. I was a toddler during the 1990's dynasty run, but watching highlights of those teams certainly helped me become the baseball fan I am now.

When I passed my picture over for to Cone to sign, he said "wow, that's impressive, it looks like you've put a lot of effort into this". I thanked him for the compliment, and told him his signature would make it even better. He responded by saying he was honored to have his name on my picture, and thanked me. And when we gathered around the table for a picture, he picked up my project and showed it off for the shot, as you see above. 

The final player I had a ticket for was the best one, in my opinion, with no disrespect to the greats who came before. Don Mattingly, for the first time in a long time, was back to do a local signing. It hasn't been ideal for the former Yankee captain and MVP to make the journey north for signings considering he's been managing in Los Angeles and Miami since 2011. I actually met him once back in 2010 in White Plains when I was only 13, and I frankly don't remember much from it.

It wasn't an easy year for Mattingly, as he lost his ace, Jose Fernandez, in the tragic boating accident back in September. However, he was in good spirits on Saturday, and we really enjoyed getting to talk to him for a little while. I wished him good luck in Miami next year, and we gave our condolences to him for the tough loss. He really seemed to appreciate what we told him, which was a satisfying feeling for sure considering he's one of our all time favorite players.

Here is an update on my Mantle project as it currently stands. With the additions of White, Guidry, Cone, and Mattingly, I now have 62 total autographs gracing the photo. I won the picture in a door prize at a White Plains card show with 29 signatures already on it, and have since added 33 of my own. Four Yankees captains and 8 Hall of Famers (including Tim Raines, who finally got his call to the Hall) are among the many gathered around "The Mick". I don't believe I'll be able to fit many more signatures, but there are a few guys I've saved some room for.

If you look closely, you can see Mattingly's small autograph to the right and above Dave Winfield. I wanted to make sure the two former sluggers would be close to one another. You can also find Cone's signature right above Don Larsen. Because Mattingly signed so small, I have enough room to try and get David Wells too to complete the perfect game trio!

On this picture, you can see White's signature to the right of Goose Gossage's and below Bucky Dent's. Also, you can see the small space Ron Guidry squeezed into between Rickey Henderson and Goose.

Once again, this show was a major hit for Dad and I. We've had some great experiences with Yankees past and present greats through MAB, but I do wish the room was bigger. There are multiple vendors inside the already small room, and people end up crushing each other trying to get towards the front of the pack to meet the people they bought tickets for. The show organizer kept telling people to make room for others, but the only way we could was by getting in the way of the vendors and their tables.

In addition, there was a point where Reggie Jackson, Don Mattingly, David Cone, Luis Severino, and Willie Randolph were all signing. If you're going to hold a show in such a tiny room for a large audience, I wouldn't suggest putting all the headliners at the same time. If they were spaced out, perhaps it wouldn't have felt so cluttered and uncomfortable. If I didn't have to go to this show, I probably wouldn't, but the lineups have been so good I can never resist. Luckily, the players made up for any of the issues and were as respectful and classy as can be.

I do have one more thing from this day to share with you guys, but I'll make a separate post of it. Don't worry, I won't be disappearing for 3 months again, at least for now I can assure you.

Thanks for reading, and have a great day! Spread the word baby, because...

Hey You

Is there anybody out there?

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Is there anybody out there?

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Is there anybody... out there?

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Is there anybody OUT THERE?

You seriously thought I was finished?

2016 East Coast National High-End Pickups!

Hey everyone! How's life? I know I can say nothing but positive things these days, as I've managed to get really involved on campus for the first time. College is actually enjoyable now that I've broken through some barriers and allowed myself the chance to branch out more. I've been working towards advertising some of our local school events, and have even gotten the privilege to meet broadcaster Ian Eagle and talk to him about working in sports. Also, I've been covering a lot of my school's football and soccer games for my Sports Reporting course. So yeah, no complaints at all here.

Because I've been interning so often on campus, I haven't had time to actually work and make money. I was on a roll with this hobby up until then, but I've got to get a jump start on my future career before I get back to spending a fortune. I have spent some of the money I saved from working literally every single day this summer at a few card shows, and I'll start catching you up by showing you what I got at the East Coast National in August! 

At this show, I had the pleasure of meeting Kenny from Torren' Up Cards (which I talked about a while back). Dad was unable to join me for this one, but he did come with me last weekend to the Fall Classic show that will more than likely be posted next year at this rate (that was a joke). But for now, here's some sweet certified goodness I've had the pleasure of calling my own.

We kick things off with some refractor autographs of Yankees farmhands Domingo Acevedo and Ian Clarkin. I've been working on adding refractor autos of my team's top prospects, and these two were both affordable. I previously owned a graded 9.5 version of the Acevedo, but I accidentally purchased the base instead of the refractor. 

Acevedo is ranked 8th among the Yankees prospects according to MLB.com's Prospect Pipeline. He is making a name for himself by averaging 96-100 mph consistently, and has even hit 103 mph during his time in the minors. At 6'7, he appears to have the prototype and build of a guy named Dellin Betances. I don't know if he'll ever get to that level, but the potential is there for sure.

Ian Clarkin was drafted 33rd overall and was taken with the supplemental pick the Yankees received when the Nationals signed Rafael Soriano in 2013. He has battled several injuries early on in his big league career, but did pitch to a 3.31 in 18 starts last season for the Tampa Yankees. He currently ranks as the Yankees 17th best prospect in their loaded farm system.

I also took home this 2015 Bowman Chrome refractor auto of new Yankee Dillon Tate! Tate was the fourth overall selection by Texas in the 2015 Draft, and was dealt to New York in the Carlos Beltran trade this summer. He was originally compared to former Oakland A's hurler Dave Stewart, but hasn't quite lived up to the hype so far. However, since coming to New York his velocity has increased from the high 80's to low 90's in Texas to the mid 90's he was expected to throw. If the velocity can stick as he transitions out of his current bullpen role back to the rotation, he could have a future in pinstripes.

My basketball collection isn't all that large, but at this show I was able to add a couple big cards to my minuscule Knicks collection. I couldn't believe how cheap these two autographs above of legends Walt Frazier and Willis Reed were. Not only are they both gorgeous on card signatures from high end products, but they're also both extremely limited (Frazier numbered to 20 and Reed to 49). 

Walt 'Clyde' Frazier was a great player in his day, but I know him more for his colorful personality, crazy fashion statements, and, of course; "swishin' and dishin'". He previously held a majority of the team's franchise records until Patrick Ewing eventually surpassed all but Frazier's assists mark. Willis Reed was a former MVP and two-time NBA Finals MVP who was named to the 1996 '50 Greatest Players in NBA History' list. He once played through a torn muscle in his thigh and helped the Knicks win their first of two championships; defeating the Lakers in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals.

Between the two, there were an awful lot of accolades. For the price I paid, I'd do it all over again.

I wasn't done. I had been shopping for a Carmelo Anthony for some time, but couldn't decide which card I preferred to add. This National Treasures beaut numbered to 25 caught my eye that day, and I was able to work the seller down on the price. 'Melo is one of my favorite players to watch in the NBA, and I love the fact that he uses his celebrity platform to try and make a difference in the world. When comparing generations, I can see him going down as this generation's edition of Charles Barkley: both great players who could never quite win it all. The three-color relic that coincides with the autograph on this card is actually really nice and adds to the card's appeal.

Going forward, I would like to add more Knicks greats to my collection, as well as a few of the stars from my childhood. I don't really follow the NBA as much as I used to, but it's still fun (when the Knicks are competitive).

The same seller I bought the Carmelo autograph off of had this Gregory Polanco refractor autograph for a pretty fair price as well. With the money I had remaining at the end of the day, I made an offer and got this for an absolute steal compared to what it sells for on eBay. Polanco is a talented young player who really came into his own in 2016, hitting 22 home runs while driving 86 runs and scoring 79 of his own. Pittsburgh has even talked about trading Andrew McCutchen due to the emergence of Polanco and Starling Marte, plus top prospect Austin Meadows on the cusp of the majors.

The biggest card I bought that day was something a little out of the ordinary for me. I had been debating whether to invest in a top tier prospect the entire day, and eventually after talking to a major Alex Bregman collector I decided he was the one I would add. This 2016 Bowman Chrome refractor autograph is absolutely beautiful, and is currently being graded in a BGS group submission. I'm looking forward to getting it back and seeing if it can pull out a 9.5! I could've bought the card as a 9.5 for about $50 more, but I had confidence that this raw copy would be good enough to match the grade.

Bregman made his MLB Debut in 2016 after absolutely mashing the ball in the minor leagues. He batted .306 with 20 home runs and 61 RBI between AA and AAA before getting the call-up the day after my 20th birthday! He did not immediately translate to the big leagues in the way that Gary Sanchez did, but continued to progress until a hamstring injury ended his season midway through September.

I'm starting to really enjoy buying Bowman autographs of top prospects. It's really fun taking a gamble on player's futures and getting to root for them in the way I have for Bregman. It has been able to bring me even closer to the game than I knew was possible.

Until next time, See Ya!

Last Month at Fenway...

Tonight, the Yankees open the most important series of their season in Boston. New York is below the Red Sox in the AL East standings by 4 games, but is only down 2 in the Wildcard race. Masahiro Tanaka takes the ball for the Bombers against Eduardo Rodriguez in a battle that has the potential to reinvigorate their dead rivalry.

A little over a month ago, the Yankees traveled to Boston with much lower stakes. They had just traded their best hitter and two best relief pitchers, and were working on building towards the future. Their biggest headline at the time was that Alex Rodriguez had just announced that the upcoming Friday night game in Yankee Stadium against Tampa Bay would be his last. In retrospect, that news feels ancient after the youth movement extravaganza that has taken place since.

But leading up to that Fenway series, one Yankee fan was arguably more excited than the others (hint: me). My family had planned our annual summer vacation around this series and getting to go to Fenway Park for the first time! The trip consisted of two nights in Boston and the remaining 4 in Cape Cod before we eventually headed home. I had never been to Beantown in my life, so getting to explore parts of the city during those few days was really exciting. I might hate their teams with a fiery passion, but I have nothing against the city itself.

On Tuesday, August 9th, we began our Fenway Park experience by joining in one of the stadium tours. We had tried to sign up for the pre-game tour, but since that was already filled we instead opted for the hourly tour. While it was disappointing not to be able to go on the warning track, we were more than content with what we were given on this adventure. 

As we strolled past all of the empty red seats, I could've sworn I traded glances with Red Sox president Dave Dombrowski. He probably didn't like that I was decked out in my road Yankees uniform, but I frankly couldn't care less. 

I had made it a life's goal to go to Fenway sporting nothing but blue and navy. I'm not even technically an adult yet, and that mission has been accomplished.

Here's a pretty neat shot I took of the famous seat marked red after Ted William's 502 foot home run in 1946. The tape measure shot was the longest ever recorded in Fenway's history, so it's only fair that every fan can clearly see where it landed.

We also got to take in the view from the Green Monster. I can't say I ever really thought the view would be worth paying an exorbitant amount of money to sit atop the enormous left field wall, but I was surprised by how picturesque it was. The above picture is my attempt to share this with you.

On the lower level, fans are greeted by this plaque and jersey honoring Boston after the horrific bombing at the Boston Marathon in 2013. You would be hard pressed to ever catch me rooting for anything Boston-related, but it was hard not to sympathize with their community after the tragedy.

Before long, game-time was approaching and the teams started taking batting practice. In between the tour and the game, we had to leave and re-enter the stadium. We stayed for 2 nights at the Buckminster Hotel, which is less than a 5 minute walk from the stadium and is known for several historic events; mostly for being the building where the Black Sox scandal was originally organized in 1919.

The lines outside Fenway were crazy long, but we met a bunch of pleasant people during that time. A majority of them were wearing Red Sox apparel, but only a couple we talked to were actually fans of the team. It wasn't casual fans either. We even met Blue Jays fans wearing red and navy... I didn't get that.

A-Rod didn't play in our game, but I was glad we got to watch him take batting practice and some grounders at the hot corner. I've loved Rodriguez and hated him over the years, but in the end I felt bad for how he was pushed out. I think he's done a lot of good things in the clubhouse since his season long suspension, and a lot of the fanbase was beginning to see that. 

The view from our seats was really phenomenal, outside of the big obstruction in the way. It didn't end up getting in the way of things that much, but it would've been nicer without it.

Boy, a lot has changed since this picture was taken of Larry Rothschild, Gary Sanchez, and Luis Severino. Sanchez had just been called up at this point and did not yet begin mashing like he eventually would. Luis Severino had just come off some excellent relief outings, and was set to return to the rotation.

It wasn't a good one for Sevy. Rick Porcello dominated Yankee bats for eight innings, but Severino couldn't outlast the 5th inning. He was tagged for 5 runs on 7 hits, and it was tough to watch. So tough, in fact, that I had to get up and get ice cream to relief the pain. 

In the 9th inning, the Yankees were down 3 runs and were able to walk in a run against Craig Kimbrel with 2 outs. The score was 5-3 when Mark Teixeira struck out to end the game. The final was 5-3, Boston. I went to three Yankee games this season, and they lost all three. Next year.

Despite the loss and the tough performance from one of my favorite pitchers, it was so much fun getting to go to perhaps the most famous baseball stadium in the world. It was a change of pace from the modernistic Yankee Stadium. In Fenway, you can be uncomfortable with obstructions in your way and still find ways to have a great time. That's what baseball is all about.

With that said, go Yankees. Let's take this series and snatch up a Wild Card, once and for all.

Zippy Zapped Back Into the Blogosphere!

In my blogging return last week, I cited the fact that school was underway and having less on my plate as the main reasons I've been able to come back. But I still lacked that final burst of energy to push me back into the blogosphere, until I met the Zippy-Zapper himself. 

Kenny has been "Cervin' Up Cards" for quite some time now, but I hadn't really gotten to know him until we started talking Yankee baseball on Twitter. In my time away from Blogger, I've been a part of collecting communities on Twitter and Instagram, and have gotten to know some great people in the process. Before leaving to go to the East Coast National (which you will hear about in due time), we made plans to meet up at some point throughout the day. 

The storm had settled in Westchester's County Center as dealers began to start packing up, but we were able to meet and spend some time observing the tables and talking about all things baseball. I was fascinated by his wealth of knowledge towards the Yankees farm system and towards prospects in general. But what blew me away over anything else was the kindness and generosity in his heart. He unloaded his backpack filled with goodies for me, and I couldn't believe it. It was hard for me to accept it all at once, but he insisted upon it. I felt better knowing that I was prepared to get him back for his madness, and took a look at what was now mine.

The two Staten Island booklets feature team sets of the 2000 Low-A Champion Staten Island Yankees. I can't say I'm all that familiar with most of the players on the team, outside of Chien-Ming Wang. These cards have perforated edges so they can easily be separated, reminiscent to the days I was subscribed to Sports Illustrated Kids way back in the day. 

Kenny also gave me 3 SI Yankees 'PlayBall Magazine' souvenir programs from 2014, 2015, and 2016! I have seen the Staten Island team play plenty in the past, but never actually at their home stadium. I am more familiar with Dutchess Stadium, where the Hudson Valley Renegades play; and have seen them play there in the past. We discussed having a future summer night spent at each stadium graphing, and I hope we can work that out next year.

These two Choice 2014 team sets were really neat toss-ins too. The set to the left features some of the best players from the New York-Penn League in 2014, which included Amed Rosario (Mets), A.J. Reed (Astros), Bradley Zimmer (Indians), and the god himself, Luis Torrens (Yankees). After speaking to Kenny, I can now say I believe Torrens will be a combination of Ted Williams and Johnny Bench! Speaking of which, Torrens was also featured in the SI Yankees set. That set had some surprisingly intriguing names such as Jordan Montgomery, Jonathan Holder, Ty Hensley, and Thairo Estrada to go along with the heir apparent to Babe Ruth (first time readers must be really confused).

He also threw in a bunch of cards of scrub Yankees (in comparison to the future first ballot Hall of Famer) Betances, Refsnyder, and numerous others. I'm starting to wonder how much longer Refsnyder will be a part of the team. It wouldn't shock me if he is an added piece in an offseason trade, because no matter what he does, it's never enough to earn a full time spot on the team.

You can never go wrong with Luis Severino, unless of course you're Joe Girardi naming him as an upcoming starter. I have slowed down collecting Sevy ever since his downward spiral, even though his card prices have tanked. I've invested far too much money already to keep buying his stuff in good conscience. However, I didn't have any of the 3 cards above, and really love the autograph in particular! 

I think it's sort of funny seeing Sano and Severino on the same card considering how mis-managed I believe they both have been thus far into their careers. Sano, to me, should not be in the field even though today's American League game tends not to employ full time DH's anymore. He can be an exception to that rule because he appears to have legit 40-50 home run pop in his bat. Meanwhile, Severino's poor performances in the starting rotation (while dominating in the late innings) have bounced him back and forth faster than you can say "Joba Chamberlain". Keep him in the bullpen for a prolonged period of time until he builds up enough confidence to be the starting pitcher we Yankee fans expected him to be. Rant over.

One of my favorite cards Kenny bestowed upon me is this 2014 Bowman Asia Exclusive Aaron Judge parallel. Judge hasn't quite followed up his explosive start to his career, and is striking out in over half of his at bats. We knew from the day he was drafted that plate discipline was going to be an issue, so this should be expected. He doesn't see fastballs often because he is known to crush them, so adjusting to major league caliber offspeed pitches will take time. Don't give up on this Baby Bomber though, because the future is still bright.

When it comes to Yankees prospects, Kenny knows more than most. I have seen these autographed cards before, but I don't know much about the players on them. Encinas is the only active player in 2016, pitching in High A for the Yankees. He has struggled mightily, but the former 6th rounder could get it together. Both Lewis and Stevenson were taken in the later rounds in the 2010 Draft, while Bautista appears to have been an International signing.

I never had much of Austin Romine, so this card is now my favorite of his. The Yankees have been able to churn out quality catchers for some time now, and he's just another example of a big league backstop. He handles his own, and probably will serve as a backup for years to come; whether he's with the Yankees still or not.

Dellin has really stepped into the closer role well ever since the deadline deals of Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller. I can't say I'm all that surprised by this news, though. He has been so dominant for now three years, and his stuff would translate well in any bullpen role. I'm not an enormous fan of the Panini designs, but I'll take a spare autograph of his to pair with my Bowman Chrome auto any day.

Kenny, thank you so much for the much needed zippy-zappying. It was a pleasure meeting you, and here's to hoping my revenge package will come close to matching all of this.

If you haven't already, please go check out Kenny's blog, Torren' Up Cards. If you have any cards of baseball jesus (Luis Torrens, duh), be sure to hit him up!