Mantle 16x20 Project: Rock Raines Edition

Hey guys, Drew back here. It turns out that my Tuesday class has already been cancelled all in part to a large snow storm heading through the Tri State area over the course of the next day. To all of you facing this storm tomorrow, be safe, because it certainly doesn't sound pretty. Fortunately, my Dad and I squeezed the Pinstripe Pandemonium show just in time before the storm yesterday, so I've got a whole lot to write about over the course of the next few days. At this show I was able to add 4 big names to my Mickey Mantle project. The first of which was one of the most prolific stolen base threats of all time, one whose veteran leadership helped guide the Yankees to their 1996 and '98 World Series championships. 

Tim "Rock" Raines was the first player I met on Sunday! I recently discussed Rock's case for the Hall of Fame when I revealed my 2015 ballot, and I easily voted him as one of my 10 inductees. Had it not been for Rickey Henderson, Raines would be calling Cooperstown home, but instead rode in the shadows and also faced drug issues right in the height of his career. However, since then Raines has been fully clean and recovered, and he was friendly to me when I got to step up and meet him.

It completely slipped my mind to wish Raines the best of luck on the ballot, which comes out of nerves without a doubt, but I do really hope he makes a final push and gets in. The former Expo was dominant during his prime; and despite his career possibly lasting a little too long, I believe he has the credentials to sit in a lower tier of hitters in the Hall along with guys like Jim Rice and Andre Dawson. One thing I noticed was that he was quite small for a baseball player, but maybe that size difference helped him steal more bases. He's probably one of the first players I've met that I can say I'm taller than!

This autograph show was loaded with star studded talent, and it was so difficult to pick and choose who and what I needed to get most. Wade Boggs and Mike Pagliarulo surrounded Raines on each side respectively, and the place just felt like a red carpet event all day.

My original idea was to put Raines alongside Rickey Henderson towards the bottom of my Mantle 16x20 project, but I then decided to let him shine in his own light as he deserves, and instead filled the top right corner of the photo with speed. Raines is above Mickey Rivers and Willie Randolph, and he signed it beautifully in blue sharpie. I love the way it came out, and while I wouldn't have also minded to have a ball signed too; I'll be able to get that taken care of soon (and hopefully with a Hall of Fame inscription)!

I'll be back tomorrow with more to report from a fantastic day of graphing! Again, everyone in the Northeast, be careful!

See Ya!

Autograph of a Star-Lord!

Hey guys, Drew back here! Today was easily one of my best hobby related days in a while. My dad and I attended MAB Celebrity's Pinstripe Pandemonium autograph show in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey, and I came home with a nice group of autographs and pictures! I will have plenty to share over the next few weeks to showcase this memorable day, but we're going to start on a bit of a fun note. Along with the autographs I obtained in person, I also bought a few signed items some of the vendors had for sale. The second I saw this signed 8x10, I knew I had to add it to my collection.

None other than Parks & Recreation and Guardians of the Galaxy star Chris Pratt! Pratt has been perhaps the breakout actor of 2014 with his role in Galaxy as Peter Quill aka Star-lord, however it was his performance as Andy Dwyer in Parks that really made me a fan of his. My girlfriend Victoria and I watched it all summer together, as I mentioned recently when I showcased my Nick Offerman TTM autograph. It became one of my favorite comedy shows, and it serves as a nice bridge show between crazy horrors and dramas.

Everything I've seen of Chris Pratt has been positive, as I've heard many who can vouch for saying he's a great guy. When recently asked if his rise to stardom tempted him to leave Parks & Rec before their final season, he replied "I would never f------ leave this show. I've been doing this business for 15 years. I realize that the things that really matter are the relationships you have while you're doing them. I could hope that I could have the good fortune of finding another group of people like this, but I don't expect I ever will." It's awfully nice to hear things like this in Hollywood, where these kinds of stories don't usually show themselves in public.

I bought this off of a dealer who exclusively sold celebrity autographs. He told me he worked in the same building as Sirius XM Radio, and he often comes across stars and is able to get all sorts of autographs. The picture is not certified, but the guy had an absolutely enormous stock of signed photos, and I believe in the good of mankind and that he wouldn't be a complete scammer. The picture is of Pratt wearing a "Mouserat" shirt, the name of his fictional Parks & Rec band, and is signed in blue sharpie.

Again, if you haven't checked out Parks & Recreation, I highly recommend it. Between Offerman, Pratt, Amy Poehler, and numerous other great actors, it's one of the best shows on television.

Fun fact on Pratt: He played Scott Hatteberg in Moneyball!

More to come from the Pinstripe Pandemonium! See Ya!

Rest in Peace, Mr. Cub

Hey guys, Drew back here. I ended my Friday night with some pretty difficult news to swallow. Mr. Cub, Ernie Banks, passed away at the age of 83 in Chicago.

Over the past year or so, I've used all of the great experiences I've gotten from fans, stadiums, and players to become a more well rounded baseball fan. I can say today that I am a fan of baseball as a whole even more than I am a Yankee fan, which doesn't mean anything against my Yankees but gives respect to all of the other legends who have came and went in this great game. One of the trailblazers for my newfound love for my favorite game was Mr. Banks, whose personality stood larger than life and made his actual baseball career an afterthought. It takes a pretty special man for their heart and passion to surpass his credentials; which include 14 All Star selections, 2 NL MVP's, a retired number at Wrigley Field and a plaque in the Hall of Fame.

I've been meeting current and former players at sports card/autograph shows for over 5 years now with my Dad. We've seen the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to players' attitudes while signing for the fans. We've seen players openly tell their fans they have to leave to catch a flight, and players spend entire experiences with fans while talking on their cell phones. For every great experience we've had has come about 3 average ones and 1 below average one. But nobody I've met has ever been as down to Earth and lovable as Ernie Banks was to my Dad, my best friend Mike, and I on August 20th, 2011. And I'm truly convinced that nobody I've met ever will carry themselves quite like the Cubs hero. He made a steeply priced autograph ticket worth every penny to the three of us, and provided entertainment to everyone in the building, even staying well past his scheduled signing time to accommodate to each and every person in line (Click here to read about my time with Mr. Banks that day).

Some people got to spend a great amount of time with Ernie throughout his life. I only got a few hours, but those few hours were filled with memories I'll never forget as long as I live.

Let's Play Two. Rest in Peace.

Young Yankee Hurler: TTM Success!

Hey guys, Drew back here. I have officially kicked off my second semester here at home; as my first week wrapped up today. It has been an overwhelming, but welcoming transition, and I have a great feeling that it will be what I was in need of for a strong college education. It is more competitive, and the area has much more to offer, and on top of it all, I get to spend those years with my family and some close friends! With all of that in mind, I got a TTM success a few weeks ago that I really didn't expect to see come back, but I'm beyond happy it did.

Ian Clarkin: 3/1 in 179 Days (Received on January 2nd)

Baseball America ranked current pitching prospect Ian Clarkin as the 6th best prospect in the Yankees organization for the upcoming 2015 season! Clarkin was drafted at the end of the 1st round of the 2013 draft out of San Diego, and pitched very well in 2014. Although the Yankees haven't particularly scouted pitching prospects all that well over the recent years, but between Clarkin and the highly regarded Luis Severino, there could be good years to come in the Bronx following the eventual conclusion of the CC Sabathia era. 

I only sent Ian the 2013 Bowman Draft Picks and Prospects photoshopped card seen above, but he went out of his way (or was mistaken); sending two additional signed cards out of 2012 Panini USA National Team and Bowman All American Classic. He signed each card in black, and to be honest I think his signature is sort of neat.

This was a pleasant surprise without question, and I'm hoping Ian will make it far in the future. The Yankees could realize use the second coming of Andy Pettitte on the mound every 5th day.

If all things go well, I should be attending a pretty special event this upcoming weekend (pending weather of course), and if I do I'll be sure to show you all the results. For now though, See Ya!

New York Jets TTM Returns!

Hey guys, Drew back here! I usually try to avoid mentioning that I'm a Jets fan, as they are a circus year in and year out. This year was a total catastrophe for the team, and I'm not going to even bother opening up a discussion. However, they did add a new head coach for next season, former Cardinals DC Todd Bowles; who I've heard several good things about. Hopefully one day I can see Gang Green hoisting up a Lombardi trophy, but it may be wishful thinking. A few weeks ago I sent out 8 TTM requests to some former Jets I came across while cleaning out my basement, and I've already got two of them back!

Bobby Humphery: 1/1 in 11 Days (Received December 29th)

Humphery was a relative unknown player throughout his career, but did play for the Jets as a cornerback between 1984 and 1989. He also was a solid kick returner throughout his time with the team. He signed a 1990 Fleer nicely for me in black sharpie!

Jeff Lageman: 2/2 in 23 Days (Received January 10th)

While Humphery wasn't exactly a household name, Jeff Lageman had a few great years with the Jets and currently works as a broadcaster for the Jacksonville Jaguars. He recorded 47 career sacks throughout his career, 10 of which being in 1991; perhaps his finest season. He signed two cards for my collection in blue sharpie!

I'm very happy to broaden my collection with some beautiful Jets autographs. I've tried so many times to change teams to break away from rooting for them, but I've never been able to let go. I'm going to keep believing that it'll get better... maybe Todd Bowles can make magic happen. We will see.

See Ya!