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!

Much Delayed Pickups from COMC!

Hey guys, Drew back here! I haven't had a whole lot coming in over the past few weeks, but I did get this package in a while back that I haven't gotten around to showing off to you all just yet. I ordered some cards off of Check Out My Collectibles after selling a few cards I'd been wanting to move, all of which going towards my new Player Collections box I've been building while I've been away from the blogosphere. Take a look at what I was able to add this go-round:

When I first made my list of players I wanted to collect from this point on, I made sure to look young in some cases. Obviously I love a lot of the legends of the game, and a majority of my list consists of those players, but I was also sure to pick a few new favorites such as Mike Trout, Andrew McCutchen, and Bryce Harper. Cutch has been a favorite of mine for a few seasons now while I've been warming up to Trout and Harper along the way. The Home Run Derby I attended last summer definitely made me a bigger Harper fan, because I originally labeled him as cocky and arrogant (kind of like Puig). I love the intensity each of these 3 players bring to the table; they're always willing to go the extra mile and that has allowed them to be as successful as they have been. Also, while Robinson Cano left New York, I still decided to collect his cards because I've been a fan of his from the very beginning of his career and I can't let the business part in baseball get in the way of me rooting for one of my favorite players ever. I don't like seeing him in a Mariners uniform but he is still a favorite of mine, without a doubt!

The Knicks suck. I've been so incredibly disappointed with them this season, as I came into the 2013-14 season with high expectations coming off of a very good previous season. Now, I can't even bring myself to watch them, and I think a lot of smart business moves need to be made before I can really take interest in them again. However, I don't see James Dolan making any of those smart moves, so until he's out of the franchise, I don't know if I can get my expectations up again. Amar'e Stoudemire, despite all of his injuries, is still my current favorite Knick, although Carmelo is carrying most of the load. I feel bad for his poor health even though he's making a boatload of money because I see how much he cares about being a part of the team and wanting to contribute. I picked up this relic of his for a few dollars just for the heck of it. It's out of 2012-13 Timeless Treasures and is numbered 76 of 99. 

Tyson Chandler is another favorite of mine on the Knicks during this dark period. I love the way he carries the team on defense and he does a great job in his role. Unfortunately he doesn't have much help, as the defense is basically helpless outside of his performance, so with his frequent injuries it leads to many more problems. I picked up this gorgeous dual patch autograph of Chandler's from 2012-13 Panini National Treasures numbered only to 10 for a pretty fair (while expensive) price, but it's absolutely gorgeous and I'm glad to add it to my collection, despite how pathetic the Knicks have played this season.

Finally, going back to my Cano tangent, here's a really sweet 2011 Topps Triple Threads relic numbered only to 9 featuring Robby along with Hall of Famer's Joe Morgan and Roberto Alomar! The relics spell out Second Sackers, and while sort of cheesy, the card is still amazing to look at in person and it's really cool to see a personal favorite player of mine stacked up with the all time greats at his trade! I think Cano will ultimately go down as one of the best second basemen of all time (especially offensively, while he more than holds his own defensively as well), and quite possibly a Hall of Famer as well!

So that's all I have for now everyone, hopefully I'll be getting some stuff in soon leading up to perhaps the biggest event I've attended yet coming up next month! Be on the lookout for that, but until then, see ya!

Recent Yankees TTM Successes!

Hey guys, Drew back here! Well, it is absolutely disgusting up here in New York right. We're averaging about an inch of snow an hour at this rate, and this is already on top of the foot or so we had going into this storm. Although we're getting off from school quite a bit, I'm really getting sick of all this shoveling and I just want to be back on the baseball field. This year I share something in common with my all time favorite player Derek Jeter: this could potentially both be our final official seasons of baseball.

Yesterday, just about everyone on planet Earth was made aware that Derek Jeter will be retiring following the 2014 season. It was a bittersweet day for Yankee fans and baseball fans around the world, and I came very close to tears. I can only imagine how much of a wreck I'll be throughout the season as he'll be constantly honored and remembered everywhere he goes. I loved the farewell tour baseball gave Mariano Rivera last year, and while I know Jeter doesn't like being the center of attention he definitely deserves it. He may not be the best player in baseball history, but he's always been a class act and he's compiled quite the resume over the course of his career. He's always defied expectations and proved his haters wrong, and he's a proven leader and winner. I've never seen a player so devoted to their craft and it's been an honor being able to grow up watching him play.

With that, I just wanted to show off a few quick TTM's I got back from some current and retired Yankees alumni! Check them out:

David Robertson: 1/1 in 244 Days

New Yankee closer and a personal bullpen favorite of mine, David Robertson signed a card out of 2012 Topps Heritage for my collection! I've really grown to like Robby, and I had the pleasure of meeting him a few years ago when he came to a local card show! Although I do believe the Yankees need more of a backup plan for the closer role in case Robertson struggles, I do have faith that he'll do well in his role this upcoming season! He's been one of the best relievers in the business over the past couple seasons, so getting this back TTM was a thrill!

John Olerud: 2/2 in 243 Days

John Olerud wasn't known for his one year spent in New York, but I preferred to have him sign some cards in pinstripes rather than any other uniform. He only played 49 games for the Yankees but he certainly had plenty of phenomenal seasons for the Mariners and Mets throughout the mid to late 90's and early 2000's! Sports Illustrated named the Mets infield he was a part of the "Greatest Infield Ever" and while that's certainly up for debate he definitely made a big impact on the field, offensively and defensively. He was well known for wearing a batting helmet in the field, which stemmed from a brain aneurysm he suffered back in the early stages of his career. These two cards came out great signed and I'm really glad I can now add his autograph to my collection!

That's all I've got for now everyone! Stay safe and warm if you're up in the northeast! 

See Ya!

Very Belated Christmas Gifts!

Hey guys, Drew back here! Posts like these really make me feel pathetic. It's taken me over two months to show off some of what I got for Christmas. Oh well, check them out:

My dad treated me to a bunch of the cards at the local corner store that has sold me a few very nice cards in the past. I had eyed one of the cards they had there for a while, and sure enough Dad remembered it! But first, here's a nice Hunter Pence Bowman Chrome refractor autograph numbered out of 500! It's a gorgeous card and from what I remember, it was at a bargain price too! Pence is a solid player, and I remember having him on my fantasy team a few years ago.

Next was a Jorge Posada rookie card out of 1994 Bowman's Best! I have one of these, but can never have enough; the other sits in my Core Four rookie card display I have set up in my mancave. This is probably my favorite Posada card, so I'm glad I got to add another one to my collection. 

Here's a 1961 Topps Ron Fairly card, the only '61 Topps card I believe they had for sale. I've currently completed 52.5% of the 1961 set (including high #'s). I haven't focused on it at all lately, but I've been thinking about scrapping off the high numbers for the time being and just finishing the regular set. It would help me concentrate on it more, because knowing that a bunch of random cards are worth $30-40 at least has intimidated me. I love the set, and look forward to adding more to it in the future. 

Sticking with the vintage theme, here's a very nice 1968 Topps Bob Gibson! I've always been a fan of players who aren't afraid to leave their mark on the game, and Gibson was nothing short of scary throughout his career with the Cardinals. I love collecting Gibson cards; he's easily my favorite pitcher of yesteryear and I'm glad I didn't have this one yet!

We close with a few rookie cards of my all time favorite player, Derek Jeter! I needed both of these cards for my Jeter collection, and I think with these I now own close to/if not all of his regular issued rookies! First, here's the 1993 Bowman card, which is certainly one of the more underrated rookie cards of his. I've always slept on it and I'm glad Dad was able to wake me up and get it for me!

Easily the hardest card to scan of all time, here is the card I've had my eyes on for a few years now, the famous 1993 Upper Deck SP Jeter rookie! This is Jeter's most saught after rookie card, and even though I know of a few Jeter cards I like much more visually, this one strikes as gold just because of what it is! And finally, it is in my possession!

Thanks so much Dad for the awesome gifts! Merry Christmas to all of you! ;)

See Ya!

Beautiful 8x10 TTM Successes!

Hey guys, Drew back here! Over the past few months I've been sparsely adding to my collection, although I haven't put much money into the hobby. Luckily, the best thing about the Through the Mail hobby is that you invest early and your results tend to trickle in as a nice surprise later down the road. I sent to these two players during last year's season and figured I'd have to be patient if I wanted to get a success. Sure enough, both players caught up on their mail during the offseason and I ended up receiving two gorgeous signed 8x10's! Check them out:

Josh Hamilton was kind enough to sign this picture of him participating in the 2008 Home Run Derby for me! I've been a big Hamilton fan since that night, and I'll always remember sitting on my living room couch with my Dad in utter awe of his performance. So far Josh hasn't really panned out in LA, but he still has time to make up for it and I believe he's still capable of being a productive player for one of baseball's better offenses. I sent this picture to him during last Spring Training and received it back in December, and it was well worth the wait!

A week ago today I also got back this signed Clayton Kershaw 8x10! I had gotten both Kershaw and Hamilton on cards last year, but I felt like having a signed photo of the best pitcher in baseball was well worth the cost of postage! Rather than dig into all the statistics, I figure those of you who know Kershaw know how great of a pitcher he is, and he really does speak for himself! Now a 2 time Cy Young Award winner, the Dodgers signed him to the biggest deal of all time for a pitcher this past offseason. If anybody in baseball currently deserves the money they've been given, it's Kershaw, who's certainly carried an often inconsistent Dodgers rotation and given them opportunities to win in the postseason! I'm excited to watch him more as the years go on and it's crazy to think that he's just entering the prime years of his career. I love the personalization he gave me on the photo and I'm looking forward to putting it on display while he's on the road to Cooperstown. 

Who else got Kershaw or Hamilton back? Did they make it worth your wait? Let me know in the comments below! 

See Ya!