September 13, 2024, Graphing of the Revolution at Flying Boxcars

Last week was birthday week, so Chros and I took a little trip up to Baltimore for a Peark Jam concert on Thursday, September 12.  The day after, he and I drove an hour west of Baltimore and checked out the new ballpark in Hagerstown.

This season is the first season for the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars.  Their new ballpark is really nice, and it looks like Hagerstown is on a path toward affiliated ball again. 

I didn't have many cards on hand for the Flying Boxcars, so I did two Sportlots orders a week before we left.  One of the packages came in, and the other one was at the house by the time we got home.  The 2019 Topps Update showing Parker Markel was one of the cards I picked up.  The Yeudy Garcia at the top is one of the cards I had already, along with the 2009 O Pee Chee Manny Corpas.

Corpas was really nice.  He told Chris and I that we should make sure to get Markel as soon as possible, since he was about to retire.  Markel confirmed as much, but was super nice.

I got several 2016 Bowman Chrome Nellie Rodriguez signed that I picked up at the National.  I also cleaned out a few 2010 Pro Debut and 2010 Bowman Cito Culver cards from my box.

I had heard horror stories about how hard it was to graph at Hagerstown.  Chris and I got everyone we needed in the span of less than 10 minutes once the players started coming out of the dugout.  I treated it like being at the dugout in Durham; I put the book through the entrance in the netting and had no problems. 

In all, I got the following autographs: Manny Corpas x 4, Cito Culver x 4, Yeudy Garcia x 1, Parker Markel x 5 and Nellie Rodriguez x 3 (17 total autographs). 

TTM Success - Kyle Drabek

This TTM success from Kyle Drabek took a while to come in, but I was happy when it did.  This 2011 Bowman turned out nicely.  I wish it had been a parallel or something but 2011 Bowman base cards look nice, as well.

I also got a 2010 Topps Pro Debut and a 2014 Topps signed.  Getting 2010 Pro Debuts out of my box is always great, considering I have a ton of them.  I remember being really excited when Pro Debut first came out, so I bought a box, busted it and put the cards up.  I'm glad I did, since I went through that box later and found a Mike Trout.  Not bad.

Drabek (b. 1987) played in the majors from 2010 to 2016 for the Blue Jays, White Sox and Diamondbacks.  He had a record of 8-15 with 123 strike outs and a 5.26 ERA.

I mailed to Drabek on October 7 and got the cards back on August 15, for a 313-day TAT.

TTM Success - Tyler Stovall

A random 2010 Topps Pro Debut was added to the autograph album when I got this one back signed TTM from Tyler Stovall.  He added a nice Bible verse to the card with his signature.

Stovall (b. 1989) was a second round pick by the Braves during the 2008 June Amateur Draft out of Hokes Bluff High School in Alabama.  He played in the minors from 2008 to 2011, all in the Braves system (reaching A ball).  He had a record of 6-9 with 160 strike outs and a 5.86 ERA.

I mailed to Stovall on May 14 and got the card back on May 24, for a 10-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Robby Rowland

This TTM success from Robby Rowland took a couple tries but was awesome in the end.  I had picked up a few of his cards when I saw that he was on the Wood Ducks a while back.  He talked to us prior to a game, and was super nice.  So, I went online and bought some of his cards.  He was pulled from that game with an injury, and I was never able to get the cards signed.  

Finally, I found a working address after following Rowland's social media for a few years and got this awesome return.

Robby even included this awesome hand-written letter.  He also posted videos of him signing my cards on his social media accounts.

Rowland (b. 1991) was a 3rd round pick by the Diamondbacks out of Cloverdale High School in California in the 2010 June Amateur Draft. He played in the minors from 2010 to 2016 and 2018 in the Diamondbacks, Pirates, Cardinals and Rangers systems.  He had a record of 29-45 with 340 strike outs and a 5.09 ERA.

Robby got into 4 games with the Wood Ducks in 2018.  I always felt like the game we met him at was the one where he also had gotten hurt, but I could be wrong. I just remember how he was such an awesome guy and feeling terrible seeing him being removed from the game.  Robby is still pitching, however, playing in the Mexican league this year.

I mailed to Rowland on October 11 and got the cards back on October 30, for a 19-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Tommy Milone

This blue sparkle parallel from 2013 Topps on Tommy Milone is a card that I really wanted to add to my autograph album.  It took a while, but I was able to get it signed TTM, and it looks cool.

I also got a 2010 Topps Pro Debut and a 2012 Topps signed.  The Pro Debut is nice to see done because I've had it for so long.

Milone (b. 1987) has played in the majors since 2011 for the Nationals, A's, Twins, Brewers, Mets, Mariners, Orioles, Braves and Blue Jays.  He has a record of 53-53 with 713 strike outs and a 4.58 ERA.

I mailed to Milone on February 23 via Mariners Spring Training and got the cards back on September 5, for a 194-day TAT.

TTM Success - Stephen Pryor

Some more early 2010s cards came out of my boxes with this TTM success from Stephen Pryor.  I hav a ton of 2010 Bowman, and getting at least one of them out of my box is a good thing.  Not that there's anything wrong with the set, you just get tired of looking at them every time you go through the box.

I also sent off a 2010 Topps Pro Debut and a 2013 Topps Update.

Pryor (b. 1989) played in the majors from 2012 to 2014 for the Mariners.  He had a record of 3-1 with 35 strike outs and a 2.81 ERA.

I mailed to Pryor on October 27 and got the cards back on May 23, for a 228-day TAT.

TTM Success - Brian Ruggiano

The last TTM success that I had scanned before I left for vacation was this one from Brian Ruggiano.  I really liked these 2010 Pro Debuts, since they had the old Ogden Raptors logo.  I sent two cards, with the intention of trading the duplicate, but he signed them in different colors, so I guess I'm going to keep both in my album.

Ruggiano (b. 1986) was a 23rd round pick by the Dodgers in the 2008 June Amateur Draft out of Texas A & M.  He played in the minors from 2008 to 2010 in the Dodgers system, reaching A ball.  He had 224 hits, 17 home runs and a .281 batting average.

I mailed to Ruggiano on February 3 and got the cards back on April 29, for an 85-day TAT.

TTM Success - Corban Joseph

Here is a nice TTM success of a guy who sat in my box for a long time until I finally got around to mailing.  The above 2011 Bowman Platinum turned out fairly well, even though the marker started to fade.

I also got a 2008 Tristar Prospects Plus and a 2010 Topps Pro Debut signed.  Both look pretty cool.

Joseph (b. 1988) played in the majors in 2013 and from 2018 to 2019 for the Yankees, Orioles, Giants, A's and Pirates.  He had 15 hits, 1 home run and a .170 batting average.  He is the brother of former Oriole, Caleb Joseph.

I mailed to Joseph on February 1 and got the cards back on February 12, for an 11-day TAT.

Some Signed Cards From Jackson

My friend, Jackson in Arizona, has been hosting private signings for a good while now, and seems to have found his niche and is pretty successful.  Recently, he has done a few and has sent me some cards as a thank you for helping him out over time.  Above is a nice 2007 Bowman Derrek Lee that Jackson sent me.  I'm pretty sure that I didn't provide the card, but it still is nice to see one get into my album.

Lee (b. 1975) played in the majors from 1997 to 2011 for the Padres, Marlins, Cubs, Braves, Orioles and Pirates.  He had 1,959 hits, 331 home runs and a .281 batting average.  He led the NL with 199 hits and 50 doubles in 2005, on his way to his best MVP finish (3rd).  He was an All Star in 2005 and 2007.  He was the NL Batting Champion in 2005 when he hit .335.  He was a Silver Slugger Award winner in 2005, and a Gold Glove Award winner 3 times (2003, 2005 and 2007).  He won the World Series with the Marlins in 2003.  He appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot in 2017, but received no votes.

Jackson sent me these two Neal Cotts cards from a recent signing, a 2004 Bowman and a 2004 Topps Cracker Jack.  I love the Cracker Jack set; they look awesome when signed.

Cotts (b. 1980) played in the majors from 2003 to 2009 and 2013 to 2015 for the White Sox, Cubs, Rangers, Brewers and Twins.  He had a record of 21-24 with 421 strike outs and a 3.96 ERA.  He won the World Series with the White Sox in 2005.

Finally, I provided several Jack Spradlin cards to Jackson for a signing, and I was able to get this 2010 Topps Pro Debut back signed.

Spradlin (b. 1984) was an 8th round pick by the Nationals in the 2005 June Amateur Draft out of USC.  He played in the minors from 2006 to 2010 in the Nationals system, reaching AAA.  He had a record of 17-18 with 317 strike outs and a 3.91 ERA.

Thanks for the signed cards, Jackson!

TTM Success - Max Stassi

This TTM success from Max Stassi was a nice one that I got back from Spring Training.  Spring Training TTMs for the last two years almost seem like they were a waste of time.  I got very few returns and a whole lot of cards are out there somewhere (probably in the trash), and I will probably be waiting forever for them.  So, when I got this return from Stassi, I was happy.

I got a card from 2019 Topps , 2010 Pro Debut, a 2020 Topps and a 2020 Topps gold signed by Stassi.  The all look nice, and have been put away in my album.

Stassi (b. 1991) has played in the majors since 2013 for the Astros and Angels.  He has 181 hits, 32 home runs and a .225 batting average.

I mailed to Stassi on February 9 to Angels Spring Training, and got the cards back on October 30, for a 263-day TAT.

TTM Success - Jordan Pacheco

This TTM success from Jordan Pacheco was really nice, because I finally added a 2013 Bowman Chrome green refractor to my autograph album (among a bunch of other cards).  I sent six cards, and they all came back signed, which was great.  I don't expect a player to sign that many, but when they do, it's nice.

This blue parallel from 2013 Topps was another nice parallel that I got done.  It is a WalMart parallel and is not numbered.  Nor is the 2013 Bowman Chrome green refractor.

I also got a 2010 Bowman Chrome, 2010 Topps Pro Debut, 2011 Heritage Minors and a 2014 Topps signed.

Pacheco (b. 1986) played in the majors from 2011 to 2016 for the Rockies, Diamondbacks and Reds.  He had 293 hits, 10 home runs and a .272 batting average.  He finished 6th in the 2012 NL Rookie of the Year voting.

I mailed to Pacheco on March 26 and got the cards back on August 21, for a 148-day TAT.

TTM Success - Kyle Skipworth

There weren't nearly as many TTM requests sent off this year as I had done last year during COVID.  Still, I sent off a decent amount of stuff when I had the chance between Wood Ducks games.  I didn't go through boxes as much as usual, either, which contributed to my not sending out as much, also.  Still, I found some cards of guys who signed, and was able to thin out a few boxes, as was the case with this return from Kyle Skipworth.  I had the above 2008 Razor card for a long time in one of the boxes, and used the ones I got from the former LCS to add two more to the package.  The Razor card turned out great; I always liked this design.

I also sent the above 2010 Topps Pro Debut and the 2011 Topps Heritage Minors.  Both look great.

Skipworth (b. 1990) played in the majors in 2013 for the Marlins.  He appeared in 4 games and had no hits.  He was a first round pick (6th overall) in the 2008 June Amateur Draft by the Marlins out of Patriot High School in Glen Avon, California.

I mailed to Skipworth on January 11 and got the cards back on June 5, for a 145-day TAT.

TTM Success - Jake Petricka

Here are some nice cards that I got signed TTM from Jake Petricka.  The above 2010 Topps Pro Debut turned out really well.  I remember when Topps started doing Pro Debut that year; I bought a box of each series.  I had hoped I would go to games and get some signed, and I didn't really end up doing that until 6 years later.  If I knew then what I know now, I'd have graphed more back then.

I also got a 2014 Topps and a 2014 Topps Gold signed by Petricka.

Petricka (b. 1988) has played in the majors since 2013 (with the exception of missing 2020 during COVID) for the White Sox, Blue Jays, Brewers and Angels.  He has a record of 10-13 with 183 strike outs and a 4.24 ERA.

I mailed to Petricka on April 6 and got the cards back on May 22, for a 46-day TAT.

TTM Success - Bryce Stowell

Rest assured, there is an autograph on the above 2008 Tristar Prospects Plus card of Bryce Stowell.  The auto doesn't show very well via my scan, nor does it show very well in person, unless you hold the card at an angle.  It turns out, this is a very dark card.  Still, it IS signed, and will go into my album.

This 2010 Topps Pro Debut shows up a lot better, so I did have a successful TTM request from him.

Stowell (b. 1986) was a 22nd round pick by the Indians in the 2008 June Amateur Draft out of UC Irvine.  He played in the minors from 2009 to 2015 in the Indians and Rays systems.  The one-time Kinston Indian went 19-15 with 432 strike outs and a 3.13 ERA across 7 minor league seasons.  He reached AAA Durham while with the Rays organization.

I mailed to Stowell on January 11 and got the cards back on April 3, for an 82-day TAT.

TTM Success - Kendal Volz

Another 2010 Topps Pro Debut came out of my box and got signed TTM recently, when I got this one back from Kendal Volz.  He signed it in super thin black pen, but it looks cool anyway.

Volz (b. 1987) was a 9th round pick by the Red Sox in the 2009 June Amateur Draft out of Baylor University.  He played 3 seasons in the minors in the Red Sox and Royals systems, reaching AA.  He had a career record of 12-9 with 180 strike outs and a 3.43 ERA.

I mailed to Volz on January 23 and got the card back on February 25, for a 33-day TAT.

TTM Success - Casey Haerther

The boxes I got from my former LCS when it closed had a whole bunch of Pro Debut cards from 2010 and 2012. So, periodically, I have taken some cards from those years and sent them off TTM.  I got a few back recently, and this one from Casey Haerther was one of them.

Haerther (b. 1987) was a 5th round pick by the Angels in the 2009 June Amateur Draft out of UCLA. He played in the minors from 2009 to 2012, all in the Angels system. He had 465 hits, 26 home runs and a .298 batting average. He reached AA in 2012, then moved on to the independent league from 2013 to 2015.

I mailed to Haerther on January 21 and got the card back on February 22, for a 32-day TAT.

TTM Success - Niko Goodrum

Here are some fairly recent (and one not so recent) cards that I got back signed TTM from Niko Goodrum.  The above 2020 Topps turned out really well.  They have to be prepped, but usually look really nice when signed.

I was also able to find Goodrum's 2010 Pro Debut, which was a nice card to get out of my box, and also a 2020 Topps Heritage.  The Heritage cards look really sharp, as always, and do well when signed.

Goodrum (b. 1992) has played in the majors since 2017, for the Tigers.  He has 375 hits, 37 home runs and a .233 batting average.

I mailed to Goodrum on October 7 and got the cards back on February 4, for a 120-day TAT.

TTM Success - David Hale

I held onto some David Hale cards in my TTM box for quite a while until I found enough to send out.  The above 2014 Donruss turned out really well.  The newer iterations of the Donruss brand have been some pretty nice cards.  They call back to older Donruss designs, which is kind of cool.

I also got a 2010 Topps Pro Debut and a 2014 Topps signed by Hale.

Hale (b. 1987) has played in the majors since 2013 (missing 2017) for the Braves, Rockies, Yankees and Phillies.  He has a record of 13-10 with 165 strike outs and a 4.23 ERA.

I mailed to Hale on November 3 and got the cards back on December 3, for a 30-day TAT.

TTM Success - Garrett Gould

Over the last few months, I have been working on moving a bunch of prospect and former prospect cards out of my boxes.  One of the things I enjoy the most about blogging my TTM successes is how I can find out about some of these guys who were prospects a few years ago, but maybe didn't pan out.  I also have been able to get some nice-looking cards signed in the process, like the above 2010 Topps Pro Debut that I got signed by Garrett Gould.

The Ogden Raptors were a Minor League team that I had wanted to go see play for a long time now.  Since Rob Manfred jacked up the whole minors system, the Raptors will no longer be part of the MiLB system.  I believe they will be a collegiate-level team, but I haven't heard.  Regardless, the stadium in Ogden, Utah is beautiful.  I still want to go.  Anyway, this 2010 Topps Pro Debut of Gould is a really nice card.  I like the Raptors logo, and the colors on the card.  I'm glad it was one of the ones of Gould I was able to find and get signed TTM.

I also got a 2011 Bowman Chrome and a 2011 Topps Heritage Minors signed by Gould.  I took possession of a 5,000-count box of Pro Debut, Bowman and Heritage Minors from 2010-2013, and have been able to pull some nice cards to get signed.

Gould (b. 1991) was a 2nd round pick by the Dodgers in the 2009 June Amateur Draft out of Maize High School in Maize Kansas.  He played in the Dodgers system from 2009 to 2014, reaching AA Chattanooga.  His record was 23-39 with 428 strike outs and a 5.14 ERA.

I mailed to Gould on September 1 and got the cards back on October 27, for a 56-day TAT.

TTM Success - Daniel Moskos

I got a few cards out of my old rookies box recently with this TTM success from Daniel Moskos.  He signed the above 2007 Donruss Elite Extra Edition, which I kept seeing as I went through the box.

He also signed a 2007 Tristar Prospects Plus and a 2010 Topps Pro Debut.

Moskos (b. 1986) played in 31 games for the Pirates in 2011.  He was a first round pick (4th overall) by the Pirates in the 2007 June Amateur Draft.

I mailed to Moskos on September 1 and got the cards back on September 21, for a 20-day TAT.