50-50 Return From Isaac

A small 50/50 return came back from Isaac, who graphs the Tennessee Smokies. I sent him a few Cubs guys who I had left over from when I saw Tennessee and also a couple Myrtle Beach team set cards from last year. 

I was glad these got signed and out of my box.  I should have sent Isaac more stuff, but I got busy during the season and didn't take the time to search for more cards. 

I hope to get Isaac some more 50/50s next season.  I don't have much left from Myrtle Beach, but still may need some stuff done.

TTM Success - Logan Davidson

This 2020 Bowman green parallel turned out nicely in this TTM success from Logan Davidson.  I had sent to A's Spring Training and got one of the three cards that I sent signed.  I'm glad it was this one, since I don't have many of these in the album.

Davidson (b. 1997) was a first round (29th overall) pick by the A's in the 2019 June Amateur Draft out of Clemson.  He went to high school at Providence High School in Charlotte.  He has played in the minors for three seasons, all in the A's system.  He has 193 hits, 20 home runs and a .224 batting average.

I mailed to Davidson on March 12 and got the card back on April 16, for a 34-day TAT.  He kept my other two cards.

June 29 and 30, 2021, Graphing of Gwinnett Stripers at Durham Bulls

Because I had taken last week off, and the Wood Ducks were out of town, I decided to take some time and do a little out of town graphing.  I originally wanted to take a trip out of state, but with a lot of teams still restricting access to players, I went the safe route and stuck around Durham and saw the Stripers.

Chris, Ale and I met up with Dugan and Jackson to graph arrival and the games.  We did an awesome job, I think.  The 2020 Topps at the top of the post is a Jason Kipnis card, and it just so happened to have Phil Ervin on the card, as well.  They are both on the Stripers now, and I was able to get both signatures on the card.

We got Kipnis on a bunch of cards; he was super nice, and generally signed 2 per whenever we saw him.  I think Ale got him on 3 one time, but he was mostly 2 per.  I got some really nice cards signed by him, which was great.

Orlando Arcia was pretty tough; he avoided me until I popped the card I wanted (above, left, 2017 Bowman Chrome Rookie of the Year Favorites parallel) out of my book.  The card looks amazing.  Of course, he signed two cards for Ale; I should have handed Ale the two other cards that I really wanted to get done.  Oh well, I was happy with what we were able to get.

I did tell my friend, Gerard, that I was planning on going to this series, so he sent me a few cards for a 50/50; we got Yolmer Sanchez on his birthday, which was cool.  Jesse Biddle was super nice; Jackson had a really good photo of he and Biddle that he got signed.  He even gave a copy to Biddle.

I was really happy to get a few Travis Snider cards out of my boxes, especially the 2010 Topps National Chicle (above; top left).

Most of the players were one per, but a few of them signed multiples.  The one per made it tough to finish guys off, but I was happy with everything we were able to get.  Some of the Kyle Wright cards were really great; I enjoyed the two different Topps Archives Wrights that I got signed.

I felt really bad for Yoan Lopez; a panhandler came up to everyone as he was signing and berated everyone, including Lopez.  The guy was clearly out of his mind, so I had to move the boys away from the spectacle.

Matt Tuiasosopo signed the 4 cards I had, but I had to do two at a time, pre and post game.  After the game, he asked if he had signed for me before and that he wouldn't sign for anyone he signed for earlier in the day.  Before I could respond, he signed the two cards I had left and moved along.

We were able to get Luis Patino on some really nice cards.  I wanted to get him on one of the Bulls team set cards, but I was completely ok with him signing these instead.  I had pulled the 2021 Panini Diamond Kings; the other two came from a recent card show.

I finally got to see Joe Ryan and Shane Baz; the boys got Baz for me after the second game, as I was still on the Stripers side.  Apparently, I had just missed him when I walked over.

We got Vidal Brujan on a bunch of cards, which was great, since I just found out that he is about to be promoted.

We bought Durham Bulls team sets, and worked to get them signed while we were there.  There were already several guys in the set who aren't with the team anymore (Wander Franco).  Still, it was fun to get some signed.

I doubt we will finish the team sets, but it was nice to add the cards to the books and see what we could get done.

In all, Chris, Ale and I got: Victor Arano x 2, Orlando Arcia x 5, Jesse Biddle x 7, Ryan Casteel x 1, Johan Camargo x 4, Phil Ervin x 6, Nolan Kingham x 3, Jason Kipnis x 19, Travis Snider x 7, Yoan Lopez x 3, Tanner Roark x 3, Yolmer Sanchez x 7, Touki Toussaint x 3, Bryse Wilson x 6, Ryan Sherriff x 1, Ryan Goins x 4, Kyle Wright x 9, Jasseel De La Cruz x 2, Matt Tuiasosopo x 4, Shane Baz x 4, Adam Conley x 4, Vidal Brujan x 20, Wool E Bull x 3, Mike Ford x 2, Louis Head x 2, David Hess x 8, Dietrich Enns x 3, Tristan Gray x 3, Rick Knapp x 4, Nathan Lukes x 2, Brent Honeywell x 2, Chris Ellis x 2, Sean Poppen x 2, Josh Lowe x 11, Kevin Padlo x 9, Joe Ryan x 10, Brett Sullivan x 3, Kyle WIlson x 4, Brady Williams x 4, Luis Patino x 6, Drew Strotman x 6 or 210 autos total.

Great Time Graphing The Tides At Bulls

With the Wood Ducks out of town this week and the countdown to Wander Day fast approaching (we all know Wander Franco will be called up soon), I decided to make a trip to Durham and try to graph the Bulls this weekend.  I also used it as an opportunity to break my friend, Tyler, in to IP graphing.  He had never done it before, but has shown interest, so I helped him pick out an autograph book and got him started on his way.  What better way to get him started, than to try to pursue the #1 prospect in baseball, Wander Franco.

Tyler, Chris and I were met in Durham by my awesome friends, Jackson and Dugan.  Dugan had this Franco Midwest League all star card that he got signed for me last week, so I figured, even if we didn't get Franco, I could leave there with a Franco auto.

Obviously, we ended up getting Franco.  I was able to get him inside the stadium as he was about to warm up; he had bypassed us outside upon arrival saying he had a meeting.  Jackson convinced me to get my card signed with the copper Sharpie that I brought, and it really looks great on the gold card.  It is numbered to 50, so that was pretty cool, too.

Chris had the above triple card in his book, and got Kevin Padlo and Vidal Brujan on arrival.  We were afraid we would leave without Wander on that card, but a guy we had helped outside (he was new to graphing and didn't even have a pen with him to get his ball signed; so I let him borrow mine) was from the Dominican and took my card (and book) and ran Wander down to get his signed after Wander bypassed Chris again.  The guy saw me with the card and asked why Wander didn't sign, I said "I got him inside, it's cool." and he said no, took my book and ran after him talking to him in Spanish.  Turns out, they had talked about being from the Dominican, and Wander stopped and chatted with the guy again.  He turned out to be a super nice guy, and told us stories about baseball in his country as we waited for other players to come out.  I ended up letting him keep my pen.  It was the least I could do.

We got Vidal Brujan on quite a few cards.  I think he is going to be a really good player as well.  He's super fast and probably won't take long to get called up.

We didn't miss too many of the Durham players, which was great.  I was up til 2AM Saturday searching and prepping cards and graphing books.  I was able to get a bunch of cards out and prepped, so I was really glad with the results.

I even got a Wool E Bull card signed while at the game, which was pretty cool.  Apparently, folks go wild over some of these mascot cards, but this one will stay in my album.  I got a couple Drew Strotman cards from Jackson, which helped me out.  I wasn't able to find any of him for some reason.  Brent Honeywell was one per, but the cards he signed turned out great.  Jackson and Dugan hadn't been able to get Luis Patino all week, but luckily, we got him on Saturday; he has an awesome signature.

The Joe Odom card came from Dugan, which was nice.  I wouldn't have had anything of him.  Ryan Boldt was one of the tougher guys for me to get (aside from Wander) because no one could recognize him.  We got my one card done, though.

I got David Hess inside after the game, and spoke to him a bit.  He was super nice, and the cards turned out great.  Deivy Grullon was the first guy to stop for us outside, and I was so happy to get the 2020 Panini Score Select signed, since I had to search boxes while watching Cobra Kai Friday night.  Those cards turned out great.

We were able to get a few Norfolk guys on arrival after we got the Bulls that we needed.  Several of the Tides players signed for us, even after a trainer came out of the clubhouse and told us the players couldn't sign due to COVID.  Thomas Eschelman was the only player who refused us due to these restrictions.

I was really excited to get Yusniel Diaz at the game, because I hadn't seen him before.  I recognized him, which was a surprise, and he signed one card for each of us.

Jackson and Dugan had dipped into my stash of extras when we learned that it was, in fact, Diaz, and they helped me out with the extras.

On a whim, I added this 2019 Allen & Ginter gold of Vincent Stio to my snap case and brought it with me.  I knew he lived in NC and went to a lot of games in the area, but was primarily as fixture at Mudcats games.  He's an aspiring umpire, and will dress as one and attend minor league games across the state.  He mimics the umpires movements and has been brought onto the field several times.  I found this card in one of my card shop boxes and knew I'd run into him somewhere.  This was an awesome example of being super prepared.  Chris and I were getting into the line for the all you can eat buffet, and Chris noticed Vincent.  So, I was able to graph a kid younger than my son as a minor league game.  At least he and his dad were cool about it.

My good eye also spotted Ryan Ripken as he was entering the Tides clubhouse, and I had a short conversation with him.  It was regarding a card that I had brought with me that has become a small project of mine.  I plan to finish the card off with a couple of Ryan's relatives, but he signed it for me and enjoyed seeing it.  He is such a great guy, and I was glad to see him again.

So, we had an awesome time at the game and enjoyed the company of my son and friends.  In all we got 65 autographs:

Wander Franco x 2, Vidal Brujan x 13, Kevin Padlo x 3, Ryan Boldt x 1, Adam Conley x 3, Chris Ellis x 5, Deivy Grullon x 6, David Hess x 4, Joseph Odom x 1, Wool E Bull x 1, Josh Lowe x 3, Brent Honeywell x 3, Wyatt Mathisen x 2, Luis Patino x 4, Drew Strotman x 2, Vincent Stio x 1, Brett Cumberland x 1, Yusniel DIaz x 5, Zac Lowher x 2, Ryan Ripken x 1 and Willy Yahn x 2.

TTM Success - JJ Bleday

Last night was a thrash to find some cards in a pinch, and not completing a blog post was the sacrifice I made in order to get done, and it was well worth it.  The wait was also well worth is, as this TTM success is from Marlins prospect, JJ Bleday.  I had seen that he was signing, so I dropped this one in the mail to him and got it back signed.

Bleday (b. 1997) was a first round (4th overall) draft pick by the Marlins in the 2019 June Amateur Draft.  So far, he has reached AA ball in the Marlins system.  He has 46 hits, 4 home runs and a .220 batting average.

I mailed to Bleday on December 15 and got the card back on February 4, for a 51-day TAT.

TTM Success - Daniel Cabrera

He's not the former Orioles pitcher that baffled hitters (sometimes) and pitching coaches (most times).  This Daniel Cabrera is the Tigers prospect that signs TTM.  I got three cards back signed and personalized.  I was happy to add a 2020 Bowman Chrome to my album, as there aren't many in my album due to not being able to graph last year.

I also got these two 2019 Stars & Stripes signed.  Cabrera's signature needs some work, but most kids these days have no idea what cursive is anyway, so I guess we will take what we can get.

Cabrera (b. 1998) was a 2nd round pick by the Tigers in the 2020 June Amateur Draft out of Louisiana State University.  He has yet to play pro ball, but that is probably coming within the month.

I mailed to Cabrera on January 4 and got the cards back on January 16, for a 12-day TAT.

TTM Success - Damon Jones

Here ae some more 2020 cards that I got signed via TTM.  This time, they were cards signed by Phillies prospect, Damon Jones.  The above 2020 Pro Debut came from the boxes that I picked up from my supplier, Taylor.

I hung out with my buddy, Dugan, at a card show in July, and he pointed out to me that Jones signed TTM.  So, as he and I were going through boxes, I pulled a couple of Jones's 2020 Bowmans.  I was able to get the green parallel, and got that signed along with a 2020 Bowman base.

Jones (b. 1994) was an 18th round pick by the Phillies in the 2017 June Amateur Draft out of Washington State University.  He has reached as high as AAA.  Overall, Jones has a 17-14 record with 313 strike outs and a 3.34 ERA.

I mailed to Jones on July 7 and got the cards back on July 23, for a 16-day TAT.

TTM Success - Ruben Cardenas

I was able to get a couple more 2020 cards signed when I got this TTM success back from Ruben Cardenas.

He signed a 2020 Pro Debut, a 2020 Bowman Chrome and a 2020 Bowman.

Cardenas (b. 1997) was a 16th round pick in the 2018 June Amateur Draft by the Indians.  So far, he has reached A ball (Bowling Green) and has 161 hits, 13 home runs and a .280 batting average.

I mailed to Cardenas on June 29 and got the cards back on July 21, for a 22-day TAT.

TTM Success - Kody Hoese

Getting 2020 cards signed has been tough this year with no IP graphing happening.  I've been limited to getting guys TTM.  There have been only a handful of guys in any of the 2020 sets that I have been able to get, and Kody Hoese was one of them.  The above 2020 Bowman Chrome mojo that I got at a card show was the nicest of the bunch.

Above are the other cards that Hoese signed.  He signed a 2020 Bowman Chrome, 2020 Pro Debut blue parallel and a 2019 Bowman Draft.

Hoese (b. 1997) was a first round pick (25th overall) by the Dodgers in the 2019 June Amateur Draft out of Tulane.

He got into 41 games in the minors last season where he had 44 hits, 5 home runs and a .299 batting average.

I mailed to Hoese on June 29 and got the cards back on July 13, for a 14-day TAT.

TTM Success - Xavier Edwards

I added some nice 2020 cards to my album with this TTM success from Xavier Edwards.  Adding any 2020 cards is tough with the ongoing pandemic and not being able to graph IP.  I was able to get these to Edwards and get them signed fairly quickly.

Edwards signed a 2020 Pro Debut (top), 2020 Bowman base and 2020 Bowman Chrome (above, left and right).  His Sharpie needs some help, but overall, I'm happy I got the cards back signed.

Edwards (b. 1999) was a first round pick (38th overall) by the Padres in the 2018 June Amateur Draft out of a Florida high school.

So far, he has reached High A ball in the Padres system.  He has 217 hits, 1 home run and a .328 batting average.

I mailed to Edwards on June 29 and got the cards back signed on July 10, for an 11-day TAT.

TTM Success - Joey Cantillo

I added another 2020 Bowman to my autograph album when I got this TTM success back from former Padres, now Indians, prospect, Joey Cantillo.  He has a really nice signature, and it shows up well on the card.

Cantillo (b. 1999) was a 16th round pick by the Padres in the 2017 June Amateur Draft out of Kailua High School in Hawaii.  In 3 seasons in Minor League ball, he has a record of 13-7 with 221 strike outs and a 2.51 ERA.  He has reached as high as High A ball.

Cantillo was involved in the huge trade earlier this summer which sent Mike Clevenger and Greg Allen to the Padres in exchange for Cantillo, Cal Quantrill, Austin Hedges, Josh Naylor, Gabriel Arias and Owen Miller.

I mailed to Cantillo on June 15 and got the card back on July 6, for a 21-day TAT.

TTM Success - Jackson Rutledge

I was able to get a 2020 Bowman signed when I mailed one off to Nationals prospect, Jackson Rutledge.  The card looks nice signed, even though the signature got smudged a bit.

Rutledge (b. 1999) was a first round pick (17h overall) in the 2019 June Amatuer Draft out of San Jacinto College.  He went 2-0 last season with 39 strike outs and a 3.13 ERA.

I mailed to Rutledge on June 15 and got the card back on June 25, for a 10-day TAT.