ChiSox Collector - Autographs

Bo Jackson 1993 Upper Deck

Doug — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 00:26:37 GMT

Chris Potter was kind enough to take a Bo Jackson card to the National for me. He didn't ask for any kind of payment for the help, so I definitely appreciate the gesture.

Unfortunately, in what is beginning to look like a pattern, the card was signed with a Staedtler. I did not request Sharpie, so I can't really complain. The autograph isn't nearly as thin as the Thomas autographs in my last post, but it isn't quite as bold as I would have liked.

On top of that, Bo gave a very small autograph. I guess I should be happy that Bo put his #8 on the card.

All in all, I'm happy to cross this off of my wantlist. I still need Bo for the 1991 and 1992 Upper Deck sets, as well as a rookie card. I just couldn't bring myself to pay $316 for 4 signed cards. I think I might have an opportunity to get the other cards signed early next year for $40 a pop, which is a lot easier to stomach.

In the meantime, I am one step closer to completing my favorite Upper Deck set of all time. All I need now is Joey Cora, George Bell, Ellis Burks, Dave Stieb, and the Robin Ventura team checklist.

Frank Thomas Private Signing

Doug — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 20:59:03 GMT

tommyjackley from SCN took part in a private signing with Frank Thomas a couple of weeks ago. I need Frank on TONS of items, so I've been getting 3-4 done every time he does a reasonably priced signing.

I got my cards back a couple of days ago. I'm slightly disappointed with three of the cards, and completely unhappy with the fourth.

All four cards were signed in a very thin pen, most likely a Staedtler. Are Sharpies no longer the "default" pen for signing cards? I know some collectors prefer the thin Staedtler look, but I was under the impression that Sharpie was still the standard. I guess I will have to specifically request Sharpie for all future signings, as I definitely prefer a bolder autograph.

As you can see, the 1993 Upper Deck checklist was signed on the back. This is obviously no good. For $75 a card, I expect the card to be signed on the front.

I have contacted Tommy, and told him I either want a replacement signed card or a refund. Tommy has good feedback, so I'm confident he will take care of the situation one way or another. I will post here when this happens.

In the meantime, here are the four cards I received:

*** UPDATE ***

Tommy has agreed to get another 1993 UD checklist signed for me in October. Until further notice, consider this resolved!

Billy Pierce TTM Return

Doug — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 00:08:29 GMT

Billy Pierce was kind enough to sign 6 cards for me. Mr. Pierce is my pick for best mail signer on the planet. I was a bit hesitant to send 6 at one time, but if there is one person that wouldn't have a problem with it, it would be Billy. The return took 9 days. I'm especially excited about the 1952-54 Red Man cards!

Atlantic League 50/50

Doug — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 17:55:42 GMT

Today I received some signed cards from Chris, a collector friend that graphs the Newark Bears. He still has more stuff that he is working on for me, but he was nice enough to send me what he has gotten done so far. Here is the tally:

Carl Everett - 6 cards
Ron Karkovice - 17 cards
Dave LaPoint - 6 cards
Pablo Ozuna - 1 card
Tim Raines - 4 cards
Bill Simas - 3 cards

Project Rookie Card: Jim Rivera 1953 Topps

Doug — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 17:44:18 GMT

Today's mail brought a nice success: a 1953 Topps Jim Rivera. "Jungle Jim" is a fantastic mail signer, and he signed this rookie beautifully.

Project Rookie Card: John Romano 1959 Topps

Doug — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 02:59:56 GMT

I received a very nice TTM success today. John Romano signed my 1959 Topps card for a very reasonable fee of $5. I have been wanting to add this card to my collection for quite some time, so I was very pleased when I found out he had started signing his mail for a fee.

Project Rookie Card: Carlton Fisk 1972 Topps

Doug — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 02:47:56 GMT

As I'm sure you have guessed, the "mysterious" tenth Fisk card that I mentioned in my last post is none other than his 1972 Topps rookie card. I am very happy to add this to my collection!

Carlton Fisk bonanza!

Doug — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 02:40:24 GMT

A collector friend in NY generously offered to help me out with Carlton Fisk during HOF induction weekend. He got a total of 10 Fisk cards signed for me for a VERY reasonable price. Here are 9 of them (the tenth will get it's own post):

White Sox 50/50 results

Doug — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 14:39:40 GMT

On Saturday I received the results from a 50/50 from vinniemiller of sportscollectors.net. The results were outstanding, as good as I could have hoped for. Vinnie is based in Seattle. The majority of the items were for the White Sox, but I also sent items for former Sox on the Royals and Reds.

Gordon Beckham - 09 UD Update, 8x10
Wilson Betemit - 09 Topps Heritage
Ramon Castro - 09 Topps Update
John Danks - 07 UD, 07 UD 89 Rookie Reprints
Gavin Floyd - 09 UD
Chris Getz - 09 UD
Ozzie Guillen - 90 UD
Daniel Hudson - 10 Allen & Ginter
Andruw Jones - 8x10
Paul Konerko - 10 UD
Mark Kotsay - 97 Bowman's Best, 09 Topps Update
Brent Lillibridge - 09 Charlotte Knights, 09 UD
Scott Linebrink - 10 UD
Tony Pena - 10 UD x2
Juan Pierre - 10 Allen & Ginter
A.J. Pierzynski - 07 UD
J.J. Putz - 02 Topps Chrome Traded
Alexei Ramirez - 10 Allen & Ginter
Alex Rios - 10 Allen & Ginter
Sergio Santos - 10 Allen & Ginter, 10 Topps
Kanekoa Teixeira - 07 Kannapolis Intimidators
Matt Thornton - 02 Fleer Tradition, 10 UD
Dayan Viciedo - 09 Birmingham Barons, 09 Obak, 8x10

Here are some of the highlights:

I bet you're wondering what that stray pen mark on the Rios card is. Apparently Sergio Santos was signing everything without paying attention, and started to sign the Rios card too, lol.

Overall, this was a great 50/50. I'm eager to work with Vinnie again. Thanks Vinnie!

Two excellent 3x5 autos!

Doug — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:52:39 GMT

Generally speaking, I'm not much of a 3x5 collector. However, for some of the bigger names from the first half of the twentieth century, they can be the only affordable means of acquiring an autograph. If it weren't for 3x5s, I might not have a nice quality Nellie Fox autograph. I almost certainly wouldn't have a gorgeous Eddie Collins autograph.

I have added 2 more 3x5 autographs to my collection. The first is Johnny "Bananas" Mostil. Mostil is in the discussion as the greatest center fielder in White Sox history. From 1918 through 1929, Mostil compiled 23.4 WAR (wins above replacement). That total is eclipsed only by Fielder Jones' 35.1 (1901-1908). Mostil's best season was 1926, when he tallied 6.1 WAR and finished second in MVP voting to an inferior George Burns. Johnny passed away in 1970.

The second 3x5 is none other than Eddie "Knuckles" Cicotte. Eddie would almost certainly be in the Hall of Fame had he not been banned from baseball for his involvement in the 1919 "Black Sox" scandal. From 1912 - 1920, Cicotte accumulated 42.4 WAR, second in the American League to Walter Johnson, possibly the best pitcher in baseball history. He was still going strong at the time of his banning, ending his career in 1920 with a 21W-10L, 5 WAR season. Eddie passed away in 1969.

I will almost certainly have the Cicotte framed with an 8x10. I will have it matted so that the personalization does not show. This is one of my favorite pick ups in quite some time!

I now have autographs from 4 of the most storied members of the 1919 White Sox: Eddie Cicotte, Eddie Collins, Red Faber, and Ray Schalk. Eventually I'd like to add more to my collection, particularly Buck Weaver and, in what would be the holy grail for a White Sox collector, Shoeless Joe Jackson.

Stuff from the framer

Doug — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 15:29:30 GMT

A while back I decided to get a few things framed nicely. Previously, I had just been buying frames at Michael's, and using them without matting. I still have a few things hung in that manner, though eventually I hope to replace them all.

The latest batch includes four pieces, the first of which has become one of my very favorite pieces. As always, you can click on any image for a larger image.

The pictures do not do these items justice. They all look fantastic, particularly the Fox/Aparicio piece. My walls look a lot better now!

Charlotte Knights 50/50 results

Doug — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 04:29:10 GMT

I recently received the results of a Charlotte Knights 50/50. This 50/50 came from Derek, AKA scoreset from sportsgraphing.com. As always, the results were excellent. Unfortunately, I put all of the cards away without making a list of the results. However, I can show you some of the highlights:

Derek has always been a very reliable trader. He has helped me a ton in the past, and hopefully our trading relationship will continue well into the future. Thanks Derek!

Griffey/Thome... in all of it's framed glory!

Doug — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 23:41:23 GMT

I just got back from my local framer. I'm not sure why I put it off for so long, but I've finally gotten my Griffey/Thome 20x30 framed. Here it is!

Ken Griffey Jr. is still one of my all-time least favorite players, though strangely enough this might be my favorite piece in my collection. Go figure!

Carlton Fisk Upper Deck cards

Doug — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 15:00:10 GMT

Hall of Famer Carlton Fisk has a total of 7 Upper Deck cards that I need to get signed for my All-Time Upper Deck project. I can now cross 2 of those off of my wantlist. I obtained these through the mail. Mr. Fisk will sign for a $40 donation to the Cancer Support Center.

Upper Deck Project Wantlist

Doug — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 00:41:59 GMT

I am making pretty good progress on my All-Time Upper Deck White Sox project. As of right now, I've gotten 258 out of 531 cards signed. That puts me at 49% completion.

I've finally put together my wantlist. Click here to see it. If you have any of the cards I need, please shoot me an email at the address on the left side of this page.

Project Rookie Card: Gavin Floyd

Doug — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 20:54:57 GMT

In honor of Gavin's recent stretch of fantastic pitching, I present to you my Gavin Floyd signed rookies:

Tigers @ White Sox 6/9/2010

Doug — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 16:35:00 GMT

My wife and I attended the White Sox game on Wednesday night. We had Scout Seats (7th row, behind home plate), so we had dinner in the Scout Seat Lounge prior to the game. As soon as I walked in, I practically bumped in to Bill Melton. I brought cards of all of the former players that work in "Community Relations", so I was prepared. Mr. Melton signed 4 cards for me.

Shortly after that, Minnie Minoso walked in. He was the former player I most wanted to see there. I had 6 cards with me: 2 vintage cards (including his 1952 Topps rookie card) and 4 modern cards. I asked him to sign the 2 vintage cards first. He happily signed, while telling me a story about his competition with Gil McDougald for the 1951 Rookie of the Year award.

I returned shortly with the 4 modern cards. He told me he did not want to sign for me, saying "You have a store, don't you?". I assured him that I was a HUGE White Sox fan, and he begrudgingly signed the cards for me.

Danks/Konerko Triple Threat Sports Signing

Doug — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 20:55:39 GMT

Last night, Triple Threat Sports held a signing with John Danks and Paul Konerko. The wife and I went to get Konerko on a mini helment at 2005 World Series 16x20. While in the store purchasing the tickets, I noticed they had John Danks authentic jerseys for $100, which is quite a good deal! So I picked up a Danks autograph ticket as well. Here is the bounty!

Picnic in the Park 2010

Doug — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 03:27:58 GMT

We just got back to the hotel. Picnic in the Park was MUCH different from last year. The impetus for the change? Rain, and lots of it. This year, the autograph session was held in the lower level concourse on the first base side of the stadium, and the actual picnic was held in the Patio area.

I had more success at this year's autograph session. The only drawback to having it in the concourse was that there was no room to move around. I think I said "Excuse me" more today than I had in my entire life prior to today.

Nonetheless, the results were quite good. Surprisingly enough, I got just about every big name on the team. Unfortunately, I got almost none of the lesser names.

Enough small talk, here is the tally!

Gordon Beckham x4 (Card, 8x10, 16x20, Mini Helmet)
Mark Buehrle x4 (Card, Sports Illustrated, 16x20, Gold Glove Baseball)
Ramon Castro x4 (Card x3, 8x10)
John Danks x4 (Card x3, 16x20)
Freddy Garcia x6 (Card x5, World Series Baseball)
Ozzie Guillen x4 (Card x3, Jersey)
Bobby Jenks x4 (Card x4)
Andruw Jones x4 (Card, 16x20 x2, Gold Glove Baseball)
Paul Konerko x4 (Card x4)
Jayson Nix x4 (Card x3, 8x10)
Jake Peavy x4 (Card x3, 16x20)
Juan Pierre x4 (Card x3, 8x10)
A.J. Pierzynski x4 (Card x4)
J.J. Putz x3 (8x10 x3)
Carlos Quentin x4 (Card x3, 10x20)
Alexei Ramirez x4 (Card x3, 8x10)
Alex Rios x4 (Card x3, 16x20)
Sergio Santos x4 (Card x3, 8x10)
Omar Vizquel x4 (Card x2, 16x20, Gold Glove Baseball)

I got 14 rookie cards signed for my rookie card project. They were Beckham, Danks, Garcia x2, Guillen, Jenks, Konerko, Peavy, Pierre, Pierzynski, Quentin, Ramirez, Santos, & Vizquel. I also got a total of 20 Upper Deck cards signed for my All-Time Upper Deck project.

I have posted images of everything except for the 8x10s and magazines. Lots of good stuff, take a look!

The Big Hurt!

Doug — Thu, 13 May 2010 18:07:59 GMT

Frank Thomas recently did a signing for Triple Threat Sports in the Chicago area. A collector friend in the area was nice enough to take a few items of mine to the signing. I received them today. Thanks for the help, Donnie!

I sent three cards and a jersey. Here they are!

I need Thomas on LOTS of cards for assorted projects. Off the top of my head, I can think of about 25 more cards I need signed by him. The reason I chose these three? First, the 1992 Upper Deck Thomas card is one of my very favorite cards ever made. Something about the picture just pops out at me. I went with the two 1993 Upper Deck cards because that is probably my favorite UD set ever produced, so I'd love to finish it as soon as possible. I also like the fact that I have a single card signed by both of my all-time favorite players.

Griffey!

Doug — Fri, 07 May 2010 21:38:36 GMT

I recently sent 3 items to somebody that knows somebody that knows Ken Griffey Jr. He was able to get 2 of the 3 items signed! It wasn't cheap, but I think it was well worth it. The 20x30 photo with Thome is now one of my very favorite items in my collection. Also, I never thought I'd be able to get Griffey for my all-time Upper Deck project!

Dan Hudson project completed!

Doug — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 01:53:16 GMT

I have completed a Dan Hudson project I have been working on. These cards are from 2010 Finest. I'm planning on framing them with an 8x10.

My Spring Training consignments have arrived!

Doug — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 05:37:11 GMT

Prior to the start of spring training, I sent out quite a few cards on consignment to a couple of different guys in Arizona. I have received the results of those consignments. From a quantity standpoint, the results weren't spectacular. Nonetheless, I have added a few quality autographs to the collection, and I'm very appreciative of their help. Here are the results!

Project Rookie Card: Joe Crede

Doug — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 23:40:36 GMT

Joe Crede only has one true rookie card: 1999 Topps Gold Label. All of his other 1999 issues were either minor league cards, or parellels to the Gold Label card. I was lucky enough to pick up a PSA/DNA certified copy for a nice price.

Project Rookie Card: Robin Ventura 1988 Topps Traded, 1989 Fleer, 1989 Topps

Doug — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 23:33:21 GMT

One of the decisions I had to make when I started "Project Rookie Card" was how to handle XRCs. I've decided that both XRC and RC are acceptable for the project. For some players, I have been able to get both signed. Robin Ventura is one of those players. The only RC/XRC I am missing is his 1989 Bowman RC. I obtained all three of these in person.

Project Rookie Card: Johnny Callison 1959 Topps

Doug — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 10:56:27 GMT

There are 3 key White Sox rookie cards in the 1959 Topps set that are at the top of my wantlist for Project Rookie card. Norm Cash, Johnny Romano, and Johnny Callison. Well, I can finally cross one of them off of the list!

Awesome addition!

Doug — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 10:53:46 GMT

I have added a beautiful certified auto to the collection this week. I've been looking for a signed card of this player in a White Sox uniform for a long time, but they always sold for a bit more than I was willing to pay. I finally found one in my price range! Behold, my 2009 UD Ultimate Collection Ultimate Signatures Ken Griffey Jr!

Project Rookie Card: Jorge Orta 1973 Topps

Doug — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 14:12:23 GMT

I was able to get Jorge Orta to sign 10+ items for me last year at a Sarasota Reds game. Unfortunately, I neglected to have him sign his rookie card for me... what was I thinking? Luckily, I was able to pick up a very nice signed RC recently on eBay.

Project Rookie Card: LaMarr Hoyt 1981 Donruss & 1981 Topps

Doug — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 14:09:54 GMT

I got these RC's signed thru Chris Potter's (Rip8cp1 on SCN) private signing with LaMarr Hoyt last week. The signing went very smoothly, and I highly recommend taking part in his future signings.

Project Rookie Card: Jermaine Dye 1994 Bowman

Doug — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 15:10:07 GMT

Generally speaking, I'm trying to acquire only signed rookie cards that depict the player in a White Sox uniform. I will make exceptions, however, for players that made a particularly big impact on White Sox history.

Though I've never been a big fan, there is no denying that Jermaine Dye made his presence felt during his time on the South Side. While I felt Joe Crede deserved the honor, JD's 2005 World Series MVP alone justifies his place among the greats in White Sox history.

I got quite a good deal on this PSA/DNA certified Jermaine Dye rookie card. I particularly liked this one because it exhibits Dye's rookie-era autograph, rather than the rather ugly "JDy" signature he has used during his time with the Sox.

Project Rookie Card: Earl Battey 1957 Topps

Doug — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 14:05:42 GMT

I know what you're thinking... it's about time I posted something new! Things have been crazy for me lately, and I just haven't had time to give this site the attention it deserves. Hopefully that won't be a problem going forward!

This has been near the top of my rookie card wantlist for a while now, so I'm thrilled to finally have it in my collection:

For some reason the scanner gives the card a strange, wavy appearance. The card looks perfectly normal in person.

Project Rookie Card: Aaron Rowand 2000 Topps Traded

Doug — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 04:13:31 GMT

Next up for "Project Rookie Card" is Aaron Rowand. Aaron signed this card for me through the mail during the 2001 season.

3/5/10 - Washington Nationals camp

Doug — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 21:06:04 GMT

The Nationals have a road game in Orlando against the Braves today, so I decided to head over to their spring complex to try to get the guys that didn't make the trip. It was a long, disappointing day, though I did get the guy I wanted the most:

Willie Harris - 2/2 cards, 1/1 05 WS Ball
Livan Hernandez - 2/2
Drew Storen - 2/2 8x10s
Jesus Flores - 2/2

I got to the parking lot at 7am, and a lot of players were already inside. Most of the players that arrived after I did said they would sign after practice. The bus that would be taking the travelling players to Orlando arrived at around 8:15. Livan Hernandez and Drew Storen were the only players to sign in the morning.

At about 9am, my buddy Gil and I head over to the door that the players usually emerge from on their way to the practice fields. But nobody ever came out. We met up with one other grapher, and headed towards the main stadium entrance. The door was open, so we head inside.

The team was stretching on the field. We headed down to the first base side autograph pit, and waiting for an opportunity to call over the guys we were most interested in: Willie Harris and Devon White for myself, Adam Dunn for Gil, and Stephen Strasburg for both of us.

After about an hour and fifteen minutes, Willie Harris headed towards the dugout. I asked if he would mind signing, and he came over to us. I started my usual spiel about how I'm a huge White Sox fan, and he was the whole reason I was there. Willie surprised me with his response. He told me he is also a huge White Sox fan, and that he loves the South Side. He also said he thinks he may be heading back to the Sox at some point. Willie is a great guy, and happily signed my cards and baseball, though he did ask if I planned on selling the baseball. Gil spoke on my behalf, telling what a crazy Sox fan I am. All in all, getting Willie has probably been my favorite experience of the spring.

Shortly after getting Harris, several Nationals employees converged on the three of us, and basically kicked us out of the stadium. We were told that the stadium was closed, and that we should never have been there in the first place. It seems quite ridiculous to me that THREE fans can't watch the team practice. They should be happy that any fans wanted to be there in the first place.

We headed back to the parking lot, where several players signed that I had either already gotten (Hernandez, Storen) or that I had nothing for (Balester, Guzman, a few others). Finally, Stephen Strasburg emerged. At this point there were 5 of us waiting near the parking lot, including one older gentleman. We asked Strasburg to sign, and he responded "Not today". The older guy said "Please, this is the only day I'll be here", to which Stephen coldly replied "I've heard that before".

I am now officially rooting for Strasburg to be a monumental failure, a la Brien Taylor. What goes around, comes around.

Project Rookie Card: Bobby Bonilla 1986 Fleer Update

Doug — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 04:09:33 GMT

Next up for "Project Rookie Card" is former Pittsburgh Pirates star Bobby Bonilla. The White Sox made a great move in selecting Bonilla in the 1985 Rule V draft. Unfortunately, they traded him back to the Pirates just seven months later for Jose DeLeon. Bobby sure would have looked great in right field for the Sox in the late 80's and early 90's, rather than the likes of Ivan Calderon, skinny Sammy Sosa, and Dan Pasqua.

You'll notice this card has Bobby's rookie graph, rather than the "Bnl" he began using once he started to make a name for himself.

Return from Gene Nelson private signing

Doug — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 12:27:55 GMT

Flautosonline on SCN recently held a private signing with Gene Nelson. Today I received the signed cards that I sent in for the signing.

Project Rookie Card: Billy Pierce 1951 Bowman & 1951 Topps Blue Back

Doug — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 22:33:46 GMT

Today is the last day of my spring training vacation. I had planned on going to the Astros workout, but unfortunately it was supposed to rain all day, so I ended up taking the day off to recuperate.

I've been in a pretty poor mood all day, as I hate wasting a day. Luckily, I got a nice return in the mail to lift my spirits.

Billy Pierce - 2/2

Billy is one of my all-time favorite White Sox players, so I'm thrilled to finally have both of his rookie cards signed. Billy uses a perfect pen for vintage autos, so I didn't even have to send a pen! I was lucky to get a pretty good deal on both cards, and both are in very nice condition. Thanks Billy!

3/1/10 - Braves Full Workout

Doug — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 23:11:11 GMT

Decided to hit up the Braves for their last workout before the games start. My main objectives were Chipper Jones and Bobby Cox.

Chipper Jones - 1/2
Bobby Cox - 2/2
Bobby Valentine - 1/1 (OMLB)
Matt Diaz - 2/2
Troy Glaus - 1/2
Jason Heyward - 2/2, 1/1 (8x10)
Brian McCann - 1/2
Nate McClouth - 1/1
Terry Pendleton - 2/2
Takashi Saito - 1/1 (OMLB signing in English and Japanese)

Not a bad day in terms of quality, though a terrible one in terms of quantity.

Bobby Valentine was in the stands scouting. I decided to get him on an OMLB, as I think he is one of the best managers of my lifetime.

Matt Diaz seems to be a great guy. When he saw my two cards, he said "I don't sign the yellow one, I look too ugly!". Then he said "I'll sign it across my face, just for you."

Nate McClouth has also become a personal favorite because of his personality. Somebody shouted to him "I saw you throwing the football around, you have a great arm! You could always fall back on that career." Nate replied "I know, if only I was taller!"

I had to run around the entire stadium to get Chipper. I was in the grassy area beyond left field, and I saw him heading towards the little graphing area near the back fields. I took off running. It was probably the furthest I have run since high school. When I got there, Chipper was just finishing signing for the crowd. I barely had any breath to ask him to sign!

2/28/10 - Twins Full Workout

Doug — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 01:52:57 GMT

Today was my final day in Fort Myers. After the disaster yesterday, I wasn't very hopeful for today. I was determined to get Jim Thome in the parking lot, no matter what time I had to wake up.

I got there just before 6am. It was still completely dark outside, so I angled my car in such a way that I could use my headlights to shine a "spotlight" on me so that I could be seen. Jim rolled in around 6:30, and I was still the only grapher there. I turned on my headlights, and held up my sign that read "Please Jim, last day of my vacation". Jim pulled over and signed for me! I got his full autograph, not the rushed "JTh" he usually gives.

After getting Thome, everything else was gravy.

Jim Thome - 1/1 (20x30)
Harmon Killebrew - 1/2
Justin Morneau - 1/2
Joe Nathan - 1/2, 1/1
Scott Baker - 1/2
Alexei Casilla - 2/2
Jesse Crain - 2/2
Matt Guerrier - 4/4
J.J. Hardy - 2/2
Brendan Harris - 1/2
Jason Kubel - 2/2
Ben Revere - 3/3
Kevin Slowey - 1/2, 1/1 (help)
Matt Tolbert - 2/2
Jerry White - 1/1

I finally got Morneau and Killebrew. I was worried that I was going to end the weekend with Jim Thome being the only big star that I got. Still, I struck out on Mauer, Molitor, Carew, and Oliva. Granted, just about everybody struck out on Carew and Oliva.

I'm thinking about going back for a couple of days in a week or two.

I will post pictures for the last few days tomorrow night. I'm finally home, but I'm much too tired to do it tonight.

2010 Spring Training Totals - 168 cards, 1 8x10, 1 mini helmet, 1 16x20, 1 20x30

Quick update from Twins camp

Doug — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 11:41:52 GMT

Jim Thome just signed my 20x30!!! He pulled up at 6:30am, and I was the only one here. I'll have pics and a full recap up tonight.

2/27/10 - Twins Full Workout

Doug — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 18:51:09 GMT

If I was disappointed at yesterday's results, then I am devastated by today's. Thome only signed a couple, and I didn't see Mauer or Morneau pick up a pen. Paul Molitor, Harmon Killebrew, and Rod Carew were all in camp today, but only Killer signed, and I missed him.

To make matters worse, the item I most wanted signed by Thome was ruined today. It was a beautiful 16x20 of Thome and Ken Griffey Jr. It got rained on, and now there are blue spots all over.

Alex Burnett - 1/1
Clay Condrey - 2/2
Brian Duensing - 3/3
Tom Kelly - 1/1
Jason Kubel - 2/4
Trevor Plouffe - 1/1
Steve Singleton - 1/1
Anthony Slama - 2/2
Denard Span - 4/4
Matt Tolbert - 2/2
Danny Valencia - 1/1

Joe Nathan showed himself to be a total class act today. It was pouring, yet Joe stood in the rain (under an umbrella) and signed for everybody. I didn't go for him because I had a good spot for Thome, or so I thought.

I hope I can get Matt Guerrier tomorrow. I'd hate to be shut out on the other guy with Sox cards.

I will post pictures when I get home.

2010 Spring Training Totals - 142 cards, 1 8x10, 1 mini helmet, 1 16x20

2/26/10 - Twins Full Workout

Doug — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 19:57:14 GMT

I made the drive down to Ft. Myers last night, and checked into the Holiday Inn Express on Forum Blvd. I'll be there for 3 nights while I hang out at Twins camp trying to get some Jim Thome stuff done.

The place was a zoo, and as such I didn't do all that well. Just about everybody signed at some point, but you had to pick and choose who to go for. Of course, I followed Jim Thome around. Here is what I got:

Jim Thome - 1/1
Joe Nathan - 1/2, 1/1
Denard Span - 2/2
Carl Pavano - 1/2
Alexei Casilla - 2/2
Jesse Crain - 1/4, 2/2
Ron Gardenhire - 2/2
Mike Maroth - 2/2
Juan Portes - 2/2
Wilson Ramos - 3/3
Danny Rams - 4/4
Jon Rauch - 4/4
Matt Tolbert - 1/1, 1/1
Loek Van Mil - 1/1

Joe Mauer signed around 40-50 autographs, for a group of 300 or so. Unfortunately, I just missed getting him.

Morneau signed a couple of times, and I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Denard Span is a great guy. He signed everything, and he was very personable. Jon Rauch was pretty cool too. When I handed him my book, I told him I was a huge White Sox fan and that I was very happy to be getting him. With a hard look on his face, he handed my book right back to me without signing anything... then he cracked a smile and took it back.

Thome was very friendly, but he didn't sign a whole lot. I only got him because I shadowed him the entire time he was working out. At one point, he walked across a field to a building with some gym equipment. A little kid chased him across the field and asked him to sign. Thome obliged. When Thome came back a few minutes later, I said "I bet you were shocked when you turned around and saw that little kid", to which he replied "I know!".

Pictures will be posted when I get back home.

2010 Spring Training Totals - 122 cards, 1 8x10, 1 mini helmet, 1 16x20

2/25/10 - Astros Full Workout

Doug — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 01:08:46 GMT

I went back to Astros camp today. My main objective was getting my Carlos Lee 16x20 done. It ended up being a very good day!

Carlos Lee - 3/3, 1/1 (16x20 w/ El Caballo inscription, White Sox mini helmet, 2 cards)
Lance Berkman - 1/1
Jeff Bagwell - 1/1, 1/1 (help)
Alberto Arias - 2/2
Brad Arnsberg - 4/4
Jason Bourgeois - 4/4
Michael Bourne - 2/4
Britt Burns - 2/8
Roy Corcoran - 3/3
Brian Esposito - 1/1
Pedro Feliz - 1/1
Jeff Keppinger - 1/1
Gary Majewski - 4/4
Bobby Meacham - 1/1
Brian Moehler - 3/3
Bud Norris - 1/1
Humberto Quintero - 1/2, 1/1
Jamie Quirk - 2/2
Polin Trinidad - 4/4

I went the extra mile to get Lee a few times today. I arrived at the players parking lot at 6:45am. I made a 16x20 inch sign that simply said "Please Carlos". It's a good thing I got there early, because Lee pulled up at 7am sharp. I was the only person there. He began to give me his customary wave, and it was obvious he was not going to stop. I held up the sign, and Carlos slammed on his brakes. He rolled down his window, and I handed him the 16x20. I started blabbing about how I'm a huge White Sox fan, and told him the sole reason that I was at Astros camp was to get his autograph. He was nice enough to add an "El Caballo" inscription upon request. I then asked if he would mind signing a couple of cards, and he did. Great guy!

Unfortunately, Geoff Blum was not as accomodating. I made an 8x10 inch sign that said "Please Geoff". When he pulled up, he told me he would sign in the parking lot after the workout. When he came out after the workout, he completely ignored me and drove off. Not cool. =(

I got an inside tip that Jeff Bagwell would be arriving today, and it turned out to be true. He arrived in the players lot after the workout had ended. After about an hour or so inside, he came out. He was nice enough to pull over and sign one per for the 8 or so of us that were still there. I asked if he would mind signing a baseball too, and he said "Just one today". In any case, a great success.

The surprise of the day was Lance Berkman. He did not sign inside, and I was sure he wouldn't be one to pull over. Lo and behold, that is exactly what he did! There were quite a few people there at that point too.

I will post pictures later!

2010 Spring Training Totals - 91 cards, 1 8x10, 1 mini helmet, 1 16x20

Quick update from Astros camp

Doug — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 13:05:44 GMT

Carlos Lee signed 3 items for me at 7am this morning, including a 16x20 with "El Caballo" inscription! I'm a very happy guy! Details and pictures will be posted when I get to my hotel in Fort Myers tonight.

2/24/10 - Astros Full Workout

Doug — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 21:56:40 GMT

I went to Kissimmee today for the Houston Astros Full Workout. I got there really early to graph the parking lot... which was a mistake as nobody at all signed. To make matters worse, it started pouring at around 8am. I decided to head to Denny's for some breakfast, and debated calling it a day. Once I finished breakfast, the rain had stopped, so I headed back to the Astros facility. I got there just before they opened the gates to the public. I'm glad I went back, as it ended up being a pretty good day.

Carlos Lee - 1/2
Lance Berkman - 1/2
Roy Oswalt - 1/2
Hunter Pence - 1/2
Pedro Feliz - 2/2
Jason Castro - 2/2
Matt Lindstrom - 2/2
Sean Berry - 2/2
Brian Bogusevic - 2/2
Chris Johnson - 3/3
Jeff Keppinger - 3/4
Brandon Lyon - 1/2
Tommy Manzella - 1/1
Edwin Maysonet - 1/1
Bobby Meacham - 3/3
Oswaldo Navarro - 2/2
Al Pedrique - 3/3
Chris Sampson - 2/4
Wladimir Sutil - 1/1
J.R. Towles - 1/1
Jose Valdez - 3/3

Not bad at all. I was disappointed that I didn't get any of the former White Sox that were there, with the exception of El Caballo. Hopefully I'll be able to get Britt Burns, Jason Bourgeois, Geoff Blum, and Gary Majewski tomorrow.

Some guys that seemed especially nice: Bobby Meacham, Hunter Pence, Matt Lindstrom, Tommy Manzella. When I asked Manzella if he would sign, his response was "of course". I liked that!

Someone that didn't seem very nice: Roy Oswalt. He did line everybody up and sign 1 per for the whole line, so I can't complain too much. But he never responded to anybody's thank you's or praise. He could definitely have been a lot more personable.

The Astros big names all seemed to do the same thing. Line everybody up and do one per. From what I hear, Oswalt and Berkman are pretty tough, so I was glad to get both in the same day. We'll see if I'm so lucky tomorrow.

2010 Spring Training Totals - 49 cards, 1 8x10

Project Rookie Card: Jim Landis 1957 Topps

Doug — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 04:01:28 GMT

Next up in "Project Rookie Card" is one of my very favorite White Sox players of the 1950's, Jim Landis. Jim beautifully signed this card for me in the lobby of the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago during Soxfest 2009.

Project "South Side Hitmen" - Eric Soderholm

Doug — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 23:06:43 GMT

Added another baseball to my growing "South Side Hitmen" collection. Today's mail brought an Eric Soderholm baseball, complete with inscription and jersey number.

2/21/10 - Braves Pitchers & Catchers

Doug — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 20:55:38 GMT

I have officially come out of retirement! I did some Spring Training graphing for the first time since 2004. I'm taking some time off to attend some Twins spring training workouts in Fort Myers, as well as some Astros workouts in Kissimmee. My main objectives for those two camps are Jim Thome, Carlos Lee, and Britt Burns. Other former Sox in camp for those teams include Jon Rauch, Matt Guerrier, Geoff Blum, and Jason Bourgeois.

At the last minute, I decided to do some graphing today. I went to the Disney Wide World of Sports complex in Orlando, FL to catch an Atlanta Braves pitchers and catchers workout. I was hoping to see an early Chipper Jones appearance. To that end, I was disappointed.

The Braves are still the only team that I'm aware of that charges admission for workouts. I'm sure that is more of a Disney thing than a Braves thing, but it is still pretty annoying. Let's see what I got for my $13.50.

Derek Lowe - 1/2
Nate McClouth - 2/2
Billy Wagner - 1/2
Takashi Saito - 2/2
Tommy Hanson - 1/1
Jordan Schafer - 2/2
Eddie Perez - 2/2
Roger McDowell - 1/1

I'm not sure why older Fleer cards always scan like that. The McDowell looks perfectly normal, nothing like the picture above shows.

Nothing too exciting, though getting Derek Lowe was a pleasant surprise. I was disappointed to see LOTS of people handing Takashi Saito Kenshin Kawakami items. THEY LOOK NOTHING ALIKE. To his credit, Saito took it well, always with a smile on his face. At one point, he turned his back to the crowd, pointed at the name on the back of his jersey and said "I'm Saito!".

Brian McCann and Jair Jurrjens both signed, but I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Lots of other guys signed, but I didn't have anything for them.

Next up on my spring training agenda will be Astros camp on Wednesday and Thursday. If you are going to be there, please let me know and we can meet up!

2010 Spring Training Totals - 12 cards

Project "South Side Hitmen" - Ralph Garr

Doug — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 15:21:58 GMT

I received a very nice baseball from Ralph Garr yesterday. I sent baseballs to Ralph, Alan Bannister, and Eric Soderholm, asking for the same inscription. For Mr. Garr, I included a $10 fee. The baseball looks amazing:

My collection now includes baseballs with this same inscription from Garr, Chet Lemon, Jorge Orta, and Oscar Gamble. My goal is to get all of the main offensive players from the 1977 White Sox. Jim Spencer will most likely be impossible, as I doubt there are many baseballs floating around out there with this exact inscription. Richie Zisk may prove tough as well, as he has apparently stopped signing autographs.

Project Rookie Card: Ray Durham 1994 Ultra

Doug — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 03:57:44 GMT

Next in the "Project Rookie Card" series will be Ray Durham. Ray-Ray signed this card for me during a series against the Angels during his rookie season, 1995. He was the most energetic, enthusiastic player I have ever met... with the possible exception of Rex Hudler.

Project Rookie Card: Frank Thomas 1990 Topps

Doug — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 03:48:45 GMT

In honor of The Big Hurt's recent retirement announcement, the next entry in "Project Rookie Card" will be none other than Frank Thomas. I've mentioned this before, but to this day this is my favorite autographed card in my entire collection.

Some day I hope to add a signed 1990 Leaf Thomas RC as well.