Cubs Spring Training - 2019

Well, I have a lot of catching up to do here, as my blogs have been severely neglected, but I figured I should share with you my Spring Training autographs from last year.

We make the trip every year, as my family has a vacation house in Chandler, AZ, and we try our best to claim a time during Spring Training. Of course, with work and the kids in school, the scheduling can be pretty tricky, but with a couple exceptions, we make it every year. We actually made it this year, and got to one game before Covid shut the whole operation down.

I made it to two Chicago Cubs games in 2019, though. Of course, I absolutely love the sun, the warm beer, and the outfield grass seats at Mesa's Sloan Park. The other draw for me is the autographs from former MLB players. Cubs legend and Baseball Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins hosts autograph signings behind the left field grass area to benefit his foundation, and I am always sure to grab a few when I attend games there.

The one I had already gotten in the past, but HAD to get that year, was Lee Smith. 2019 was a special one for him in particular, because we would be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame For many people, including me, the honor was a long time coming. He mastered the role of the closer in an era where that role was starting to develop, and was seen as the best one-inning pitcher in the game. I had gotten photos and a ball signed by him previously, but this time around, I had to get one with a Hall of Fame inscription.

Another guy I had to get a signature from was Bill Buckner. I got a ball signed by him in 2018, but decided to grab a photo from him last year. I know everyone remembers him for 1986, but that one mistake overshadows the fact that in his prime, he was one of the best hitters in the game, winning the National League batting title in 1980.  In the couple of interactions that I had with him, Buckner was always a super friendly guy. Unfortunately, he would pass away just two months later after a battle with Lewy body dementia. It serves as a reminder, if you have the chance to meet somebody, take advantage of those opportunities, because you never know what will be your last chance.

There are a lot of regular guests there, who you will see at every game, every season, but there are also a few who make an appearance far less frequently. Oakland A's great Bert Campaneris is one of those. Campaneris is mostly known for playing for the A's for 12 years, winning three World Series from 1972-74. I had him inscribe the ball with one of his most unique accomplishments, when he played all nine positions in a game in 1965, and even pitched ambidextrously.

Another player who isn't one of the more frequent guests is former Kansas City Royal Willie Wilson. Wilson did play for the Cubs for two seasons in the 90s, but was mostly known for his accomplishments with the Royals, where he won the American League Batting Title in 1982 and a World Series with the team in 1985. I had him sign a 1989 Topps card for the set I'm working on.

Lastly were three balls I got signed by three regulars. Gary Matthews, Bob Dernier, and Pete LaCock are there almost as often as Fergie, but I figured I might as well get some ink from them. I also had them add some inscriptions, recognizing Matthews' Rookie Of the Year award and Dernier's Golg Glove Award.

Well, I'm a year and a half late posting these, but I finally got to it. My autograph seeking hasn't been too fruitful this year, apart from a few private signings, and I've been kind of slow getting some TTM requests out. I'm trying to get myself motivated to work on all of this some more, as it is a wonderful hobby. I hope to have plenty more to show off in the near future.

Autographs after 3/7/19 Arizona Coyotes Game

My family and I made our annual trip to Arizona at the beginning of March, and as usual, we had to go to a few games. Of course, March in Arizona means Spring Training, and I'll post on that later, but it is also during hockey season.

My wife and I made it to two Arizona Coyotes game, and after the second one, we stayed afterward to get a few autographs. The Coyotes beat the Calgary Flames 2-0, with both Jakob Chychrun and Clayton Keller scoring and Darcy Kuemper posting the shutout. Coyotes fans were also happy to see Flames goaltender Mike Smith get scored on, as they still haven't forgotten some of the comments he made about the team after being traded from the Coyotes in 2017.

We waited at the normal graphing spot right outside the exit of the underground parking garage, hoping that a good game would put the players in a good enough mood to stop and sign autographs on their way out of the arena. It would indeed be a good night, as five of them stopped and I was able to add a few great items to my collection.

Most of what I got were pucks. There were maybe 10 of us fans waiting, so there wasn't a whole lot of time to find out who a player is and dig out specific cards or photos, so pucks are always an easy way to go. The one exception would be for Alex Galchenyuk, who has a card each in two of the sets I am working on (2013-14 Score and 2014-15 Ultra), so I made sure to get those cards ready along with the puck. He was happy to sign all three items, and even asked if I wanted him to put his Canadiens number on the cards instead of his Coyotes number, since that is the team he is depicted on.

I always appreciate players taking the time to stop for us, as they have spent a full day at the arena and are probably eager to get home. There are always a few regular players who will stop after almost every game, but there is still enough variety each day, combined with a little bit of turnover every year, and I have managed to put together a good variety of players, with Jakob Chychrun being the only one of the five that night who had signed for me before. In addition to him, I was also able to get pucks signed by Christian Dvorak, Nicklas Hjalmarsson, and Jason Demers

Even without the autographs, I always have a great time at Coyotes games. The only drawback this time was that it seems like the ushers are more stringent about checking tickets for the lower-level seats. Our previous strategy about moving down from the cheap seats to the lower level may have to be revised before next year's games.

Autographs After 3-31-18 Arizona Coyotes Game

Well, it's been almost a year, so I suppose I should get around posting this one.

Anyway, my family and I made our annual trip to Arizona last Spring, and as luck would have it, there was time for one Arizona Coyotes game, when they hosted the St. Louis Blues. It ended up being quite the fun game as well, as the coyotes trounced the Blues 6-1. Six different Coyotes ended up each getting a goal that night, and afterward I hung around at the usual spot to get some autographs from the players as they left the arena.

Three players ended up stopping to sign, and here's a quick look at what I got

Jakob Chychrun

Jordan Martinook

Darcy Kuemper

Ryan Bischel Signed Line-Up Card and Puck

My wife and I attended our first Fargo Force game of the season back in October, when they hosted the Sioux Falls Stampede. We actually won four tickets to the game from a local business, so the money we save on admission meant more beer money!

The Force ended up losing 5-4 that game, but we had a great time. The game was close, and the Force ended up grabbing a 4-3 lead going into the third, but just couldn't hole on to it this time around. The Force are currently putting together a winning season at 16-10-1, but are sitting at sixth in a highly competitive Western Conference.

As always, the Force had one of their players signing autographs for fans after the game. This one, ended up being goaltender Ryan Bischel. I had him sign a line-up cards and a 2018 Clark Cup Champions puck.

The hockey season always makes the winters up here just a little more bearable. I'm looking forward to getting a few more in this season, and grab a few autographs while I'm at it.

Justin Morneau Winter Warm-Up Coat Drive (Part 2)

So, after years of being aware of the event, but unable to attend, I finally made if to FanHQ's annual Justin Morneau Winter Warm-Up Coat Drive!

The two partner up every year, fro this event, which aims to collect winter coats for the Salvation Army, to benefit underprivileged citizens of the Minneapolis St. Paul are, and as brutal as Minnesota winters can be, there is definitely a need. In year's past, all it took was three winter coats for the chance to meet the 2006 AL MVP and get anything signed. A bargain for sure.

This year, the staked were raised. The required number of coats went up to five, but those two extra would also get you a signature from two other guests: former Twins Joe Mauer and Corey Koskie!

With all three autographs on any item for just five coats, I knew that this was an event that couldn't be missed. So, my wife and I dropped the kids off at my parents' house and we made the drive to the Minneapolis area's Ridgedale Mall, where she would do some Christmas shopping, and I would meet some baseball players!

We got there on time, but not too early, so I ended up at the back of a very long line. The way FanHQ does their signings, they do all of the posed photos first, and then move on to the autographs. Posed photos required a 33-coat donation, which was a little more then I was able to get my hands on. Still, an autograph from each is a great deal for five jackets.

I knew that if I were to attend a paid signing with Joe Mauer, the price would be pretty steep, so for this "free" signing, I wanted to be sure to make it a good one. My initial idea was to get a jersey signed, but most of what I was able to find on Ebay was either well-worn, or a knock-off. I ended up getting a fantastic-looking 16x20 print of a painting by local artist Robert Blehert. It depicts Mauer saluting the fans as his final game came to a close. The print was signed by the artist in blue ink, and numbered to just seven copies! I had Mauer sign it in silver, which really stands out on the blue background of that section. It really turned out well, and I now have it proudly displayed on the main wall of my man cave.

Now, it has been a few months since I attended a FanHQ signing, but I think this was the first one where they added another special feature. I didn't realize it until a few days later when they posted on their Facebook page, but they hire a couple photographers to take pictures of Mauer and Morneau signing each item for everyone who came. This way, even though you might not of been able to get a posed photo, you could still get a picture of you interacting with them, and them signing the item you brought. Pictures could be purchased on-line from the photographer for $10 a piece, and was an amazing addition to the whole experience.

Mauer may have been the big draw for this event, but Morneau is responsible for the event itself. This is the ninth year of the coat drive, and as a former AL MVP and NL Batting Champ, is a pretty good signature to be able to get. Like with Mauer, I didn't come with an item in-hand, but quickly decided that I wanted to get him to sign a bat. After all, if I was going to get a "free" signature, it might as well be on an item that would otherwise carry a premium price tag. They had a few game model bats with Morneau's name engraves on it, but when I saw the color (and price) of the generic Rawlings silver and black bat, I went with that. Morneau has a great signature as it is, but I decided to pay an additional donation to the Salvation Army for an inscription ticket. Of course, I had him sign in silver, with his "06 AL MVP" inscription, and really, it turned out better than I could have imagined.

Of course, I also purchased a photo with him, and this on turned out even better than the one with Mauer. While the picture with Mauer is of him signing my item, the one with Morneau is of him handing off the freshly-signed bat.

Lastly, was Carey Koskie. Like Morneau, Koskie is a Canadian former Twin. He played third base for the Minnesota Twins, Toronto Blue Jays, and Milwaukee Brewers. I brought along a baseball for him to sign.

I also had to pick up one more Mystery Ball. Eventually, I will buy enough that I will run the risk of pulling something I already have, but for now, I got a new one, of Twins pitcher Kyle Gibson.

Lastly, I was able to pick up the Gary Gaetti jersey that I selected in their multi-sport jersey auction a few weeks earlier. The jersey was a home jersey in the design of the 1987 World Series winning team, and is signed in silver, right on the center bar of the 8, which is where I'd prefer a signature to be. It looks good on a photo, but it looks even better in person.

The event turned out great. I had a good time there, got to meet some baseball players, and help out a good cause. As good as this year was, next year will be the tenth anniversary of the event, and I can't wait to see what they have in store!

Ross Mitton Signed Line-Up Card and Puck

I haven't been to NEARLY enough Fargo Force games this season as I have in the past, mostly because the weekends I am on the schedule to work are also the weekends they happen to be playing their home games. I was finally able to attend one a couple weeks ago, and brought my three girls along for a fun evening of hockey action.

There was something for everyone. I got to watch a great game, and since it was "Character Night," and the special guest was Moana, there was something for my girls, too. The game was a great one, as the Force won 3-1. After each home game, they have one featured player signing autographs for the fans, and I'm always sure to stay for that.

This game featured forward Ross Mitton, who has scored two goals and six assists in 26 games this season. I had him sign a line-up card and puck. The lime-up card came out great, but unfortunately, they didn't provide him with a silver marker, so he had to use a black Sharpie on the puck. Lesson learned for next time.

It's always a great day for hockey, especially when I can enjoy the game with my girls. (Well, at least as much of the game as I can see when we aren't taking bathroom breaks, picking up snacks, or playing at the playground area.)

2018 Minnesota Twins Winter Caravan

It seems like every year in the past, my work schedule has gotten in the way, but I finally made it this year to the 2018 Twins Winter Caravan when it made its stop in Fargo last week. The caravan travels around the state of Minnesota (and a few places in neighboring state), visiting schools, hospitals and businesses, finishing off each day with an open-to-the-public program that night.

Our night began with a "traditional ballpark meal," consisting of a hot dog, some chips, and a soda. There was also beer that could be purchased, which I did, since that it MY "traditional ballpark meal." After that, the event began with some local introductions, and some announcements centered around the event's $5,000 donations each to the Moorhead Crush Softball organization to help with field maintenance, and Fargo Park Service to be used for their baseball programs.

Then came the guests of honor. There are a few different groups, usually consisting of one or two current Twins players and one retired player. Our event was with Hall-of-Famer Bert Blyleven and current relief pitchers Trevor Hildenberger and Taylor Rogers. There was a Q&A session with the audience, followed by some door prizes (I didn't with anything), and when the event reached its conclusion, the guests headed over to some tables for an autograph session.

Bert Blyleven was inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011, in his 14th year of elligibility. He finishhed his career with 3,701 strikeouts, and until his long-overdue induction, was the only ember of the 3,000 strikeout club at that time who was not in the Hall of Fame. He has somewhat of a reputation for being difficult at free signings, so when I saw that he was actually signing the sweet spot on my ball, and not side-panelling it, I was thrilled, as it would fit right in with my other signed balls from Hall-of-Famers.

Trevor Hildenberger is a side-arm relief pitcher who spent half of the 2017 season in the Majors. He told the story of developing into a side-arm pitcher, when he had trouble with his speed in college and had trouble seeing any in-game action. His coach suggested a side-arm style, and he was able to change up his game, give his team something unique, and eventually made it all the way to the show. He signed a ball and an 8x10 for me, and I must say, he has one of the best autographs of anu current player. Despite having one of the longest names in the majors, you can practically read every single letter.

Taylor Rogers is getting ready to enter his third season in the Twins' bullpen. He has the ability to turn things around for the team, as he has compiled a 10-4 record, despite typically only making short appearances. He signed a ball and an 8x10 photo for me. His autograph might not be quite as nice as Hildenberger's but it still looks great on the sweet spot of a baseball.

I was so happy that I was able to make it to one of these events. I was able to add another signed baseball of a Hall of Famer to my collection (I am up to 10 now), plus I got to meet a couple of up-and-comers who can continue to make a big difference for a really good Minnesota Twins team.

Autographs after Two Coyotes Games in March

Well, I guess with the new season starting, it's about time to show off some ink I got in Arizona last March. I've had everything scanned and ready to show off for months now, I just never got around to it. Anyway, here we go.

My wife and kids and I took our annual Spring vacation to my extended family's vacation home in Chandler, AZ. There's always a few things we like to do for our three girls, like Legoland Discovery Center and Butterfly Wonderland, but for me, it's always Chicago Cubs Spring Training and the Arizona Coyotes. We were able to get tickets to see them play the Carolina Hurricanes and Ottawa Senators, and even got upgraded to on-the-glass seats for the Hurricanes game.

As always, after the game, I hung around near the exit of the players' underground parking lot, where a few guys are always good about stopping to sign autographs. I've done this for a couple years now, and is a great experience, and with a struggling Coyotes team, the crowd was pretty small. Night one, I got Shane Doan, Connor Murphy, Tobias Rieder, and Jakob Chychrun, and night two, I got Doan, Murphy, Anthony Duclair, and Louis Domingue.

Here are the goods from each guy:

Shane Doan

Connor Murphy

Jakob Chychrun

Anthony Duclair

Tobias Rieder

Louis Domingue

That's all for last year. We are planning another trip in late March, and will be there when they take on the St. Louis Blues. I'll see what I can get at that time, but with Doan and Murphy, the two most reliable signers, no longer with the team, it will be interesting to see what happens.