Category: Uncategorized

Gene Larkin was appearing this morning at a local sportscard shop.  It was limited to two autographs per person.  Cami and I were going to the Twins game and decided to swing over there on our way to the Dome.  I had the 1991 Sports Illustrated team celebration and three cards I needed for my Twins signed card project.  It was our turn and he looked at Cami and said “Hello!  What is your name?”  Cami was real shy and did not say anything.  I told him “Camden” and he replied “That is a pretty name.”  He told her he was not going to sign her card until she said something.  When she didn’t he said that she called his bluff and he signed it.  As I was putting everything away, Cami said “put these with your things dad” and Gene said “Ah ha!  She can speak!”  We all had a nice laugh.  It was pretty cool.
We headed to the game and Cami got her backpack and it was another fun day at the ballpark for Cami and I.

Today the Twins had a number of signing events going on.  Since I have had a ticket from the game Carlos Gomez hit for the cycle, I decided to attempt to get that signed.  I headed to Linwood Pizza in Blaine for the 11am signing.  I got there around 9:20 and was around 70th in line.  By the time he showed up to sign, the line was about five times that long.  I am sure there were a lot of people who did not get his autograph.
It was finally my turn and I got up there and handed him my ticket from his cycle game. Luckily I had CYCLE written on a piece of paper because I asked him to write it on it. He said he did not know how to spell it and I showed him the paper and he wrote it on there. I was very pleased with how the ticket turned out.

Today I headed to the Dome with the one goal of getting my 2007 Allen & Ginter card signed by Torii Hunter.  I was at the Dome early and got a spot right above the Angels’ dugout.  I waited until after batting practice was over and he started signing at the end of the dugout.  I did not think he was going to keep coming down to where I was more in the middle but he did.  I handed him my A&G card and told him how my son will not let me throw out his Hunter jersey.  He looked at me and said “He won’t LET YOU?” in a way to say why do you want to?  I told him it was faded and too small but he says Torii is his man.  Torii laughed and said “You are raising that boy right!”  I asked him if he would sign my 07 Topps Heritage card of his and he said he would.  I ended up getting two Torii cards signed.  That was fun!

This morning was an attempt to get Joe Nathan’s autograph on a photo.  He was appearing at the local AAA headquarters in St Louis Park to sign autographs.  Greg N from Seattle was in town visiting family.  I met Greg online via SportsCollectors.net.  He helped me get some Carlos Silva cards signed I needed for a couple Twins sets I was working on.  I thought it would be cool to get him and hang out for the day trying to get autographs.  Our goal was to start at Nathan and then head to get Cuddyer in Elk River.  There were more people at Nathan’s appearance than I estimated but we waited.  Greg got a nice sweetspot ball signed and I got my photo signed.  He then headed up towards Elk River in hopes of getting both.  It was not meant to be as time ran out on us while on our way.  We headed back towards St Paul to drop Greg off and I headed home.  I did get my team celebration photo signed though and it looks cool.