Category: Sports Illustrated

A HUGE Spring in my step!

If you have read any of these posts on this lame blog, you will have noticed I have a number of friends who share the same passion as autograph collecting as I do and they are scattered around the country.  Having so many contacts like this allows me to really add to my collection spring spring training.  I have a few guys who live in Florida or Arizona and others who travel there for a week or two or even longer pursuing autographs for themselves as well as myself.  Today I received a really nice pile of packages with items signed during spring training.  They are all really nice additions to the collection!

Paul C lives in the Fort Myers, Florida area and works the teams there as well as the rookie leagues.  Today I received the following baseballs:
Jake Odorizzi
Hak-Ju Lee
Jackie Bradley Jr
Mike Napoli

Matt W (invctrl on SCN) worked the Nationals and Astros spring training sites and hooked me up with the following:
Denard Span 2012 Topps Heritage Update
Jose Altuve ML Debut ticket
Lucas Harrell ML Debut ticket with ML Debut
Stephen Strasburg Sports Illustrated magazine

Last but not least, I got the remaining items from Arizona from Kent B (doggle3 on SCN).  Kent and Noah worked the Arizona spring training sites just about all spring long.  They did a great job getting me a bunch of autographs at really reasonable prices.  Kent works the Kansas City Royals as well as their opponents for me during the regular season and does a great job.  From these guys I received the following:
Tommy Hanson 1st Win ticket
Derek Norris ML Debut ticket
Todd Frazier ML Debut ticket
Wade Miley ML Debut ticket
Mark Trumbo ML Debut ticket
Paul Goldschmidt ML Debut ticket
Gordon Beckham ML Debut ticket
Nice Punto @ 2 baseball cards
Chad Billingsly OMLB
Wade Miley OMLB
Paul Goldschmidt OMLB
Jorge Soler OMLB
Kyle Seager OMLB
Josh Tomlin OMLB
Ryan Madson Sports Illustrated
Matt Williams, Eddie Rodriguez and Rod Barajas on the Diamondbacks Sports Illustrated
and the best Joey Votto Sports Illustrated

I am really fortunate to know these guys and I thank them a ton for their efforts and great work.

I also received a package I sent to Wade Boggs.  I had a Sports Illustrated magazine that commemorates Fenway Park and had him sign that and a Hall of Fame postcard for a donation.

It’s in the Mag(azine)!

Today was fun!  I received a surprise package from a friend of mine who is also working on getting me autographs in Arizona for spring training.  Kent B (doggle3 on SCN) knows I collect autographed tickets and sent me three tickets signed by Eric Hosmer including two from his ML Debut!  Thanks Kent!

Also, I met Aaron D who worked on some Sports Illustrated magazines for me over the past couple years.  Aaron works the hotels and ballparks here in the Cities.  He got me a Jeff Francoeur issue and Reed Johnson and Vernon Wells on their issue.  Thanks Aaron!

He Shoots, He Scores!

Today was the Let’s Play Hockey Expo at the Xcel Energy Center.  I have never been to the event before but I heard Bill Baker was there signing autographs for the Herb Brooks Foundation so I decided to attend.  I asked my buddy Tony F is he and his kids wanted to go and they did so Cami and I and those three headed down.  There was a ton of free stuff as well as the admission being free.  You could really spend a lot of time there without spending much money.  It was a great event.  Since Tony is way more into hockey than I am, I let him get my two 1980 US Hockey Team Sports Illustrated magazines signed.  Adding Bill made my total autograph number on each issue up to eight!

Spring Has Sprung!

One thing about being a member of so many collecting sites, I really have a lot of contacts in different parts of the country.  One such person is Josh S (jslaw on SCN).  Josh is going to school in Florida and this is the third spring I have sent consignments to him for Spring Training.  He does an awesome job and gets really hard to get people.  He treats my items as his own.  Today I received the first package of items he got for me so far this spring.  It included the following:

  • Jose Bautista baseball
  • Anthony Gose baseball
  • Brandon Beachy baseball
  • Craig Kimbrell baseball
  • Mike Stanton ML Debut ticket
  • Julio Teheran ML Debut ticket
  • Anthony Gose ML Debut ticket
  • Mike Matheny Sports Illustrated (completing the issue already signed by Mark Bellhorn)
  • Roy Halladay Sports Illustrated (completing the issue already signed by Josh Johnson and Ubaldo Jimenez)
  • Cole Hamels Sports Illustrated
  • Ryan Howard Sports Illustrated
  • Jon Jay Sports Illustrated
  • Edwardo Nunez Sports Illustrated

That is a pretty good list of All Stars and others!  Thanks Josh for the past, present and future consignments and caring for my items as if they were your own!