Today I received a pair of packages I am excited to add to the collection. The first package contained the 10.30.2017 issue of Sports Illustrated signed by Justin Turner. Mark B (renaissancemanla on SCN) got Justin to sign it at Albert Pujols’ golf event on March 1st. It turned out great!
The other package was from Matt H (MattyIce on SCN) who lives near the Twins spring training complex and was able to hook me up with the following items signed beautifully in blue:
2017 Topps Heritage Phil Hughes #562
Max Kepler ticket with “Debut”
Max Kepler ticket with “1st HR”
It was a fun day of mail!
Category: Topps Twins Project
Win Twins!
I received a surprise package today from my friend Jon S who has Rochester Red Wings season tickets. Jon was getting things together for this coming season and came across some items I sent him last year that he got signed for me during last season. This package had:
2017 Topps Heritage 142 Byung-Ho Park
2017 Topps Heritage 304 Kennys Vargas
2017 Topps Heritage 179 Alex Wimmers
2017 Topps 313 Robbie Grossman
2017 Donruss Optic 54 Adalberto Mejia
Thanks Jon!
Twinsfest 2018 – Day 3
Today is always a bittersweet day. The final day of Twinsfest is exciting because it is Twinsfest but you know it is the last day. Both kids headed down with me today. Caden hung out with his friends for most of the day and Cami hung out with me for almost the entire day except when she went through a few lines for herself. I used today to finish off some players and to talk with a few friends. We arrived at Target Field around 7:30 this morning for the 9am opening. We went to the Brian Dozier line right away and I was able to knock off a couple Dozier autographs I needed. Then Caden took off with his friends while Cami and I walked to other lines. The next stop for us was Byron Buxton in the Twins Wives line. We each got a card signed. Cami went off to another couple lines while I got in line for Joe Mauer at the Twins Wives line. I had to wait a couple hours for that line to start but Cami was able to get through a pair of lines and got me a few items. When she arrived back the first words out of her mouth were “Well that was embarrassing!” I asked her what she meant. When she gave Aaron Slegers his debut ticket and asked him to inscribe the ticket ML Debut dated August 16, 2017 he said his debut was on August 17, 2017 and did not inscribe it. I told Cami that we were both right. His debut WAS on the 17th but it was the make up from the night before that was rained out so the correct ticket was the 16th. Oh well. It is signed. He probably thought she was crazy. We got through the Mauer line at the Twins Wives line and headed to the service level where we each went through a couple different lines. I headed to the Gonsalves/Mejia/Berrios line and Cami went to the Enns/Chargois/Rooker line. Once I finished the line I was in I headed to the Enns/Chargois/Rooker line and ended up running into Caden who was in that line too. After that I went and spent a fun time chatting with my friend Tony S and his son Spencer. Caden and Cami ran around to a couple more lines and we called it a day. The final day’s totals for me are (including items Caden and Cami got for me but not including things they got for themselves):
Brian Dozier: 06/01/2017 Topps Now
Joe Mauer: 06/01/2017 Topps Now, 2008 Topps 287
JT Chargois: 2 @ 2013 Bowman Chrome BCP137
Alalberto Mejia: 2017 Topps Now Wild Card, 2017 Topps Heritage 550
Byron Buxton: 11/10/2017 Topps Now, 2017 Wild Card Topps Now
Eddie Rosario: 09/13/2017 Topps Now
Jose Berrios: 2017 Wild Card Topps Now, 2017 Topps Heritage 566
Royce Lewis: OMLB
John Curtiss: 2 @ 2015 Choice
Travis Blankenhorn: 2016Bowman Chrome BCP185
Stephen Gonsalves: 2017 Bowman BP44, 2017 Topps Minors 191, 2014 Bowman BDPP49
Gene Glynn: 2 @ Minor League team issues
Garvin Alston: 1997 Fleer 582
Brent Rooker: OMLB, OMLB w/”2017 1st Round Pick”
Alex Kirilloff: OMLB
Fernando Rodney: Debut ticket
Dietrich Enns: 3 @ Debut ticket with “MLB Debut”
Lewis Thorpe: 2 @ 2014 Bowman BP32 (1 smudged)
Max Kepler: OMLB
Twinsfest 2018 – Day 2
Today started around 7am when Caden and I arrived at Target Field. We decided to start with the Dozier/Buxton/Kaat line which started at 10:45. I ended up being number eighteen in line. Caden went back around the thirties to be with his buddies who were also there. I place a pair of cards down to Dozier and told him to pick one. He signed them both and looked at me and said “I won’t tell if you don’t tell” as they are really supposed to sign just one. From there I headed to the Gibson/Romero/Adrianza line. After that, I went right back in line at the same autograph station and got Granite/Gonsalves/Wade. From there I headed to Kyle Gibson in the Twins Wives line. I went through that line twice to finish all my Gibson needs. Caden and I headed to the Kepler/Rogers/Garver line and then back to get more Kepler autographs in the Twins Wives line. I finished off the day with Kirilloff/Jay/Rooker line. It was a fun day and Caden hung out with his old man for a lot of it. We headed home to start getting ready for our final day tomorrow. The items I got signed were (including items Caden got for me but not including things he got for himself):
Brian Dozier: Wild Card Topps Now, 10/03/2017 Topps Now, 2017 Allen & Ginter 77
Byron Buxton: 10/03/2017 Topps Now, 09/14/2017 Topps Now
Max Kepler: 07/02/2016 Topps Now, 2017 Road To Opening Day Topps Now, 2017 Allen & Ginter 300, 2017 Topps Heritage 313, 2016 Topps Heritage 717
Ryan Pressly: 2017 Topps 568
Alan Busenitz: Topps Now Wild Card
Zack Granite: OMLB, debut ticket with “ML Debut”
Kyle Gibson: 2015 Gypsy Queen 127, 2016 Topps 561, 2017 Road To Opening Day Topps Now
Fernando Romero: 2017 Topps Heritage Minor 107, 2017 Topps Minors 149 (streaked), 2017 Bowman BD134
Ehire Adrianza: 2014 Topps US105, 2009 Bowman BP16 (smudged)
Stephen Gonzalves: 2017 Topps Minors 191, 2017 Bowman BP44, 2017 Topps Heritage Minors 2
Lamonte Wade: Generic card
Brent Rooker: 2018 Bowman BD122, 2017 Bowman RV-MIN
Tyler Jay: 2017 Topps Minors 43, 2017 Topps Heritage Minors 158, 2017 Bowman BP114
Zach Duke: 2015 Topps US178
Alex Kirilloff: OMLB