Today I received a package from Hall of Famer Paul Molitor. I saw he was signing via his home address so I sent a ticket from his managerial debut and a baseball. I asked, and paid for, HOF 04 on the baseball and got it. I asked for, and paid for, Managerial Debut on the ticket but got HOF 04. I cannot complain though. They are real nice autographs and look great!
Category: Baseballs
It’s Rich and It’s Spectacular!
Today I received a baseball that my buddy Steve C facilitated the success for me. Steve is friends with Rich Reiker who was a Major League Baseball umpire and now works for MLB as the Director of Umpiring. Rich was the home plate umpire when Mark McGwire hit his 69th and 70th home runs of the 1998 season. I asked Rich to write about what he remembered about it and he did not let me down! I appreciate the efforts of Steve and Rich in having me add this neat baseball to my collection! Thanks guys!
My Kulpa Is Half Full!
Today I received a cool baseball from Major League Baseball umpire Ron Kulpa. A little over a week ago I was part of a Zoom meeting with a couple other schedule collectors and we started talking about my collection. My buddy Steve mentioned his two friends who are/were umpires and said I should send a request to them. Steve confirmed they both would do it so I mailed them out. Today I received the first one. In my letter to Ron, I asked him to write about his favorite memory of umpiring in baseball. His response did not disappoint! I did not realize this until I received the baseball but Ron was the home plate umpire for Justin Verlander’s no hitter back on June 12, 2007. That is a pretty cool memory but what he wrote was even cooler. He said his previous home plate assignment was for a game in which Curt Schilling pitched a no hitter for 8 2/3 innings. After that game he phoned his dad and told him that was as close as we probably would ever get to a no hitter. Funny how things work out! Thanks for the cool baseball Ron and for hooking me up Steve!
Sean Called!
Today I received something that made me really happy. Not only is the baseball really cool but the note inside that accompanied it made it even more special. Sean McDonough is not only a well respected broadcaster, he is a GREAT broadcaster. I can add “human being” to that list of “great” that he is. Sean signed a baseball with his call of Joe Carter’s walk off World Series winning home run in game 6 of the 1993 World Series. “… The winners and still World Champions, the Toronto Blue Jays!” If you are reading this I am sure you remember the call and the moment. I included where I was when this happened (it was homecoming weekend at St Cloud State and I was in the back room of a little Mexican bar/grill listening to a single guy play a guitar and sing while watching the game with my buddy Mike T). Sean also included a really cool note and returned my donation stating it was not necessary and apologizing for his “subpar penmanship” (I could read it so it was not too bad!). The note was even cooler than the baseball and the baseball was really neat. Thanks for making my day Sean!