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!
It’s a beaut Clark!
I recently received an email that PastPros held a private signing with Jerald Clark. One of the cards they had available was the 1995 Topps Traded #118T Twins card. I was excited because it is a card that has been on my want list for a while. Jerald Clark just does not sign many autographs. So, I bought the card and today it arrived. I am pleased with the card, signature, and everything about my purchase! Thanks Colin at Past Pros!
Ron (Again!) and Brooksie!
Today has been a great day so far for a few reasons but one of which was the mail. I received a pair of surprises in the mail today and am humbled by the generosity of others.
The first package I received was a large rigid envelope from Ron Kulpa. Ron had signed and returned a cool baseball for me last week but today I was surprised to receive an 8×10 photo personalized to me! Ron took the time to sign it and send it to me. That was really neat!
The other package from from a fellow schedule collector who mailed me an Orioles postcard featuring Brooks Robinson on it that was signed by Brooks. And, if that is not cool enough, TODAY is Brook’s birthday!
Fun day of mail all around! Hope yours was just as cool!
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!