The NL Rookie of the Year for 2024 was Paul Skenes. Paul put up an amazing season this year and is one of my favorite non-Twins players in baseball. He was the 2023 first pick overall in the MLB draft and pitched 6.2 innings in the minors that year. In 2024, he pitched 27.1 innings in the minors giving up only 3 earned runs before being called up to the MLB on May, 11, 2024 against the Cubs in Pittsburgh. He ended the season going 11-3 with 29 earned runs in 133 innings. Heck of a first season!
I was able to acquire a pair of tickets to his debut game and sent them in to Alan Moore’s signing. As you could imagine with the quantity of items people sent in for his first signing, the signing took all season and was finally completed after the season concluded. I received them today and they are spectacular. I had one signed with “MLB Debut” and the other with just his name. I am really excited to add these to my collection.
Schoop Up That Ball!
Jonathan Schoop was a second baseman for the Twins for one season but was part of a few cool moments including two triple plays. Five Tool Signings had a private signing with Schoop and I sent in a number of cards and tickets. The package was lost in the mail on the way back to me and ended up RTS with no reason. Thankfully it arrived today and everything looks great. The items I got signed by Schoop include:
07.22.2019 Ticket already signed and inscribed “Triple Play” by Luis Arraez
08.07.2019 Ticket
2019 Topps #US79
2019 Topps Now 05.24.2019 #271
2019 Topps Now 07.22.2019 #554 already signed by Luis Arraez
2019 Topps Now 08.07.2019 #645
2019 Topps Now 08.31.2019 #774 already signed by Mitch Garver and CJ Cron
2019 Topps Now 09.28.2019 #PWB14 already signed by Jake Cave
2019 Topps Now Post Season #PS103
The Crime Dog
Tom O (orr23mj on SCN) had a signing with Fred McGriff and I had to send in my Hall of Fame induction ticket. Fred signed it perfectly and now it waits for a Scott Rolen signing to complete it!
Keeping Score
Eric Gagne was an awesome reliever for a couple teams over his career but is most remembered for winning the NL Cy Young as a Dodger. His career ended as a member of the Brewer’s bullpen. I acquired a couple scorecards from Lanny Frattare’s broadcasting career that intersected Gagne’s career. Gagne had a signing with Jim F (jimfalbo21 on SCN) so I sent them in to the signing. Today they arrived on my front step. Yes, on a Sunday. Yeah USPS! Both scorecards were signed exactly where I wanted, with what pen I wanted, and with what inscriptions I wanted. I now have a scorecard from these two games in my collection:
09.24.2008 Pirates @ Brewers with “Last MLB Hold #12”
09.25.2008 Pirates @ Brewers with “Final MLB Game 718th MLB K”
The scorecard for the 25th was not completed by Lanny but it shows the final line from newspaper clippings taped to the scorecard.