On the signing front

More catching up from the signing front today as I slowly but surely continue to work on the signing for the 2010 season.

One reason that the signing front falls behind is that I do not put cards away until I have had a chance to write about them here,so I will always get around to it sooner or later.

Today we finish up with the visitors to the Muni and the Hagerstown Suns with the Lakewood Blue Claws and Delmarva Shorebirds.

Lakewood had the same cast of characters from their other trips in,just that this time I had the Blue Claw team set to work on.
Jonathan Singleton looks like the teams top hitting prospect and was super accomodating every time the team was here this season as was former first rounder Anthony Hewitt.
Catcher Sebastian Valle signed,but didn't seem thrilled and Leandro Castro still would not sign his Bowman,yet would sign his Topps Debut card.
I have to figure that one out sometime!
Manager Mark Parent signed everything and everytime and was quite engaging as well.
My favorite Parent story came after the game,when a collector asked him to sign and he replied "sure,but you gotta hold my beer!".
Great guy.
Another former big league backstop was gotten on this trip as former Toronto catcher Ernie Whitt was in town as the catching instructor.
Whitt too signed everything and was very nice...

Delmarva was the same as Lakewood,just with fewer prospects as many of them had been promoted to Frederick.
First rounder Matt Hobgood was still there though and was a great signer.
I only had one card for me,but had stuff for others and Hobgood was among the best I saw all season.
Delmarva's coaching staff ranked at the top as well with Ryan Minor,Mike Devereaux and Troy Mattes all signing and doing so pleasantly as well.

Time for a few thank yous from the front at this time.

Thanks to Tom O'Brien for his help with the Richmond Flying Squirrel team set.
Red hot prospect Brandon Belt signed his 09 San Jose card and other nice adds were Michael Main,who I ad never gotten since he was a Ranger,Thomas Neal on his Richmond and Topps Debut and Nick Noonan,who reportedly is an up and down signer.
Tom also hit the Indy circuit and added former Oriole and Angel catcher Andy Etchebarren on a few cards for me.

Jason Christensen helped me with a few signatures,most notably Phillies prospects Yohan Flande and Mike Cisco.

Bill Cover helped me with some Harrisburg Senators with Tom Milone and Steve Lombardozzi being the main cards there.Bill reports that Lombardozzi has cut his signing down to two per person.

And finally to the lovely Cherie for getting one player for me in Frederick.
I know how uncomfortable she is with all this and anything she does is appreciated..

Next signing front will feature the final two visitors to Frederick in the Potomac Nationals and Kinston Indians,along with even more thank yous to my friends....