I begin the long process of catching up on the massive amount of cards from the second half of last season,but I'm going to do things differently this time.I'm going to start with the things in the box that I was able to add from my friend in Tennessee in Corey White and the Southern League.
Next time out,I'll devote the post to the Eastern League and my friends there in Jason Christensen along with Tom O'brien.
After that,I'll add my stuff as we went along with the 2012 campaign with my regular travel pals consisting of (at various times) Kendall Morris,Derreck and Tyler Chupak with of course my long term traveling buddy Bill Cover's help as well.
Corey and I traded All Star sets from the AA leagues this season,since the Southern League tilt was in his home park this season.
The biggest pickups from that set from the Southern Division were Arizona righthander Tyler Skaggs,Diamondback outfielder Alfredo Marte and yet another Arizona prospect in powerhitting third baseman Matt Davidson.
The Reds added two from that set with flashy fielding shortstop Didi Gregorious with hard throwing Daniel Carcillo.
Ethan Martin was with the Dodgers then for the set,but I was able to get him later at Reading as well after he was traded to the Phillies and the best of all was the 2011 second overall pick with Seattle's Danny Hultzen signing his all star card and his bowman chrome.
Corey told me that Hultzen was promoted to AAA immediately following the All-Star game.
Corey helped with some players as they came through as well.
Huntsville is a Brewers affiliate and he helped me with several players,most notably a decent amount for Hunter Morris,Kentrail Davis and Scooter Gennett,all of whom have lots of cards.
Corey also got former Suns manager Darnell Coles to sign some stuff that we didn't get during his tenure here,but I told Corey of the night Coles threw a bucket of balls on the field here.
Corey said Coles smiled and remembered it,but that same night was thrown from the game and did the same thing.
Could it have been that I planted a seed????
Chattanooga is the home for the AA Dodgers and Corey came through again with former Texas Longhorn slugger Kyle Russell,the top two Dodger pitching prospects Zach Lee and now Red Sox Allen Webster.Matt Magill signed his bowman chrome and Chris Withrow signed all three that I sent for him.
Chattanooga had two former big leaguers on their coaching staff and I was able to add both in Franklin Stubbs and Chuck Crim.
Corey reports that Stubbs was somewhat unhappy about signing,but was able to get him for me.
I didn't need as many for the AA Birmingham Barons as I get two shots as them as a White Sox farm club,but I did get Jared Mitchell on his All-Star card along with a older (for the minors) card of Jon Gaston,who was released shortly after his stop in Tennessee.
Same went for the AA Mississippi Braves and I was able to have a few that I missed in Lynchburg finished with Joe Leonard,Zeke Spruill and Sean Gilmartin as notable additions.
The best part of a team that I had few for in the Jacksonville Suns was knocking out a six year old Jamestown card in pitcher Graham Taylor.
Taylor joined another former Hagerstown Sun in Jake Smolinski for that series.
Corey swapped me a Tennesse Smokies set for a Suns and those cards were nice!
The Smokies of note were Jae-Hoon Ha,Matt Cerda,Trey McNutt.Matthew Szczur and former Hagerstown Sun Michael Burgess along with former Colorado top pick Casey Weathers,who continues his comeback from arm woes.
Weathers being there enabled me to get a lot of old cards out of the box and into the signed binder!
I also added two old Jake Brigham cards finished after Brigham was acquired in the Ryan Dempster trade with Texas by the Cubs.
The newest team in baseball hit Tennessee late in the season as the Reds AA squad,the Pensacola Blue Wahoos arrived and Corey said the signing front with Seiverville was like never before with the arrival of shortstop Billy Hamilton,who would set the record for steals in a season.
Corey's report was that the scene was nuts,but he did get Billy on a Midwest league prospect card,so thanks for braving the riot!
Long time Indian farmhand Beau Mills added two straggler cards as well.
Juan Carlos Sulbaran was a pitcher that I had tons for and Corey came through with Sulbaran,who was traded in the middle of a game against the Smokies.
Corey asked for something from him,since the equipment would not be re-used and J.C.returned with a game used Pensacola hat,which he then signed!
Cool stuff!
Mobile finished things up and the Diamondback team had former Pirate Jay Bell as their manager,who Corey got everything of as and in a really cool card of Smokies coach Mariano Duncan that features Bell sliding in on Duncan finishing a double play,Corey was able to get both players to sign the card!
It looks super sharp!
Some other Bay Bears of note that weren't in the All-Star set were Chris Owings,former White Sox farmhand David Holmberg,Eric Smith,former James Madison pitcher Kevin Munson (love those college cards) and former Pirate Brett Lorin on his 2011 Bradenton card.
Lorin was always very nice when I got him in the past.
That wraps up the SL tour and I would like to thank Corey for all his help.
I hope I was able to help you as well and keep an eye out for something that I mailed out today to you.
Hope you like it and thanks again for everything!!!!
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