First,allow me a personal comment,if you will.
Graphing has not been as much fun for me this year thus far,at least in Hagerstown.
I have enjoyed my trips to Frederick and Harrisburg with both my usual partner Bill Cover and my new teammate Derreck Chupak,but my home park has become the least fun.
Too much drama between the various problems with the team for others,which seem to be solved now and the worst part has been the environment among the graphers,which seems to be the worst that I have seen.
I suppose some of that is to be expected,but I have always thought that the graphing community was pretty close knit.
Fortunately,the people that I am closest with still are,so even though I see and know some things,my friends are the type of people that make this fun.
Call it nerdy or geeky,if you must,but I got into this for fun,to relax after the stress of coaching and to do something with Ryan to stay involved with the game we love.
Ryan may have moved on now,but I have made some great friends and I enjoy this for the most part,but for the first time,I can see me reducing the amount of stops that I make.
I've always said that when this wasn't fun,I would get out.
I'm not saying that yet,but for the first time,I can say its crossed my mind.....
The signing front starts in Harrisburg with the Altoona Curve with Derreck Chupak for first a doubleheader that froze us out and a more productive afternoon game.
The weather was downright frigid and when the second game went to extra innings we decided to leave.
The game wound up going to eleven innings and when it did,it led to a Jameson Taillon tweet about his disbelief about graphers being outside at one AM on such a night.
I talked to Jameson the next day and he seemed to be more puzzled by the mentality than upset.
Look for a future post that will try to clear up the mistaken thoughts by players towards graphers and how they get riled up by people that have little idea what they are talking about.
The Curve featured two fellows from the parent club in Francisco Liriano and Jose Contreras and both were terrific in signing all that anyone had.
I had just one Liriano and Dan Hartman (Thanks,Dan) gave me a Contreras since I did not have any,but they were very nice...
Other Curve notables were Jameson Taillon,Alex Dickerson,Mel Rojas and the injured Adelberto Santos.
The Augusta Greenjackets hit Hagerstown for the only time this season and the Giants affiliate was super,although few had cards.
Giants top pick Chris Stratton was very nice in signing his cards and I had him sign a baseball as well.
Their second rounder Martin Acosta was very nice as well and the other pickup that I was pleased with was Joe Biagini.
Why? Biagini was the only player from last years Augusta set that I did not have signed,so his addition completed a set,which does not happen often.
Thanks to Brandon Diehl for adding Matt Lipka,Luis Salazar and John MOses when he went to Frederick for the Lynchburg Hillcats.
I did not need enough for Lynchburg to warrant a trip,so Brandon's help was appreciated...
Thanks to Tracy Mackereth,who was able to add Jamie Lyn Sigler of Sopranos fame at Potomac.
I had found her only card late last season and Tracy was able to get her to sign it for me....
The Hickory Crawdads arrived in Hagerstown as the Texas Rangers hit the area hard as their High A team,Myrtle Beach would be in Frederick in a few days.
The notable Crawdads were first rounders Joey Gallo and Lewis Brinson,Sam Stafford and David Lyon on a USA card,Thanks to Derreck Chupak for the Lyon jersey card and thanks as well for Derreck's help with Nomar Mazara,an 18 year old prospect with only one card....
The Carolina Mudcats arrived in Frederick with touted first rounder from 2011 Francisco Lindor.
Lindor's signing was reported to be erratic,but the day I was there,it was raining all day,so he signed little.
I didn't get Lindor,but there is always two more stops in town.
I did get 2012 first rounder Tyler Naquin,who was super nice and chatted a bit with graphers.
The rain kept the Mudcats from being a great day (at least I hope),but I also added Bryson Miles and Joe Wendle as other nice pickups....
The aforementioned Myrtle Beach Pelicans were the best team all season for Derreck and I as we cleared out an entire team in one morning game.
Notable Pelicans were Rougned Odor,Luis Sardenas,Will Lamb,Luke Jackson and Royce Bollinger.
What a nice bunch of players.....
We wrap up with the Binghamton Mets.
I usually send my Mets stuff to my good friend Jason Christensen,but since Derreck wanted to do the Mets,I decided to do what I could and then send the leftovers to Jason,since the Mets did not return.
Notable Mets were Cesar Puello,Tyler Pill,Logan Verrett,Danny Muno and Cory Vaughn.
Vaughn was particularly nice as was Blake Forsythe and Darrell Ceciliani,who joked and talked with us when signing before the game....
Before I finish I want to acknowledge all my friends in the hobby.
If I forget someone,accept my apologies in advance.
Thanks to my good friends and usual partners Bill Cover and Derreck Chupak as well as my occasional partner Kendall Morris.
You all are good graphers and even better friends.
Thanks to my younger helpers in Tyler Chupak and Brandon Diehl as well as Brad Adams,who has become a friend through the years.
A special thanks to Mike Oravec,who has become not just a grapher,but a great friend in my personal life as well and Tracy Mackereth,who never fails to make me laugh.
Thanks to my friends on the road-Jason Christensen,Tom O'brien and Corey White.
I could not have the things that you help me with without you.
And a final thanks to Shaun O'Neal. Shaun helped me learn the graphing game the right way when I started out and I appreciate it.
The fraternity that we have among graphers could not have a greater friend than Shaun O'Neal,who often times is the glue that holds all this together.
Thanks again to all of you....
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