On the signing front

The final signing front for the baseball season that was 2013.
Now let's get this snow garbage stopped and onto the new season!

Thanks to my buddy and traveling partner Derreck Chupak for his help with his sources for some NY/Penn league help.
Mostly filling in some Indians and Marlins team set cards,but nice catches were rehabbing Indians prospect Michael Goodnight on his Carolina card,Pirates first baseman Jared Lakind on his AFLAC card and former A's infielder and Mahoning Valley manager Ted Kubiak.

Thanks to Mike Oravec for his constant help with former Indians,Pirates and Giants cards along with the 1991 Crown Orioles cards.
My favorite of this crop was the 1975/76 SSPC Gary Lavelle.
Mike knows I love that set and always helps me out when he gets some of those!

Thanks to Ed Loyd,who sent me a Chris Ray and Tracy Woodson from the Richmond banquet.
Ed is my usual connection for minor league team sets and asked me if I needed them,which I did!

Finally,the best for last-my friend in Tennessee,Corey White.
Here is the shipment from the Southern League and it was a haul.
Corey's help with the Southern League gives my collection such a leg up with teams that we never see and a few guys that got away from us in one league or another.
Right off the stick-The guy that I wanted most-Archie Bradley,the top Arizona prospect.
I didn't send a ton for Bradley as being a top prospect,I didn't want to weigh Corey down.
Corey said Archie was great in signing all of my cards including his top 100 and two cards in a terrific gold pen!
I am very selective in getting baseballs signed as space requirements preclude that,but I was hoping to get Archie on a ball and Corey came through on a Southern League ball!
Other Mobile/ Arizona additions were Keon Broxton,David Holmberg and Andrew Chafin as well as former Hagerstown Sun Nick Evans,who I finally got on a Bowman refractor that had been sent up and down the east coast as well as his 2012 Indianapolis card.

The Jackson Generals are a Seattle Mariners affiliate that featured hot prospect Tajuan Walker,Julio Morban,James Jones and John Hicks.
Corey tells me that former Tiger prospect Chance Ruffin might have been the toughest player that came through Tennessee all year and yet he still got Ruffin on the minor heritage card I sent!
I always send Corey cards for Jackson hitting coach and childhood favorite Cory Snyder,who came through again.
If Snyder returns,I might have to find my battered "Gunsmoke" Poster of Snyder to be signed this year!

I didn't have much for the Montgomery Biscuits,but I did get Todd Glaessman on his Appy League prospect card and Mikie Mahtook on his USA issue.

I didn't have a lot for the Jacksonville Suns either,but Corey got two nice catches for me on the day that outfielders Christian Yelich and Jake Marisnick were called up to the big club.
Yelich on his top 100 and Marisnick on his heritage card.
Adam Conley signed his heritage card and Michael Main,who I got on his Giants stuff in Hagerstown,signed his USA Champions card,which came out in the interim.

Just two cards for the Dodgers affiliate in Chattanooga in Zach Lee on his USA Champions card and Jeremy Moor on his Bowman chrome.

The Mississippi Braves had a few players that I missed through their travels through Hagerstown and Frederick.
The biggest pickup for me was pitcher Cody Martin,who signed four cards,including his 2013 Carolina League top prospect and highly thought of catcher Christian Bethancourt,who signed three.
Tommy LaStella added his Heritage card and Christian Marrero got a old card way out of the box in signing his 2008 Kannapolis card.

The Brewers affiliate in the Huntsville Stars  (soon to be Biloxi somethings in 2015) lacked in quantity,but not in quality as Corey brought home the teams top three pitching prospects in Taylor Jungmann,Jimmy Nelson and former Pirates draftee Drew Gagnon.All cool,but my favorite was journeyman Greg Holle signing his Panini Blue (only 200) in his TCU uniform.
I love getting those college cards signed!

The Birmingham Barons are with the White Sox and usually I have them taken care of,but there were a few fill ins this time around.
Most of the additions were of players promoted from Winston-Salem and their team setters from their 2012 and 2013 editions.
First rounder Chris Beck was the biggest from 2013,while Trayce Thompson and Jake Petricka signed their 2012 Carolina League top prospect cards with their 2012 Dash cards.

The Tennessee Smokies had three super prospects in Javier Baez,Arismendy Alcantara and Christian Villaneueva.
Corey reports that none of three were great signers and generally skipped the team signing sessions,but Corey got me a few of each with the best being Baez on his Top 100 card.
Other interesting guys were Tony Zych on a USA,former Mariners prospect Johermyn Chavez on lots of older issues,Matt Szczur and former big leaguer Jeff Fassaro,who was the teams pitching coach.
Corey also did the Smokies teams set in return for a Hagerstown set for me.

Thanks so much to Corey White for all he does!

Mail

Baseball
Former Orioles outfielder Tom Shopay

Football
Former Maryland quarterback Stan Gelbaugh
Former Nebraska and Broncos defensive end Kenny Walker
Former Cowboys and Bills defensive end Pat Toomay
Former Eagles defensive tackle Andy Harmon
Former Packers cornerback Terrell Buckley
Former Saints quarterback Ken Stabler
Former Cowboys tackle Ralph Neely

Golf
LPGA golfer Jessica Korda 8 x10

Non-Sports
Chris Noel sent me two 8 x 10's including one with Elvis!
Fox News anchor Jenna Lee 8 x 10

That cleans up the 2013 signing season!
Thanks to ALL that have and will be helping me in the past and future!
Now let's get this crummy heavy stuff out of here and get to spring!!!