First,we have the Kannapolis Intimidators with another less than inspiring White Sox farm team.
The only two real prospects were second rounder Spencer Adams and catcher Brett Austin,who as a former N.C.State player added Go Wolfpack on request of mine.
Former Dodger prospect James Baldwin Jr signed an old Donruss Elite,which I always am a sucker for getting signed and I got a Kannapolis team card of one of my favorite coaches,the personable Rob Sasser.
The Lynchburg Hillcats went to Frederick and I got the two cards that I wanted most as Clint Frazier and Bradley Zimmer each signed their top 100's.
Frazier is good for three or four and I finally caught up on him for now until new cards come out.
Super nice guy and someone that I hope to see do well.
Zimmer,however,is only one and as a result I have tons of things still for him and with more coming out soon,it's unlikely that I'll ever get all of them pounded out.
Other than landing Dace Kime on five cards,including an elite and New York/Penn prospect card,I had gotten most of the Hillcats from their first visit other than another dealing with the often surly Mike Papi,who grunted his way through signing my only card-his Mahoning Valley from last season....
Next into Hagerstown were the Hickory Crawdads and the Rangers affiliate was the worst team to hit the Hub City this year.
Now keep in mind,the worst Low A team is generally pretty good for higher levels,so I'm not complaining,but they didn't live up to other teams thus far.
The Crawdads do come back this season,so they'll have a second chance..
On the first night,the team was rained out and I did get Luis Ortiz on his top 100 after denying twice in the stadium,despite there being just three people asking and having nothing to do in the rain.
It was a good thing that I got him because the next day was rained out and then the Ortiz experience continued with this on the morning DH/getaway day.
Keep in mind,this isn't sour grapes for me as I was finished with him,but I watched this-
Ortiz started game one,so as the starter,I wouldn't expect him to sign (or even ask usually) and he told the people that asked no.
After the game,in which Ortiz lost,but was superb in defeat,"No".
As the Crawdads came out for game two-Ignored.
After game two,ignored.
As he walked to the bus,"Not today",got on the bus "NO".
Got off the bus "No",Finally he stopped on the way to the clubhouse and told the grandfather of a grapher he'd sign when he was done.
He signed a few for him,a few for another and 1 for Bill Cover (Yay,Bill!) and then left everyone in the dust as he offered a few more no's....
Rock Shoulders,a former Cubs prospect, was less than great,usually doing 1 per,if he felt like it.
He did sign two for me in the bus area as he liked the bowman blue wave refractor and added a heritage,but still left me with plenty for his return.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa was one of the nicer players I met all year as he signed a heritage,two bowmans and a Spokane card and chatted for a good while.
Travis Demeritte signed both cards that I had,but I was there as he was notified that he was going to serve a suspension from baseball,so he wasn't terrific and understandably so as he left the clubhouse.
Jose Trevino signed his donruss elite,but my favorite addition was John Fasola,a pitcher from Ohio that saw my Browns hat and spent a few minutes talking Cleveland sports.
The Myrtle Beach Pelicans arrived in Frederick for their first visit as a Chicago Cubs farm team.
The Pelicans weren't as loaded as last year's Cubs Daytona team,but still had some interesting players.
The first game was calling for rain when Bill Cover and I got there and former Braves prospect (acquired in a trade last year) Victor Caratini asked me if they were going to play tonight and I said I doubt it,I think you aren't going to get this in.
Caratini signed his SAL all-star,SAL top prospect,Bowman and Rome Braves card and after a huge downpour that would result in the games postponement,Caratini ran by through the drops and said to me "You are a pretty good forecaster!".
I suppose all those years watching Nicole Mitchell have begun to pay off!
Duane Underwood signed his elite,Kane County and bowman as well as a baseball for Craig Lindgren.Jen-Ho Tsing signed a bowman chrome and Kane County while former Padres prospect Zach Cates added an elite and bowman from a few years past.
Mariano Duncan signed his 1988 score and was very nice,but was reported to have said "I've signed my autographs for this series" the next night,so who knows?
Former Dodger prospect Jonathan Martinez signed the only card that I had-his 2014 Midwest League prospect card to finish up the Pelicans...
Tom O'Brien added some cards to my score set as he got White Sox coaches Bobby Thigpen,Daryl Boston and Mark Salas when the White Sox visited Baltimore during the now infamous "No Fan" game series.
Always good to get score cards finished,thanks Tom!
Thanks to Steve Nicholas for getting me three cards of former Indianapolis Indian Matt Hague when Hague returned there as a member of another team (I can't remember who).
A trip to Harrisburg for the Trenton Thunder (Yankees) produced a few cards,lots of work and the Harrisburg arrival of Trea Turner,who finally was allowed to leave the Padres.
The heat was strong,but lots of work did result in a few cards done.
Thanks to Fred Landucci for getting the top 100's of Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez among a few others!
Fred is my main helper in Harrisburg and is always appreciated!
Fred also got me the two Harrisburg players in the Eastern League prospect set in Austin Voth and Pedro Severino.
Other decent Trenton catches were Greg Bird and Eric Jagelo,but the two big stories from this day was a Aaron Judge blast that left the stadium in left center field and Trea Turner's arrival.
I was able to get Turner as he tried to sneak out of the park,but I scooped up the top 100 of Turner and finished the most important card on day one.
The Richmond Flying Squirrels hit Harrisburg and despite not having a team set out yet,I still had plenty of cards for them.
The lovely Cherie accompanied me in Giants attire and even helped me getting an extra Kyle Crick and Mac Williamson,who are one per.
Crick signed his top 100 for Fred and former Rangers prospect Engel Beltre signed four cards for me,three of them from 2009!
Mitch Delfino signed his old SAL All-Star card and the biggest catch of all-2014 first rounder Tyler Beede,who signed a top 100 and a USA card..
The Carolina Mudcats switched to the Atlanta Braves this season and were a bit low for a Braves team.
The Mudcats were missing Lucas Sims (top 100) and Andrew Thurman (Lots of Astros stuff),who were both injured in a bus wreck involving the team that some of you may have heard about.
The best pickups were Johan Camargo (Rome and Carolina),Yean Carlos Gil (Rome,Carolina and SAL All-Star) and former Padre Dustin Peterson,who signed two of the three I had (Carolina and Midwest prospect),but was nice in asking me "which two"?
Carolina's stop was most noted for the antics of Connor Lien.who spent three days ignoring,saying no and running (literal running) by collectors.
The funny thing was that Lien is from Annapolis,so one would expect a little more.
The Royals CL team in the Wilmington Blue Rocks were pretty light in the prospects after a strong team last season.
Mostly added players from the Wilmington team set other than Logan Moon and Frank Schwindel on their new bowman chromes....
I wrote about my visit to Richmond,but I did finish a few things up that I didn't get finished in their Harrisburg visit.
I managed to talk to Tyler Beede,who is quickly becoming a favorite of mine.
Beede signed a elite (Numbered to 100) that didn't get to me in time for Harrisburg and got him on a baseball after chatting for a bit.
Mac Williamson signed a bowman chrome before being promoted to AAA Sacramento and Matt Lujan signed two Augusta cards and a SAL All-Star card....
WOW! Lots of stuff there,so that means now it's just down to putting these cards away as we begin to hit the homestretch of the graphing season where cards are constantly getting signed!
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