On the Signing Front

The cards are piling up big time at this time of year,so it is time to hit the signing front before things get out of control!

First a few non-baseball cards.

From the LPGA tour,multiple major winner Cristie Kerr signed two cards.

Thanks to Bill Cover,who's quick thinking on a blank nabbed me wrestling manager Jimmy Hart,when Hart appeared at a Harrisburg game.

Thanks to the Superfan for adding former Giants corner John Booty and former USFL and Redskins wideout Gary Clark,
Both players coach the Baltimore team in the Lingerie Football League (Don't ask) and the Superfan got these for me after a Baltimore game...

As you know I do the signing fronts in chronological order,so here is a link to the SAL All-Star game signings since those cards are just now reaching the front.

The Trenton Thunder hit Harrisburg for their only visit and were surprisingly good.
Tyler Austin was super and Slade Heathcott was nice as one of the last players out of the clubhouse,he still signed for everyone.
Pitching prospect Jose Ramirez was another nice pickup and I was happy to add Neil Medchill,who I had carried cards around for quite a while.
It happens that way at times and Medchill was very nice..
Tyler also was able to add the elusive Brian Goodwin,who seems to have lost much of his interest in signing.
Both of my buddies that live in other Eastern League cities report that the Harrisburg club was the worst team with the pen in the EL this season..

A trip to Frederick for the Lynchburg Hillcats saw me work on both teams.
Lynchburg's team set was not out yet,so only a few cards for them.
Additions included cards for manager Luis Salazar and some Rome cards that I had missed before
I started my work on the Frederick Keys set.
The best pickups were Nick Delmonico,who has since been traded to the Brewers and Eduardo Rodriguez,who might be the breakout pitching prospect for the Orioles this season.
Sorry to see Delmonico traded as he was always accommodating and pleasant to deal with....

The Kannapolis Intimidators came to Hagerstown with a few good prospects,most notably Micah Johnson,who won the MVP at the SAL All-Star  game and 18 year old Bartolo Colon lookalike Jefferson Olacio.
But another encounter with former Oriole and current Kannapolis pitching coach Jose Bautista,who signed a ton for Derreck and Tyler and then was "too busy" to sign for me.
I asked him to at least sign his top card,which was his Orioles "Crown Gas" card,he reluctantly did so.
Another Bautista story from the most recent Kannapolis visit (covered down the road),A collector hollers to Bautista as he walks along "Jose,will you sign?" Bautista: "You're too late today".
Problem with that is the appearance was the first of the day for him outside the clubhouse.
So,if he was too late,the fault was Bautista's.Not ragging on Bautista for not signing,but for a less than friendly response....

A quick pregame trip to Harrisburg for the bobblehead and the Richmond Flying Squirrels saw Joe Panik sign his top 100 card and Adam Duvall sign a few as well.
Duvall had been injured on his first trip to Harrisburg and I am trying to get as many of the Top 100 cards signed as I can....

Two teams hit Hagerstown with few cards.
The Hickory Crawdads added Joey Gallo on his top 100 and Ronald Guzman on a Bowman.
The Crawdads aren't releasing their team set until the final week of the season! How on Earth do they expect to sell many of these?
The Lakewood Blue Claws saw Larry Greene come to Hagerstown for the first time and signed everything.
The Blue Claws are always a good signing team with one exception (more down the road for a future Lakewood visit) and this continued with the other addition of Roman Quinn on a Bowman...
I was able to add former Dodger pitcher Bill Singer on a 1971 card during this series.Singer works in the Nationals front office....

Doing the Potomac Nationals in Frederick usually leaves me doing little as most of those cards get signed in Hagerstown (for now) until their team set is released.
This trip was more of the same with one exception-A.J.Cole had returned to the organization after one year excursion to the Oakland Athletics and I needed to add some cards that had accumulated.
Cole signed all four including his Top 100 and his heritage cards.
The chrome and heritage rank at the top of cards that I love to get signed.

A trip to Harrisburg for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats added players that I have not picked up before.
The Fisher Cats are a Toronto affiliate and other than mainstream cards,I have no need to buy Toronto team sets.
I did buy the Fisher Cats since I knew I was going to see them and was able to get most signed.
Former first round pick Deck McGuire was very cool and spent time joking and talking with us both before and after the game.
2012 first rounder Marcus Stroman signed as did top prospects A.J. Jimenez and Sean Nolin.
Another interesting addition was former Oriole Adam Loewen,who everyone but me seemed to have!
Former Astros shortstop Tommy Manzella and former Pirate Clint Robinson also signed,

The mailbox brought former Indians and Orioles shortstop Larry Brown.
Mike Oravec continued his help with Pirates,Indians and Giants with the favorites being Chris Speier and Dave Dravecky on their 88 Score cards.

We wrap up with thanks to Tom O'Brien,who helped me with New Britain pitchers Trevor May and Alex Meyer,Altoona outfielder Mel Rojas Jr and the beginnings of the Bowie team set.
The best of the Bowie bunch looks to be Cuban outfielder Henry Urretia,but Eddie Gamboa was added too.
Gamboa is one of the converted knuckleballers that we mentioned in yesterday's inbox cleaning.
The best of all?
Tom sent me a card signed by Hall of Famer Bruce Sutter!
Thanks to Tom and everyone of my friends for the help!!