I saw a success posted by a collector on Instagram and remembered I had some loose cards from back in the day, including at least one 2012 Topps Heritage Minor League set card - I looked up a possible address and took a chance to put together a request and send my cards off.
What you see in-person, read about online or assume based on how a guy 'looks' in the most superficial sense doesn't mean anything - but I think this profile story from spring training encapsulates everything that needs to be said about the way Skaggs handles his business as a young pro.
My friend and I went to a California League game this past Sunday [Visalia Rawhide at Inland Empire] and got former MLB pitcher and current Visalia Rawhide pitching coach Doug Drabek's autograph - he won a Cy Young in 1990 when the Pittsburgh Pirates were actually pretty good for a stretch in the early 90s.
Doug is also the father of current Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Kyle Drabek - he has always been a good signer through the mail and in-person, though personalized everything sent through his mailing address.
The one card I wasn't sure about getting signed Sunday afternoon was a 1995 Topps Embossed - the card has an embossed, foil effect and I wasn't sure if the card was going to take the Sharpie well.
I don't particularly like the card but I think it stands out and did present somewhat of a challenge to possibly be autographed - fortunately as one of several cards Doug signed for me, it came out just fine and my needless worries about getting a 16-year old card worth about a nickel was unfounded.
I took a picture of Doug signing on the concourse when he finally came out of the clubhouse after the game - the coaches from Visalia must have taken an hour or so after the game to kick back after a 17-2 whipping of Inland Empire.
FYI - on Monday, they only scored one run in a 7-1 defeat against the same team.