With brutish strength to hit the ball 500 feet - he always looks like someone ran over his dog or something.
While I really only have a finite number of opportunities to actually get myself out somewhere to get stuff signed - the consumption of baseball cards [to try and get autographed] and building up a decent number for as many different subjects as possible maybe a year round thing now.
I'm looking to 'game plan' for spring training, the regular MLB / MiLB season and whatever else may come up of interest - maybe at times I feel overwhelmed and aimless when I spend money on more unsigned cards i.e. maybe singles, a set or a lot of cards.
But I've got to keep up or else I feel I'm behind - not as much when I'm trying to get established player's autograph at MLB games, but more when I take a detour to hunt for prospects and other non-MLB players.
Maybe the most important aspect of my collecting endeavors is maintaining upkeep, so it's not just one big mess of loose cards I have to swim through - easier said than done when at times I'm focusing on the next thing.
I have to know where cards are so I can go and prep for an outing to get my cards signed - maybe arrange for a way to have cards of upcoming teams in a way where I can get to them instead of having to dig for cards at the last minute.
How do I maintain upkeep of random things like my transactions box - keeping track of various moves so I can a little mini set of loose cards and so my team boxes for autograph hunting are updated?
A.) Changes/expansion/realignment due to overflow of cards - a space crunch may have me leaning on making a temporary A-Z box as a semi-permanent place to store random cards from my A-Z archive stored in three 3,500 count boxes.
I don't want overstuffed team boxes and A-Z archives - I want to keep the cards together as much as possible and don't want to deviate from how I've arranged things, but maybe some tweaks are in order.
B.) How do I pack my A-Z archives with cards from recent years [so it feels more relevant as opposed to being strictly a cardboard morgue] and how do I keep track of the most random cards [maybe one or two cards] from those boxes - so I can hit on the right cue to find ones, 'on demand?'
Maybe purchase a new 3,500 count box for my A-Z archives - rearrange A-F, G-M, N-Z arrangement if cards are packed too tight.
Maybe pull 'extraneous' cards to give away and discard otherwise - maybe about 200 per box to give away somewhere; I need a good, diverse archive of cards from many years, but the foundation of my A-Z archives have been built on cards I won't bother to try and get autographed.
C.) Have something to do with cards each day - sounds simple enough where I work on something just to chip away, so I don't feel like I'm getting away from what is supposedly leisurely activities for myself.
I tried to do a recap my 2012 autograph collecting goals so I'd have some closure over what I posted at the beginning of 2012 - sometimes it is weird to think my 'leisure time' is spent scheming to get scribbles of mostly baseball subjects during seemingly random times, but for better or worse, I look forward to each year because it is kind of like hunting or fishing trips where I'm looking to rack up some 'achievements.'
1.) Players to get on baseballs - Sandy Koufax, Carlos Gonzalez, Mark McGwire, Clayton Kershaw, Matt Kemp, Roy Halladay, Omar Vizquel, Adrian Gonzalez, Matt Holliday, Felix Hernandez, Nolan Ryan, Miguel Cabrera, Andrew McCutchen, Prince Fielder [specialty baseball], Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera, Elvis Andrus, Tim Lincecum [specialty baseball] and Yu Darvish.
This was my wishlist of guys I want to get on single signed baseballs and I was able to pick up C. Gonzalez and Cabrera in 2012 - updated 1/8/13.
2.) Get about 15-20 in-person fu oh-yeahs! - these are basically 'achievements' depending on the subject [in most cases], the item signed, the quality of the autograph and the story behind getting the autograph.
I got about 29 'oh yeahs' that vary in quality, with some highlights including Domingo Ayala, Albert Pujols, Jose Bautista, David Price, Jim Thome, Miguel Cabrera and Josh Hamilton - updated 1/8/13.
3.) 2012 'autograph set' goals - get close to the number as possible.
2001 Fleer Tradition - 2/50 cards
2001 Upper Deck Minor League Centennial - 0/25 cards
2004 Bowman Draft - 6/25 cards
2004 Upper Deck USA 25th - 2/25 cards
2004 Topps Cracker Jack - 3/25 cards
2005 Bowman Draft - 5/25 cards
2005-2006 Topps Turkey Red - 7/30 cards
2006 Topps Allen and Ginter - 2/50 cards
2007 Topps Allen and Ginter - 12/50 cards
2008 Topps Allen and Ginter - 7/50 cards
2009 Topps Allen and Ginter - 13/50 cards
2010 Topps Allen and Ginter - 16/70 cards
2011 Topps Allen and Ginter - 40/70 cards
2011 Topps Heritage Minors - 44/50 cards
2012 Topps Allen and Ginter - 16/25 cards
2012 Topps Heritage Minors - 38/25 cards
My goal isn't completion but to have a snapshot of signed cards from the same set so there is sort of a theme - I probably need to scale down the number of cards I'm aiming to get signed from now 11-12 year old [!] sets and will probably purchase some signed cards to fill out what I have. As the years have passed, I'm not sure if I can realistic have more cards from particular sets inked up and I'm not willing to spend any sort of fee to get particular cards signed unless it's $5-$10 - updated 1/8/13
4.) Hammer out detailed checklists of my autograph cards sets - to find out what I have signed, what I still need to get signed, what may need an 'upgrade' and unsigned cards I maybe missing.
2001 Fleer Tradition - done
2001 Upper Deck Minor League Centennial - done
2004 Bowman Draft
2004 Topps Cracker Jack
2004 Upper Deck USA 25th Anniversary
2005 Bowman Draft
2005/2006 Topps Turkey Red
2006 Topps Allen and Ginter
2007 Topps Allen and Ginter
2008 Topps Allen and Ginter
2009 Topps Allen and Ginter
2010 Topps Allen and Ginter
2011 Topps Allen and Ginter
This project is up in the air just because I'm curious where I really am but don't want to go through the work to find out - updated 1/8/13.
5.) Be able to cross off three or four subjects from my so-called list of top players - I want to get...Albert Pujols, Robinson Cano, Mariano Rivera, Miguel Cabrera and Yu Darvish.
I got Pujols [a couple of random set cards] and Cabrera [single signed baseball], though I've never seen Cano sign, Rivera got hurt and was out for the year and Darvish was tough otherwise - updated 1/8/13.
6.) Angels autograph collection - make it a point to count out at least 100 different autographs and be able to add at least 15-20 new autographs.
I count any active / retired players' autographs I've gotten in-person / through the mail or purchased within a current year who have played for the Angels or are currently on the team - I didn't get that many new guys.
Kurt Stillwell - April 2012
Bobby Valentine - August 2012
Kole Calhoun - September 2012
Bobby Jones - September 2012
John Hester - October 2012
Bobby Cassevah - October 2012
For active player autographs already in my collection but not accounted for - the ones that count for a current year's total are autographs of Angels minor leaguers who make their MLB debut with the Angels within the same year and opposing players' autographs who become Angels.
Chris Iannetta - April 6, 2012
Albert Pujols - April 6, 2012
LaTroy Hawkins - April 7, 2012
Jason Isringhausen - April 7, 2012
C.J. Wilson - April 9, 2012
David Carpenter - April 13, 2012
Ernesto Frieri - May 5, 2012
Brad Mills - July 8, 2012
Jean Segura - July 24, 2012
Zack Greinke - July 29, 2012
Nick Maronde - September 2, 2012
Andrew Taylor - September 27, 2012
Accounting for the number [at least 100...] is up in the air just because I'm curious where I really am but don't want to go through the work to find out - updated 1/8/13.
7.) Get at least 200 autograph subjects [mainly baseball] for the first-time split between the Major Leagues, the minors and everything in-between; from the beginning of the year to the end - jot down the names down as achievements.
A.) I don't count subjects who I may have gotten in the mail first - I do count getting subjects for the first time, if the only autographs I've gotten were purchased [either certified or not].
B.) Notable non-players working around Major League Baseball count - media, broadcasters, umpires, journalists, bloggers, public address announcers, personalities, etc.
C.) Amateur players count - players in high school / college.
D.) Any subjects unrelated to baseball now count - such as athletes from other pro sports, celebrities, etc.
My count is about 307 and it helps to hound the Cal League in-between MLB hounding as well as the Arizona Fall League towards the latter part of the year - updated 1/8/13.
8.) See at least six baseball teams I didn't see in 2011 - Arizona Diamondbacks, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, Colorado Rockies and Chicago Cubs in addition to other teams like the St. Louis Cardinals, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers I might normally want to see.
With the Angels having Albert Pujols presumably in the lineup for most of their home schedule - it maybe a better choice to watch the Angels in-person instead of go to San Diego for autographs, if their games are played at the same day/time.
Cost and a lack of a wingman to go with sort of derailed my efforts to see more teams, especially in SD - updated 1/8/13.
9.) Go find and be at 10-15 events, such as a organized public appearances/paid autograph signings/book signings/et al - hopefully there are three or four opportunities I can mark down as far as non-baseball events.
A non-baseball [other sport athlete/non-sport] subject would probably be a bigger score - depending on who it is than a star baseball player I've gotten multiple times.
I feel like public signings are a hassle when free [too many vultures, too many restrictions and not autographs signed for everybody] and I also don't want to pay for anyone [maybe Matt Kemp, Mike Trout, Clayton Kershaw] I've gotten for free before - updated 1/8/13.
10.) Take at least 20 photo ops with various players - see if I can print out the images and get them signed.
I only got pictures with Gerrit Cole, Yasiel Puig [didn't come out well because it was at night] and Torii Hunter - updated 1/8/13.
11.) Be able to pick up around 60 different images between Photofile images/Future Star photos and other images - to get them inked up.
I think I may have picked up 30-40 photos in 2012, though with a handful of 'leftovers,' where I didn't get the photos signed depending on the player - updated 1/8/13.
12.) Send at least 100 requests through the mail and re-establish a way to get something in the mailbox on a somewhat regular basis - send requests to five or six players who sign through the mail, but charge a small fee otherwise like Phil Niekro, Dave Parker, et al.
I might have sent 20-25 out [if that many] at the most and it's a little cumbersome for me to consistently put together requests when I do have in-person opportunities to get stuff signed - updated 1/8/13.
13.) Be able to account for all autograph outings and total number of autographs collected - jot down exact time an autograph was signed by somebody [I maybe sort of kidding or I may not], types of cards signed and be able to total up autographs for the day, month and the year
I think I was successful, though actually physically putting the cards away has been a chronic problem - updated 1/8/13.
14.) Take photographic evidence of all the signed baseballs I have - list the baseballs in a database as best as I can.
I want to be able to have an idea of what a signed ball I have in my collection looked like at one point to compare to the actual signed ball at a later date, though I'm not sure if I'm up to this project - updated 1/8/13.
15.) Create an archive of autographs received over the last three or four years from spring training, regular season and the Arizona Fall League - it isn't rocket science to create 'scrapbooks,' to show what I got, minus the set cards I separate and maybe some of the 'better' autographs I've gotten on cards. I should have an idea of when I got a set of autographs and no cards should be missing otherwise.
Maybe an unclear goal, but I am trying to dump all the loose autograph cards I've gotten [mostly between the late 2000s through 2010] in a box to serve as a morgue with cards from 2011-present stored in plastic sheets - updated 1/8/13.
1.) Players to get on baseballs - Sandy Koufax, Carlos Gonzalez, Mark McGwire, Clayton Kershaw, Matt Kemp, Roy Halladay, Omar Vizquel, Adrian Gonzalez, Matt Holliday, Felix Hernandez, Nolan Ryan, Miguel Cabrera, Andrew McCutchen, Prince Fielder [specialty baseball], Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera, Elvis Andrus, Tim Lincecum [specialty baseball] and Yu Darvish.
2.) Get about 15-20 in-person fu oh-yeahs! - these are basically 'achievements' depending on the subject [in most cases], the item signed, the quality of the autograph and the story behind getting the autograph.
3.) 2012 'autograph set' goals - get close to the number as possible.
2001 Fleer Tradition - 50 cards
2001 Upper Deck Minor League Centennial - 25 cards
2004 Bowman Draft - 25 cards
2004 Upper Deck USA 25th - 25 cards
2004 Topps Cracker Jack - 25 cards
2005 Bowman Draft - 25 cards
2005-2006 Topps Turkey Red - 30 cards
2006 Topps Allen and Ginter - 50 cards
2007 Topps Allen and Ginter - 50 cards
2008 Topps Allen and Ginter - 50 cards
2009 Topps Allen and Ginter - 50 cards
2010 Topps Allen and Ginter - 70 cards
2011 Topps Allen and Ginter - 70 cards
4.) Hammer out detailed checklists of my autograph cards sets - to find out what I have signed, what I still need to get signed, what may need an 'upgrade' and unsigned cards I maybe missing.
2001 Fleer Tradition - done
2001 Upper Deck Minor League Centennial - done
2004 Bowman Draft
2004 Topps Cracker Jack
2004 Upper Deck USA 25th Anniversary
2005 Bowman Draft
2005/2006 Topps Turkey Red
2006 Topps Allen and Ginter
2007 Topps Allen and Ginter
2008 Topps Allen and Ginter
2009 Topps Allen and Ginter
2010 Topps Allen and Ginter
2011 Topps Allen and Ginter
5.) Be able to cross off three or four subjects from my so-called list of top players - I want to get...Albert Pujols, Robinson Cano, Mariano Rivera, Miguel Cabrera and Yu Darvish.
6.) Angels autograph collection - make it a point to count out at least 100 different autographs and be able to add at least 15-20 new autographs.
7.) Get at least 200 autograph subjects [mainly baseball] for the first-time split between the Major Leagues, the minors and everything in-between; from the beginning of the year to the end - jot down the names down as achievements.
A.) I don't count subjects who I may have gotten in the mail first - I do count getting subjects for the first time, if the only autographs I've gotten were purchased [either certified or not].
B.) Notable non-players working around Major League Baseball count - media, broadcasters, umpires, journalists, bloggers, public address announcers, personalities, etc.
C.) Amateur players count - players in high school / college.
D.) Any subjects unrelated to baseball now count - such as athletes from other pro sports, celebrities, etc.
8.) See at least six baseball teams I didn't see in 2011 - Arizona Diamondbacks, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, Colorado Rockies and Chicago Cubs in addition to other teams like the St. Louis Cardinals, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers I might normally want to see.
With the Angels having Albert Pujols presumably in the lineup for most of their home schedule - it maybe a better choice to watch the Angels in-person instead of go to San Diego for autographs, if their games are played at the same day/time.
9.) Go find and be at 10-15 events, such as a organized public appearances/paid autograph signings/book signings/et al - hopefully there are three or four opportunities I can mark down as far as non-baseball events.
A non-baseball [other sport athlete/non-sport] subject would probably be a bigger score - depending on who it is than a star baseball player I've gotten multiple times.
10.) Take at least 20 photo ops with various players - see if I can print out the images and get them signed.
11.) Be able to pick up around 60 different images between Photofile images/Future Star photos and other images - to get them inked up.
12.) Send at least 100 requests through the mail and re-establish a way to get something in the mailbox on a somewhat regular basis - send requests to five or six players who sign through the mail, but charge a small fee otherwise like Phil Niekro, Dave Parker, et al.
13.) Be able to account for all autograph outings and total number of autographs collected - jot down exact time an autograph was signed by somebody [I maybe sort of kidding or I may not], types of cards signed and be able to total up autographs for the day, month and the year
14.) Take photographic evidence of all the signed baseballs I have - list the baseballs in a database as best as I can.
15.) Create an archive of autographs received over the last three or four years from spring training, regular season and the Arizona Fall League - it isn't rocket science to create 'scrapbooks,' to show what I got, minus the set cards I separate and maybe some of the 'better' autographs I've gotten on cards. I should have an idea of when I got a set of autographs and no cards should be missing otherwise.
When my parents and I were at my sister's newish house for dinner, her husband brought out his younger brother's cards for me to look at - there was several boxes of cards, maybe a binder filled with hockey cards and some 'good' baseball cards like a 1987 Topps Mark McGwire, 1987 Topps Will Clark RC, a Lance Parrish autographed card, a couple of 1988 Topps 'white triangle' McGwire record breaker cards, some Jose Canseco cards and others.
There was a b/w 8x10 glossy of Chad Curtis and some odd-sized b/w promotional photos autographed by some California Angels of the early 1990s - the best one was probably a Dave Winfield that had some damage of some sort on the photo/autograph.
It was sort of fun trying to go through them, though it took me about five minutes to realize it was the typical 1986-1992 junk wax collection - I said I expected as much and perhaps the only real interesting cards that may have stood out [because they were older than 1988-1992 range] was a 1968 Topps Stan Bahnsen rookie card and a 1976 Topps Babe Ruth.