"To Ryan"

As some of you already know, I prefer my Orioles autographs personalized to me whenever it's possible. Getting autographs can be tough enough and adding the extra personalization request can further complicate things at times. But it lets the players know that I have no intent of flipping the autographs I receive and I really like how it makes the autographs unique to my collection.

Over the years, I've added personalized autographs to my collection in a few different ways.

The two most common have been:

Public Signings/Appearances- especially when there is a small number of attendees and/or you can pay a little extra for personalization. Some of these autographs are probably 15 years old at this point.

 

Every Orioles fan has an Al Bumbry autograph if they really want one. Dude is always around town.

 

I was a Pirates fan when I was younger. Drabek later played for the O's, so this card has stuck around.

 

 I have an abnormally large amount of Rick Krivda autographs, even for me. 

I remember something about a private signings with very few attendees, many years back.

 

Dave is another guy who lives in the Baltimore area and has appeared around the vicinity for many years.

To the best of my recollection, Tackett is one of very few Orioles to have appeared during his playing days at the mall "card show" in my relatively small hometown of Carlisle, PA. Demand was pretty low for him too.

Sheets is yet another omnipresent former Oriole.

Singleton might have also made the trek to Carlisle, but I can't say for sure.

 

I got this one done through a signing on Sportscollectors.net. 

Probably the method that is responsible for the most personalized autographs in my collection is TTM requests. Players who sign autographs through the mail generally are happy to personalize as well..

 

I was really happy to come across this oddball Orioles issue of Pete Smith, even happier to see 

that he signs TTM, and happier still when he returned this to me after over 250 days.

Dave charges to sign TTM, but at least he signs.

Kelly was even nice enough to add "Best Wishes"

At just under a year, this one took a long time to get back, but I'm always happy to get those envelopes!

The third most effective way to add personalized autographs is in-person, which is easiest when the players are in the minor leagues. 

 

As is the case with former Oriole and current AA Bowie Baysox member, Armando Gabino.

 

Devo is currently a coach with the hi-A Frederick Keys; he was nice enough to personalize earlier this year.

Goodbye Steve!

The Giants took Steve Johnson in the Major League part of today's Rule V draft, so for now he is out of the Orioles system. I'm sure that his dad, former Orioles pitcher and current 105.7 broadcaster, Dave is pretty upset today. I remember listening to the radio when the Sherrill trade was anounced and Dave found out that Steve was coming to the Orioles organization. The way I recall it, Dave broke down in tears on-air, so I can only assume that he is even more upset this morning.

Steve pitched the final two months of the '09 season for the Baysox and went 3-2 with a 2.84 ERA in 7 starts. That's pretty good but the one start of his that I got to see didn't go so well.

It's likely that Steve will eventually make his way back to the Orioles since the Giants have to keep him on their 25 man roster all season or offer him back to the O's for $25k, or half of what it cost to draft him. If you want to learn more about the Rule V draft you can check out this link. It's kind of confusing and would take forever for me to try to type up. Also, I get mixed up about all of the situations that come up so I would probably just confuse everyone anyway. But I do know that a majority of the players taken are eventually offered back to their old teams because they just aren't ready to play at the Major League level.

Either way, good luck in the future Steve. You seem like a great guy!

An attempt to catch up...Orioles Alumni Autographs

I am so far behind on things I want to post that if I can share half of what I have I will still be a few weeks behind. If that even makes sense.

The two main things I will try to get to this week are my pictures and autographs from the Nats Picnic in the Park two Saturday's ago and my pictures from Harold Baines' Orioles Hall of Fame induction this past Saturday. I know Steve at White Sox Cards will be especially interested in those.

But today's post will showcase the autographs I've got at the past four or five Orioles Alumni Autograph series. Most of these are available in a trade if you are interested.

And here we go...


This was the first time I ever got Dave's autograph. Nice addition to my collection!



If you are an O's fan and don't have "the B's" autograph, you are doing something wrong.



My Devo autograph collection is much larger now than it was before. My favorite is the upside down one.


Ken Gerhart, yep.



This was the first time I got Ross's autograph in person. Check out his cards from back in the day. He had some wacky hair styles. This one wasn't too bad, in comparison at least.



John Habyan, another first time in person auto.



Billy Hunter was nice as always.



Dave Johnson is always around the Yard. Another guy that any O's collector should have.



McGregor is a local guy; which equals me having 50 autographs of his. Give or take 20.



Gary is not around nearly as much so I don't have very many of his signatures. And couldn't Donruss and Fleer changed the border colors up just a little bit? Ah, the 80s.



Dave made an appearance, taking a break from his Minor League duties.



My Larry Sheets autograph collection rivals my McGregor & Bumbry collections.


Bill Swaggerty doesn't look like this at all. At least, not anymore.

O's FanFest=new autographs! (Updated with pictures!)

Here is the Bob Kuzava card I blogged about the other day

So I've had a busy weekend, hence no new posts and I don't have a lot left in the tank for a great post right now. But since I told myself I wouldn't skip blogging for two consecutive days, here I go.

I had one of my greatest autograph weekends ever! I put in the time and effort at Orioles FanFest yesterday and it really paid off. I was able to get two current Orioles' autographs, Ryan Freel & Matt Albers, thanks to some friends!

I also got autos from a number of past Orioles; Paul Blair, Dick Hall, Dave Johnson, Scott McGregor, Tim Nordbrook (who my girlfriend and I agree was one of the nicest players ever, he complimented my hat!) Jim Palmer & Larry Sheets.








I also purchased a Luke Scott UD Inkcredible and a Brian Burres UD Star Signings.




I didn't have an autograph from Freel, Albers, Hall, Nordbrook or Scott, so I now have 320 different O's autographs, 37.1% of my goal. I finally feel like I am making some progress since I started writing about my collection so that's nice. I will delve a bit more into my experience tomorrow and will try to have pictures both of the players signing and of the cards. I also have to thank my girlfriend and parents for their help, I know I can use as much of it as I can get.

(L to R) Dick Hall, Scott McGregor, Tim Nordbrook

Tim Nordbrook & Jim Palmer

And many thanks to my buddy at Lance Burnitz's blog for sending me an awesome Sam Horn autograph. I hope to put together something to send him this week.



And O by the way, tomorrow is Opening Day! Everyone put on your black & orange and come out to the Yard! Let's watch the Birds take out the awful Stanks to start the season. You can't have a perfect season unless you win the first game! LET'S GO O'S!