Orioles Autograph Year in Review- The Kinda Good Signers

Rolling on with my Orioles autograph review, we're now getting to the players who were pretty good to the fans this year. These players signed multiple times for me over the course of the season.

Matusz signed this card for me within the first week or so of the season, and he also signed his jersey shirt the Orioles gave away on one of their T-Shirt Tuesdays. He still is a decent signer considering he is probably the O's most likely future star. Last year, I ranked him as one of the best signers on the team, so he might have taken a step backwards this year.

Last season, I saw Koji sign one time at Oriole Park and I just missed out on getting his autograph, so I put him in the don't think he's a good signer category. I sent him a TTM request late in the season, but didn't get it back, so I bought his autograph at a card show prior to the 2010 season. Since then, I got Koji's autograph in Spring Training, he returned my TTM request, and he signed for me at two games during the season. Talk about a turnaround.

Berken signed for me a few times during the season and I probably would've got his autograph a few more times if an injury hadn't ended his season in mid-August. You could consistently count on him to sign on Sundays while he was with the team. Last season, I listed him one step up from here, in the good signer category. 

Garrett was a much better signer than player during his 44 games with the O's.  I got his autograph at Fanfest, Spring Training, and two times in Baltimore before he was released on July 6.  You can tell things might be over for you when no other team will even take a chance on you at the league minimum salary.

Trading a Wolf for a Fox

According to reports from the Baltimore Sun, the Orioles traded AAA pitcher Ross Wolf to the Oakland A's for Jake Fox, who had been designated for assignment by the A's just over a week ago. I had the chance to briefly talk to Ross this spring training and he seemed like a great guy. He's never appeared in the Major Leagues, but has had a solid year for the Tides and I would guess that he will make his MLB debut for the A's sometime this year. I hope that he has a good future in Oakland.

Jake Fox has appeared in big league games for the Cubs in '07 & '09 and the A's this season. He showed some decent pop in '09 when he hit 11 HR in 82 games, but was struggling at the plate this year. My guess is that his arrival in Baltimore spells the end of Garrett Atkins' miserable stay in Birdland. Fox has some versatility as he can play both corner outfield and infield positions, DH, and catch. It will be nice to have a super utility player who can also catch in emergencies and I have to say that it's not too surprising to see MacPhail bring another former Cubbie into the organization.

Jake has cards in the '09 & '10 Topps Heritage, '10 UD & '09 Topps Updates sets. I'm hoping that I have at least one of those cards around the house for him to sign. According to SCN, he signs at a 53% return rate, but many of those were early in his career while he was still in the minors, so I hope to get him at the ballpark sometime soon.

I would guess that this is the first of many trades that the Orioles will be making over the next month or so, but only time will tell.

Some Recent Autographs from O's Games

It seems as though Garrett's signing habits have improved as his on-field play continues to stagnate...but this is now the most official Orioles card of his that's in my collection, so I'm happy.


This Jonesy card is now my favorite autograph of his; doesn't it just looks great signed?

I think that this is Kranny's only baseball card. I like how he's listed as a pre-rookie coach. And it's a shame that he is no longer rocking that 'stache.

LUUUUUUUKKKEE is always a great signer whether he hits or not. So I prefer when he's mashing and signing. As opposed to not. This card is tagged for a fellow blogger who is collecting this set. And seriously, does anyone out there want/need anything signed by Luke? He signs at almost every game and I am running low on cards. He is a great guy.

Signs of Life-Courtesy of Rhyne HUUUUUGHES

I know that I briefly turned my attention away from the current state of the Orioles; I continued to watch and/or follow the games, but I had taken a break from writing about the mostly-depressing goings on. But suddenly, I have something positive to talk about, and his name is Rhyne Hughes!

He was called up prior to Saturday's game and played 1B both Saturday and Sunday. Oh, and he has only gone 4-9 with a double, 1 run scored and 2 RBI. Not a bad way to make his Major League debut if you ask me. And since Garrett Atkins wasn't exactly tearing it up at the plate, is it possible that Hughes is the full-time first baseman? I say that anything can happen considering how the season has gone so far!

Now, if you have been following this blog over the past few months, this is far from the first time you have heard Rhyne's name. I did a post dedicated to him in February when I was profiling all of the Minor League Members of the Orioles 40-man roster. At that point, I did not have his autograph, but was lucky enough to catch up with him in Spring Training, so you might have seen the card at the top of the post then. Rhyne announced his arrival to the organization in the O's first Spring Training game on March 4th, when he went deep twice against the Rays.

Rhyne had been feasting on AAA pitching so far this year (he was hitting .353, with 3 HRs, 11 RBI and an 1.088 OPS before getting called up) so his success at the plate isn't much of a surprise. But it is nice to see a player succeed immediately during his first action at the Major League level. The main negative about him is that he strikes out about 25% of his ABs, but if he can hit the other 75% of the time, I won't have anything bad to say about him.

Let's Go O's!

New Players On the Orioles Opening Day Roster

And I'm not talking about guys like Garrett Atkins, Kevin Millwood or Mike Gonzalez who I have been counting in my total number of Orioles players since they were signed. Barring a tragic injury or untimely death, we all knew that they would be making the team out of Spring Training, so I have included them in my total number of Orioles players since the day they signed with the club.
Is it right to include guys like that in my total? Yes, I think it's fine; it could be slightly misleading at most, but this is my site so we play by my rules.



The three guys that made the team that I didn't expect to see in Baltimore are Will Ohman, Craig Tatum and the newly acquired Julio Lugo. The fact that David Hernandez and Jason Berken made the Opening Day roster were also a bit of a surprise but from my autograph standpoint, I have been able to get them to sign multiple times in person. I do not have an autograph of Ohman or Lugo so they are going to be my primary focus at the beginning of the season. I have been able to obtain a signed card and Orioles player card of Tatum through trades, but would like to get his autograph in person as well. Once Ohman, Tatum and Lugo officially appear in a game wearing the Orange and Black, I will add them to the running total of players that have appeared in a game for the Birds. Right now that number sits at 873, but it will likely soon be 876.

I'm ready for some Orioles baseball!

Spring Training Successes- Orioles Card Edition

Here's the beginning of the autographs that I got in spring training. I normally try to avoid displaying so many cards in one post but stick with me on this. All of these are signed Orioles cards, and are either the first time I got that player to sign in person, or their first Orioles card that I have signed in my collection. I would say that this group of cards are my best auto-ccomplishment from Sarasota.

I have to start with two players that have been a thorn in my side for the past year. I recently obtained autographs of them both via trade and a gift but this was the first time that they signed for me in person.


I finally got the elusive "Koji 19" autograph that had evaded me for a complete season. He was also one of the last signatures that I got in my time at Ed Smith Stadium. As was the case on the other occasions that I saw him signing, he started signing far from where I was and I had to make a break for him, but this time, I finally got what I wanted.


I had few opportunities to get Alfredo's autograph since he was injured very early last season and was rarely with the team after his April surgery. I had to call out his name a few times before he reluctantly came over to sign, and he signed for only a few other people and me.



This next group of guys had their first Orioles cards produced after the 2009 season.


Including unlicensed 2010 UD cards of Chad Moeller and Justin Turner.


Whereas UD did a respectable job of hiding any glimpse of the O's logo on Moeller's card,


the Bird logo on Justin's helmet is clearly visible.



I bought the 2010 Topps Heritage team set in the week before I flew south which worked out well since it included Kevin Millwood's and Garrett Atkins's first O's cards.


Millwood is obviously wearing an Orioles uni but I have no idea where the picture may have been taken. Kevin was discussing golf with Scott Moore when he signed this and had just spoken to Dick Vitale, who was on the field during warm-ups.


I'm skeptical that this is actually an Orioles uniform since there is no way that Heritage had the time to take a picture and get it into a set that came out before Atkins had likely ever broken a sweat for the O's, but at least it's not obviously a Rockies uni on an "Orioles" card. This works for me!


Tillman had a few Orioles cards come out in late 2009 sets but this card is perfect for an autograph. He also signed the FanFest picture that Kalina had of the two of them, and said something about that when he signed it.


This is from the 2010 Topps When They Were Young insert set and is the only card to date that shows Berken in an Orioles uniform, even though it's focus is of him as a kid.


This is Kam's first Orioles card and it's from the Bowman Chrome set. I like it even more since he is wearing an orange uniform; the picture was probably taken during spring training last year. Although he doesn't have a great autograph, at least it's close to what is pictured on the card.


I mentioned that Scott had been talking with Millwood about golf. It sounded like both of them are pretty proficient at it and were talking about which other O's could hold their own against them. Scott has only spent a little time in Baltimore and was on the Tides' DL when I went to Norfolk last year, so this was one of my first chances to get his signature.


Somehow, I didn't have a Bordick in-person autograph in my collection. I really like this card of his because of the action shot and the textured laces that are visible in the top left and bottom right corners. Mike also nicely personalized a card for Kalina, who was always a big fan of his.


Sorry again for the long post, the next few Spring Training auto posts should be shorter, but I hope you enjoyed seeing some of my successes.

2010 Orioles Fanfest Recap

Good evening everyone, I hope that all of you Orioles fans out there had a great time at FanFest today. I know that I did! I have to thank my parents and my fiance for helping me to get all of these autographs.

First off, for the Bearded Orioles fan that had to work today, I present to you some crazy pictures of Nick Markakis.


It was like Peter Griffin's beard from that episode of Family Guy. Some sparrows were nesting in it.



I was able to finally get my first in-person Markakis autos too. It's about time!


I also got my first autographs from Kevin Millwood & Garrett Atkins. I got them both to sign a baseball card, from the Rangers and Rockies respectively, as well as an O's player card to add to my collection. That's the best I can do until they have Orioles cards, probably in the late 2010 sets.





Atkins didn't exactly look thrilled to be there. I mean, I understand that signing autographs for hundreds of fans isn't exactly thrilling but this was his first impression to O's fans. Step it up buddy!



Nolan Reimold signed his first official Orioles cards for us too. Kalina kind of liked getting to see him and got her Reimold jersey signed too.



Dino also signed his first O's card to add to my collection.

For some reason, he thought that signing this card in silver sharpie would make the autograph "stick" to the card better. I wiped all my cards down so it wouldn't have mattered in my case but I get where he's going and respect that he noticed something like that.


JJ mentioned that every time he sees the card on the right that he wants to add a mustache to it. I said, go ahead and do it but I think he thought I was kidding so he didn't. Maybe I will try again at Spring Training.


I really like the Topps 206 for autographs. So I got Pie to sign both his base card and the Piedmont mini.


The last time we saw Lou was in Frederick at the game on my birthday while he was on his rehab assignment.


I really wish that Sarfate had more than two Orioles cards. I have gotten this card signed a number of times now.


Erbe was the only prospect that I got a signature from. I hope that he moves up to AAA this year so he can pitch for the O's soon.



Frohwirth is the only O's alumni autograph that I got and I believe this card is my first in-person auto from him. You know I like those submarining pitchers!

I picked up a flex plan of tickets to Frederick Keys games that netted me this sweet new Matusz bobblehead, too.


All in all, things at FanFest were a little wild and unorganized but now that I've had a few hours away from the lines and crowds, I had a great haul of autos, cards, and goodies.

Thanks again to my Mom, Dad and Kalina. You guys are great for helping me out with my autograph collection (obsession). Oh, and Mom thanks for the Andino autograph (haha).

2010 Orioles FanFest!!!

Picture From Orioles.com website

OK, the FanFest announcement was made on Wednesday afternoon and was going to be the topic of yesterday's blog entry. But then the O's signed Mike "The Cobra" Gonzalez and Garrett (nickname pending) Atkins. I figured that those signings were bigger news, but in terms of my autograph collecting, FanFest is one of the best days of the year for it.

If you're not familiar with the setup, the highlight is that they have a bunch of current and former players sign autographs and take pictures with fans. There are also a bunch of stadium giveaways that are handed out, various O's memorabilia that isn't available anywhere else, ballpark food, and some vendor tables. There are also kids areas with various fun activities but I normally skip over all that.

The past few years FanFest was held at Camden Yards on the weekend before the season started, but since the O's open the season at Tampa Bay, they moved the event back to January. When I first went to FanFest as a kid, it was held at Camden Yards, then moved to the Convention Center, then back to the Yard, and now back to the convention center. Try to keep up with the bouncing FanFest!

It is the best event of the year to gain access to some of the players that don't sign much around the Yard. Nick Markakis comes to mind, but since he is one of the most popular players on the team, his line will be really long, and inevitably filled with some adolescent girls that want to meet the "hottest" Oriole. Meh, not really what I'm trying to do and since I do have his autograph, I will likely avoid his station.

My goal is to get Koji Uehara, Kevin Millwood, Garrett Atkins and Alfredo Simon to add to my collection. I don't know if they will all be in attendance but I will add whoever I can. I'm really excited about this and will have to work on getting my cards ready after Christmas. Winter graphing, I love it!

The Orioles are Makin' Moves

So the O's really stepped up their offseason spending last night by signing both Mike Gonzalez and Garrett Atkins.


The Gonzalez signing excited me because I was able to get his autograph when the Braves were in Baltimore this past season, so I already have his autograph. That works out well for my project! This also highlights why I don't like to trade away autographs I get from current players on other teams; they could become an Oriole at any time. Gonzalez signed at two of the three Braves games in Baltimore last year and is a 62% signer on SCN.

As far as I understand his contract, he signed for 2 years for between $12-16 million to become the O's closer.

He has a pretty sweet nickname too. He earned the moniker "The Cobra" because he rocks back in forth in his pitching motion, like he is putting the hitters into a trance before he gets them out. He seems to prefer being called "Gonzo" but I feel like the Cobra is a pretty awesome nickname for a closer. And I was a huge G.I. Joe growing up.


Atkins doesn't excite me quite as much since his numbers have declined for the past 3-4 seasons but his deal will reflect how well he plays. He is guaranteed $4 million in 2010 with a $8.5 million club option for 2011 with a $500k buyout. Hopefully Josh Bell will be ready in 2011 but I would like Atkins to have a great season to make it a tough call on the option year.

He can play 1B or 3B which frees the front office to sign another player who plays at either of those positions. And since we technically didn't have a first or third baseman before his signing, it's a major upgrade.


This isn't my card but I borrowed the image from the photobucket site. I am looking for an Atkins autograph if anyone has one. He's a 58% signed on SCN so I might try to have him sign TTM for me.