Spring Training Autographs- Minor Leaguers

Now that I've been back from my Spring Training trip for well over a month and the regular season is nearly three weeks old, I think it's about time that I make it through all of the autographs I got in Spring Training. So here is another post that is heavy on pictures and light on words.

Don't act like you mind. 

I'm gonna start off with some players who have actually played for the Orioles at some point over the years. 

Jack Cust was a late Spring signing who headed directly to minor league camp and never had much of a shot to make the O's. He was attempting a comeback but I think might have retired after being cut.

T.J. spent the 2013 season in the O's bullpen as a Rule V pick from the Indians but is back in the minors attempting to stretch out and become a starter down the road. 

Henry also spent some time in Baltimore last year but was edged out of the OF competition during Spring Training. 

This group of players were all at the O's camp during Spring but didn't make the team. 

You've most likely already seen signed custom Orioles OMC cards of most of they players here and I don't have much more to say about them.

 Stupid chrome cards. I even "prepped" this one. Obviously not well. 

I have to give Quintin props, he is a good signer.

 Two consecutive players with B.B. initials whose signatures largely consist of two large B's. Just an observation.

Kelvin's stock in the organization seems to have dropped pretty quickly. He signed a Major League deal, but has since been outrighted off the roster and is sporting an 11.37 ERA through six appearances with the AAA Tides. 

Now that's a proper chrome card signature. 

Could this be the year that Caleb makes the jump to the Majors? At least he's already progressed to AAA after a bunch of years at AA.

Johnny is another good signer, and I like to give respect where it's due. 

Xavier didn't seem like much of a fan of signing, but I still got him a few times. 

I heard from some other collectors that Eduardo was tough but I've never had problems with him. 

Jemile was sooo close to making the O's roster, but David Lough avoided a DL trip. 

The players below all signed for me on my one morning spent at minor league camp.

For whatever reason, Kalina has already decided that Ronald is the player she is going to root for at Bowie this year. 

Chih-Hsien is also with Bowie. 

That's a nice orange uni. 

And these two guys are already out of the organization.

Thanks again for taking the time to sign Alfredo!

Scott, we hardly knew ya!

Heading for the Colleciton

A vast majority of the autographs that I got during my Spring Training Trip were of players who have yet to have played for the Orioles. In fact, quite a few of them might never appear in a game for the Orioles, but since you can never predict that sort of thing in early March, I always try to get their signed Orioles cards so that I can just slide it into my collection if/when they make their Orioles debut. A preventative strike, if you will.

Today, I'm going to show off a few autographs that I got on my trip that I am quite confident are heading straight for my collection, for a few various reasons.

I'll start out with the personalized upgrades of players who have already appeared in a game with the O's, so they will be directly slotted into my collection.

I'll start with Bud Norris, whose autograph I got on this Orioles card for the first time at FanFest thanks to Aaron. And now I have it personalized too!

I always get excited when the O's bring in former players to help out at camp. Todd Frohwirth has been a scout for the organization for a few years but is based on the west coast so rarely appears at games in Baltimore. He was in Sarasota to help current side-armed reliever Darren O'Day on his "mechanics" or whatever those wacky sidewinders call their pitching motion. 

Jack Cust was also back in camp with the Birds, after they signed him to a minor league contract. He seemed like a really nice guy when I ran into him at the team's minor league camp.

Next up are the two players who the O's signed this off-season that I am quite confident will end up playing some games in Baltimore, Ubaldo Jimenez and Nelson Cruz.

Finally, I was able to add/upgrade some autographs for my coaches collection. 

Bobby Dickerson and Einar Diaz were both on the coaching roster last year and I was able to get their personalized signatures. 

While Dom Chiti and Dave Wallace are both new in town but were nice enough to sign and personalize their cards as well.

 

 As always, thanks to my dad for producing these awesome old man cards.I don't know how many people comment about them and pass along their complements but you do a really great job on them! Thanks old man!

Finishing off my C autos

Since I didn't make it to any games this weekend and didn't get any cards back in the mail, I will finish up with my C autographs. Since it has been so long since I started this, you can catch up on it here and here.

Mike Cook 1993

This is the only card I had of Mike when I got it signed at a game. He only pitched in 2 games for the O's but I remember him since this is the only card I got signed on the team playing cards.

Rocky Coppinger 1996-99

I remember the O's had high hopes for a bright future for him at one point but doesn't Rocky's autograph looks pretty good on this card? That's something positive right?

Moving on...


Terry "the Crow" Crowley 1969-73, 76-82

The current O's hitting coach is widely regarded as the best Oriole pinch hitter of all time, with his 108 career pinch hits ranking 13th most all-time in MLB. He was also the Orioles first designated hitter, filling the roll once the rule was implemented in 1973.

Todd Cruz 1983-84

Todd unfortunately passed away last fall at the young age of 52 while swimming in a pool at his apartment complex. He will always be remembered by O's fans for being a valuable member of the 1983 World Series championship squad. He filled the role of Curly of the "Three Stooges" along with Rick Dempsey and Rich Dauer in the bottom third of the '83 lineup.

Darwin Cubillan 2004

I don't remember Darwin being an Oriole at all and this is only card (that I'm aware of) of him in an affiliates uniform. He only pitched in 7 games as a reliever for the O's and had a 5.40 ERA.
The most interesting thing I could find about him is that he pitched in Japan and Korea after being released by the O's but was known only as Darwin since Cubillan sounds like "Kubi Yan" which means "he is fired, isn't he?" in Japanese. Thank you Wikipedia.

"Stumbling" Jack Cust 2003-04

This story sums up Jack's time as an Oriole:

During a game in August 2003 between O's and the Yankees, Cust was the would-be tying run in the 12th inning with two outs when he tried to score from first on a single to the gap by Larry Bigbie. Cust first stumbled and tumbled over between third and home, and hence was caught in a rundown. Cust somehow got past the defense, and was sprinting towards home with nobody covering it. The O's were going to win the game!!! Instead of scoring the winning run, however and inexplicably, Cust fell down for the second time. He was tagged out by Aaron Boone to end the game and cemented the nickname of "Stumbling Jack" in Orioles fans' brains forever.