New Arrival: Corey Hart
I started digging Corey Hart back in 2002, back when he was in A-AA ball. I remember that he was putting up really good numbers, but what really caught my attention was that “Baseball America” kept comparing him to Richie Sexson. This was, for the early oughts, a real compliment. Sexson smacked 45 HR is 2001, and 29 in 2002. He hit for a nice average, got on base, and was generally the kind of player that any prospect would love to get compared too. I remember writing to him, and getting back the index card I sent with a nice (though creased) autograph.
The comps were not that far off. The difference in that Hart does not have quite so much power…but his career does not look like it is going to fall of a cliff like Sexsons, though.
Hart does not have that many certified autographs. Worse, all his Allen & Ginter cards don’t look good with autographs. I jumped on the chance to take part in a private signing, and got these two cards done. I am very happy with them!
| Year | Tm | AB | HR | RBI | SB | CS | BB | SO | Awards | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | MIL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | |
| 2005 | MIL | 57 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 11 | .193 | .270 | |
| 2006 | MIL | 237 | 9 | 33 | 5 | 8 | 17 | 58 | .283 | .328 | |
| 2007 | MIL | 505 | 24 | 81 | 23 | 7 | 36 | 99 | .295 | .353 | |
| 2008 | MIL | 612 | 20 | 91 | 23 | 7 | 27 | 109 | .268 | .300 | AS |
| 2009 | MIL | 419 | 12 | 48 | 11 | 6 | 43 | 92 | .260 | .335 | |
| 2010 | MIL | 558 | 31 | 102 | 7 | 6 | 45 | 140 | .283 | .340 | AS,MVP-25 |
| 2011 | MIL | 492 | 26 | 63 | 7 | 6 | 51 | 114 | .285 | .356 | |
| 2012 | MIL | 176 | 10 | 23 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 53 | .256 | .323 | |
| 9 Yrs | 3057 | 134 | 448 | 79 | 40 | 240 | 677 | .276 | .333 | ||
| 162 Game Avg. | 587 | 26 | 86 | 15 | 8 | 46 | 130 | .276 | .333 | ||
Mail Day: My new favorite Minor Leaguer…
Went to get the mail this morning…and look who I got. Just did a post about him last night on here.
Not only does he have great handwriting, but he signs TTM. This man is going to be a first ballot HOF if I have anything to say about it…
From my collection: Lonnie Chisenhall
Well, even thought he did not sign my card, it was super cool of him to toss in his own with this note. I became a fan pretty fast after this.
Lonnie Chisenhall was called back up to the big league club, and today whacked a homer to help the Indians beat the Royals. It was a fun game.
It is kind of a bummer that the Indians had to call him up to replace Hannahan, though. He is hitting OK in Columbus, but not really walking like he should. And if we cant get walks against AAA guys, pitchers at the big league level can eat you up. Nobody denies how much talent he has…some people compare him to Travis Fryman…so I am hoping that he turns in up with the Tribe. We are fighting to stay in first, and cant afford to0 many holes in the line-up.
Chisenhall has always been a tough autograph for me. He does not sign sweet spot cards, and I have never been able to snag him in the mail other than the card above.
I will always remember Chisenhall most for his time in Akron back in 2010. He joined the team right around the time I came back to town. It had been almost 5 years since I was home, and was really pumped about going to games to get autographs. The first game I went to was in Akron, and I was so excited to get some autographs in person. Lonnie would not sign pre-game, and after the game waited until everyone left…so I never got him. It was very frustrating.
The worse part about it was how upset I was. It was the first time that I had graphed in-person since I became a real hardcore collector, and I was not prepared for that kind of disappointment. Anyone who collects IP knows that is just the way that the cards fall and its best to never get too worked up about it, but being that I came so far and had so few games to get autographs I was just not thinking right. Susan was a real champ in the car while I whined the entire way home. I like to think I am a little more level headed now. Not much. But a little.
Two days later I went to another game…and had no problems at all getting him. I was able to get this ball signed:
I hate to admit it, but autograph collecting really has become my passion. And the shame is that I live in a place that has no baseball to speak of, so all my collecting is done long distance. This makes collecting both more difficult and more expensive. It has gotten to the point where I wait all year just to come home to Ohio so I can go to games in Akron, Lake County and Cleveland and try to get autographs. You want to know how bad it is? I have, on a couple occasions, dreamed about this for the better part of two months. Dreamed. How pathetic is that?
The tough part is trying to make peace before hand with the dissapointment that comes with collecting in person I am only home for a few weeks, and can only go to so many games…guys being fickle, big crowds and bad weather can all kill your chances of getting a certain guy during a given timeframe. For a person living there that is just fine–you have a whole season–but for me it has to break just right or I am out cold.
Two years ago I went to three Indians games and got one autograph, Justin Masterson. Last year, the second game I went to, I got Joey Votto, Drew Stubbs, Asdrubal Cabrera and Michael Brantley. That was one game. At another I got Evan Longoria, Ben Zobrist, Sandy Alomar Jr, Hannahan, Pronk, Chris Perez, Raffy, Fausto and Joe Smith. It’s all about timing.
I am about to leave for this years trip. My first three days are planned Captains games. The weather already looks bad. I am going to stay positive.
New Arrival: Troy Trevor Tulowitzki
The Rockies are kind of a cool organization, and one that I have a soft spot for. They have a minor league system that is chock full of players that I like, and the big league club has a few players that I think are just great. And what is really cool is that the organization has an autograph system where you can write to certain players, and for a fee they will sign your item. And the money goes to charity.
This might bother some collectors, but I have no idea why. For one, chances are these guys were not going to touch their mail if it were not for this program. Ask anyone collects TTM how many top tier guys sign and you will find out there are few, if any. Programs like this make it possible to get a authentic autograph straight from the source. It not cheap. Tulo is $30 per item…but considering the amount to time and money it would take to get his in-person, or how much a nice autograph would cost on Ebay, I think $30 is a steal. And the money is going to charity! This is a win, win. Frankly, I don’t see how more organizations are not doing this. Imagine how much money the Tiger would raise if they charged $300 a pop for Verlander. At $300 a pop he would not be inundated with requests, and at that price you know people are not flipping them for a profit. It would only be hard core collectors…and all that money would go to helping out some organization. Perfect!
Anyway. I was about to send an item to the Rockies for Tulo to sign, when this card popped up. I decided I would put in a Snipe and see what happens. If I win I would not send my card in. My logic was simple: while I love my sweet spot cards I understand that their resale value–not that I am planning on selling them–is crap. They are, in essence, custom index cards with uncertified autographs. This card, on the other hand, is a certified on card auto…and one of the better designs of the last 15 years to boot. So I put a $30 Snipe in and see how it rolled. Sure enough, I won…for $21 dollars. I think it was a steal, and a nice investment as well.
Tulowitzki is having a good season: .278 AVG, .353 OBP with 7 HR and 25 RBI while playing good shortstop.
New Arrival: Jackie Bradley, Red Sox
,
Jackie Bradley Jr. is a very good prospect, but that is not really why I originally thought about getting this card.
I think that this set (2011 Prime Cuts from Panini) is the most attractive card design I have seen in years. I was on eBay looking at the players selection and figuring out who might be worth going after, and while glancing at thumbnails saw this card…and that autograph. Look at that thing! That there is a full formed and realized names. We even got a dotted “i”. Now, I am not sure if there is a correlation between handwriting and intelligence, but based on this guys Herbie Handcock I am thinking we got ourselves a bonafide HOF canidate here.
So I got the card (paid $8), and was happy to see that his numbers do seen to back up that gorgeous signature. I am not going to hold it against him that he is a Red Sox…for now.
New Rays: Longoria and Hellickson
Just between us, I kind of like the Rays. And these are two of my favorite players on the team.
I have dug Hellickson for a couple seasons, and even more this season since he is on my fantasy team. He is a heck of a pitcher–4-1, 2.73 with a 1.23 WHIP and a 38/19 strikout to walk ratio so far this season. Guys are only batting .236 off him Last year he went 13-10, 1.15 WHIP with a awesome .210 opponent batting average with only 146 hits allowed in 189 innings…so I think it is very possible he will put up the same, if not better, numbers. I think he can win 20 someday easy.
I have liked Longo since he was in college. He was having a really great season: .329 AVG, 4 HR, 19 RBI and .433 OBP through 82 at-bats. Then he went on the DL with a torn left hamstring and is going to be out a few months. What a bummer. The Rays have half their roster on the DL right now, and it is amazing they are keeping their heads above water. Hopefully they are still in the race when Longoria comes back.
Topps Museum Collection is easily one of the most attractive sets that Topps has put out in a long time. Great design, no stickers, and the autographs all look great. OK checklist too.
New Arrival: Sean Doolittle
Well, this was a nice return.
I have been a Sean Doolittle fan since he was drafted in the First Round by the A’s back in 2007. It has been a journey.
Doolittle was drafted out of the University of Virginia. In college he was the teams first baseman as well as starting pitcher, and excelled at both, and actually held the schools record for wins until surpassed by Danny Hultzen. Prior to the draft most major league teams saw him as a hitting prospect, despite his excellent pitching in college. He was considered athletic, healthy and a safe pick.
The A’s looked like they made a great pick, and he rocketed through the Oakland system. In 2007 he hit well at Vancouver and Kane Country (.243 AVG/.341 OBP/ .347 OPS). In 2008 he became one of the better prospects in the minors, hitting .286/.358/.495 with 22 HR and 91 RBI between Stockton (A ball) and Midland (AA). He would also get sent to the Arizona Fall League, and finish among the best hitters in the prospect laden league.
2009 was a big season. If Doolittle continued to hit in AAA he was certain to get a call up to the big league club. And he would–until mid-May when he was diagnosed with tendinitis and needed surgery on his left knee. He would miss the entire season. He was still well thought of coming into 2010, but more knee surgeries kept him sidelined for the whole season. Properly functioning knees are important for baseball players, and it looked like Doolittle’s baseaball career was quickly coming to an end.
| Year | Age | Tm | Lev | AB | HR | RBI | BB | SO | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 20 | 2 Teams | A-A- | 239 | 4 | 33 | 33 | 50 | .243 | .341 | .688 |
| 2007 | 20 | Vancouver | A- | 46 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 10 | .283 | .421 | .769 |
| 2007 | 20 | Kane County | A | 193 | 4 | 29 | 24 | 40 | .233 | .320 | .667 |
| 2008 | 21 | 2 Teams | A+-AA | 535 | 22 | 91 | 63 | 153 | .286 | .358 | .854 |
| 2008 | 21 | Stockton | A+ | 334 | 18 | 61 | 46 | 99 | .305 | .385 | .945 |
| 2008 | 21 | Midland | AA | 201 | 4 | 30 | 17 | 54 | .254 | .311 | .699 |
| 2009 | 22 | Sacramento | AAA | 105 | 4 | 14 | 15 | 23 | .267 | .364 | .811 |
| 2011 | 24 | Athletics | Rk | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 4 Seasons | 879 | 30 | 138 | 111 | 226 | .272 | .354 | .803 | |||
During training camp in 2011 Dootlittle asked if he could switch positions, from hitter to pitcher. Oakland agreed, and by the end of the season had begun pitching in live games.
How awesome is this: In Stockton he pitched 10.1 innings in relief, allowed 5 hits and striking out 21 (and only 2 walks allowed). Promoted to Midland (AA ball), he has only allowed 2 hits in 11 innings, striking out 19 to only 4 walks.
| Year | Age | Tm | Lev | W | L | IP | H | BB | SO | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 24 | Athletics | Rk | 0 | 0 | 9.00 | 1.0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1.000 |
| 2012 | 25 | 2 Teams | AA-A+ | 0 | 0 | 0.84 | 21.1 | 7 | 6 | 40 | 0.609 |
| 2012 | 25 | Stockton | A+ | 0 | 0 | 0.87 | 10.1 | 5 | 2 | 21 | 0.677 |
| 2012 | 25 | Midland | AA | 0 | 0 | 0.82 | 11.0 | 2 | 4 | 19 | 0.545 |
| 2 Seasons | 0 | 0 | 1.21 | 22.1 | 7 | 7 | 42 | 0.627 | |||
He is on his way. I am thinking that AAA is going to be nothing more than a speed bump, and it is only a matter of time before he finally joins the big league club as a bullpen arm.
What an interesting career, and I wish him all the best.
