Collecting Cleveland Indians Topps team sets from 1952-present, as well as post-war minor and major league autographs.
I had a thing for Cespedes since the day he signed with the A’s. In 2014 I built a vacation around graphing the A’s in Cleveland–their roster was stacked with players that I liked, and they had a reputation as a decent signing team. I figured it would be a[…]
Back in the day, I lived within a couple hours of the Cubs AAA affiliate. I didn’t go to many games, but I followed them close enough to know when a good player was in town, either with the Des Moines Cubs or a visiting team. In the process, I[…]
From 2008 to 2011 Ubaldo Jimenez was one of the best pitchers in the National League. He went 46-32 during that run, striking out 584, walking 280 with an ERA+ of 137, FIP of 3.42 and WHIP of 1.267. He was an All-Star in 2010 when he won 19 games.[…]
I got this autograph while he was on a rehab assignment in Lake Country. Jack Hannahan only spent two seasons in Cleveland (2011, 2012). He was signed as a free agent by the Indians, a planned stopgap until Lonnie Chisenhall was ready to take over the hot corner. Hannahan did[…]
This is what I wrote about Rico Garcia in March 2015: Hawaii Pacific University, on Oahu, is probably most famous for it’s one Alumni that made the Majors, Benny Agbayani. Agbayani was drafted twice, in 1992 and 1993, both times by the Angels. He had a fine major league career: .806 OPS, 39[…]
Josh Donaldson was traded to the Indians last night. Not sure how I feel about it. I have been a fan of Donaldson since he was drafted. I even wrote to him when he was in college. You can see the autograph I got above. Donaldson[…]
This was signed in Spring Training. Khris Davis was the 7th round pick of the Brewers out of Cal State Fullerton back in 2009. He was a decent prospect moving up through the Milwaukee system, rating their #29 prospect in 2011 and #16 prospect in 2012. He made the majors[…]
A couple weeks ago I got a surprise envelope in the mail. The cards were from a consignment that finished roughly two years ago but was just now finding their way back to me in Hawaii. They were all players from the 2017 Cal Ripken League, a collegiate summer league.[…]
There are only a few cards that, when I first saw them, I was like “I need this”. This card was one of them. I loved the 2013/2014 Oakland Athletics–this despite the fact that they were a miserable team to try and get autographs from. Donaldson and Cespedes were huge[…]
Ben Sheets. He was a promising prospect, taken 10th overall in the 1999 draft. He made it to the majors in 2001 and would go 11-10 with a 4.76 ERA/90 ERA+, earning his first All-Star game appearance. From 2001-2008 Sheet would go 86-83 with a 115 ERA+, 1.201 WHIP. He[…]