CyberErik's Success Thread- just starting out, feedback and help welcome!

[jyosi]

The biggest upside to museum glass is that it does not glare at all. There are 100s of alternatives that are much cheaper to block UV light. I don't know how that spray works, but I am sure you researched it before you bought it and I know you are smart enough to make good decisions. IMO $100+ museum glass isn't worth it. It is going to decades for a photo to fade in normal light.

[cyberer]

Thanks guys, I will really try to make sure that my collection stands the test of time, especially the SI. Museum glass seems a bit too expensive, if it just blocks glare and UV. I have that UV spray that got good reviews that is much cheaper.

Anyways it is time for my long awaited spring training success post! I will post the day by day journal of my graphing in this post then all the pictures in one post to follow! I think I did much better this year than last year, I guess it comes with knowing the layout and the territory.


DAY 1: Saturday
Had a pretty tough travel day- had to wake up at 5am after going to sleep at 2am to catch my flight. I got on the ground in Tampa at 1:00. Instead of going to the house I am staying at and taking a nap, however, I decided to take in a game. The only game in the area that was going on was Jays-Braves in Dunedin. I got there at 2:30pm, and it was the 3rd inning of the game. I scalped a ticket for (lol) 2 bucks since the game had already started and went right in.

Dunedin is truly a magical place for graphing. There are in both corners large fenced in areas where fans can stand in standing room only and watch the game, and this is right by the players’ clubhouses, so they are perfect for graphing.

I waited until Bautista was lifted from the lineup, then went to the autograph well. I am sorry to say that he snubbed the fans that were waiting, myself included.
I then decided to go over to the Braves side, since their stars were still in the lineup. I waited an inning or so, and then Freddie Freeman was lifted from the lineup. I had heard he was really tough to get this spring, but he stopped at the auto well and hit it for like 10-15 minutes- duplicates, sweet spots, whatever people had. I got him on a card.
Then Eric hinske and Randall Delgado stopped together. I got them both on my ticket stub. I told hinske as he signed that I would always remember him for making the last out of that world series. He glared at me as he signed- he was NOT happy.
Then a few minutes later Jason Heyward was lifted from the lineup and HE started hitting it in the same spot as freeman, and he signed for even longer- easily 100 graphs. He signed my ball on the sweet spot. Unlike last year he was giving a really nice sig- trying to get his fans back after his rough start to his career! WOO!
That was it for the Braves stars (mccann ignored), so I went back to the blue jays side. I asked the manager if I could have a lineup card and he obliged. I then went out to the parking lot to wait for bautista, but he had already left. I still waited around and got Yon Gomes on the lineup card. Lind stopped too but I missed him.

Then I went to Clearwater beach, had a beer and a grouper sandwich, and sat in the ocean for awhile. Magical first day for sure.

DAY 2 SUNDAY

Hit up Phillies-Orioles in Clearwater. Got to the minor league park early. Once there it was announced that the minor leaguers had the day off, so after they did their sprints they were free to leave. We waited around then for them to leave, and got Dom Brown, Phillippe Aumont, Trevor May, and a few others. The guys were really cool, especially brown, although he refused when I asked him for a batting glove- he said he had no extras.



Then it was time to go in and stake out my spot on the Phillies side. I had 2nd row seats in the section where the Phillies usually sign- 120, so I had high hopes. I had some near misses with Polanco and Thome in the spot, but I got Worley (on a team card), Hamels on an SI cover and Charlie Manuel on my magazine cover that was already signed by andy reid- all this before the game.



That was it for inside the arena. When Halladay got lifted from the lineup that day, I ran to the parking lot and waited for him for 2 hours before finally getting him like I discussed previously in my thread to finish my SI- WOO WOO WOO!



DAY 3 MONDAY

I went to Phillies-Red Sox in Clearwater. I showed up about 2 minutes late for the Boston bus in the morning, and missed pedroia signing- DOH! I hung out until the gates opened, and went in and got in the front row by the boston dugout. To my amazement Nomar Garciaparra was there talking to some red sox in the dugout. He was announcing the game for ESPN I guess. After he was done talking, we called him over and he signed like 20-30 graphs. I got him on the sweet spot of an ROMLB- really excited about this one.



Big Papi signed 2-3 graphs down on the fence, but I missed him. Pedroia came out to practice, and when we flagged him down in the front row of the dugout, he said “I promise I’ll come back here and sign right before the game.” We were all excited, until we realized that the ushers throw everyone out a half hour before the game.

Sure enough, the ushers threw us all out before Pedroia returned. However I was not easily deterred (if you read my threads then you know that I don’t back down from anyone). I sat in the adjacent section, watching the dugout like a hawk. When pedroia came back out at like 12:45, I ran right over and asked him to sign. The usher was hollering at me to get out, but he said he would do it and came over and signed about a dozen graphs for me and other people in the section. The usher did not throw me out or get that mad afterwards when I promised to leave. I got him on my SI cover and it came out beautifully.



As I was getting this done, I noticed that Cliff Lee, Halladay AND Hamels all signed down the line on the Phillies side. But I wasn’t that upset seeing as pedroia is a tough graph and I already have all the pitchers. Still it was reassuring to know that I would have gotten halladay one way or another even if I missed him in the parking lot.

That was it for graphs at that game. I waited after at the bus but Papi, Lester, Pedroia all got on without stopping. I then decided to wander over the minor league field. I got Sandberg on the sweet spot.



I also got the Yankees pitcher that throws both handed on a junk ball.



I also got a photo with Dom Brown since he had already signed all my items that I had for him. I asked him once again for a batting glove and he laughed and again told me he had no extras. Another really fun day and more importantly a successful day.

DAY 4 TUESDAY

I woke up early as usual and headed out to the Phillies complex. I missed the red sox bus in the morning by about 5 minutes the day before, so I made sure to be extra early today. Sure enough I was ~20 minutes early. I waited along with 5-6 other people for the Pirates bus.

They arrived around 10am. McCutchen was the last one off the bus, wearing giant headphones, but he was very nice when asked to sign. He signed 1 per for everyone, and even did an all star inscription on someone’s bat. I got him on the sweet spot of a ROMLB.



I had front row seats in section 119 today, so I was pretty excited. I sat in my seats and waited to graph. Phillies as usual didn’t do anything after batting practice, instead telling us to wait until the pregame graphing.

At 12:45, the Phillies came out, as usual. Hunter Pence had told us he would sign for us pregame, but then he jogged right past us and signed further down and I missed him. Oh well, I got him last year.

Shortly thereafter Thome rolled out, and banged it out pretty good. I got him on the sweet spot of my ROMLB. He was running with a little kid’s pen, which was not a sharpie but I’m not totally sure it was a ball point either. It looked kind of like a gel pen or something. Anyone know if these signatures hold up over time? Sucks he wouldn’t use my blue bic.



Worley went by soon thereafter and like he has every day I’ve been there he banged it out for like 20 minutes. I got him on the sweet spot of a ball I got in batting practice.



Then the “aces” halladay and hamels rolled in. Both graphed for a good 5-10 minutes, but both started in the enclosed area farther down the line which is inaccessible unless you have a ticket there. Hamels got down the line to us in time, and I was 2 people away from getting Halladay when he stopped for the national anthem. Oh well, I missed him but at least I got him the other day to finish the SI.


I stayed the duration of the game. Cliff lee pitched a gem. Moreover, every game I went to I was thoroughly impressed by Jim Thome. When Thome was lifted from the lineup, the guy sitting next to me yelled “Thome please sign! I HATE OZZIE GUILLEN TOO!” Thome turned and looked right at him and laughed, but he didn’t sign. It’s funny b/c that guy next to me had been talking to me all day about how ozzie ran thome out of town, and then he seemed to agree that he hated him.

None of the other Phillies signed as they were lifted from the lineup. Bummer. I didn’t even see Howard or Utley today.

After the Phils game I went to the Yankees complex to watch pregame batting practice at the side field (I didn’t have a ticket). Swisher was hitting but he didn’t sign. I tried to scalp a lower level ticket, but the cheapest I could do was 25, and I didn’t want to spend that so I packed it in and came home.
Either way, another e day of graphing!

Day 5 Wednesday
My fiancé met me in florida so we spent the day together- no graphing!

Day 6 Thursday

My fiancé decided to go graphing with me today. We had tickets to a Twins-Pirates game in Bradenton. My fiancé had a history graphing with Joe Mauer- he snubbed her specifically one time as he signed for a dozen people around her but refused to sign for her specifically for some reason. Since Bradenton is such a great park for graphing I told her we would get him for sure this year.

We get to Bradenton as the gates open and to my horror I realize that MAUER AND MORNEAU did not make the trip, the only 2 guys on the twins that I needed. Moreover, McCutchen had the day off and already left, plus I already had him. Both teams had a clown shoes lineup.

We decided not to stay for the game, but I had the bright idea to hit up Pirate City, the minor league complex, to try for some top prospects like Gerritt Cole and Jameson Taillon. We get to the complex 10-15 minutes later, and pulled in right behind the visiting team bus as it was unloading. Strangely coincidentally, the Phillies single A club was disembarking the bus, with me in my Phillies garb. I said hi to all the players and asked them where I could watch their game. They showed me in through the main entrance to pirate city, and my fiancé got them all to sign a team ball (unfortunately I didn’t use a ROMLB, but still cool). We got about 20 signatures.

As we were hanging around the complex we saw a Phillies guy wearing a “morandini” jersey. I asked if that was Mickey Morandini and the players said it was. He was really nice and signed a generic leather cover ball on the sweet spot for me.

As we were hanging out, Gerritt Cole walked right past me without my recognizing him. He was pitching that day so I knew he would be nearly impossible to get. However my fiancé took the ball out of my hand and walked over to the bullpen and asked his teammates to call him over. They said “Hey Gerritt there’s a pretty young lady here to get your auto” and he came out and signed for her, and she even knew enough to ask him to sweet spot it (she’s a keeper). He signed a few more- and I got him on the sweet spot of my batting practice “junk” ball.

I commented about his twitter hacking situation (http://www.hallofverygood.com/2011/1...er-hacked.html) and he said really angrily “I don’t have a twitter!” He proceeded to pitch a bullpen warmup and the minor league game. He looked pretty average before my eyes, but I’m sure he’s highly touted for a reason. I just saw a pretty flat offspeed offering and a 93-94 mph fastball, and his control was all over the place.

A few minutes later Jameson Taillon came out to chart pitches. My fiancé also got him on the sweet spot, and I went over and got him on the sweet spot of another “junk” ball and I got him on a mini bat. He laughed about the bat, saying that he’s good at bunting but about hitting “I guess we’ll find out.” He was a nice guy and took pictures with us.

We got out of pirate city by 1:20 pm and had the rest of our day open to beach and do other stuff, so it was a pretty efficient day of graphing to get 2 top prospects and some former and current Phillies. Too bad about mauer/morneau but whatever.

Day 7 Friday

Went to Yankees-Phillies in tampa at Steinbrenner field. We got there an hour before the gates opened at 4pm and walked over to the side field outside the park where players sometimes work out pregame. Sure enough Teixiera was doing BP with Eduardo nunez and 1-2 other scrubs. Tex came right over to the fence after his workout, but when some kids near me asked him to sign he said “I can’t I have more work to do inside!” and jogged away. Sure enough he wasn’t in the lineup that night, so his “work” was obviously just that he wanted to leave early.

We went in the stadium then and watched the Phillies take BP. Luckily we had lower level seats so we were allowed to go in and graph by the dugout. They are really strict about letting people down there. Most of the Phillies traveled. To my shock, Jimmy Rollins came over to the dugout and started banging it out. He signed about a dozen. I had a bat for him, but he was on the far side of the dugout and only taking baseballs that people threw to him. He pointed to me and said “the tall guy with the Phillies hat” and I threw him my ball and he did it. I asked him to sweet spot but he wouldn’t. Oh well, still pumped to get jimmy for only the 2nd time in my life. He is a tough one.

For literally the 3rd time this spring, I narrowly missed hunter pence. He seems intent on not signing my 8x10. My brother and I got him last year, so it’s not really a big deal but still annoying.

Then we went over to the Yankees side, because CC Sabathia was standing alone in the dugout doing a TV advertisement on camera. When he was done we called him over, but he wouldn’t do it. Just after that however swisher popped up and started banging out graphs. He was also only letting people toss him baseballs. Someone asked him to sweet spot and he said he couldn’t because of his auto contract. Since he wasn’t sweet spotting, I decided to use a junk ball from batting practice. He passed over me so I had to get out of line and go to the far end of the dugout. It was a huge crowd and people were elbowing. When he pointed to me to toss the ball he made fun of me for asking for a graph in Phillies garb. Oh well he still did it. What an ugly sig he has! He banged out over 100 graphs he was at it for like 15 minutes or more! What a class act.

Right after the crowd dispersed, I saw a couple fans ask some older gentleman for an autograph. I went down and asked him to sign another junk ball on the sweet spot. It was David Cone! Shortly after a crowd of like 75 people descended and swamped him. He signed a bunch but not for all, I’m glad I was the first one there pretty much.

We stuck around while the Yankees warmed up down the 1st base line, Jeter looked at some kids and nodded, so we thought he was coming over, but then he jogged past them. None of the Yankees regulars signed after warmups.

I had an even better week this year than last year, I really can’t stress enough how great a vacation it is for a grapher/baseball fan. You hit games from like 9-10 am – 3pm and graph your heart out, then you go to the beach in the sun for the rest. The weather was 85 and sunny all week long. Unbelieveable time! Pictures in the post to follow!

[cyberer]

That was it for my stories, here are the pictures! Sorry if some are upside down or messed up- photobucket seems to be randomly inverting my pictures for some reason!


My beautiful masterpiece, my complete "four aces and fat joe" SI cover



Jason Heyward Sweet Spot ROMLB


Cole Hamels SI



Cole Hamels 8x10



Jimmy Rollins side panel ROMLB



Dustin Pedroia SI



Jim Thome Sweet Spot ROMLB



Ryne Sandberg sweet spot ROMLB



Andrew MCCutchen sweet spot ROMLB



Nomar Garciaparra sweet spot ROMLB



Nick Swisher side panel batting practice ROMLB



Vance Worley sweet spot batting practice ROMLB



Vance Worley Phillies Team Card



Venditte Cheap ball



Dom Brown



Trevor May



Sebastian Valle



Joe Blanton



Phillippe Aumont



Freddie Freeman



Charlie Manuel on philly magazine already signed by andy reid



Jameson Taillon ROMLB and "junk batting practice" ROMLB sweet spot and mini bat



Gerrit Cole ROMLB and "junk batting practice" ROMLB sweet spot



Phillies single A team ball junk ball



David Cone Sweet Spot batting practice ROMLB



Micky Morandini Generic leather cover ball sweet spot



Blue Jays Lineup Card signed by Gomes

[bronxbomber33]

Wow awesome stuff, that phillies SI looks amazing!!!

[jjj5278]

I love the Heyward and the Sandberg. I need to hit up spring training one year. Those both look amazing! Congrats!

[DeadHorse]

how will you ever get bigger thrills ever again? My goodness. Nice haul. Seriously, those will be hard to top!

[phillykid15]

Nice stuff man. Heyward was signing nicely this year. I remember getting him 2 years ago on an ROMLB when he just signed it like a scribble, and this year I got him on an 8x10 and you can actually read it.

[cyberer]

thanks guys! You know one of the best parts of a great success is getting comments from people and discussing it, so I appreciate it as always.

@bronx thanks man, the SI is definitely my favorite piece by far now, even moreso than my Kobe Bryant signed SI. It is just too sweet lol.

@JJJ sandberg is great about signing- I have a lot of him if you are looking to buy/trade. I have 2 SS ROMLBS, an 8x10 and a card at least, I might have a few more too I forget.

@deadhorse It's funny you should say that. Someone on these forums told me a story about how when they were younger they got michael jordan to sign and after that the thrill for them was gone for a long while. I kinda felt that way in spring training, but in a good way. Like I would have fun getting the graphs, but I wouldn't "stress" if I missed someone or failed because either way I got what I needed for my collection. Rather than ruining graphing, it actually made it more fun because I wasn't running running running like a madman to get what I needed, I could sit back and let it come to me, if that makes any sense... I seriously have every single philly right now except papelbon and some bench players, so there's no one on my list that I blatantly need. For the eagles I only need Nnamdi and Maclin really, so my philly collection as it stands is getting pretty complete.

@phillykid- thanks for the help last week about spring training. Heyward's rejuvenated sig was the talk of the town with all the graphers I met up with. I guess he is trying to win his fans back since his career took a major black eye last year with that down season. I think he still has all the upside in the world though if his shoulder is right. How did you end up with graphs?

[phillykid15]

Yeah no problem man. I agree with you on Heyward but I also think Heyward had a signing contract at the beginning of his rookie year with some company which prohibited him from signing SS and signing his full autograph. Another example of that would be Ray Rice. Rice signs ttm and in person just his initials and his number because he has a contract with Steiner.

I made out pretty well, here's the link to my week. It was in the IP autograph section.

https://www.sportscardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1617155

[ZombieTom]

Killer trip!