Corona Closure: Rodney McLeod, 1x Super Bowl Champion & Curt Schilling, 6x All-star, 3x World Series Champion and 1x World Series MVP

June is now in its second week and Corona lockdown is slowly easing up. Over the last couple of months everyone has had nothing but time. With that time, some athletes have caught up with their mail. So far I have gotten two cards back that I would consider "catching up with their mail." 

First card back is from Rodney McLeod, in almost 2 years. McLeod is a member of the Philadelphia Eagles, having won a Super Bowl with them in 2018. Good luck this coming season! For my collectors out there, he signed a 2017 Panini Unparalleled. 

Second is an even longer return from an even bigger name (no offense to Mr. McLeod). After almost 3 years to the day....Curt Schilling! Schilling is a household name in the pitching world, being one of the games best in the 90s/00s. Curt pitched in 20 seasons, reaching the World Series four times. He won it once with the Arizona Diamondbacks (2001) and twice with the Boston Red Sox (2004 and 2007). Collectors, it's a 1990 Score. 

Some random accomplishments and highlights: 300 strikeout season 3 times; member of the 3,000 strikeout club; World Series MVP; NLCS MVP; highest winning percentage in postseason history (11-2). There are many more notable statistics, so if you're curious go to:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curt_Schilling 

Thank you guys for signing and hope your families are doing well!

Pre-Draft Day Quarterbacks: Johnny Manziel 1x Heisman Trophy AKA "Johnny Football" & Seneca Wallace

The 2020 NFL draft starts tomorrow night at 8pm Eastern, so I thought I'd do a football post this week. I didn't plan it this way but both players are former quarterbacks. The first QB is one that is probably world famous. Yeah, think Bieber or T-Swift. Of course I am talking about Johnny Manziel. I'm not going to get into his on/off the field shenanigans and will stick to some highlights. Manziel was a great high school player in Texas and stayed in his home state to play for Texas A&M (Aggies). He has too many college football records to list them all, but know that his 2012 season was one of the best individual performances ever. Johnny broke Archie Manning's 43 year old record of total yards in a game against Arkansas with 570, which he again broke against LSU with 576 yards two games later.       

• drafted in the 28th round by the San Diego Padres in the 2014 MLB Draft 
• shortest (5'11") quarterback drafted in the first round until last year (Kyler Murray)
• first freshman to ever win the Heisman Trophy

*If you want to see all of his college accomplishments and the rest of the story go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Manziel 

The second QB is a bit less known, Seneca Wallace, and happens to be for another side project I recently started. As some of you know, I have a couple different projects all going on at once. Not only do I try and get random players, I also try and get Rutgers and Jewish athletes to name two. The newest one for me is signatures on cards that are nostalgic. The cards are from when I first really got into the hobby back in the middle school/high school years (2000s). I remember pulling this card from a pack at my local card shop in 2004 I want to say.   

Wallace is most famous for a play that is known as "The Run." The play happened in 2002 when his Iowa State Cyclones were playing the Texas Tech Raiders. Starting on the Texas 12 yard line, Seneca ran back to the 32, eventually snaking his way and running it in for the touchdown.....after 135 (combined) yards! 

*Check it out here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7gPOl_F8HQ 

• drafted in 2003 by the Seattle Seahawks in the 4th round 
• longest TD pass in Seahawks history- 90 yards to Koren Robinson in 2008

Thanks guys! Hope you and your families are staying safe and healthy.

Hamady N'Diaye: 1x Big East Defensive Player of the Year

This week's sport is going to be basketball, but more specifically college and even more specific Rutgers! 

Hamady N'Diaye is a Senegalese native who came to the United States to play high school basketball. Hamady has the most blocks in school history and was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2nd round in 2010. He was (immediately) traded on draft day to the Washington Wizards. N'Diaye is a world traveler having played in China, the Philippines, Lebanon, Israel, Spain, Italy and currently France.

This past season for Rutgers basketball was one of the best in years. They finished the year 20-11, going 11-9 in the Big Ten conference. It marked their first 20 win season since 2003-2004 and the team was prepared to make their first NCAA Tournament since 1991 (before corona hit of course). 

Some exciting news this past week for the program was that Cliff Omoruyi, a top 50 high school recruit, announced he is becoming a Scarlet Knight. Omoruyi is their highest ranked recruit since 2008. It was an unfortunate end to the season but the Knights are poised to continue the success next year.

Thank you so much for taking the time to sign for me while you were home on holiday break! I hope you and your family are staying safe and healthy!

Some Sports Relief: Nick Rickles & Jonathan de Marte

I just want to start by saying that I wish everyone out there is staying safe and healthy. It is an odd time and I know many of you are missing your daily dose of sports. This post won't come close to filling that void, but I'm hoping to quench it just a bit.

My first post is going to be baseball, focusing on two players for one of my PCs (personal collections): Jewish athletes. The first is Florida native and catcher, Nick Rickles. In 2011, Rickles was drafted by the Oakland Athletics, where he spent 5 seasons in their minor league organization. After that, he spent the 2016 season in the Washington Nationals organization and the 2017 and 2018 seasons in the Philadelphia Phillies organization. Currently (or eventually or hopefully), Mr. Rickles is a coach for the Rocky Mountain Vibes, a minor league team for the Milwaukee Brewers and plays for Team Israel.

Next, is pitcher Jonathan de Marte. De Marte was born in New York and in 2011, was named the Gatorade Player of the Year as the best high schooler in New York State. From 2017 to 2019 Jonathan played independent baseball, spanning the Frontier League, Atlantic League of Professional Baseball and the Canadian-American Association. On February 26th of this year, de Marte signed a contract with the Chicago Cubs and was invited to spring training.

Thank you guys for taking the time to sign and good luck! Both with the Brewers and Cubs, and Team Israel for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. I sure do hope baseball, and sports, begin soon enough.   

New Year, New Cards: Ryan Garko, Latavius Murray (1x Pro Bowl) & Mitchell Trubisky "Mr. Biscuit" (1x Pro Bowl)

One of, if not the best part of this hobby is getting a card back after a looong time. What is a looong time you may be wondering? Well, think close to year and on.

First return is from Latavius Murray and came back in just under a year (343 days to be exact). I sent this last season to the Minnesota Vikings but got it back from the New Orleans Saints, where he is now the backup running back.

Next up is from Mitchell Trubisky, coming in after 363 days. He received the Ohio Mr. Football Award, given to the best high school football player in the state. Trubisky is currently the starting quarterback for the Chicago Bears.

Last success came back in a whopping 515 days! Ryan Garko was the winner of the Johnny Bench Award (check my earlier post https://playerautographs.blogspot.com/2018/03/the-johnny-bench-award-bryan-holaday.html) while playing for the Stanford Cardinals. Garko is currently the head coach at University of the Pacific.

Thanks to all three and never give up hope!

Good and sweet new year to all! 

"What's in the Box!?": Kevin Malast

I'm just going to go straight to the point-this has to be one of the Top 5 returns ever!

I came home from work one day last week and had a rather large box waiting for me. I say "rather large" because I rarely get a box and when I do they are half the size and I know what's inside. I looked at the return address and had an idea of who it might be, but I wasn't expecting a box. Especially, since I just sent the request a few days before and I send regular sized envelopes.

A few friends, who were just as curious as I was, were over and knew about my hobby. I slowly opened the box and was totally shocked and surprised at what I saw.

What do you know, inside was a signed Rutgers mini helmet!

A few days later my envelope returned with the note card signed with an added nice, handwritten letter.

Mr. Malast, a linebacker, attended Rutgers from 2005 to 2008. He was an undrafted free agent by the Chicago Bears in 2009. He broke into the league in 2011 for 3 games with the Tennessee Titans.

Kevin is currently the VP of Talent at Malka Sports (part of Malka Media Group), where they mix marketing with sports, "connecting talent with brands."

I want to give a big big thank you to Julianne Mascera, who was key in getting the helmet/signatures and Mr. Malast!

R...U...Rah!

Baseball.Has.Begun: Matt Davidson, Gosuke Katoh, Cody Sedlock, Carlos Vargas, Blake Gailen, Eric Pardinho, J.B. Bukauskas & Taylor Ward

With the weather starting to warm up, baseball is finally underway. Spring training has come and gone and the regular season is heading into the second week.

This is the 3rd year I've sent cards off to spring training and so far it's been pretty good to me. At the moment I've gotten *8 out of 40. You might be wondering what the asterisk is for so read 'til the end!

The first return is from Matt Davidson; a two-way player for the Texas Rangers. Two-way players are the new craze and means the player can pitch as well as player another position. Babe Ruth is the classic two-way player but the last few years has seen it make a comeback, mainly with Japanese phenom for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Shohei Ohtani. Davidson plays third base and pitches.

Next up is Gosuke Katoh, an infield prospect in the New York Yankees organization. 

Next up is another prospect, this time it is a pitcher in the Baltimore Orioles organization, Cody Sedlock.

Keeping up with the prospect theme is Carlos Vargas. Vargas is an infield prospect for the Tampa Bay Rays. 

This next one means a little more. Blake Gailen, an outfielder in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization is a fellow "member of the Tribe" and played for Team Israel in 2017. He recently got his Israeli citizenship so he can help Israel try and make the 2020 Olympics. 

The last few years I have gotten into following and collecting minor leaguers and top prospects. MLB.com has a Top 100 Prospect list and J.B. Bukauskas is #95 according to MLB.com. He is a pitching prospect in the Houston Astros organization.

This one is also pretty cool because Eric Pardinho is the next prospect on the 100 list coming in at #96. Pardinho is a pitcher in the Toronto Blue Jays organization and also might be the first player born after 2000 that I've gotten their signature.

Last but not least, the one you've all been waiting for, unless you just skipped to the end of course. Taylor Ward....from last years spring training! I sent this to the Los Angeles Angels complex last spring and got it back just a couple of weeks ago. Super cool and thankful to get it back no matter how long it's been. 

Thanks everyone! Good luck this season and hope to see you all in the bigs (besides Mr. Davidson as he is already an established big leaguer)! 

Polar Vortex Heat: Dan Fouts, 6x Pro-Bowler & Hall of Famer, Matt Olson, 1x Gold Glove Award, Will Benson, Michael Barash & Richard Kind

As I'm sitting in my apartment I can look outside and still see a hint of snow from yesterday afternoons 20 minute squall, that I missed unfortunately. We cannot forget that the temperature is below zero, taking into consideration the wind of course. This polar vortex from the north is really no joke and while us New Yorkers have it pretty bad, it is nothing compared to the Midwest. Temperatures there were to dip to -70 and in Chicago they had to light the tracks on fire so they wouldn't freeze. Funny enough my mom and dad just flew out to Cleveland from Los Angeles and I'm sure my dad is happy as a clam, or in this case a walleye.

While all this is going on, my successes are finally starting to pick up. Here are a few that have come in over the last couple days and weeks, spread across all sports/genres.

Dan Fouts is a legendary quarterback, dominating the NFL in the 70s and 80s. He played his entire 15 year career with the San Diego Chargers. Fouts was induced into the Los Angeles Chargers Hall of Fame and the Pro. in 1993.

This next one is a cool one because I sent it out last spring training to the Cactus League in Arizona. Matt Olson is currently on the Oakland Athletics. Good luck to you and the A's in 2019. 

Will Benson is a prospect in the Cleveland Indians organization. Benson was a 1st round pick in 2016. Hope to see you in the bigs' this season! 

These next two mean a little more as they are both Jewish. The first is Michael Barash. Barash was drafted by the Los Angeles Angeles in the 9th round in 2016. This past season was his last as he retired and returned to Texas A&M to finish his degree and be a student assistant for the Aggie baseball team.  

Last but not least is a super super cool one. A few weeks ago I was walking to the gym and passed a face I recognized. After a few seconds I realized it was the guy who voices Marty Glouberman on the Netflix show Big Mouth. I have also seen him in tons of random shows and movies over the years and highly recommend anything he's in.   

As always, a big thank you to everyone for signing. Means a lot to take the time to sign and return my card. 

  

A Holiday Miracle: Chaim Shapiro

After trying for years and years, and always being shutout, I was finally able to get back the best success to date. Words cannot describe the feeling and they say a picture is worth a thousand words, so here you go! 

My birthday was yesterday, yes, I just missed being a Christmas baby, shucks!, and I was given a pack of "Topps". Not just any pack, the year was irrelevant but the player inside was not. The pack contained the ever elusive Chaim Shapiro, that was all. 

My friends/roommates made custom cards of me and signed them, and had others sign some too. The back has a nice custom bio, courtesy of one of them. Even down to the position, ShortStop......    

Big thank you to you guys! It was the perfect gift for a sports card/autograph collector like myself. And a guy who watches a lot of baseball and fishing videos.

I'm not sure how many there are, so you just might be lucky enough to sign one.....  

"Eight Crazy Nights*": Ed Newman, 4x Pro-Bowler & 1x Super Bowl Champ., Alan Veingrad, 1x Super Bowl Champ., Steve Tannen, Greg Camarillo, Randy Grossman AKA "The Rabbi", 4x Super Bowl Champ., Drew Ferris, Sam McCullum, Eddie Zosky

Last week was the end of one of my favorite holidays, Chanukah. Chanukah are eight days/nights remembering and celebrating the rededication of the Second Temple. 

*While I didn't get these cards eight days in a row (no miracle there), I thought it would be cool to highlight eight different Jewish players I've gotten recently.

First up is Ed Newman. Mr. Newman is a former All-Pro who played his whole 12 year career with the Miami Dolphins. There he won one Super Bowl and made the Pro Bowl four times. He currently lives and is a judge in Florida. 

Next is from another Florida resident, Alan Veingrad. Mr. Veingrad played seven seasons with the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys. With the Cowboys he was lucky to one Super Bowl. He currently works for AIPAC to help advocate for Israel. 

Keeping with the Florida theme is Steve Tannen. Mr. Tannen played five seasons with the New York Jets. 

Moving to the West Coast, Greg Camarillo. Mr. Camarillo played eight seasons with the San Diego Chargers, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints. He is best known for catching a 64 yard game-winning touchdown in 2007 while with the Dolphins. This helped the Dolphins win their first game after starting 0-13 and avoid an 0-16 season.

Fifth on the list is Randy Grossman. Mr. Grossman played his entire eight year career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he won four Super Bowls.

  

Sixth means a little more to me with Drew Ferris. Mr. Ferris was recently drafted by the Orlando Apollos of the Alliance of American Football (AAF). The AAF is a new professional football league that is starting February 2019 after the NFL Super Bowl. The league consists of former players and coaches and I am super pumped. It is always cool to see players we have grown up with getting to play the game again, similar to the BIG3 (3-on-3 basketball).  I look forward to watching some games and potentially getting to see one in person in Orlando.... 

Second to last is Sam McCullum. Mr. McCullum played 10 seasons with the Seattle Seahawks and Minnesota Vikings. I should say that I bought this card from eBay but it was indeed signed by Sam. 

To end this festive post we have Eddie Zosky. Mr. Zosky played parts of five seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, Florida Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers and Houston Astros. I was able to message back and forth a little with Eddie and it's always cool to interact with an athlete. 

Thank you guys! 

Happy holidays and New Years!