Miami Marlins

Autograph/ Autograph Collecting/ Through The Mail

Finally…ICHIRO! MLB Autograph

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Ichiro Signs 8/11/2017 Miami Marlins Park!

If you read my previous post, you will see that obtaining an Ichiro autograph is a huge case of luck and being at the right place, at the right time, no doubt about that. I will explain that. First of all, I was able to get into the park at 4:30 as part of the Fish Family program that is run by the Miami Marlins. This puts you in the ball park about 1 hour before anyone even wants to be there. However, there was a huge traffic jam, and my entry into the park was delayed about 15 minutes. Next, the team decided to cancel batting practice that day, it happens from time to time.

When I say that, I was surprised to see that Ichiro who keeps a well extended work-out schedule came out to warm up even though no one else did on the Miami Marlins team. As he came out and warmed up, many of the 25 people or so who made  their way into the stadium on the left field side began to chant Ichiro, Ichiro, Ichiro…

This happens every time he comes out, with little or no guarantee that he would come over and sign. There is a small pattern however, that you can follow should he attempt to play another year with the Miami Marlins. He favors, the first back after a long road trip as a day to reward the loyal fans, with an autograph.

On this day, he did just that. After warming up for about 15-20 minutes, he came over and obliged the loyal fans that cheer him on and call on him. Luckily, and I mean very, very luckily, I was one of the chosen ones on this day, and this picture above is it. Now when he begins to sign, he grabs a sharpie from someone and usually everyone will get his autograph with the sharpie. A few people told me afterwards, “aw man, he ruined your baseball!” Let me say it like this, I will take his autograph, anyday, anytime, and with any medium, point blank!!! He is basically giving you a $100.00 gift anytime he dons his graph on your item. Now I am not a seller, so I will tell it like this…Ichiro thank you so very much for the time, and the graph!!!

Autograph/ Autograph Collecting/ Through The Mail

Hunter Pence – Autograph Spotlight

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Hunter Pence – Autographed MLB Baseball

Miami Marlins Park, SF Giants Vs. Miami Marlins August 15, 2017. If you collect memorabilia, and autographs or both long enough you will see just about everything, and I have been doing it for about 37 years now. So you can be sure of that!

So while you try to get Bruce Bochy and he brushes you off like yesterday’s lint on a cheap suit. Or perhaps, you try to get Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and he signs for you and takes 5 minutes out of his routine to have a conversation with you about him being the manager of the year and totally feeling embarrassed because he is humble, these are all possibilities. Like I said you do this long enough and you see it all.

There is always something to learn from an autograph hunt, or hound. Sometimes they are positively beautiful, positive and uber cool. Other times not so much. I mean let’s be real, it’s not an obligation of theirs, but when you consider how much money we spend on tickets, over-priced hot dogs, and pizzas to keep these professional athletes employed, I think they can make more of an effort. I know that autographs are like that itch that just won’t go away no matter what cream you put on it, but let us be real, it is a huge part of the game. In addition, it is the number one thing a player can do to truly become an Ambassador of the game, and we will take them all great, super, and average.

Let us take Hunter Pence, the subject of this post. Hunter Pence did something that in all my years of hunting for autographs, I have yet to see any other do. He arrived on the team bus, was called out for a few moments by a few fans, and he dropped his bags to the floor and walked down the ramp to sign. He signed for everyone, and left no one out.

He only walked away, when no one else wanted an autograph. Wow!!! That is the way this is supposed to work. Not all of them, and not each and everyday. However, one of the games in a series, make it count, make it special. On August 15, 2017, I am so pleased that Hunter Pence did just that. Thanks from all of us that received.

Autograph/ Autograph Collecting/ Psa / Heritage Auctions

Tony Perez Hall Of Fame – Cincinnati Reds

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Tony Perez – Hall Of Fame Autographed Bat

Miami Marlins FanFest, where fans come out and meet and greet Miami Marlins and baseball legends like Tony Perez, Cincinnati Reds great! I was able to meet Tony Perez and get his autograph on a mini Rawlings bat as well as pose for a few pictures.

What a great treat that was for me. Tony Perez has been around the Marlins organization ever since Wayne Huizuenga was the owner of the team. It is always special to see him, shake his hand and he is always available for an autograph. What a great spokesperson for MLB. The fact that he is a fellow Cuban, makes it more special for me.

1993 Florida Marlins Inaugural Fotoballs

Autograph Collecting

1993 Florida Marlins Inaugural Fotoballs

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The Inaugural Florida Marlins

Well the Florida Marlins are no longer the Florida Marlins. They are now called the Miami Marlins and most of the memorabilia that was quite the fanfare during the early 1990’s are no longer in demand by sports collection aficionados. However there are some hard-core baseball fans that will need to move their collections in a special way and these might be the type of collectibles that they seek. I am collector of anything that I believe will be significant and have some value not always monetary but more like sentiment.

The New Miami Marlins

Although the current owners of the Marlins are somewhat under harsh scrutiny for the total disruption of the chemistry or lack thereof of the Inaugural Miami Marlins, this chapter too will come to pass. I don’t believe that fans everywhere are attacking this coming of the Marlins with the same vigor that the 1993 Florida Marlins had and enjoyed. Everything here has seen some scrutiny. Everything from the owners, to the stadium, to now the team. Here is a good look at what the 1993 Florida Marlins fotoball’s looked like. The entire starting lineup had a ball issued with their faces, and some other players as well. Some of the players were Benito Santiago, Charlie Hough, Gary Sheffield, and Walt Weiss to name a few.

Rookie Baseball Card Price

Baseball card price

Rookie Baseball Card Price

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A few of baseball’s most marketable superstar players have changed uniforms in the past few months. Hopefully their baseball card prices will move in a positive way. I mean I do not really know what the trade off is between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Los Angeles Angels, but I can tell you that I do not believe the Albert Pujols rookie card will suffer because of it.  Get in on the hottest Fathead products before they sell out!

St. Louis was good for Albert Pujols and Albert Pujols was plenty good for St. Louis. Silly me, a NY Met fan wishing that some how they would have made a play for Albert. But then I shook my head and said, “What the heck am I thinking? We have Ike!”

Actually Ike was turning out to be a solid NY Met, but no Albert by any stretch of the imagination. All things considered, I wish we could trade owners in baseball, because there are a few organizations that really do deserve someone like the Wilpons, but the Met fans do not!

Jose Reyes and his rookie card may stand to see some improvement in the baseball card market, I am not saying that the Miami Marlins are more marketable than the NY Mets, or appealing of a market to attract more respect for his rookie card, but with the combination of a pretty good team that they are in the process of putting together, along with a new stadium that will boast some of the most modern and classy restaurants and establishments and may make the setting for his rookie card to stretch to the 2004 prices that they were  realizing back then. If the Miami Marlins take off and running from the onset, who knows how high his rookie card can get.  Jose Reyes joins a formidable pitching staff led by Josh Johnson, and not Mark Burhle, and then add some of the purest hitters in baseball in Hanley Ramirez, and Gabe Sanchez, and you never can tell.  Besides Jose Reyes can certainly get hot and stay hot, as this last baseball season he almost became the NY Mets first batting champ ever.

Topps Co-Signers has a nice card that is fairly priced on the secondary market featuring the autographs of Hanley Ramirez, as well as that of Jose Reyes. A card that will be high on the collectors in South Miami for sure this upcoming baseball season. Believe it or not, the NY Yankees are not the only team that can enhance the prices of some of these baseball sports cards, this year seems to be lining up to be an interesting baseball season, and a new baseball season always fuels the sporting card interest, and like no other sport I might add. Enjoy collecting and email me with any great cards that you pull or have.  If you want to write a guest post use the guest post sign in.

I have placed a picture for your enjoyment of a opening day NY Mets vs. the Florida Marlins, an opening day that never took place as the season was interrupted early because of the unsettling bitter war between the baseball unions, that caused a stoppage in the World Series history in 1994, this dating back to the early 1900’s.  Get in on the hottest Fathead products before they sell out!