Nomar Garciaparra Autograph Signing at Glendale Galleria (12/13/14)

If there was one baseball player's autograph that I had wanted to acquire all year long, it had to be Nomar Garciaparra.  Prior to the FanFest held in February, I had bought a Nomar Garciaparra 8x10 in hopes of having him sign it.  After all, I was being realistic over the autograph tickets that I would buy or at least were available.  Sadly, the Nomar autograph ticket was sold out as quickly as I could have cursed over the tickets selling out in quick fashion.  If you remember from my FanFest post, I did at least get a Shawn Green autograph, which was my other priority.  Nevertheless, I was a bit frustrated that I could not have gotten a Nomar autograph before they sold out, which forced me to properly store the photograph in one of my drawers.

 

Flash forward all the way to last Saturday where the possibility of getting Nomar's autograph was finally achievable.  I had discovered in November that the Dodgers were going to continue the tradition of the Mall Tours, where former and (possibly) current players would attend for autograph signings.  However, the Dodgers had posted only two Mall Tours, which really bummed me out even more because I wanted to complete my projects on the 1981 World Series MVPs and The Infield as soon as possible.  Oh well, I still had my hopes as high as possible as the 8x10, that I would sometimes take out throughout the year and inspect, finally saw the light of day in being signed.

 

I had arrived at the Glendale Galleria about twenty minutes prior to the start of the Fernando Valenzuela signing.  My mindset was that if I had arrived before Fernando started signing, then my chances of acquiring Nomar's autograph would increase.  I was not the only person that was also doing the same strategy in getting Nomar's autograph, as many people knew they had a better shot at him than with Fernando.  The line was very unusual to me, as it had really extended to the parking lot, so no autograph seekers would impede the flow of shoppers walking all around the mall.  One security guard informed me to get in the back of the line simply because whoever got cut off from Fernando would start the line for Nomar.  Just as another security guard was about to mess up and start a completely different line for Nomar, a Dodgers representative confirmed that it was fine standing in line as whoever got cut off would definitely start it. 

 

Having calmed down from that experience, all I had to do was endure the long in between break from Fernando's departure to Nomar's arrival.  I'm not going to lie, the wait tired me out and I was a bit disgusted over the parking lot, as many people from before had just littered their food onto the floor.  There were even moments in which I just did not want to sit down on the pavement that looked like it was filled with oil and bacteria, but I had no other choice as my back would kill me in the long run.  Thankfully my experience was gradually becoming more bearable as I came across a fellow instagram user, icollectdodgerautos.  We both had a conversation previously about how the event would possible be organized and continued discussing about the event.  I guess it really is a small world after all.

 

As you can tell from the pictures, I had a long way to get through.  The line had me spiral twice before I can even get close to the inside structure of the mall.  Like I said, merging the people getting Fernando with the ones acquiring Nomar helped me out as I was not too far away from the entrance of the mall when Nomar arrived.  When I was getting near to Nomar, I had a lot of stuff in my mind, ranging from actually getting the autograph after a year's worth of waiting to finally getting something to eat. 

 

Once I got extremely close to Nomar, that's when the sense of accomplishment started to kick in.  I knew that I can knock off another Dodgers great from my list.  I should note that the mother that was in front of me asked if I would like an additional autograph.  I gave her a baseball that was filled with previous autographs so Nomar can sign it.  I did, however, scolded myself for not even trying to bring the Nomar bobblehead that I had in my collection, but it would have required more effort on my behalf to be cautious. 

 

Nomar was definitely a pleasant man to meet.  Upon handing him the photograph, I asked him how he was doing.  He happily replied that things were doing good for him, except that he was a bit under the weather.  Therefore, when I offered a handshake, he had no other choice but to inform me of his condition and we fist bumped.  I was happy though that the experience was well worth my time and effort.

Now I am definitely most proud to say that I have added two Nomar autographs to my collection.  I am also happy to add Nomar's photo to my Dodgers Wall of Fame, knowing that I am more relieved more than ever.  Is there a moral to this experience?  Yes, the most tiresome of experiences can bring the most reward.  Also, I just finished my first semester of college, so I'll make sure to get back into writing more posts.

Davey Lopes Autograph Recap at Frank and Son (11/01/14)

 

The day after Halloween, Frank and Son scheduled Dodgerfest, which provided numerous signing opportunities for fans to take advantage of.  Overall there were a lot of signings that I should have prepared for, but I was not in a hurry to fill up too many on my autograph list that required me to pay for.  The only autograph that I really needed was Davey Lopes.  I already had gotten Bill Russell in a free signing at Frank and Son in April and I have a hunch that I will eventually get Garvey and Cey for free in some sort of public signing.  Davey Lopes, on the other hand, would normally require me to head to a game and be lucky enough to get his autograph.  With my average attendance at 2 games a year, I had to take advantage of the paid signing to guarantee myself an autograph from him.

 



My family and I arrived at Frank and Son early, knowing well that parking would fill up quickly.  I had purchased my ticket soon after the event holders let everyone enter the stage area.  I only had to endure a tiring two hour wait before his signing started.  Davey Lopes arrived early and started signing autographs.  Luckily, I waited long enough before his signing to be near the front of the line.  Davey Lopes was pretty much a pleasant man to be in front of as he signed my 8x10 of The Infield.  He was especially friendly to a child that was in front of me, so the wait was worth it.

Frank and Son succeeded in providing a signing that was organized and bearable to go through.  I am also happy that I managed to get my Infield phtograph halfway done.  Now I just hope that Garvey and Cey do some signings in the Mall Tour just like in years past, so I can complete this project as soon as possible.  Roberto from VinScullyIsMyHomeBoy and the Dodgers website have confirmed that the Mall Tour will continue, so I can only anticipate that this project will be completed.

One Successful Bobblehead Haul (09/07/14)

 

College has really started to take its toll on me.  I have been trying to find some time to blog about the bobblehead haul that occured a day after the Pederson signing, but I was too preoccupied to write about it.  Thankfully, I now have time to mention my recent bobblehead acquisitions.  Without further ado, it's time to talk about the bobblheads I got from the image above.

A day after the Pederson signing, I had gone with the family to the Bassett High School Swap Meet to look around what treasures might come across me. There really wasn't much right when we got there, until we walked down around a corner and I just happen to spot a guy with a ton of Dodgers bobbleheads.  I asked him how much they were individually and he revealed that he was putting them all up for sale for $10 each just for than one particular day.  I had a little more than enough money on me, so I definitely knew I was going to buy them.  I didn't buy them immediately as I wanted to walk around and see if there were more vendors with bobbleheads.  There wasn't as I walked all around the swap meet for about thirty minutes before returning to buy six bobbleheads.  The seller had a ton of bobbleheads that I already had, which left me to narrow down which ones I didn't have.  The six bobbleheads that I ended up buying were Rick Monday, Lasorda and Alston, Greinke, Curtain Call Manny, 2013 Hideo Nomo, and James Loney. 

I was really contempt with the new additions.  Most of these were definitely going for at least $15 - $20.  I had not only saved myself a significant amount of money, but also increased my collection where it is now near the half way mark.

Joc Pederson Autograph Signing at Frank and Son (09/06/14)

Today, Frank and Son had an autograph signing that I needed to attend.  Joc Pederson was scheduled to sign from 10-11 in the morning.  With all the accomplishments he did in Triple A, I just had to take the chance in buying his autograph while it was still cheap.  I've heard stories of how Puig's autograph costed $40 months before he got called up and tore through the majors.  I even remembered through other blogs how his autograph costed more than $100 at Frank and Son. 

Since Joc Pederson's autograph is important to acquire, I also decided to get my item PSA/DNA for the first time.  The event was packed with Dodger fans, but the wait was surprisingly manageable.  Joc arrived on time for the signing and the VIP line pretty much went by fast.  The regular line then smoothed progressively as I wasn't far behind.  I handed Joc my 8x10 and he went ahead and signed it in silver. 

Overall, the signing was one of the best I attended.  I didn't feel any fatigue whatsoever throughout the wait.  More importantly, I left the event happy knowing I knocked down a hyped prospect right off the list.  A big thanks to OC Dugout and Honaback and Sons for organizing this event.

Autograph Recap - Yeager, Mota, and Johnstone at Warehouse Shoe Sale

Today was the grand opening of two Warehouse Shoe Sales in Los Angeles and to cap those stores off, they had their own separate autograph signings.  The WSS by Sunset and Western were scheduled to have Fernando Valenzuela, Ron Cey, and Jaime Jarrin.  I already have Jarrin and Valenzuela in my collection and wanted to try in acquiring Cey's, but with the constant demand for Fernando, I opted for the other store down Pico and Western.

 

 

This store scheduled for Steve Yeager, Manny Mota, and Jay Johnstone to sign.  I thought that it wouldn't hurt to get Yeager considering I needed him on the '81 World Series MVPs picture that I already had Guerrero sign in May.  My parents took me and my little sister to the signing and upon arriving were shocked to see how empty it was at that moment, or 8:20 to be exact.  Anyway, once the store opened, my parents bought us shoes so we can get in the VIP line.  We spent a little over $80 to not only ensure me an autograph, buy my parents as well.

 

 

 

Me and my parents were at the front of the VIP line followed by a small group of people behind us and the regular line across as seen in the picture.  There were only two things coming into play during this autograph experience: patience and the sun.  I had seen Steve hanging around while he was waiting for the remaining two signers to show up.  They all arrived at their tent about ten minutes after 11 and ,once settled in, invited us to start signing. 

 

 

 

 

I had Steve sign my '81 World Series MVPs 8x10 in black sharpie as a way for it to stand out in contrast to Pedro's signature.  I had Manny Mota sign an 8x10 I received in one of his previous signings and gave Jay his card.  Meanwhile, I had my parents have the three sign two completely different baseballs.  One of it had only the three while the other included some signatures from my past signings.  I pretty much thank my parents for taking the time to take me and myself as I had to convince my consciousness to go with what was simpler.  This signing was a peaceful one in spite of the weird weather conditions that plagued upon me.  I just can't wait for another Cey event.



Vin Scully 2012 Bobblehead Acquisition

 

Last week, I once again ventured to the Vineland Swap Meet in hopes in finding something to add to my baseball collection.  There were pretty no signs of anything baseball related that interested me until I saw a vendor with a Vin Scully bobblehead.  I asked the vendor how much it costed and he responded $15.  There was no box in sight, but this was a whole lot better than the prices I see on Ebay and Craigslist.  I paid him and with that my search for a Scully bobblehead was over.... for now.  There is still the one from 2013 and,if I'm that crazy, the limited edition for season ticket holders that is in need of purchasing.

Congratulations to Dee Gordon on His All Star Selection

 

Of the four Dodgers that made the All Star team, Dee Gordon is the one that really deserves a round of applause.  He spent a large part of last year honing his skills in order to win back the hearts of both management and fans alike.  A lot of fans, especially myself, started to doubt if he ever was truly ready to be an impact player in the majors.  Now I can say that I was wrong in doubting his style of play.  Dee has finally moved on from being the rookie that everyone had high hopes into the All Star we all wished he would transform into.  I just hope he can repeat those numbers in the second half of the season so the Dodgers can have a comfortable run in reaching the playoffs.