Hounding Report: Texas Rangers Alumni, August 22-23

Two-thirds of the way through the weekend and it looks like my goal of 150 is reasonably doable.  As with last year, they spread the signers across all three games and yet again did not announce the names ahead of time.  I found out as I walked in who was signing and where. Unfortunately, I didn't know Greg Pryor, Toby Harrah, or Mario Ramos would be there, so I had nothing for them.

On the plus side, I did have stuff for everyone else.  I headed for the third base side first because Mark Brandenburg was on the list.  I picked up a few of him, including one for a guy from Chicago I met at the National.  I said I could help him out on a few including Brandenburg and a signed Jose Guzman card I already had that he needed.

Unfortunately Brandenburg wasn't there.  But I did get four cards each signed by Danny Darwin and Todd Van Poppel, as well as three by Dave Hostetler.  From there I moved to home plate.  Jim Sundberg signed four, Tommy Boggs (a late addition) signed four, Pryor signed a team-issued photo, and Claude Osteen signed one of my four cards.  Claude takes a good amount of time to sign, so I understand him only wanting to sign one.

Down the first base line, I got Mike Simms (four cards and a photo), Toby Harrah (photo), Bill Fahey (four cards and a photo) and Ramos (photo).  Last, out in left field Dave Chalk signed four, David Hulse signed four, Kevin Mench four, and Ken Suarez three.  On my way out, I checked one last time at the first group, and Brandenburg had arrived, and signed my three as well as one for Mark.

FRIDAY TOTALS: 46 cards and 6 photos from 16 players for me, one from one for Mark.

On Saturday, a press release did come out listing the signers for Saturday and Sunday, so I was reasonably well prepared.  When I got to the gate and saw who was where, I knew everyone would be running for Pudge's line in left field.  I decided I'd skip him and hit the shorter lines first.  I got lucky too: someone let me know a group of players were signing by the first base gate, so I went over there so I could spend less time at the tables. Each signing four cards were Luis Ortiz, Rusty Greer, Reggie Cleveland, and Jose Guzman, while Scott Sheldon signed the only two I had.  After that, I rolled through the lines quickly.  I got Pete O'Brien and Frank Catalanotto each on four cards, as well as Tim Crabtree on a photo.

At home plate, Jerry Browne hadn't arrived yet, so I got Keith Creel on two cards.  At third base, I got a pleasant surprise: while Mike Bacsik Sr. was running late, Jim Gideon was in his place. Just as I got there, Bacsik showed up too.  They each signed three cards with Gideon adding in a photo.  Jim Norris also signed a photo.  Back at home plate, I got Jerry Browne, as he signed four cards.  I tried to jump into Pudge's line before getting Browne but as I expected, it was cut off.

I went and waited around on the concourse and got lucky-- several of Friday's signers and even a few unlisted players were around and signed.  I missed out on Danny Darwin, Ted Ford, and Benji Gil, but I did get Mike Munoz (four cards), Donald Harris (four), Bill Stein (five), Pat Mahomes (four), Gerald Alexander (four), Tommy Boggs (two), Dave Hostetler (one), Bill Fahey (four), and Toby Harrah (four).  Harrah was great to talk to. He mentioned something about Chico Carrasquel and I dropped the name George Brunet on him as Brunet played under Carrasquel in Mexico. As I mentioned a while back, my dad was Brunet's neighbor in the 1960's in Michigan.  I forgot Brunet finished his career with the Senators, and Harrah mentioned being a teammate of his there.  He also grew up an Indians fan in Marion, Ohio and said he loved getting to play in Cleveland as long as he did.

SATURDAY TOTALS: 70 cards and 3 photos from 22 players.

Still got tomorrow yet to go.  Expected players include Alexander, Boggs, German Duran, Ford, Larry Hardy, Rudy Jaramillo, Mahomes, Tommy Moore, Stein, and DeWayne Vaughn, plus maybe a few others.