The National Trip: Days 7, 8, 9, and 10

Time has just been incredibly limited, sleep is at a premium, and my brain is melting.   So please forgive my lateness. Caffeine is my friend.

DAY 7

START TIME: 8 am Eastern
STARTING CITY: Macedonia, OH
STOPPING POINT: Westlake, Cleveland, Akron, and Macedonia, OH
STATES VISITED: Ohio
MILES DRIVEN TODAY: 164
MILES DRIVEN TOTAL: 1,812

The first full day of the National saw Arron handling the 'graphing while I went searching the tables.  Signers were Isaac Curtis, Ross Browner, Len Barker, and Tom Cousineau.  At the tables, I mistly spent my time at a $1 autographs booth, where I managed to pull over 100-- mostly for Lee, with a few for me. I also grabbed a few 1972 Topps set needs, and a few random cards to TTM.  I also got to spend the show with my dad.

Meanwhile in the evening, it was down to Akron for the RubberDucks game against the Bowie Baysox.  We went for Akron inside, and they were excellent. We never say Triston McKenzie, but signers for us included Rob Kaminsky on 2/4, Mitch Brown on 4/4, James Karinchak on 1/1 (finishing my Lake County No-Hitter card), Kieran Lovegrove on 1/1, Matt Whitehouse on 2/2, Logan Ice on 2/2, Sam Haggerty on 1/1, Mark Mathias on 4/4, Joe Sever on 2/2, Tyler Krieger on 2/2, and Ka'ai Tom on 2/3. Inside postgame we got Dillon Tate, who was charting. He signed 2/2.

Postgame we went to the Bowie bus. Before a group of overzealous, rude, and demanding kids ruined it, we got Brian Gonzalez on 2/2, Ryan Mountcastle on 1/4, Yusniel Diaz on 1/1 (he's now one-per), and D'Arby Myers on 2/2.

Side note, apparently a dealer had his inventory confiscated and was taken into custody by the Cleveland Police's Financial Crimes unit over selling alleged forgeries. Apparently his forgeries have been known to the hobby for AT LEAST five years too (check the latter link and you'll see a poster at Net54 calling Posada's company My Favorite Forgeries). Keep on busting the big fish-- it helps to keep the petty scammers like like Andrew Miller from getting too comfortable.

RUNNING TOTAL: 197 autographs

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DAY 8

START TIME: 9 am Eastern
STARTING CITY: Macedonia, OH
STOPPING POINT: Cleveland, Eastlake, and Macedonia, OH
STATES VISITED: Ohio
MILES DRIVEN TODAY: 88
MILES DRIVEN TOTAL: 1,736

Friday put me back into the autograph lines for Charles White, Steve DeBerg, Livan Hernandez, and Rico Petrocelli. Petrocelli was a non-ticketed signing (yay!) limited to one item per person (boo...). So given the option of my 11x14 photo, 1972 Topps set card, or 1965 rookie card that I procured for a dime the day before, I went with the photo. He signs by mail for $5, I could knock out the other two next week if I really want to (and I do).  White got started late, talked a lot, and people randomly jumped into his line so it took forever.  I was able to get through DeBerg's line while I was waiting and not lose much time (two for me, two for Arron, and one for another friend we were helping out).  Finally I got through and got a total of ten items signed by the former Heisman winner-- six for me, four for Arron.  Hernandez's start time got moved up which I didn't notice, but I was able to get to him quickly even though he started while I was still in White's line. Knocked out six items there-- two for me, two for Arron, two for another friend. Hernandez was on his phone the whole time, but did respond at least when I thanked him.

With the All-Access Super VIP package, we got five free authentications, so I used one each on White and Hernandez.  We never ended up using the other three at all. Mostly since I didn't think to do it.

It was a lighter day at the tables for me-- a small amount spent at a random 12 for $10 autograph table, but not much else.  I wanted to be able to have a total bonanza the final day.

That night, it was off to Lake County.  We got the Captains again pregame on a few cards that we had left over from the team set-- coach Kyle Hudson on 3/3, Felix Tati, Ulysses Cantu, Todd Isaacs, and Juan Acevedo each signed 1/1, and Will Benson did 1/2.  I also got Bowling Green coach Manny Castillo to sign 5/5 and shortstop Taylor Walls on 1/1.  Postgame I got Mikey York on 2/2, and Will Benson on my last card.

RUNNING TOTAL: 225 autographs

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DAY 9

START TIME: 10 am Eastern
STARTING CITY: Macedonia, OH
STOPPING POINT: Cleveland and Macedonia, OH
STATES VISITED: Ohio
RAPID TRANSIT LINES USED: Red from Brookpark to Tower City and back
MILES DRIVEN TODAY: 60
MILES DRIVEN TOTAL: 1,796

Arron handled the lines the final day as I hit the tables.  I went back to the 12 for $10 autographs and bought a bunch from that box as well as a $5 box that had several set needs for 1972.  I also grabbed a ton of Dave Stieb in the first box-- I'll gladly grab everything for $1 from a guy who charges $10 to sign!  I also snagged a bunch of non-personalized Doug Drabek and Cecil Cooper sigs.  Gotta love having trade bait on the cheap.

Over in the autograph lines, Arron got Randy Jones, Gregg Jefferies, Jose Rijo, and Marty Cordova.  Marty's pen slipped a bit on my photo, but it still looks alright.  So from this, I added three from Jones, one Jefferies, one Rijo, and three Cordova.

We kept the graphing light since we were close to dead at this point.  Pregame, the Indian had Jim Poole and Eric Plunk signing in the center field plaza, and each did a card for me.  I wish I had known they would be there: I have tons on them at home, and had to quickly scan through some cards my dad found at his place (found a 1992 Topps on each for Arron) and open up the 1991 Score factory set I got for $2 on Thursday (found both for myself).  Corey Kluber looked like his Cy Young self, pitching a complete game shutout. Exactly four years to the day was my last game at The Jake, where I saw Kluber go seven, allowing one run in a 7-1 win over Cincinnati.

RUNNING TOTAL: 235 autographs

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DAY 10

START TIME: 9 am Eastern
STARTING CITY: Macedonia, OH
STOPPING POINT: Fort Wayne, IN and Cedar Rapids, IA
STATES VISITED: Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Iowa
MILES DRIVEN TODAY: 608
MILES DRIVEN TOTAL: 2,404

Sometimes you just get on a roll and want to knock out an entire drive.  So we went all the way to Cedar Rapids after the Fort Wayne game.

My friend Shawn texted me updates as he helped us out getting the last day's signers-- Tommy Helms, Benito Santiago, Tom Browning, Joe Charbonneau, and Billy Sims.  From those, he got ten for me (three from Helms, two each from Sims, Santiago, and Charbonneau, and one from Browning) and several for Arron.

Meanwhile in Fort Wayne, I got the two Lansing players I had items for before the game-- five from former outfielder (now coach) Matt Young, and two from former shortstop (now pitcher) Emerson Jimenez.  The Tincaps were in no mood to sign before the game since they had an on-field signing session postgame.  So at that, we immediately went for MacKenzie Gore who signed 1/2.  The only ones signing multiples were Austin Smith on 2/2 and Mason Thompson on 3/3.  Granted, I only had one card on most of these guys-- each signing 1/1 were Caleb Boushley, Tom Cosgrove, Osvaldo Hernandez, Aaron Leasher, Evan Miller, Luis Patino, Ben Sheckler, Jalen Washington, Juan Fernandez, Esteury Ruiz, Tirso Ornelas, Jeisson Rosario, and Jack Suwinski. I had two of Luis Almanzar, but he only signed one.

RUNNING TOTAL: 272 autographs

So, my goal of 300 is in reach if this rain holds off. We got into Cedar Rapids at about 1 am after our second longest day of driving to this point. It rained overnight and looks pretty cloudy this morning.  At the very least, I need to buy a hat. I was born in Cedar Rapids but we left when I was about a year and a half old to move to Ohio. I went back for a week in 1990, but haven't been here since.  Back when my family lived here, they were still the Cedar Rapids Reds.  My parents saw the likes of Eric Davis, Paul O'Neill, Rob Murphy, Ron Robinson, Terry Lee, Kal Daniels, Chris Sabo, Kurt Stillwell, Lenny Harris, and Joe Oliver come through before they made it in Cincinnati.  Now the Kernels, I need to get a hat to go with the ones I bought for the Indians, RubberDucks, and Captains on the trip.

We'll be heading onward to Des Moines later as well for the Iowa Cubs vs. Las Vegas 51s. Thinking we likely will skip the Royals-Cubs game, and may pull double duty on the Cubs-51s since they play at noon tomorrow as well, and we'll be right there in Des Moines already.