RBI (229) Curt Schilling...

One of the biggest autographs I was able to add to my collection recently was Curt Schilling. While I did have a Schilling autograph in my collection previously, it was a gift so I had never successfully graphed Schilling myself. I also had a huge need to add him to my Fenway Park setback that I've been getting signed over the years.

What he accomplished during his time with the Red Sox was historically huge and the bloody sock is legendary even amongst a story filled game.

Schilling was making an appearance at Angel Stadium as a broadcaster so after an unsuccessful attempt to graph him earlier in the year I was determined to get him the second time around. Schilling  was kind enough to sign an autograph for each of us waiting for him and signed my setback with a large autograph that is very clear to see when I look at the piece. I'm very glad to have him added to the seat and it definitely muscles up my project significantly.

Autograph Recap Josh Beckett Rancho Cucamonga Rehab 4/4/14

Dodgers starting pitcher Josh Beckett was slated for a surprise rehab start in Rancho Cucamonga. With the Dodgers home opener the same day I figured the graphers would be light in attendance and I'd be able to knock out a big autograph for myself without having to go to LA.

The day started off well with much hyped prospect Corey Seager signing a 2013 Bowman prospect card for me. I've seen Corey be a good signer the past few times I've gone to Rancho, but I've never had anything for him so I made sure to bring along a card this time. He was really nice and I'm glad to have finally gotten a Corey Seager autographed Bowman card in the collection.

After Seager came in a steady stream of minor leaguers made their way in before Beckett finally came. Josh autographed my Fenway seat back, and it was a big addition for me to put the 2007 World Series Champion on it.

After Beckett signed I returned home and waited to head back to Rancho for the game. I went inside and ran into fellow graphers Matt and David and it began the second part of the day.

Finally Beckett left his rehab start and signed a for a few fans, he ran with a black sharpie and I was able to get my 2014 Topps Heritage card done for my set.

To cap the day uber prospect Julio Urias also signed after the game. I remember watching Puig walk past me in Rancho and regret never taking a shot at him considering how things turned out. I wasn't going to let this happen again so I got this Julio Urias autographed baseball and had him sign his Quakes debut ticket.

It was a very long but satisfying day to knock off a card for my set, pair of top prospects and my Fenway seat back.

RBI (183) Johnny Pesky...

I don't purchase many autographs and all my graphing at Angel Stadium typically makes readers forget I'm a big Red Sox fan. One autograph I was sure to buy was legendary player, coach and manager Johnny Pesky after his unfortunate passing.

I got this Johnny Pesky autographed baseball inscribed Mr. Red Sox and I'm glad to have it along side my other Red Sox legends pieces like my Bobby Doerr, Fred Lynn, David Ortiz and Dustin Pedroia.
With the season wrapping up I'm sure I'll pick up my pen and paper again to start sending out TTM requests over the off season to stay busy and keep a bit of an autograph fix coming through since graphing dries up for me when baseball season ends. I'll be making sure to look for some vintage cardboard to send to some older players to expand my collection while some of them are still around to answer my questions about the different eras of baseball.

RBI (178) Josh Beckett....

I was able to continue with my project to assemble the Red Sox 2007 World Series Championship rotation through a trade with my friend Al. He's working on building the 2012 Topps Heritage set so I traded him a giant stack of short prints and a few I had gotten signed myself for this Josh Beckett autographed baseball that he got one of the days I wasn't able to graph the Dodgers.

Beckett is a multi-time All Star, won 2003 and 2007 World Series Championships, crossed the 1700 Strikeout plateau, and has more than 130 Wins. He's a welcome addition to my collection and now is alongside my Jon Lester and Curt Schilling autographed baseballs so now I only need one more to finish the collection that won in 2007.

RBI (175) Terry Francona...

I was very happy to get a Terry Francona autographed baseball to add to my collection. It took a few attempts with him as an analyst, Red Sox manager and as manager of the Indians but I was glad to get a ball signed by Francona in my shelf.

Francona is one of the top autographs for me in Red Sox history since he is the manager that was able to break the curse and bring a World Series championship to Boston. He not only broke the curse but also won the 2007 World Series making himself a key part of the Red Sox dynasty. The infamous breakup of the clubhouse cost him his position in Boston and after some time away from managing he has helped turn the Indians around. He's crossed the 1,000 Win plateau and earned two rings, he's definitely one of the top managers in the game.

I got Terry Francona's autograph on this baseball when the Indians came to play the Angels at Angel Stadium during the 2013 season. I had sent a card to Tito during the 365 challenge that I wasn't able to get back so it really means a lot to put this in my collection. I think I'll be trying to get a copy of Francona's book autographed next season and work on getting Francona's signature on my Fenway Park seat.

RBI (160) Fred Lynn...

I'm always happy when I'm able to get the autograph of a Red Sox player and I was extremely happy to get the autograph of former Red Sox star outfielder Fred Lynn.

Lynn was drafted by the Red Sox in the 2nd round of the 1973 MLB draft out of USC. He debuted for a cup of coffee in 1974 and then went on to have a historic 1975 becoming the first player to win the AL Rookie of the year and AL Most Valuable Player award in the same year. His career continued on for the California Angels, Baltimore Orioles, Detroit Tigers, and San Diego Padres with him hanging up his glove after 17 seasons in the bigs. His career .283 average drove 1111 RBI, crushed 306 Home Runs and supported a .360 OBP. He to go along with his AL ROY and MVP awards Lynn was a 9-time All Star and a 4-time Gold Glover.

He's an interesting person in All Star game history since he was not only MVP of the 1983 All Star game but is the only player to hit a grand slam in All Star game history. His 4 home runs playing as an All Star are second most in the game's history after only Stan Musial. He's played in the All Star Legends soft ball game and been a consistent contributor cranking out home runs for his team.

I was able to meet Fred Lynn twice. The first time I met him as part of the Angels 50th Anniversary celebration where he was only signing Angels promotional hats and no outside items. It was pretty disappointing to me about that since I knew Lynn would be there and had worn my Red Sox jersey for the occasion even though the Angels weren't playing the Sox that game.

I heard from a friend that Lynn was in attendance at an Angels game during the 2013 season and kept an eye out for him the whole time I was at the game. I caught him by myself while he was leaving the stadium and told him about the merciless heckling I got for wearing my Sox jersey to meet him in 2011 and he showed me he appreciated it by agreeing to sign my ball on the sweet spot then shaking my hand and saying a few kind words for wearing the jersey last time to meet him. Awesome. I'm really happy to have ran into Mr. Lynn again and I've very proud to have a Fred Lynn autographed baseball in my collection.

RBI (159) Mike Napoli...

I was finally able to get an autograph from former Angel Catcher and first baseman Mike 'Nap' Napoli.

Nap was drafted in the 17th round of the 2000 MLB draft but didn't debut until 2006 when he stuck around immediately in the big leagues. After debuting for the Angels he switched to the divisional rival Texas Rangers which did him no favors with the fan base in Anaheim. After posting an All Star year and appearing in the World Series with the Rangers he moved to the Red Sox. While not known for a strong batting average with a career average in the .250's he maintains a reasonable OBP in the .340-.360 range by being a consistent power threat with his career .499 SLG percentage. He's been able to contribute solid production for the resurgent Red Sox who have risen from the ashes of the Bobby Valentine debacle to push again for baseball dominance. Most notably with his walk off home run against the Yankees to help finish winning over Red Sox fans.

I was able to get this Mike Napoli autographed baseball during a Red Sox vs Angels series at Angel Stadium during the 2013 season. Napoli is actually a good signer when he's back in town unlike some former Angels. He doesn't seem to mind stopping for the fans that remember him or signing Angel photos which is always nice since that's what most graphers in this area have for former Halos when they come back. You do run into some players that won't sign anything of their former team.

RBI (155) Dustin Pedroia...

This is definitely going to be one of my all time favorite pieces. I haven't gotten many autographed jerseys but the ones that I do have are all of players who are personal favorites of mine. When I went to college Boston I picked up a few extra shifts at my job to work my way up to a nice jersey to wear when I went to Fenway park for a game. All my hard work paid off when I was able to afford a Dustin Pedroia jersey that has become a Dustin Pedroia autographed jersey.

I was able to get Dustin to autograph my jersey when he was in Anaheim with the Red Sox to play the Angels during the 2013 season. It's a great autograph to add to my collection and made even better when you compare it to some of his others you see that it's his tough to get full signature that isn't so scrunched up and includes the dots with his jersey number. Getting this jersey signed the same weekend I was able to get a David Ortiz autographed baseball on the sweetspot made this an awesome series for me this year.

As some of you know I've been working on getting autographs on my authentic Fenway Park seat, unfortunately the powers that be at Angel Stadium decided that my seat was no longer something I could take into the park. This is only going to make working on the piece even harder and I'm concerned I won't be able to get any worthy signature on it this season. Thankfully I already got Pedroia's autograph on it so now I have two great pieces signed by him as well as a autographed Topps card I picked up at the 2010 All Star Game Fan Fest as a souvenir.

RBI (154) David Ortiz

Big Papi. There's only one and he really doesn't need too much of an introduction. I was able to get a David Ortiz autographed baseball, and am thrilled about it. As a big Red Sox fan this is definitely going to be one of my all time favorites and something I always hold on to.

He's had countless All Star appearances, Silver Sluggers, the Hank Aaron award, the Edgar Martinez award, won the Home Run Derby in 2010 at Angel Stadium, and been a key part of the Red Sox 2 World Series championships in 2004 and 2007. I'm proud to say I was able to be there in person for Game 1 of the 2007 World Series and watched him win the 2010 Home Run Derby. Since leaving the Minnesota Twins for the Red Sox he's become a fan favorite and a dominant force in baseball as one of the most effective and feared Designated Hitters in the game.

With over 400 career Home Runs and closing in on 2000 career hits he's going to be an interesting case when it comes time for Cooperstown voters to make a decision on David Ortiz in the Hall of Fame. He's decidedly one of the top sluggers of the game, been a key to a decidedly historic ALCS and World Series run. He's popular with the media and fans so it'll be interesting how long he remains on the bubble to go in and what the final decision is.

I was able to get this David Ortiz autographed baseball when the Red Sox were in town to play the Angels during the 2013 season. Stay the same forever Papi.

RBI (141) Jon Lester...

I thought about coming up with a snazzy title that would be tied into the 1-hitter Lester just tossed, but I figured it wouldn't do Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Jon Lester justice if I did that.

Lester was taken by the Red Sox in the 2nd round of the 2002 MLB draft, being given a million dollar signing bonus, the highest for any second rounder signed that year. He proved to be worth every penny, flying through the minors and debuting for the Sox in June of 2006. He is tough as nails both on and off the mound being able to mount a comeback against non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. He returned to the Sox and was able to show his return to form when he threw a no-hitter against the Kansas City Royals in 2008. His recent 1-hitter was only his 3rd complete game so when Lester decides to go the distance he does it in style.

He's tossed a no-hitter, been named a 2-time All-Star, and was a key part of the rotation that swept the Rockies for the 2007 World Series Champion Red Sox. The lefty has already crossed the 1,100 strikeout threshold and is approaching 100 career Wins with a career era below 4.00. He's got a chance to be something special longterm for the Red Sox so I'll be interested to see the back end of his career play out.

This is one of the few autographs I've actually gone and purchased of a baseball player. I had the opportunity to pick it up off a fellow grapher from Angel Stadium as he received it was part of a lot purchase and knew I was a big Red Sox fan so he offered it to me. I gladly picked it up for a reasonable price and it's now a project for me to obtain a ball of Josh Beckett and Dice-K to go along with my Lester, and Curt Schilling balls so I have a ball from each member of the 2007 World Series rotation.

Ted Williams 1955 Topps

Recently a family member approached me with a request. They were clearing through their older possessions and collectibles and were getting ready to sell off part of their collection so others could enjoy them now. One thing they had decided to part with was part of their collection of vintage baseball cards. I'm not sure what the whole collection looks like yet, but it was an instant "yes of course" just for the chance to be in contact with some vintage cardboard.

Knowing how much of a Red Sox fan I am however, they decided to gift me this very special Ted Williams 1955 Topps card rather than sell it. I am very touched by this gesture especially seeing as I know I'd never be able to to buy this card for myself with even low end PSA 2 versions of this classic sought after card running $100. I appreciate being given this cardboard treasure and hope one day to pass it on down as a family heirloom going from one baseball lover to another. 

Mickey, Ted, and Stan are now all gone. Baseballs, bats, and photos are all fantastic  mementos to remember their greatness and memory, however I think their legacy is best immortalized in these vintage pieces of cardboard that survive the test of time. The vibrant colors and eye catching images are a snapshot from their prime as their legend grew with each passing season to become the immortals we know them as now.

RBI (105) A Piece of Baseball History...

As many of you know I'm a pretty big Red Sox fan, and this year the Sox were only coming to town for one series. I had already gone to Fenway to join in celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Fenway park and decided to continue noting the historic season while they were in Anaheim.

To recognize the 100th year of the stadium I wanted to graph something more substantial than just a few ball or cards. I ended up purchasing an authentic seat back from Fenway park, certified by the MLB as having been Game Used. This is my 2nd baseball seat, which some would say is overkill but I like them. I opted for a red seat back and selected seat #6 also in honor of Johnny Pesky passing away this year.

The first person to sign my seat was manager Bobby Valentine. Plenty of fans booed at me having Bobby V sign the seat and I'll admit I was hesitant at first when I was driving to the stadium coming up with the list of who would be seat worthy. In the end when this era of Sox baseball and the end of the curse is brought up the discussion will always end with "...and then Bobby V..." he's going to be an infamous name in the annuals of Sox historians and thus worthy of the seat. I will add my own complaint about Bobby V. since I took a silver marker for him to sign with but he wouldn't switch from blue sharpie and thus dictated how the rest of the seat needs to be signed. I mean maybe you don't want to switch sharpies between jersey's or cards...but it's a seat. Really Bobby V?

While he may not always be popular with the team I had author and Boston Globe writer Dan Shaughnessy sign my seat also. This was another person I had a quick moment of debate over but seeing as he's written multiple noteworthy books on the Sox and has covered the Sox as long as I can remember I opted to include him as a related personality.

The next person to sign the seat was Umpire Crew Chief and head of the Umpire's Union Joe West. West is not only a notable personality in the game but also involved in Sox history when he work Clay Buchholz's no-hitter from home plate and ended it with a called 3rd strike.

The final person to sign the seat for me was my favorite Red Sox player 2nd baseman Dustin Pedroia. Pedroia was a big score for me and work kept me from doing any pre-game graphing so when I heard he had signed for 2 people on his way in I was crushed. Luckily I was able to get his attention inside the stadium and he signed for me. I was really excited to get the AL ROY/MVP/Gold Glover/Silver Slugger and it's definitely a highlight on this piece. I'm not sure how many people can say they have a Dustin Pedroia autographed Fenway Park seat, but I'm one of the few that can.

This likely be a lifetime piece that I will work on and it'll be interesting to see how this ends up one day when I'm old and have it on a shelf somewhere while I watch a game in retirement.

RBI (91) 100 Years of Fenway and a Red Sox Hall of Famer...

There's no witty tie in for this one, just a few facts.

Fact I just went to Boston for vacation.

Fact my streak of consecutive games with an autograph is over. I went to the night game of the Red Sox-Yankee Saturday double header and didn't get anything. I didn't try any pre or post game graphing and inside I only saw Robinson Cano sign 3 autographs while walking into the dugout.

Fact the next night I decided to treat myself on said vacation to one more game during Fenway Park's 100th Anniversary. I went to a ticket reseller since I knew I didn't have enough cash on hand to get a ticket on the street and was informed of another fact.

Fact the only tickets available were in a suite.

Fact I sat in a suite in Fenway Park.

Fact I have a new streak going.

Story time.

I was informed that the only tickets that were still available were in a suite that the company bought and was selling off. I decided I didn't care and HAD to get into the game to watch the greatest rivalry in sports in the greatest baseball park in the greatest city. Life in the suite. Awesome. Worth every penny.

I however was called during the game and stepped outside to watch the game on the flat screen through the window and take the call. While on the call I saw what? Just a crowd of people asking for an autograph on the floor below me. I immediately turned and sprinted down a pretty good distance to get to the ramp and then down. I caught my target of attention right as he was saying goodnight to a staff member and was walking toward his luxury suite.

"Mr. Tiant, can you sign my ticket please."

Louis Tiant in all his mustached glory turned around, shook his head, and said "Man you kids crazy man" as he reached his hand out toward me. He pulled out his own sharpie and autographed my ticket before putting his sharpie away. Why is this important? Because he handed the ticket back to me with one hand while I said thank you, and as he nodded with his other hand gave me a grandfatherly pat on the cheek "There you go, get out of here."

El Tiante. In Fenway Park. One on One.

For those not versed in El Tiante he is a Cuban born player who played from 1964-1982 for the Indians, Twins, Red Sox, Yankees, Pirates, and Angels. He was a 3 time All-Star, '75 Babe Ruth Award winner, and 1972 AL Comeback Player of the Year. His career line stands at 229-172 with a 3.30 ERA and 2,416 Strikeouts. He was the starter for Game 6 of the 1975 World Series, arguably the greatest game ever played.

He was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 1997 and Hispanic Heritage Baseball Hall of Fame in 2002. He has not made it into Cooperstown and it will be up to the Veterans Committee if he gets to take that plunge. Regardless I have a Louis Tiant autograph in my collection on commemorative Fenway Park ticket stock from a Yankees vs Red Sox game. Awesome.

RBI (87) Now batting...Nomah...

...Garciaparra. Yup that's right folks Nomah (Nomar) Garciaparra one of the most dynamic players and top shortstops of the 90's-early 2000's signed for me recently.

The California native was a 1st round pick, taken 12th overall by the Boston Red Sox in the very productive 1994 amateur draft. He was selected one pick before Paul Konerko and two picks before future teammate Jason Varitek. After being taken in the '94 draft he coasted through the minors being given a cup of coffee in '96 and breaking out in his 1997 AL Rookie of the Year campaign.

While injuries eventually derailed his career and he was traded during the historic 2004 season when the Curse of the Bambino was eventually broken Nomar remained dear to Red Sox fans. His bat brought excitement with his 2 AL batting titles, and on leaving the Red Sox he showed his appreciation and loyalty to the Fenway faithful in a speech to the media. When he finally returned for Nomar Day in Fenway park crowds were excited to see Nomah throw his traditional sidearm to 'Tek before the game.

When he finally retired Nomar had been a 6-time All-Star, Silver Slugger winner, Rookie of the Year, 2006 NL Comeback Player of the Year, and led the league in batting twice. He was voted a 2004 World Series ring for his long service to the club and appreciation by his teammates. His career batting average stood at .313 with 229 Home Runs. While he would be 5 steals short of 100, Nomah has an impressive 936 RBI to go with his 927 Runs scored, a rare blend of speed and power to score and drive others in.

While I don't think Nomar will be inducted into the Cooperstown Hall of Fame like his peer and rival at the time Derek Jeter, I am going to be always glad he slipped down to the 12th pick and carried on the Red Sox legacy of great baseball players.

Nomar was kind enough to sign this ROMLB for me on the sweet spot while doing commentary for ESPN at an Angel game. I was really excited to meet him as he was one of my favorite players growing up, and he was generous enough to add the trademark number 5 under his name. This is definitely going in my collection next to my other favorite pieces forever.

RBI (75) Curt Schilling, possible Hall of Famer...

This is one of my all time favorite players, who I think could be inducted into the Hall of Fame eventually though maybe not his first time on the ballot for Cooperstown in 2013. Pitcher Curt Schilling is in my eyes one of the all time greats who deserves a place in the hall.

Schilling was drafted by the Red Sox in the 2nd round of the 1986 draft, but made his debut for Baltimore in 1988. He was then traded to Houston for a year and then Philadelphia, where he spent the majority of his career developing into one of the most dominant control pitchers mixing an overpowering fastball with brutal off speed offerings. After his development years in Philadelphia Schilling went to Arizona where he was a key cog in the Diamondbacks success. With Randy Johnson in Arizona, Schilling helped the DBacks upset the Yankees in 2001 for one of the most memorable World Series in the past few decades. The victory over the Yankees was a dramatic one and gave Arizona their first franchise World Series title.

The Red Sox aggressively targeted Schilling once he hit free agency and Theo Epstein was able to steal him from the Yankees and bring him to Boston. Schilling was immortalized with his post-season success that helped bring the Red Sox to a World Series Championship victory in 2004 to end the Curse of the Bambino. He built on the success and helped guide the growing Red Sox core to another ring in 2007.

When finally finished with his career Schilling stands in elite company. He has a 216-146 record supported by a 3.46 ERA and 3,116 Strikeouts. A 6-time All-Star he has been World Series co-MVP, NLCS MVP, and a key piece of 3 World Series Champion rotations. Two of those victories are key highlights in sports if not their respective franchise histories. His infamous "bloody sock" incident during the 2004 series has only further increased his intrigue. If he isn't a Hall of Famer, I'm not really sure who from his era is.

I was given this 2007 World Series ball signed by Schilling as a gift for my 21st birthday. It's definitely one of my favorite autographs and I'm really grateful to have a Curt Schilling autographed World Series Baseball. It's become part of a project of mine to add an autographed ball from each member of that 2007 World Series rotation now that I've added a Jon Lester autographed ball and Josh Beckett autographed ball

RBI (71) A Cooperstown TTM for the 365...

I'm sure by the title some of you who read the batch summaries I post before I mail out the 365 letters can guess who responded. Hall of Famer and Red Sox legend Bobby Doerr was kind enough to sign TTM for me.

Of all current players for the Red Sox, second baseman Dustin Pedroia is without a doubt my favorite. He's intense, and leaves it all out on the field and in the batters box. He continues a tradition of excellence at second that Bobby Doerr instilled in the position for the franchise after first appearing for the club in 1937. A tradition recognized by the Red Sox who retired his #1 in 1988 for his service as a player and coach.

Doerr was a generational talent who played 14 seasons exclusively for the Red Sox, though it could have been 15 if he had not been called away to serve in WWII. The 9-time All-Star while being one of the top defensive second basemen in the league, was also a dangerous hitter. When he retired in 1951, his career average was .288 and his On Base Percentage stood at .362. He had assembled more than 2,000 hits, 223 home runs, and 1,247 RBI's. Legendary hitter and teammate Ted Williams asserted Doerr was the "silent captain" of the team, a great tip to Doerr considering Williams' fickle nature about speaking to the public.

After retiring reasonably young at 33 due to injury, Doerr remained around the game as a scout and hitting coach. He is credited along with Ted Williams as being a strong influence in Carl Yastrzemski's evolution mid-career into more of a power hitter. After leaving the Sox he was the first hitting coach for the expansion Toronto Blue Jays from 1977-1981.

Doerr was inducted into the Cooperstown Hall of Fame in 1986 by the Veterans Committee. He was inducted along with Willie McCovey who received 81% of the vote and Ernie Lombardi, also another Veterans Committee inductee.

 Mr. Doerr signed this 2001 Upper Deck Legendary Cuts card for me signed "Bob Doerr HOF 86"

It took me a while to find that legendary cuts card and ironically the day after I bought the card at a card shop I swung through the card aisle at Target. What was sitting at the top of the $4 pack of randomly assorted cards in a clear plastic hanger? Yup. This 1989 Topps commemorating the 1988 All Star Game.
Also signed "Bob Doerr HOF 86"


Mr. Doerr was kind enough to sign these two cards for me from his home address in only 14 days.

RBI (11) Double header madness...

Well I'm just so excited I probably should keep this for tomorrow, but I won't. Today in the mail I got my very first fan pack response. Many of you are probably aware of the fan pack challenge going on at JT's blog The Writer's Journey and his great number of responses from various teams. Well I thought I'd get in on the goodness and try my hand at requesting a few packs of my own. I thought I'd start off with the best team ever, The Boston Red Sox. Here's what I got in the mail.

Yup inked right on the outside of a very large envelope was some great news from oddly enough Florida. I'll be keeping the envelope as a keepsake plus the stamp was just awesome. The envelope itself has a return to Yawkey instruction printed on it too. 

Inside tons of goodies fell out. Such as:

2 Pocket Schedules with Lester on it.

Awesome Wally the Green Monster promotional post card.

Josh Beckett about to hurl some heat post card.

Classic Sox logo sticker.

Some of the ever popular Fenway dirt to make home feel more like Fenway.

A full size 2011 wall calender?!?!?! Seeing as I'm addicted to drinking Coke (sipping one as I type) I was happy about the sponsor. This was definitely a great score!!

ANDDD a non pictured goodie because it refuses to scan very well because of it's circular nature. The fan pack included a "Live Strong"-esque rubber bracelet that was Red Sox red and says "Red Sox Nation" with the classic Sox logo on either side of the words. Needless to say I'll be proudly wearing it around starting tomorrow. 

Moral of the story. Fan packs are awesome. And the Red Sox are even awesomer.

RBI (9) Since I missed a few days I better go big...

As far as I'm concerned this is one of the biggest little superstars in the game. Now announcing...the starting second baseman for the Boston Red Sox....Dustin Pedroia the Destroyahhhhhhh. Yes the cornerstone second baseman who Jason Varitek has stated as being such an influence on the Red Sox that he would be worthy of wearing the "C" on his chest after "Teks" eventual retirement.

Dustin Pedroia is a California native from a place called Woodland. After leaving Woodland Senior High he went on to Arizona State University where he played with Andre Ethier and Ian Kinsler.

2004 was a great year for the Red Sox. After a prolonged and famous streak of championshipless years the Sox finally broke the Curse of the Bambino and won their first World Series of the 2000's. Not only did they win some shiny rings, they struck gold when they took Pedroia in the 2nd round of the 2004 draft.

After working his way through the minors as a tough little second baseman/shortstop he finally made his way into the Red Sox lineup as the regular second baseman in 2007. The Sox went on to win their second World Series of the decade with Pedroia also claiming the AL Rookie of the Year award.

Pedroia continued his grab for hardware taking the 2008 AL MVP award with a .326 average, 17 home runs, 83 RBI, and 20 steals. He tied for the lead in the majors for number of hits with 213. He became just the 3rd player to take the MVP award the year after being named Rookie of the Year.

2011 has been tough for the second baseman as he currently is only batting .237 with 2 home runs. Despite his hitting woes he has continued to get on base at a solid .355 OBP and named 5 steals. He is fighting his way on base like that spark plug he is known to be.

I bought this Dustin Pedroia autographed Topps Finest moments card while at the All-Star Fan Fest in Anaheim, California. It was my main souvenir to remember the fun day and I'm glad I was able to make the purchase.