Better than autographs

In the grand scheme of things, getting autographs really isn't all that important. There are times, like last Saturday night, when it's more important to just sit back and enjoy the moment. Besides, you never know what will happen.

Sure, an hour-long rain delay before a Florida State League game between the Tampa Yankees and Dunedin Blue Jays was a bit of a factor to keep the Sharpies and ballpoint pen tucked away. I didn't want to expose any baseballs or cards to the elements. So, too, was that we've hounded both the Blue Jays and Yankees this season.

As the 2010 Summer of Baseball nears its end, it was time to simply be a fan. I didn't want to spend an inning trying to identify unfamiliar signatures scribbled on a baseball. I didn't want to think about where Colin and I would have to go, at game's end, to snag a handful of signed cards. All I wanted to do was watch a baseball game -- all nine innings -- and enjoy an evening with the family.

Before the game, as well as the rain delay, I found that I wasn't the only one with that goal in mind. Minutes before the Dunedin Stadium gates opened, I gave away some of our remaining ticket vouchers. A pair went to a couple who made the trip to Dunedin to cheer on the Yankees. Their trip, however, has far longer than a ride from Tampa. In fact, it started in Nebraska.

The Vendittes, Pat Sr. and Janet, were attending the game to watch a son, Pat Jr., possibly pitch in the game. Some of you may have heard of Pat Venditte Jr. , as he's an ambidextrous pitcher, something of a rarity in baseball.

As you would expect, the parents are very proud of their son. Even if the FSL is only at the Advanced-A level, it still must be something to watch a child, even if he's an adult, perform in a professional setting. Before the game, I spent time talking with Pat Sr., soaking up his stories about his son, his career and living in Nebraska.

During the game, The Missus and Colin walked over to the Vendittes and gave them a couple of FSL balls that we'd brought to the game. Their souvenirs, however, got better. Pat Jr. entered the game in the seventh inning and, ultimately, earned his fourth win of the season.

After the game, we saw the Vendittes. Their smiles, understandably, were a mile wide.

Grinding it out

If there was any disappointment during our 2010 Summer of Baseball, it was the inability to complete a significant portion of the 2010 Florida State League Top Prospects set.

Give the developmental nature of the FSL, it's easy to understand that players move on. This season, the July release eliminated many autograph opportunities.

A couple of weeks ago, Dunedin's Travis d'Arnaud and Anthony Gose, part of a Phillies-Blue Jays deal that brought him from the Clearwater Threshers, added only the fifth and sixth cards of the 24-player set.

Just last month, Gose, an outfielder, was featured on the Threshers' game programs.

Not all minor leaguers

I'm sure I said this last summer, but it's possible to find former big leaguers serving as coaches and managers in the Florida State League. Just a couple weeks ago, Dunedin Blue Jays pitching coach Darold Knowles, a 15-year big-league pitcher and a member of the 1973 World Series champion Oakland Athletics, was nice enough to sign these four cards as well.

Paper work

For the most part, we haven't placed much of an emphasis on getting cards signed this summer. That changed a couple weeks ago, when we made a dent in the 2010 Dunedin Blue Jays team set.

With at least two more games (weather permitting, it's been raining most every evening lately), we should come close to completing the set, save for those who moved up or along.

Kicking off this season's set were:

Top: Travis d'Arnaud, Chuck Huggins, Mike McDade; and
Bottom: Brad McElroy, Mark Sobolewski and the ever-obliging D-Jay on a 2006 team set card.

Disney over D-Jays

At first, we were seriously considering taking in this Saturday's game between the Clearwater Threshers and Dunedin Blue Jays. Now, though, as our trip to Orlando rapidly approaches, I'm thinking our time would be better spent with another day at Disney World rather than rushing home for a Florida State League game.

Of course, weather and a certain someone's behavior will dictate whether or not we spend an extra day in Orlando. I'm sure he'll be on his best behavior. Besides, we still have a game Aug. 28, when the D-Jays hold their fan appreciation night, as well as at least one playoff game Sept. 8.

Using the noggin

Not content to score team-signed balls from all 12 Florida State League teams, we stumbled upon another project for our 2010 Summer of Baseball with a trip to the souvenir shop at Dunedin Stadium.

Normally an air-conditioned respite from the heavy summer air, we also find it useful for getting cards sets and checking in with friendly staff. One trip, though, we happened upon some Dunedin Blue Jays game-used batting helmets. At $25 a pop, I figured why not. One helmet would make for a good summer project.

It took Colin a few trips since mid July, but he's added 31 players to the helmet. I'm thinking, too, there's room for a couple more.

Another thing, too. That blue paint pen pops, doesn't it? Some of the D-Jays players thought so, too.

Boomer Potts, from middle left, Darrold Knowles (pitching coach), Brad McElroy, Matt Daly and Mark Sobolewski; and

Unidentified, from lower left, Shawn Hill (in Dunedin on a rehab assignment), Mike McDade, Brian Van Kirk, Justin Mashore (hitting coach), Welinton Ramirez, Joel Carreno (way up top), Chris Hopkins and Yan Gomes; and

Travis d'Arnaud (above logo), Clayton McCullough (manager, on brim), Frank Gailey, Ryan Page (lower right, on brim; and

Ross Buckwalter, from left, Chad Jenkins, Jon Talley and Chuck Huggins; and

Dan DeLucia, from left, Ryan Goins, unidentified, John Tolisano, Justin McClanahan and Tyler Pastornicky (now in Atlanta's organization).

There's more work left

Just because Colin completed his Florida State League team-ball project, it doesn't mean we're done hounding during the 2010 Summer of Baseball. Nope, we're far from it.

There are a few other projects and tasks to keep us busy, as we cash in the rest of our ticket vouchers at Dunedin Stadium over the next month:

~ we'll put the finishing touches on the Dunedin Blue Jays team-signed batting helmet;
~ we'll try to knock out the D-Jays' 2010 team card set; and
~ Colin wants to do a team sheet for the D-Jays.

Mission accomplished

It may have only 16 signatures -- the minimum requirement for a team-signed ball (in my opinion,) -- but it represents a summer's worth of effort. When Fort Myers Miracle pitcher Brad Tippett signed this Florida State League baseball, it capped Colin's main project for our 2010 Summer Baseball -- getting a team-signed ball from all 12 FSL teams.

Starting in late May, with a team ball from the Dunedin Blue Jays, we've used our near-weekly boys' nights out to chip away -- team by team -- at the project. And, as of July 28, with five weeks left in the season, Colin fulfilled the project requirements.

Granted, FSL players, for the most part, are willing signers. That alone made the project easy. The hard part, if you will, was the logistics, making sure we put ourselves in front of every team this season.

We attempted this project last season, but fell one team short. This summer, however, it was an entirely different story:

Jake Mauer (manager); and

Brian Dozier, Shooter Hunt and Tippett; and

Jonathan Goncalves, Chris Herrmann, Nathan Hanson and Steven Blevins; and

Deibinson Romero, Allan De San Miguel, Evan Bigley and Matthew Williams; and

Nicholas Romero, unidentified, Ramon Santana and Angel Morales.

A big hit

As former Tampa Bay Rays player Rocco Baldelli begins his comeback with the Charlotte Stone Crabs, there are certain milestone along the way. Getting his first Florida State League hit was one of those moments.

Thanks to good luck and a quick finger on our camera's shutter, we were able to capture that moment on July 22 when Baldelli, serving as a designated hitter for the Stone Crabs, cracked a double against the Clearwater Threshers.

Not content enough to simply capture the moment, we wanted to get Baldelli to sign the photo. In the process, we also wanted to share a copy of the photo with him.

Last Thursday, with the Stone Crabs in Tampa to play the Yankees, we succeeded in both aspects. Not only did Baldelli sign one of the 8x10s, but he also gave Colin a wide, warm smile and a rock-solid fist bump when Colin gave him a copy.

"What's this?" Baldelli asked Colin as he handed him the photo folder.

"It's your first FSL hit, a double against the Threshers last week," Colin replied.

"Really? That's cool," Baldelli said before delivering the fist bump. "Thanks, buddy"

Star attraction

Every so often, a Major League Baseball player heads down to the Florida State League for some sort of rehabilitation assignment. As you can expect, the player's presence not only piques our interest, but he also draws a crowd.

Take Tampa Bay's Rocco Baldelli. After spending the first part of the season serving as a roving instructor throughout the Rays minor-league system, Baldelli, one of the Rays most popular players ever, began a comeback attempt with the Charlotte Stone Crabs, the Rays Advanced-A affiliate.

We caught up with Baldelli in his first week with the Stone Crabs, when the team was in Clearwater to play the Threshers. Though a crowd gathered near the visitor's dugout before the game, Baldelli told us that he'd signed after the game. Last week, we saw Baldelli again, this time in Tampa. Again, he said he'd sign after the game.

In both instances, Baldelli kept his promises. Not only did he add to our single-signed baseball collection (above), but he also signed an 8x10 of his first FSL hit for Colin as well as our work-in-progress Rays mini helmet (at left).

The old standby

Regular readers of our hockey-hounding exploits know just how much stock we place in Colin's team sheets. Colin likes drawing them. The players like signing them. And, in the grand scheme of things, they're true 1-of-1 items.

With that in mind, as well as the completion of his Charlotte Stone Crabs team ball, Colin decided to use a tried-and-true favorite for the Florida State League club before last week's Florida State League game against the Tampa Yankees.

The results, as in signatures on the sheet, showed it was well worth Colin's effort. Among the 15 players and coaches who signed were Stephen Vogt, Reid Fronk, Kyeong Kang and Tim Beckham, the Tampa Bays Rays' top pick in 2008.

Besides all of the autographs, Colin also said three Stone Crabs complimented him on his artwork. Going forward, I wouldn't be surprised to see Colin use a couple more team sheets before the end of our 2010 Summer of Baseball.

Three-trip ball

For the most part, Colin tries to knock out a Florida State League team-signed ball in a single visit. This one, from the Charlotte Stone Crabs, took three visits.

It all begin in early July, when we made the trip to Bradenton. After loading up on a team ball from the Marauders before the game, Colin turned his postgame attention on the Tampa Bay Rays' FSL Advanced-A affiliate. That first effort landed nine signatures.

A couple weeks alter, we caught the Stone Crabs in Clearwater. There, Colin added a significant number of autographs, including one from former Rays outfielder Rocco Baldelli, who was just beginning his comeback attempt. Still, there was one signature lacking.

Last Thursday, in Tampa as the Stone Crabs played the Yankees, we got the final signature from Tim Beckham, the first overall pick in 2008 by the Rays.

In all, the three trips netted 22 autographs:

Jim Morrison (manager);

Tim Beckham, Joseph Cruz, Shane Dyer and Marquis Fleming; and

Chris Andujar, Neil Schenk (we believe, though it could be Nick Barnese), Michael Sheridan, J. Stranz (whoever that is) and Greg Sextion; and

Stephen Vogt, Matthew Moore, Kyeong Kang, unidentified, Frank De Los Santos and Rocco Baldelli; and

Jake Jeffries, Christopher Murrill, Matthew Hall, Anthony Scelfo, Reid Fronk and Frank De Los Santos (yes, twice).