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.

Taking what I can get

Any time we hound at a Florida State League game, I play the supporting role in Colin's bid to complete another team ball. Basically, I keep an eye out for players, let Colin know and thank them for their time.

Every so often, I remember that we carry extra items for signing. Or, like last Wednesday, I hear from two people that I really ought to get a player on a single-signed ball. Well, that's exactly what we have here.

St. Lucie's Wilmer Flores, a top shortstop prospect within the New York Mets organization, accepted the sweet spot honors on a FSL game-used ball. Teammate Jeurys Familia, the game's starting pitcher, signed the 2010 FSL Top Prospect card.

Hard to fill

As much as I like working these Florida State League Top Prospect sets during our Summers of Baseball, there's one improvement that I'd like to suggest: Issue the set quicker.

By the time the set's released in late June or early July, some of the players have been promoted, rendering the task of a signed set to my "never-get-done" list. To me, there's no reason -- technological, financial or legal -- why this set couldn't be published by mid to late May.

It's no surprise, then, that Detroit Tigers pitcher prospect Luke Putkonen, pitching for the FSL's Lakeland Flying Tigers, is the only player I've been able to have sign a card over the past few weeks.

There's still time left. Let's just hope the remaining players are still around.

Pinch-hitting appearance

After a short, but long, day at work Saturday, as well as a mad dash to the rink to watch Colin play hockey, I had little energy left for hounding of any sort. That's when Momma stepped up to the plate and got these three cards signed by Tampa's Dellin Betances and Corban Joseph in the post-rainout autograph session last Friday.

Got one

For the most part, I've spent the 2010 Summer of Baseball in an advisory capacity, helping Colin fill up team balls for Florida State League clubs. Now that the FSL has released its Top Prospects 2010 set, I have something to do.

Brevard County's Cody Scarpetta, a pitching prospect within the Milwaukee Brewers system, was the first to sign. I hope to add a few more later this week., with trips to Bradenton, for the Marauders, and Dunedin, for the Lakeland Flying Tigers.

We got the set for $10 at the Dunedin Blue Jays team store at Dunedin Stadium.

Completing the Advanced-A set will be difficult. Already, some players like Daytona's Brett Jackson have been promoted and Kentrail Davis, another Brewers prospect got sent down from Brevard County to the Midwest League (Class A).