Tag: Rene Rivera

Posted in Autographs, Baseball, New York Mets

At the White Plains National

Posted on by Paul

This weekend, JP Sports and Rock Solid Promotions held their White Plains National sports card show, featuring a selection of autograph guests that included former MLB and NFL stars as well as a few pro wrestlers and actors. There was really someone for just about everyone.

I was talking to my friend Bart on Friday and he mentioned that he was looking forward to the autograph show. Now I hardly ever get to see Bart or do things with him these days, so when he asked if I wanted to go with him, i was quick to agree since it lined up with a rare Saturday day off.

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Posted in Baseball

Is anybody else feeling priced out of the autograph market?

Posted on by Paul

When I started collecting autographs in the late 1980s, if a baseball player was hired to sign autographs at a card show, you could frequently get a signature for $10… sometimes less. A star or Hall of Famer might cost $20 or $25. Larger shows would often have a free signer with paid admission.

I give JP’s Sports & Rock Solid Promotions credit for keeping the free signer tradition going for most of the shows that they run. At their White Plains show later this month, perfect game pitchers Tom Browning and Len Barker will sign for free on Saturday, Jan. 14th.

But some of the guests seem out of my league.

Steve Matz 2009 Bowman Draft Picks autograph card 030/500
Steve Matz 2009 Bowman Draft Picks autograph card 030/500

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Posted in Baseball, Uncategorized

Mets news… finally

Posted on by Paul

 

Oliver Perez
2008 Upper Deck First Edition Oliver Perez

 The Mets are finally starting to make some news this off-season. (No, I’m not talking about offering arbitration to Oliver Perez… as far as the media knows, they haven’t gotten around to doing that just yet.)

 

No, they’ve actually signed a player! Two, actually — both minor leaguers.

 

  • Catcher Rene Rivera played in a handful of games for the Mariners in 2006, but I’m guessing (hoping) that he’s going to be next year’s version of Gustavo Molina or Raul Casanova.
  • Seventeen year-old Venezuelan righthander Carlos Avellones, who supposedly throws around 90 mph and has ‘huge potential,’ at least according to his agent.

 

Oh, and they’re supposed to be meeting with Brian Fuentes and Francisco Rodriguez in the relatively near future. 

I know it’s still early in the offseason — and outside of the Matt Holiday trade, nobody else has done much either — but I’m starting to get a bit impatient. 😉