Back in 1988 a young pitcher called up from the minors to help out a weak pitching staff for a last place team. This pitcher was traded as a prospect the year before at the trade deadline for a veteran of a pitcher who was undefeated going a 9-0 (14-10 Overall) to help that team reach the post season. This same pitcher later came back home to a card show that was hosted by a rival during his High School years. The first card you see is how he signed back in 1988 the weirdness I can & maybe Bo would agree that the picture might have been taken on his Major League Debut game. That's right I am calling ya out Bo see if I am right or not please comment if I have a steak dinner riding on my thoughts. The second autograph as you can see is on his 1989 Upper Deck card I got it signed at this again in his Hometown at a different venue back in 1991 a year after going to his 1st trip to the World Series. More like where he honed his craft of a pitcher when he was attending a Catholic school which also in back to back years he brought his teammates to join him for this venue the first was a former #1 Draft Pick 3rd overall from 1988 then a year later a teammate who was identified as this pitcher I wasn't able to obtain those 2 times to get his teammates autographs cause I was busy helping a fellow dealer by running his table for him while he needed an extra set of hands to watch over his 2 cases of `80/`81 Topps Basketball & `86/`97 Fleer Basketball that he acquired in 1988. Now most people say that the autograph from 1988 is fake well sorry to burst your bubble its real & if you ask him he will clearly say yes that's how I used to sign now its more like the 1989 Upper Deck card. So I like to hear what you think have ya gotten an autograph from a player more than 1 time on different occasions & it looked different from the previous one or not & speaking of autographs I am reminded of the great Rogers Hornsby once saying "Any Ballplayer who doesn't sign for little kids ain't an American, He's a Communist."
Yeah, that's definitely his big league debut. Shut down the Mets, back when they were the mighty Mets, for eight innings, wow.
ReplyDeleteThat's Shea Stadium for sure. The blue paneling is Shea all the way. You can see similar in video for Smoltz's first career K (Darryl Strawberry). https://www.mlb.com/video/smoltz-s-first-mlb-strikeout-c289490583
That was July 23, Fleer wouldn't have had a lot of time to get the set out by the end of the season. His other road games were SD, PIT, STL, SF and LA, none of which look like that.
That was Smoltz's only MLB card in 1988 (his true rookie). Topps and Score also had update sets but maybe they went to production before 7/23.
Its sad that we have no life Bo when it comes to identifying things like that lol so what's your way of steak when cooked me well done.
DeleteMost of the autographs I have acquired in person have been San Jose Sharks and off the top of my head, I can't think of any players that changed up their signatures. That being said... as a collector of Barry Bonds stuff, I know his signature changed. Dave Dravecky's signature changed after his his left arm was amputated.
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