Down On The Farm Friday: Ronnie Welty

 

Ronnie Welty 2011 Bowman Chrome Prospects #205

Ronnie's 2012 campaign was much better than his autograph I received back TTM.  It looks like a combination of a shoddy rubdown on my part and quick stacking on Ronnie's.  It is nice to see a great deal of consistency from his facsimile and original signatures.  Many times there is a huge discrepancy.

Spreading his time across the GCL Orioles, IronBirds, Keys and BaySox, Ronnie solidified himself as a top Outfield Prospect.  He hit .333, banged 13 home runs and drove in 55 runs, most of the power output coming at AA Bowie.  Welty struggled to stay healthy in 2012 appearing in just over 50 games, the lowest of his minor league career.

His main knock entering 2012 was the frequency of his strikeouts.  He struck out 31.5% of the time in 2011 and only 22.7% last season, all-the-while raising his average and power numbers.  His health seems to be the biggest hurdle for him moving forward, that and super glossy baseball cards.

Joyce To The World

My company employs a mentoring program, and as a Manager I was assigned a new hire to help throughout his career.  HR finally did some good research when pairing me up, my mentee is a huge sports fan and we have a lot in common.  After our first meeting he invited me to an Orioles game, I was happy to oblige.

Sweetening the deal, his close personal friend is Tampa Bay Rays Outfielder Matt Joyce, and we had field passes.  For the first time in my fandom I was on the field for batting practice, rubbing elbows with big leaguers.  I didn't even mind that they were the enemy that evening.  Until I took my seat.  In the Rays family section.  Surrounded by true Rays fans.

It hurt.  Not being able to cheer and openly root for my Birds stung.  The Orioles 9-2 victory took the sting out very quickly though.

Joyce came through and recently gave me this, I will count it as a Christmas gift.

 

Hopefully I have brought a little Joy(ce) to the blog-o-sphere.  Merry Christmas to all.  Can't wait to see all the new cards that come in this week.

Christmas Came Early

I have documented man times before that Wifey does not like baseball cards.  Especially purchasing them.  I am lucky to get a pack or two a year.  I am very happy that she and her father are nothing alike.

He visited earlier this month bearing gifts for The Kid, Wifey and I and I was shocked there was a gift specifically for me.  It was the first time in six years that they weren't all joint gifts.  Here is what I received:

Boog Powell 1962 Topps #99

 

Brooks Robinson 1959 Topps #439

Each one of these beauties fills a void in my Orioles vintage collections that has been long overlooked.  I had been thinking of liquidating that portion of my collection but these two cards have made me reconsider. 

These are most likely the only cards I receive for Christmas, couldn't be more pleased.

There You Are...

Drungo Hazewood.

Drungo who? 

Hazewood.  The former first round pick of the Orioles from Wifey's Alma Mater, Sacramento High School, who played five games in the 1980 season, then fell off the planet.

OK, he didn't fall off the planet, but he did hide very well.  He had been a notoriously difficult autograph go buy, trade for or get in person.  He only has five minor league issue cards and the 1991 Orioles Crown card produced during his entire career. 

That was until Chris Potter knocked on his door and set up a private signing.  I learned about the signing at the National Convention this year and jumped on the opportunity.  I was expecting a lofty price tag as sales of his signed card at the 2010 Convention were around $90. 

$15.  A deal that could not be passed up.  Now I have this beauty in the collection.

 

Drungo Hazewood 1991 Orioles Crown #189 

I found it fitting for my first real post in over a month to be about a lost Oriole.  Enjoy.

 

Where Did November Go?

For the first time since I started blogging I took a hiatus.  A long one.  It wasn't planned.  It wasn't even wanted.

It just had to happen.

Something had to give.

Work has been stressful to say the least.  It has meant even longer days then before.  Including my commute I am away from home for over 14 hrs a day.  Throw in some sleep and I have less than three hours free.

Wifey and The Kid need their time with me as well.  The lone hour I have completely void of responsibility, I spend vegging out. 

No blog.  No baseball cards.  No eBay.  No thoughts.  And that can be exhausting. 

I thought with my time away my blog presence would be zero, and it may very well be, but blogger analytics says differently.  I think I am getting more hits by not posting than by actually writing.

We shall see what the truth is, as I hope to put out a few posts.