signed Shane Spencer 2004 Topps Total card from my collection

MAB Celebrity Services is holding another autograph show this weekend at the Fairfield Crowne Plaza. “Return To Glory” celebrates the 35th anniversary of the New York Yankees’ 1977 World Series title, but a few of the guests will still interest Mets fans.

On Saturday, Willie Randolph($49-75), Mike Torrez ($22), Shane Spencer (one free with admission, $10 each additional), and Fran Healy ($35) are scheduled to sign autographs. Darryl Strawberry ($39) and Ralph Terry ($30) are scheduled to sign on Sunday.

At first, I thought it was part of the insert set included with Topps Series Two that year. However, my Santana card is actually part of a four-card set that was available at the All-Star Game Fanfest in New York in 2008.

The other Mets included in the set were Tom Seaver, David Wright and Jose Reyes. Each card is serial numbered out of 375. (There was also a four-card Yankees set featuring legends Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle and Thurman Munson.)

While I’m not actively trying to complete the four card set, if I have the opportunity to pick up any of the three that I’m missing for a reasonable price, I will.

I like cards like these, with specially designed replica mini-patches, much more than traditional relic cards that incorporate mystery fabric pieces that were once part of a game-used uniform.

They’re more attractive – at least when created with some thought to the design. And for me, most of the appeal of the game-used relic is gone once it’s chopped up to embed in a baseball card.

What do you think?

Yesterday, I put up a quick post about Franco during a few minutes I could spare during the middle of the day when I learned about the news. (You really shouldn’t be depending on me for your up-to-the-minute Mets news, but after complaining about a lack of Mets Hall of Fame inductees, I wanted to acknowledge the latest addition.)

I talked about Franco’s saves, his 14 years with the Mets, and his selection as the team captain. I did not mention any particular fond memories. I wanted to remedy that this morning, but I’m drawing a blank.

I think part of it is the teams Franco played for. Of his 14 years in a Mets uniform, I was really only paying attention to baseball for about half of them. Between the 1994 strike and the 2000 World Series, I don’t think I watched more than a couple of dozen major league baseball games. And except for the almost-but-not-quite contenders in 1990 and 2001 (and the 2000 playoffs), Franco was not playing on very good teams when I was paying attention.

Part of it is that Franco was the kind of closer who made fans (and, I’m sure, managers) crazy. He’d start an inning and put men on base, but more often than not he’d strand them there… somehow.

So I guess my favorite John Franco memory was meeting him at a Brooklyn Cyclones event a few years ago. It was great to take a photo with a former Mets captain who probably had a longer playing career in Queens than anyone other than Ed Kranepool.

So how about you… what are your memories of John Franco?

(Oh, and the spring training countdown has reached 24 days… just in case you thought I forgot )

signed Jesse Hudson 1991 Wiz Mets card from my collection

Mets manager Gil Hodges called upon Hudson to pitch the final two innings of the second game of a double header against the Pittsburgh Pirates on September 19th, 1969. The Mets were down 7-0 when Hudson entered the game.

Hudson retired catcher Jerry May for the first out of the eighth inning, but walked shortstop Freddy Patek to create a sacrifice opportunity for pitcher Luke Walker. Hudson got Walker to hit into a fielder’s choice, retiring Patek at second base. But leadoff hitter Matty Alou singled, and second baseman Dave Cash doubled to bring home the Pirates’ eighth run of the game. Hudson struck out future Hall of Famer Willie Stargell to end the inning without further damage.

The ninth inning was less eventful; Hudson allowed Richie Hebner to reach with a two-out walk but retired the other three batters he faced.

Hudson never pitched in another major league game. 

The Mets selected Hudson in the 11th round of the June 1967 Amateur Draft. At the age of 18, he began his pro career with the Marion Mets in the Rookie-level Appalachian League that year. Hudson advanced through the Mets’ farm system, but had never pitched above the Double-A level before making his major league debut at the age of 21. He spent the 1970 season playing for Triple-A Tidewater, but there is no further record of Hudson’t playing career at Baseball-Reference.com. It appears that he retired from the game at age 22, though there is a mention of Hudson competing for a bullpen spot in a 1971 New York Times article. I would love to learn what happened.

Despite his brief major league career, Hudson did appear on three baseball cards. Topps and Canadian baseball card maker O-Pee-Chee included Hudson with fellow Mets rookie Mike Jorgenson in their 1970 sets. Hudson’s third card is from the 1991 Wiz stadium giveaway set that featured cards of nearly every Mets player from 1962-1990.

I got my card autographed through a private signing session conducted by Chris Potter Sports earlier this month.

Daryle Ward (Photo credit: Paul Hadsall)

Former major league outfielder/first baseman Daryle Ward has been suspended for 50 games after testing positive for a banned substance under minor league baseball’s testing program.

Ward, who is currently a free agent, last played in the major leagues in 2008. His suspension will take effect once Ward signs with a big league organization.

Last season, Ward played in 57 games for the Newark Bears. He hit .312 with 12 home runs and 51 RBI. Later in the year, Ward went to the Arizona Diamondbacks organization and played in 28 games for the Double-A Mobile Bay Bears, where he hit .318 with two home runs and 18 RBI.

In 11 major leagues seasons, Ward has played for the Houston Astros, Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs, Washington Nationals, Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves.

BREAKING NEWS: Congrats to John Franco the newest member of the Mets Hall of Fame!!—
New York Mets (@Mets) January 26, 2012

Autographed John Franco photo from my collection

John Franco didn’t get the call from Cooperstown, but he will see his face on a plaque destined for the New York Mets Hall of Fame this summer.

The team’s last official captain, Franco saved 276 games for the Mets and finished 484 games during 14 years. Over his 21 year major league career, Franco earned 424 saves.

The full list of Mets Hall of Fame members is posted on the team’s website.

I think I’m going to “borrow” his topic, because it’s either that or pretend that I’m interested in court dates.

So here are my ideas:

1) “High Hopes” by Frank Sinatra 

Pro: It keeps a positive message while acknowledging the difficulty of challenges
Con: The Philadelphia Phillies actually use it

2) “Que Sera Sera” by Doris Day

Pro: “Whatever will be, will be” pretty much sums up my outlook on the New York Mets most days
Con: I can’t hear the song without thinking of the movie “Heathers“

3) “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin

Pro: This is definitely a message I want to communicate to a certain segment of Mets fandom. Baseball is supposed to be fun, not a cause for anxiety.
Con: This is not a message I want to convey to any of the actual Mets.

4) “Bad Moon Rising” by Credence Clearwater Revivial

Pro: This song sums up my feelings every time I see the names Fred Wilpon, Irving Picard and Bernard Madoff  in the news.
Con: A bit old-fashioned (though not quite as bad as most of my other suggestions.)

5) “Viva la Vida” by Coldplay

Pro: “One minute I held the key, next the walls were closed on me” pretty much sums up the Mets experience
Con: Might hit a little too close to home for some

Anyway, we’re 25 days away from the official start of spring training for the New York Mets. If we’re lucky, I’ll find something less silly to write about tomorrow.

Jim Leyrtiz, who had been the Bears’ pitching coach for most of last season, resigned in August to move out to California and planned to host a baseball radio talk show for Voice of America, according to a New York Post article last year. Ron Karkovice, who had been part of the Bears’ coaching staff since 2009, will not be back in uniform this year.

signed photo of Ralph Citarella from my collection

Citarella played professional baseball for ten years, from 1979 through 1988, but only appeared in a handful of games in the major leagues – 16 with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1983 and 1984, and five with the Chicago White Sox in 1987. More recently, he’s been working as a loan officer. It looks like this will be his first job coaching professional baseball. Citarella will be the first former pitcher to be the pitching coach for the Newark Bears since Mike Torrez had the job in 2009.

Oberkfell’s availability to serve on the Newark coaching staff is a surprise to me. Just last year, he was part of Terry Collins‘ staff — and Mets’ GM Sandy Alderson interviewed Oberkfell for the skipper’s job that eventually went to Collins. Oberkfell spent 16 years as a minor league manager, all but the first two in affiliated baseball. In 2003, he led the St. Lucie Mets to a Florida State League Championship. Four of his other teams made the playoffs, and Oberkfell was named the Manager of the Year by Baseball America in 2005. I suspect that he might have one of the most impressive resumes of any coach in Can-Am League history.

Hopefully the new additions to Newark’s dugout will lead to some on-field improvements in 2012. In their first year in the Can-Am League, the Bears finished with a 41-51 in 2011. They haven’t made the playoffs since 2009, when they lost in the first round to the eventual Atlantic League champion Somerset Patriots.

Ken “Obie” Oberkfell, former 2011 Bench Coach for the New York Mets, will be joining the New Newark Bears Professional Baseball Team coaching staff for their 2012 season. Obie played in the Major Leagues for 16 years. He played on the 1982 World Series Championship for St. Louis Cardinals. In 2005, he was awarded Manager of the year by Baseball America.

Citerella and Oberkfell will be making their first appearance during the Bears annual Mardi Gras Masquerade Ball on Saturday, February 18th at the Bears and Eagles Riverfront Stadium located at 450 Broad Street, Newark, NJ 07102.

For more information contact the Newark Bears office at 973-848-1000 or send an email to info@newarkbears.com. You can also learn more by visiting www.newarkbears.com.

Sugarland also acquired the Atlantic League rights to pitcher Logan Kensing from the Bridgeport Bluefish, pitcher Josh Banks from the Long Island Ducks, pitcher Ryan McKeller from the Camden Riversharks, shortstop Iggy Suarez from the Lancaster Barnstormers, outfielder Ben Harrison from the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, and catcher Octavio Martinez from the York Revolutions.

The Somerset Patriots will hold auditions for national anthem singers at Menlo Park Mall in Edison on Saturday, March 3rd. For more details, visit SomersetPatriots.com