First post of 2015

First off I wanna wish you all a happy new year! I hope everyone is home and spending time with their family. Hopefully all will return home safely if anyone went out and partied . I want to thank everyone who made 2014 a great year.I would like to thank my following baseball collectors: Will,Max,Scott, Caleb,Noah, and Chris. 

I have known Will for the past 2 years now and I'm so glad I got the opportunity to meet such an awesome guy. I met will on his blog, which by the way you should go and check out at "foulbunt". If you type that in on Google an awesome guy with an awesome collection will pop up. I can't wait to see you in January William and thanks for putting up with me .

Thanks to Will I got to meet 5 guys , one being his son Chris who is a super nice kid . Chris is starting out a great collection and loves Tim Lincecum , Giants and any Orioles so if you have any extras send them his way. Thanks for being my friend Chris.

Max,

You have been a great friend to me for the little bit of time I have known you . Max collects any Cubs ! If you have anything Cubs please send them his way. He is so nice and so easy to make a deal with . Best of luck in the future Max!

Scott,

Even though I have known you for very little time , I am so glad I met you . Even though we fight sometimes (most of the time ) just kidding, but seriously thanks for talking to me everyday and I hope to make a deal finally with you within the next 362 days.

Caleb,

Another guy I wouldn't have met if it wasn't for an awesome group and Will yet again. Even though I can't ever see you in the group chats because of the stupid rules of Skype, I enjoy hearing your voice everyday . Wait ...what ... I do?.... Anyways Caleb collects the Braves and I'm hoping to help him extend on a great Nick Markakis PC. Best of luck !

Noah,

Noah is morally the quiet one yet he comes out of nowhere and says the randomness things. Noah is hilarious and collects any Tigers or Lions stuff so please comment if you guys have any of the guys stuff I mentioned . 

Please leave a comment if you would like there blogs or their Instagrams to give some of the best collectors ever some attention ,that is much needed !

Happy 2015!

Sitting down with newly rule 5 draft pick Jason Garcia with the Baltimore Orioles

Jason Garcia followed me on Twitter the day after he was drafted . The Orioles had thee Astros select Jason so they made sure they got there guy. In return the Orioles have the Astros cash for him. When Jason faced the Orioles single A team he struck out 14 out of 18 guys . Some of those guys were Chance Sisco, Christian Walker and Chris Davis . Jason was very generous and told me that he would be more than willing to do an interview with me. I'm so thankful for the opportunity and wish Jason the best . 

Jason has not gotten much attention yet, but the right-handed pitcher could end up being a sleeper pick. Garcia dominated in his senior year season at Land O’ Lakes High School near Tampa, FL, posting a 2.01 ERA and striking out 72 batters in 58 innings. Originally committed to Florida Atlantic University, Garcia ended up signing with the Red Sox and went straight to the Gulf Coast League, where he posted a respectable 3.03 ERA, a 1.25 WHIP, and struck out 17 batters over 29.7 innings.

Selected in the Rule 5 Draft by Houston (Dec. 2014)

Scouting Report: Stiff mechanics with a average build. Throws from a high 3/4 arm slot with along arm action behind and a stab. Very quick to the plate. Fastball sat 91-93 mph with downward finish prior to TJ surgery. Post TJ surgery, fastball has drastically improved, sitting in the low-to-mid 90s and touching 100 mph. Fastball is on the straight side, but occassionaly shows arm-side run when he finishes his delivery. Still Improving command and fee for the pitch. Has trouble spotting pitch arm-side. Secondary offerings need considerable work and repations as he lacks feel for the offerings. Leans on an low-80s mph slider to finish batters off. Shows depth at times and late, hard break. Flashes solid-average potential, but below-average at present. Demonstrated good feel for the offering prior to TJ surgery. but working to regain that feel now. Changeup is a work in progress. Throws it in the mid-80s mph without much drop. On the firm side and looks more like a fastball he takes something off by slowing his arm down Uses infrequently in game situations. Very young for his draft class, but shows a lot of maturity and poise for his age. Fast learner, takes coaching well. Type of arm that can make strong strides with maturation during his early twenties. Underwent Tommy John surgery in 2013, missing most of the season.

Did you ever have a host family ? Who'd you stay with? 

Yes In spring training a rehab. Her name was Sharon. She was a florist at the ritz and me and mike miller and Aaron Kurcz stayed with her in ft myers.

What team did you grow up liking?

The New York Mets.

What was it like coming back from TJ surgery?

It was tough. I think mentally it was the hardest. First couple times throwing all you can think about is the last time you threw a ball what happened. So I think I learned a lot about myself mentally and physically and saw how far I could push myself.

Which of today's players impress you most?

I would definitely have to say kershaw. I mean I feel like every pitcher watches him to learn and also Jose Hernandez. Played against him in highschool and he's so electric. 

Do you have any role models/ inspirations ?

Yes Pedro Martinez and Nolan Ryan. I'm a big 2seam guy and I love throwing my change up so I try to watch them and listen to a lot of interviews from them.

Who was the greatest hitter that you've faced up until this point in your career? 

Wow that's tough. I probably would have to say Brian McCan with Atlanta last year.

How do you feel about the use of radar guns and the emphasis on pitchers velocity these days?  

I mean I think velocity is now a lot more pressed on than ever, but you still gotta pitch and that's what people sometimes don't understand.

How old were you when you first started playing baseball? Were you always a pitcher or did you play any other positions ?

I was about 3.I grew up as a catcher and third baseman until sophomore year in highschool.

If you weren't playing baseball, what would you want to be doing ?

Marine biologist.

What are your offseason plans?

Be with the family and now work even that much harder to make the most of this opportunity to make a roster spot. I know I have a lot to prove so gotta just prepare.

Who's your all-time favorite player ? 

Pedro Martinez. That guy was just an animal on the mound

How did you feel when you got drafted by Boston in the 17th round of the 2010 MLB draft ?

I was so excited. Wasn't too sure if I go or not but I Was definitely excited.

Did you think you would go earlier ? At all?

I got a call from the rays and giants in the fifth but they sounded unsure.

What is your most memorable moment in baseball? 

Definitely Tommy John. I think it made me on and off the field better.

How did you feel when being selected by the orioles in the rule 5 draft ?

It still hasn't hit me. It's surreal. 

Have you ever asked for anyone's autograph? If you could obtain one from anyone in the sports world past or present who would it be ?

No I'm more of a picture guy and definitely  between Derek jeter and Jackie Robinson.

Have you ever searched for your stuff online ? 

No I try not to pay too much attention to the media. I don't want to get too high or too low. I'm trying to stay level headed. Especially after this.

Have a lot of people asked for your autograph ? If your autograph was worth $50 would you sell your own stuff?

Not too many and I think if it was worth that i'd be making decent money so I don't think so. 

Thanks for answering those Jason means a lot well that's all I had to ask  for the interview . Any last remarks ?

Just wanna say thank you and I'm excited to be an O!

I hope all of you enjoyed my interview with Jason Garcia and you all should go hit him up with a follow on Twitter. His username is @jj_1121 . I look forward to seeing Jason play and I hope he and you both enjoyed reading this! 

Thanks to http://www.soxprospects.com/players/garcia-jason.htm 

For the scouting report.

My Orioles Alumni Postcards

I have been a fan of the Orioles Postcards. I collect them and try to build the set . Contact me if you have any or you need any. 

The first postcard is of Calvin Maduro.He has a beautiful autograph.

Next up is Boog Powell. I have 2 different types of Postcards signed by Boog . He must be the easiest guy to get an autograph from. So here they are.

The next guy is Nate Snell. I have 2 of these postcards. I got Nate at Orioles Fanfest( post to come) . He has a beautiful Autograph and is a super friendly guy. 

Next is Bill Hunter.A super friendly guy.

Next up is Tim Nordbrook and Jackie Brandt.

I'm just going to post the rest with photos. I have to many to write a little bit about.

I hope you enjoyed seeing these postcards and I hope they brought back some great memories . Go O's!

Orioles Fanfest 11:20 Autograph Signing

My first autograph station of the day. I was happy I managed to get this station with Dylan Bundy, Ryan Webb and David Lough. I got 2 vouchers for this time slot. I mainly got this due to the fact of Ryan Webb and David Lough being new Orioles and then Dylan Bundy of course as a top prospect. I had Dylan sign two baseballs as you see below in the photo. 

I asked him if he would inscribe 1st round pick and he did. Dylan was very nice and I look forward to seeing him pitch for the O's when he has been cleared to resume baseball activities.I also got a postcard signed 

 The next guy up was David Lough. He was very friendly, I got him to sign a ball .

Next was Ryan Webb. I got Ryan on two baseballs. One is for sale or for trade . Contact me if you're in need of one. 

Paul Blair Autographed Baseball

Hello! I hope everyone is doing okay with all this snow. I know I'm tired of seeing it . Anyway I bought this Paul Blair ball for $10 right before he passed away. I was wanting a Blair ball for a while but continued to get him on postcards.

The ball was also very cool because he inscribed it with his 8 gold gloves. 

I hope you all enjoy seeing this ball as much as I do. Thanks and God Bless! 

Wilson Betemit game used fielding glove

Not many people can say that they have gotten a fielding glove from a player ; nonetheless for free. You may be wondering how I did . I have Orioles season tickets and am very close with some of the players . I have obtained many game used items and this is one. Wilson came out of the dugout and I simply said "Hey Wilson!" He turned around and said "What's up buddy?" I said "not much trying to add a fielding glove to my collection" He laughed and said I can help with that and tossed me his glove. He said he's glad to help anybody who's a fan of his. I was shocked that he gave it to me . I think it was a day or two before my birthday also so it just made it that much more special. I hope you guys like it as much as I do!

My 2 game used lineup cards

I've been wanting a lineup card for a while now and I managed to get 2 last orioles season . I got these from Art Of The Game. It cost me $150 for the Orioles vs. RedSox . This was pretty cool because it was Manny Machado's first home run of the season, Davis also hit one. But then again I think Chris may have hit one on every lineup card haha. The White Sox card cost me absolutely nothing . They had a grab bag sale going on and some pins with prizes on them . I paid $50 for 2 grab bag balls and managed to get this out of it! I was shocked that I had actually won one. So yeah this is pretty much it . Thanks
for reading and a new blog post will be up shortly!:)Please subscribe !

Matt Wieters autographed photos

Matt Wieters has signed 2 photos for me over his years with the Orioles. Both photos are very unique to me. The one was signed during his rookie season and the other two seasons after I believe. Enjoy!

Nick markakis signed photos

I have multiple Nick Markakis photos I would like to show you guys. Nick has been very nice to me over the years , signing a lot. Enjoy the photos!

Tsuyoshi Wada game used jersey

I bought a Tsuyoshi Wada game used jersey last year at fanfest. I paid $200 for it. It is a nice jersey but it's unfortunate that he's no longer on the team. He signed with the Chicago Cubs this season. Tsuyoshi signed a ball for me during his. Brief stint with the Orioles .Enjoy!

Adam Jones autographed 8x10

This is one of my favorite autographed photos I have. I obtained this autograph from Adam before a game in June of 2013. Adam was very nice about it . He continued to joke with me telling me I needed to get the new updated photo. He then said laughing " although I do look good in this photo too " Adam and I were both laughing. I wished him luck before the game and we went our separate ways . What do you guys think? Cool story, right?

Mike Boddicker autographed ROMLB SWEETSPOT

I recently decided I was going to attempt to collect the 1983 orioles word series team and manager . I saw this Mike Boddicker ball for $20 and was authenticated by Tristar. I figured why not for that price , right? It's a beautiful autograph and I'm glad I am one less autograph away from my goal. I hope to accomplish this by the end of 2014. If you have any players signed on ROMLB on the sweetspot please contact me by email at mwitemorejr@yahoo.com

A Little About Me

My name is Michael Witemore Jr.  I am a Orioles fanatic . I collect autographed baseballs, game used items and some baseball cards. I started collecting at the age of six years old. If your looking for any cards, game used items or autographed baseballs. Please follow my blog.