Any idea who this is:
Seems to be "Bill M.." something? I believe (pretty sure??) I got it before a spring training game in '92 or '93 in Yuma, AZ between the Padres and the Indians. I didn't arrive early enough or stay late enough to get many chances to get autographs, but there was a coach (or instructor, assistant, ?) for the Indians who was asked by another kid for his autograph, and I followed suit. The kid was probably just going for low hanging fruit ("hey, an old guy walking by in a real baseball uniform!"), but perhaps the guy was a big league player back in his day? He was an old white guy, part of the Indians organization. That's all I can recall. If there's anybody out there who could solve this 20+ year old mystery for me, that would be sweet!
Another memory I have from that day involves Albert Belle taking some batting practice. As he finished up and walked by some kids, one of us sheepishly asked if he could have his autograph. Joey just gave the kid a stink eye and after a moment flatly said, "No."
I loved this! Everyone heard the stories of Joey Belle being an asshole, but it was neat to witness in person. I imagine it's sort of like if you saw a celebrity say his catchphrase in real life, like Joey Lawrence saying "Whoa" or Henry Winkler saying "Ayyyyyeee" or something. It's just like, "Wow, he said it!! He said it!!" Haha.
This day was also the only time in my life I've been stung by a bee. Just a piece of useless trivia about myself.
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Pull-Tab Awareness Week recap
Oh, and I hope you all had a great Pull-Tab Awareness Week! Never before has the blogosphere been so united by a common goal, and I'm honored to have been a part of it. The impact of our cause was so great that it even reached into non-baseball card blogs, such as that one guy and other well-known blogger urging their readers to make pull tabs when they tape up stuff. I admit I was nervous when I first got the call to talk about the cause on CNN, but after a few national spots, it became old hat, and by the time I was interviewed on the Colbert Report I was as comfortable as could be. It really was a whirlwind week of amazingness!
Ha, no, actually that was all a lie. I don't think 2013 is the year Pull-Tab Awareness Week really catches on. Maybe 2014? I probably should have given it a more catchy name like The Week for Awareness of Tabs (T.W.A.T.)
The goal was to spread the message of pull-tabs and how convenient they are, but I don't think a single other person mentioned pull-tabs anywhere in the world this week. Oh well, if I convinced just one collector out there to take the 2 seconds to make a pull-tab the next time he tapes up a card to mail, then it's all worth it.
Kind of.
There were a couple helpful comments on the post, at least. Ryan from "O" No!!! Another Orioles Blog and Nick from Dime Boxes -- The Low-End Baseball Card Collector's Journey both mentioned that Painter's Tape is great for taping up cards. It's easy to remove and won't leave residue if not left on for too long. Plus it's a pretty shade of blue! Nice!
Masking Tape also works. But don't leave it on for too long or it might start to shred when you remove it, and it'll sometimes leave residue.
But I'm pretty sure Scotch Tape is the cheapest option. So if you're watching your pennies, it's probably your best bet. Just remember to make pull-tabs!
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