Favorite Player: Tim Tebow

Like him or not, Tim Tebow is a draw for whatever he is doing. I personally like him, and feel that he has been banished from the NFL because of his outspoken faith. I hope he can make it to the Major Leagues and be successful.

TIM TEBOW CARDS I HAVE:
2010 Donruss Rated Rookie (fb)
2010 Panini Gridiron Gear Tebow/Bradford/Claussen jersey (fb)

2019 Bowman Chrome (bb)

Favorite Player: Kalian Sams

Kalian Sams is a part of the Dutch National Team.

KALIAN SAMS CARDS I HAVE:
2013 Brandt Tucson Padres

Favorite Player: Adam Roller

Adam Roller went to Lakeland High School a few years before I went there. He has a few cards out there, and I might be able to get all of them.

ADAM ROLLER CARDS I HAVE:
2002 Bowman
2002 Bowman Chrome Refractor certified autograph
2002 Topps

Favorite Player: Derek Fisher

I don't know if this counts as player collection or just a card/moment. While visiting my mom in Corpus Christi, my wife took me and our 7-month-old son Kyler to an Astros game in 2017. We went on my birthday, June 14, and I was excited to see a potential playoff team in the Astros, hopefully see alot of runs being scored, check a new ballpark off of my list, and enjoy Kyler's first Major League game. While looking online shortly before the game, I saw that Derek Fisher would be making his MLB debut, and I anticipated maybe seeing his first career hit. We got seats in the Crawford Boxes, and Kyler stayed awake for most of the game that we saw. The only 2 things I regret is letting go of the HR ball in batting practice so a whiny kid could have it, and forgetting my phone in the car before the game.
During the game, Fisher flew out to left in the 2nd, and walked in the 4th. In the 6th, he led off with a HR to left for his first career hit. It was maybe a section to the left and one row ahead of where we were sitting. I saw an MLB official escort the guy who caught it away so it could be authenticated and given to Fisher. The Astros batted around that inning, and Fisher also singled, getting his first 2 career hits in the same inning. A great game.
So I am trying to collect Derek's 2017 Topps Update Rookie Debut card (#194).

Favorite Player: Gregg Olson

Gregg Olson was one of the first nationally-recognized players to come out of Auburn University when I was growing up. He was drafted a year before Frank Thomas and shortly after Bo Jackson. Gregg won the 1989 AL Rookie of the Year award, and put in several good seasons as a closer.

GREGG OLSON CARDS I HAVE:
1989 Donruss Best
1989 Score Rookie/Traded
1989 Topps  (Rediscover Topps Gold)
1989 Topps Traded
1990 Bowman
1990 Bowman Painting Sweepstakes Insert
1990 Donruss
1990 Fleer
1990 Score
1990 Topps
1991 Donruss
1991 Fleer
1991 Score
1991 Studio
1991 Topps
1991 Ultra
1991 Upper Deck Team Checklist
1991 Upper Deck
1992 Leaf
1992 Pinnacle
1992 Score

1992 Score No-Hitter
1992 Score '90's Impact Player
1992 Score Superstar
1992 Stadium Club
1992 Topps

1992 Topps Gold Winners
1992 Ultra
1992 Upper Deck
1993 Flair
1993 Fleer
1993 Leaf
1993 Topps
1994 Collector's Choice
1994 Donruss Gold
1994 Fleer
1994 Pinnacle
1994 Score
1994 Stadium Club

1994 Topps Traded
1996 Topps custom
1999 Skybox Premium
1999 Stadium Club
1999 Topps
2000 Fleer Tradition
2001 Topps custom

Favorite Player: Ben Zobrist

When I used to go to a ton of Rays games, Ben Zobrist was always kind enough to stay after the game and sign autographs for everyone. I've got his autograph a ton, as you can see from the cards.

BEN ZOBRIST CARDS I HAVE:
2006 Topps
2006 Topps Gold (ip auto)
2006 Topps '52 (ip auto)
2007 Topps (ip suto)
2007 Topps Chrome Refractor
2007 Topps Co-Signers
2007 Topps Heritage
2007 Topps Team Set
2008 Topps
2008 Topps Heritage (ip auto)
2009 Topps
2009 Topps All-Star
2009 Upper Deck (ip auto)
2010 Allen & Ginter
2010 Bowman

2010 Bowman Chrome
2010 Topps (ip auto)
2010 Topps Retro Logo (ip auto)
2010 Topps 206
2010 Topps Attax
2010 Topps Heritage
2010 Topps Opening Day Blue
2010 Topps Team Set (ip auto)
2011 Allen & Ginter (ip auto)
2011 Allen & Ginter Code
2011 Topps (ip auto)
2011 Topps Diamond (ip auto)
2011 Topps Gold (ip auto)
2011 Topps Opening Day (ip auto)
2011 Topps Team Set (ip auto)
2012 Allen & Ginter mini
2012 Bowman
2012 Topps
2012 Topps Gold
2012 Topps Archives
2012 Topps Chrome Refractor
2012 Topps Opening Day
2013 Bowman

2013 Bowman Chrome
2013 Panini Hometown Heroes
2013 Topps Update All-Star

2013 Topps ‘72 insert 
2013 Topps Wal-Mart Blue
2013 Topps Team Set
2013 Topps Gypsy Queen
2013 Topps Heritage
2013 Topps Opening Day
2014 Allen & Ginter
2014 Donruss
2014 Topps Team Set
2014 Topps Heritage
2014 Topps Tier 1 bat
2015 Topps
2015 Topps Gypsy Queen
2015 Topps Heritage
2015 Topps Update
2017 Bowman
2017 Topps Heritage World Series Highlights
2018 Topps
2019 Topps

Favorite Player: Jose Yepez

In 2003 when Jose Yepez was with the Dunedin Blue Jays, I got his game-used cracked bat. I got him to sign it either later in the year, or in 2004. He is a phantom ballplayer (someone who was called up to the Majors, but never played in a game). He was called up to the Mariners on June 29, 2011, but was sent back down on July 6, without appearing in a game.

JOSE YEPEZ CARDS I HAVE:
2010 Bowman Chrome Green X-Fractor

Favorite Player: Metta World Peace

I am a big fan of CBS's Big Brother. Recently, Big Brother Celebrity Edition USA came on, and I loved watching Metta World Peace on the show. He was a little crazy, and didn't care about what anyone else thought. I decided to get a game-used jersey card of him, and if I can find the basketball card that I think I may have of his, I will add it to my collection.

METTA WORLD PEACE CARDS I HAVE:
2004-2005 Bowman Chrome
2007-2008 Upper Deck Sweet Shot Sweet Stitches Memorabilia jersey

Favorite Player: Bob Wolcott

When I was 15, I was pretty big into baseball. I had created my own type of 'simulation-style baseball', where I took 12 teams, made up an 11 game schedule, basically hit a marble with a pencil (wherever it landed determined the result of the play), and recorded the results. I thought Bob Wolcott was going to be a star then, and he showed it in my league, going 3-0 in 3 games started, and finishing 3rd in the Cy Young race. I have collected Bob Wolcott ever since.

BOB WOLCOTT CARDS I HAVE:
1992 Stadium Club Dome
1993 Topps custom
1996 Finest Refractor
1996 Leaf Signature Series certified autograph
1996 Pacific
1996 Pinnacle
1996 Select
1996 Sportflics
1996 Topps
1996 Topps Team Set
1996 Topps Lazer Stadium Stars
1996 Upper Deck
1997 Collector's Choice
1997 Topps (autographed, purchased on eBay)
1997 Upper Deck Pepsi
1998 Pacific Paramount
1998 Topps custom

Favorite Player: Eddie Williams

Eddie Williams is a Type 1 Diabetic. I hope to add an autographed card to his collection someday.

EDDIE WILLIAMS CARD I HAVE:
1988 Donruss
1988 Fleer
1988 Topps
1989 Topps Traded
1991 Fleer
1991 Score
1995 Score
1995 Topps
1995 Topps Spectra Light/Cyberstats
1995 Upper Deck
1996 Ultra

Favorite Player: Greg Whiteman

Greg Whiteman was the ace of the 1996 Lakeland Tigers staff. He got traded to them from the Phillies, and soon was out of baseball. I got Greg to sign 2 programs for me while he was with Lakeland (he is on the bottom row, last player on the right).

GREG WHITEMAN CARDS I HAVE:
Pack Filler he autographed
1994 Signature Rookies certified autograph

1996 Bowman

Favorite Player: Luke Weaver

Luke Weaver grew up in DeLand, Florida, which is where I currently live.


LUKE WEAVER CARDS I HAVE:
2014 Panini Prizm Perrenial Draft Picks Draft Class
2015 Bowman Draft Dividends

2015 Bowman's Best certified autograph
2015 Panini USA jersey
2016 Bowman Platinum
2017 Allen & Ginter mini A & G back
2017 Bowman Chrome Bowman's Top 100
2017 Bowman Platinum Rookie Radar
2017 Stadium Club
2017 Topps
2017 Topps Bunt
2017 Topps Chrome
2017 Topps Chrome '87
2017 Topps Gypsy Queen
2017 Topps Holiday
2017 Topps Opening Day
2018 Bowman Chrome Birthdays
2018 Topps
2018 Topps Archives
2018 Topps Big League
2018 Topps Chrome Pink Refractor
2018 Topps Heritage
2019 Topps
2019 Topps Update
2020 Topps
2020 Topps Heritage

2021 Topps

2022 Topps

Favorite Player: Doug Waechter

Doug Waechter was a nice guy whom I got to see pitch a few times for the Rays in the mid '00's. Shortly after he got called up to the Rays, I had a relative of his come through my line while I was a cashier at Publix. We talked about his career, and I told her I was happy to see him get called up to the Majors, and that I had seen him play in AA Orlando.  I later met Doug again in 2012 at the Rays fan fest and he signed the cards of his that I had at the time.

DOUG WAECHTER CARDS I HAVE:
2003 Bowman (ip auto)
2003 Bowman Chrome Refractor
2003 Topps (ip auto)
2003 Topps Gold
2003 Topps Total
2003 Topps Total Silver
2004 Bazooka
2004 Donruss
2004 Topps Total
2005 DAV Limited Edition
2005 Topps (ip auto)
2005 Topps 1st Edition
2006 Topps (ip auto)
2006 Topps Team Set
2006 Upper Deck Gold

Favorite Player: Pat Venditte

I was watching the Lakeland Tigers play the Tampa Yankees at Joker Marchant Stadium on August 7, 2009, and the Yankees had called a reliever into the game, and he pitched righty, and I thought nothing of it. He came back into the game, and I didn't notice any new player being announced, but then all of the sudden, he started pitching lefty. I grabbed my program, and sure enough, it was the same pitcher! After the game, I got him to sign my ticket stub, and he was great, allowing some kids to touch and hold his 6-finger glove. In 2010, my brother-in-law JT and I went down to Tampa to see a game, and I got Pat's Tampa Yankees issue card, and he signed it before the game, but didn't pitch. It was nice to see Pat get called up to the Majors with the Athletics, and hopefully we will get to see him pitch in the Majors again in 2018.

PAT VENDITTE CARDS I HAVE:
2010 Grandstand (ip auto)

2015 Bowman's Best Best of 2015 Autographs
2015 Topps
2015 Topps Heritage
2016 Topps Heritage

2021 Topps custom

Favorite Player: Rick Vanden Hurk

Rick Vanden Hurk pitched for the Netherlands in the 2009 and 2017 WBC. I was lucky enough to get to meet him in 2008 when he was pitching for the Carolina Mudcats. He was nice enough to sign his 2007 Bowman Chrome rookie and 2007 Topps rookie while talking about our Dutch heritage.

RICK VANDEN HURK CARDS I HAVE:
2007 Bowman Chrome (ip auto)
2007 Bowman Heritage Rainbow
2007 Topps (ip auto)
2007 Upper Deck Star Rookie (ttm auto)
2008 Topps Gold
2008 Upper Deck (ttm auto)
2008 Upper Deck First Edition
2009 Topps WBC

Favorite Player: William Van Landingham

I remember in 1994 how everyone made a big deal about William Van Landingham having the largest name in the Majors, and also how he was a good pitcher. His 1994 Fleer Flair card was on the back cover of Beckett, and everyone wanted that card. Van Landingham put up some good numbers while he was in the Majors, but his '94 Flair rookie can now be had for a dime or so.

WILLIAM VAN LANDINGHAM CARDS I HAVE:
1994 Flair
1994 Topps Traded (ttm auto)
1994 Upper Deck
1995 Collector's Choice SE
1995 Finest (ttm auto)
1995 Leaf
1995 Pinnacle Museum Collection (ttm auto)
1995 Upper Deck
1996 Collector's Choice Silver Signature
1996 Leaf Signature Series Extended certified auto)
1997 Score
1997 SP (ttm auto)
1997 Upper Deck

Favorite Player: George Tsamis

George Tsamis went to school at Stetson University in DeLand, Florida, which is on the other side of the road from my church.

GEORGE TSAMIS CARDS I HAVE:
1994 Fleer (ip auto)
1994 Topps (ip auto)

Favorite Player: Bubba Trammell

Bubba Trammell was in my Favorite Player Collection since before my wife found out she was pregnant with our first child. I had followed Bubba since he was a minor leaguer, since he played with my hometown Lakeland Tigers in the minors.  He had a 4-HR game in the minors, and then made it to the Majors with the Detroit Tigers (my favorite team), and then was drafted by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, my 2nd favorite team. He didn't get much of a chance with either team, but put together some productive years with the Mets and Padres later. I was lucky enough to get Bubba's autograph before a Rays game in 1999, and I still have the card.
Fast forward to 2016, and my son Kyler was born on November 6, which is Bubba's birthday. I have added a few autographed cards of Bubba to Kyler's card collection.

BUBBA TRAMMELL CARDS I HAVE:
1996 Fleer Excel

1996 SP Rookie Edition 

1997 Bowman

1997 Bowman Chrome
1997 Collector's Choice (ip auto)
1997 Donruss
1997 Finest
1997 Finest Refractor
1997 Fleer
1997 Fleer New Horizon
1997 Fleer Flair Wave of the Future
1997 Leaf
1997 Pinnacle Plus
1997 Pinnacle Plus Museum Collection
1997 Pinnacel Certified
1997 Pinnacle Xpress
1997 Score Reserve
1997 Select
1997 Select Registered Gold
1997 Sports Illustrated Fresh Faces
1997 Topps (with Billy McMillon ip auto)
1997 Ultra
1998 Collector's Choice Star Quest Single
1998 Donruss (Tigers)
1998 Donruss (Rays)
1998 Donruss Signature Series certified auto

1998 Fleer Metal
1998 Fleer Tradition (Tigers)
1998 Fleer Tradition (Rays)
1998 Leaf
1998 Leaf Fractal Matrix Die-Cuts X-Axis

1998 Pacific Online Gold

1998 Pacific Online Red

1998 Pacific Online Silver
1998 Score Rookie/Traded
1998 Topps (ttm auto)
1998 Topps Minted in Cooperstown
1998 Topps Chrome
1998 Ultra (Tigers)
1998 Ultra (Rays)
1998 Upper Deck (Tigers)

1998 Upper Deck (Rays)
1999 Fleer Tradition 

1999 Topps custom
1999 Upper Deck
1999 Upper Deck jersey
1999 Upper Deck MVP
2000 Topps
2000 Topps Home Team Advantage
2000 Topps Limited Edition
2000 Upper Deck
2000 Upper Deck Victory
2001 Topps
2001 Topps Traded Gold
2001 Upper Deck Victory
2002 Fleer Showcase
2003 Topps
2003 Upper Deck

Favorite Player: Touki Toussaint

Touki Toussant is another player my friend Brock played with. He told me a story about how they both were pitching, and how he was pitching a no-hitter, but had to get pulled because of pitch count, and how Touki was also pitching one, and ended up completing his.\

TOUKI TOUSSANT CARDS I HAVE:
2011 Bowman
2011 Topps Team USA Set
2018 Bowman Chrome
2018 Topps Heritage Minors Clubhouse Collection jersey

2019 Bowman Chrome

2019 Bowman Platinum

2019 Donruss
2019 Topps

2020 Topps Heritage

2020 Topps Update

Favorite Player: Chuck Tiffany

I have been fascinated with Chuck Tiffany ever since I found out he pitched 2 no-hitters in a row after reading the back of his 2005 Topps card. In 2006, he was traded to Tampa, and I was lucky enough to be living in Montgomery, Alabama, where he was pitching that year. I want to say he was injured, but one day, I caught him charting pitches, and asked him if he would sign his card for me. He mumbled something, which I thought was "after the inning", so I waited until after the inning and asked him again. He then told me "I thought I told you not now!", so I waited for a few more innings, got impatient, and never did get his autograph. I finally did pick up one the other day on COMC.

CHUCK TIFFANY CARDS I HAVE:
2005 Bowman Chrome
2005 Bowman's Best

2005 Bowman's Best Green
2005 Topps
2005 Topps Chrome
2005 Topps Chrome Red Refractor
2005 Topps Chrome Refractor
2005 Upper Deck USA certified autograph
2006 Grandstand Montgomery Biscuits