Favorite Player: Willis Roberts

I saw Willis Roberts pitch for the Lakeland Tigers in 1996, and he was very nice, always signing autographs when asked, and I was happy to see him get called up to the Majors with Detroit and put together a few good seasons with the Orioles and get on some cards.
He is the bottom autograph on the ball and the middle guy on the top of the program.

WILLIS ROBERTS CARDS I HAVE:
2002 Topps
2002 Upper Deck 40-Man
2003 Topps
2003 Topps Total Silver
2004 Topps

Favorite Player: Brandon Inge

Brandon Inge was one of my favorite Detroit Tigers in the 2000's. He was always nice during Spring Training, and would sign autographs after every game. I got him a number of times through the years, and I've always thought he got robbed of at least 1 Gold Glove. The catch that he made on the 2007 Upper Deck card is way better than the one of Jeter that is always shown, and he could throw runners out from past the 3B foul line, and play multiple positions (C, 3B, 1B, OF). I was sad to see Oakland get him in 2012, but I have a feeling he will be elected into Detroit's Hall of Fame for his great all-around game.

BRANDON INGE CARDS I HAVE:
1999 Just
2000 Bowman Heritage(ip auto)
2000 Just (ip auto)

2000 Topps Traded
2001 Bowman
2001 Team Best (ip auto)
2001 Topps custom

2001 Upper Deck
2001 Upper Deck Vintage

2002 Fleer Flair
2002 Fleer Triple Crown
2002 Topps 206
2003 Topps (ip auto)
2003 Upper Deck
2003 Upper Deck 40-Man (ip auto)
2004 Donruss Team Heroes

2004 Ultra
2005 Bowman Heritage Vintage
2005 Donruss Diamond Kings
2005 Donruss Diamond Kings Red Framed
2005 Donruss Team Heroes (ip auto)
2005 Playoff Prestige
2005 Studio (ip auto)
2005 Topps (ip auto)
2005 Topps Chrome
2005 Topps Turkey Red (ip auto)
2005 Upper Deck
2005 Upper Deck First Pitch
2006 Bowman Heritage
2006 Topps (ip auto)
2006 Topps Turkey Red
2006 Ultra
2007 Topps (ip auto)
2007 Topps Turkey Red
2007 Ultra
2007 Upper Deck (ip auto, and CHECK OUT THAT CATCH HE MADE!!!)
2007 Upper Deck Spectrum jersey
2008 Topps (ip auto)
2008 Upper Deck (ip auto)
2008 Upper Deck Ballpark 8-player jersey (with Magglio Ordonez ip auto, Joel Zumaya ip auto, and Brandon Inge ip auto)
2009 Finest
2009 Topps Update Home Run Derby
2009 Topps Team Set (ip auto)
2010 Allen & Ginter
2010 Topps (ip auto)
2010 Upper Deck Season Biography
2011 Topps
2011 Topps Heritage
2012 Topps
2012 Topps Gold Sparkle
2013 Topps
2013 Topps Update
2013 Topps Update Gold
2013 Topps Update Green Sparkle
2013 Topps Target Red
2013 Topps Wal-Mart Blue

Favorite Player: Drew Hutchison

Drew Hutchison is another guy who was born in Lakeland, Florida who I collect. I don't have many cards of him, but I will definitely add him to my next COMC order.

DREW HUTCHISON CARDS I HAVE:
2012 Bowman Chrome

2012 Finest

2012 Topps

2012 Topps Chrome

2012 Topps Chrome Refractor certified autograph
2015 Topps Opening Day
2016 Topps

Favorite Player: Jason Jacome

In 1996, my friend Jon and I went to 4 Detroit Tigers Spring Training games in Lakeland, Florida, 2 against the New York Mets, and 2 against the Kansas City Royals. At the Royals game, we hung out around by the visitors bullpen in Leftfield before the game to get autographs, and the guys were nice enough to take our ball, sign it, and pass it to the next guy, so we ended up with a ton of autographs from the '96 KC bullpen. I got Jason Jacome a number of times that spring, but never had a card of him. I will always remember how nice he was and that is why he is part of my Favorite Player Collection. He is the 3rd guy from the top on the ball (below Mike Sweeney and Bobby Higginson, and above Sal Fasano).

JASON JACOME CARDS I HAVE:
1994 Bowman
1994 Signature Rookie certified autograph
1995 Collector's Choice SE Silver Signature
1995 Leaf
1995 Topps Spectra Light/Cyberstats
1995 Upper Deck
1996 Stadium Club
1996 Upper Deck

Favorite Player: Kelly Hunt

One of my all-time favorite players is Kelly Hunt. He played for a few seasons in the Tigers organization, and he could've legitimately got called up to Detroit in 2006 if they had an injury at 1st Base. I first started following Kelly in 2005. He was with the Lakeland Tigers, as their first baseman, and I had been to a ton of games that year, and not really interacted with him much. Once their team baseball card set came out around July or August, I got him to sign his card. I noticed he was signing a Bible verse when he was signing, so I took the time to ask him about it, and he quoted the verse, and something (I believe the Holy Spirit) prompted me to ask him if he had ever heard of the book "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers. My youth group at the time had just finished going through the book, and I still read parts of it from time to time. He mentioned that he reads a portion from the book daily (it is split up so you can read a portion every day of the year). We then talked about the recent lessons from it after he had finished signing the card. After that, every time I saw him at a Tigers game the rest of the year, we talked about the book.
So the Tigers cruised through the playoffs that year, and made it to the Florida State League Championship Series, and were playing in Game 4 of the best-of-5 game series, needing to win. During the top of the 3rd Inning, a batter from the Palm Beach Cardinals grounded out for the 3rd out, and Kelly caught the ball at 1st, and then proceeded to throw it to me while he was walking to the dugout. Later in the game, he Homered, and also doubled in the 6-0 win. In the final game, I asked him if I could have his bat after the game, and he sais 'yes'. Kelly hit a doubled in the top of the 3rd, his 4th of the series. I got a picture of him standing at 2nd, and I believe I still have it somewhere. The game went into the bottom of the 9th tied, and Kelly came up to the plate with a runner on 1st and 2 out with a chance to win the championship. He ultimately walked, finishing the game 1-3 with a double, walk, and 2 flyouts to center, and finished the series batting .357, 2nd on the team. The Tigers lost the game in 10, and Kelly gave me his bat after the game and signed it, and we chatted for a while, and he gave me his address to mail the picture of his double, and his email so we could keep in touch. I saw him once in Spring Training in 2006, and moved to Alabama shortly after. Kelly spent 2006 in AA, having good power numbers, but a semi-low batting average, and a few too many strikeouts. He was doing well enough, that I think if the Tigers had an injury or two and he was in AAA that he could've got called up. I emailed him a few times in 2006, but kind of lost contact after that. He played in independant ball from 2007-2010, and was inducted into the Bowling Green Hall of Fame in 2015. Kelly has minor league cards from 2004, 2006, and 2007 that I don't have, and if I can ever find any on eBay, I think I will try to finish his master set.

KELLY HUNT CARDS I HAVE:
2004 Topps Traded custom
2005 Grandstand (ip auto)
2005 Topps Traded custom

2006 Grandstand

Favorite Player: John Hudek

When I was first starting to get into baseball in the early '90's, I remember everyone was making a big deal about Astros reliever John Hudek getting into the 1994 All-Star game despite not having a win. I was ok with that, and I started to root for him after that. I managed to pick up a few of his cards (there aren't that many of his since he didn't play that long), and hope to add some more next time I am on COMC.

JOHN HUDEK CARDS I HAVE:
1994 Fleer All-Rookie Team
1994 Topps Traded

1995 Fleer All-Star

1995 Topps Finest
1995 Topps Finest Flame Throwers
1995 Pinnacle Museum
1995 Ultra Second Year Standouts
1996 Leaf Signature Series Bronze certified autograph

1996 Stadium Club
1997 Ultra
1998 Topps custom

Favorite Player: Chin-Lung Hu

Chin-Lung Hu first caught my attention in the minor leagues. I saw him making acrobatic plays in the infield before the game, and I followed him ever since. At the 2006 Southern League All-Star game, I was able to get Chin-Lung to sign a poster in the newspaper that day and a lineup card from a 2005 game. He is pictured at Shortstop on the poster, and is the 2nd name on the left hand team on the lineup card.


CHIN-LUNG HU CARDS I HAVE:
2006 Bowman Gold
2006 Bowman Chrome
2007 Bowman Chrome
2008 Bowman
2008 Topps
2008 Topps Insert (ip auto)
2008 Topps Heritage

2008 Topps Opening Day White parallel
2008 Upper Deck (ip auto)
2008 Upper Deck Baseball Heroes relic
2008 Upper Deck Piece of History
2009 Upper Deck