Top 10 Autographs of 2014

Happy New Year! I hope you had a great one like I did. I did a Top 10 Autographs of 2013 post last year, and it's time to do it again for 2014.

I'm making this list with the following rough guidelines. 

• How good the person is. (All Star, Award Winner, Hall of Famer, etc.)
• How much the person means to me. 
• How I got the autograph. (Through the mail, in person, etc.) 
• Any fun story behind getting the autograph. 

With that, let the countdown begin. 

10. Harrison Barnes-Golden State Warriors Forward

One of the finest young players in the NBA today, Barnes did something few athletes do in today's world. Early in the summer, Barnes posted THIS message on his Facebook page. He invited fans to send him items for him to sign with specific guidelines. The day I saw that message, I sent out a 4x6 photo. A couple weeks later, I got the photo back signed in silver. He is now having a pretty good season playing for one of the top teams in the NBA. This was a great success from a class act to say the least. 

9. Trevor Gillies-NHL/AHL Hockey Player 

Up until this point, the NHL career of Trevor Gillies has been brief and full of controversy. He only has two NHL goals, but he is more known for his fighting skills. He was one of the main players in the famous brawl against the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2011. Now, he is playing for the Calgary Flames AHL affiliate, the Adirondack Flames. I went to see their morning skate a few weeks ago, and Gillies was as nice as could be. Click HERE for the full story. He might not be a great player, but I saw him with the Islanders and he will always be a fan favorite for me. Also, how can a guy who draws a mustache on his autograph not be on this list? 

8. Matt Kemp-MLB All Star

The first in-person autograph I got at Citi Field last season was that of MLB All-Star Matt Kemp. He was playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers at the time. He was recently traded to the San Diego Padres. He signed for a few minutes before the game, and I was lucky to get his autograph on the sweet spot of an official MLB ball. There was a huge mosh pit of people, and I was very happy to get this autograph. 

7. Al Arbour-Hockey Hall of Famer, Former Islanders Coach

The Islanders have had many legends over their 43 year existence. Few are greater than coach Al Arbour. He was the Islanders coach for all four Stanley Cup Championships, and was the coach for exactly 1,500 games over his career. I attended game number 1,500 in 2007. It was an amazing experience, and the Isles got Arbour his 740th career win that night. I have autographs of pretty much everyone whose banner hangs in the Nassau Coliseum rafters, but Arbour's has been hard to find for a long time. I sent him a couple photos and an autograph card in hope of getting a response. To my delight, I got everything back signed in the mail. It was great to finally add his autograph to my collection. 

6. Dwight 'Doc' Gooden-Former Mets and Yankees Pitcher

One of the most celebrated pitchers in recent baseball history, Dwight Gooden is also one of New York's beloved baseball stars. He won a World Series for both the Mets and Yankees during his time in the MLB. However, he also had problems with drugs and alcohol during his career. Over the summer, he appeared at the Nassau County Health and Fitness Expo to give a speech on how his addiction made his life difficult. He also did an autograph signing that day, and he signed three cards for me and took a photo with me. One of the cards was previously signed by Wade Boggs. It was great to meet him and hear him admit his mistakes. 

5. Darryl Strawberry-Former Mets and Yankees Outfielder

Similarly to Gooden, Strawberry is also one of New York's beloved baseball stars. He was Gooden's teammate for many years on both the Mets and Yankees. Over the summer, he was a part of the Meet Mr. Met Tour, a Mets sponsored tour of Citibank locations that featured various Mets alumni. I met Strawberry twice over the summer, and I took a photo with him and got three autographs from him over the course over the summer. He was a nice guy, and I was happy to get his autograph.

 4. Curtis Granderson-Mets Outfielder
A man who made this list last year returns again. I got his autograph in the mail last year and said I hoped he would be in a Mets jersey next time I saw him. It turns out I was correct. Granderson didn't have the year I hoped he would, but he's a Met and he's here to stay. He has a reputation for being one of the nicest current players in baseball, and he lived up to that reputation over the summer. I met him two separate times over the summer, and got five autographs from him. He is truly a class act, and I hope to meet him again next season. He also gave my aunt a shoutout, as you can see in the video below.

3. Jadeveon Clowney-Houston Texans Linebacker
Although Jadeveon Clowney didn't have the rookie season anybody planned on, I had a good experience with him before the season started. I had won a free ticket to meet Clowney at the Steiner Sports Store on Long Island. I got him to sign a photo I printed out. He was a funny guy, and if you want to read the full story from that day, click HERE. Hopefully Clowney will be ready to star for the Texans next year, or he could end up being another top draft pick bust.

2. Dave Coulier-Actor/Comedian
I very rarely get autographs from people that aren't related to sports. However, the perfect opportunity arose when I found out Dave Coulier would be doing a free comedy show on my college campus. Since I grew up watching Full House, I knew I had to get his autograph. After his hilarious comedy show, I went to try and find him. Long story short, I did get his autograph and a picture with him. HERE is the full story from that night. He is one of my favorite actors now, and one that I will always remember. 

1. Denis Potvin-Hockey Hall of Famer, Former Islanders Captain
As I mentioned earlier in this post, I have autographs of nearly every Islander who has a banner hanging in the Nassau Coliseum rafters. The one player that eluded me for most of my life was Denis Potvin. He was one of the league's top defensemen and the captain of all four Islanders Stanley Cup Championship teams. I finally met him in November when I was home for Thanksgiving. HERE is the full story from that night. The fact that I was finally able to meet him after many, many years puts him in the number one slot as my top autograph of 2014. 

Thanks for reading and good luck graphing! Happy New Year!

Top 10 Autographs of 2013

Happy New Year to all. May 2014 be filled with happy memories and joy just like 2013 was. Here are my top 10 autographs I've gotten in 2013.

I'm basing these on the following criteria.

• How good the person is. (All Star, Hall of Famer, etc.)
• How much the person means to me. 
• How I got the autograph. (Through the mail, in person, etc.) 
• Any story behind getting the autograph. 

Now with that, lets begin the countdown. 

10. Micheal Haley NHL Forward with Islanders and Rangers 

Ever since he started the famous brawl between the Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins in 2011, Haley was one of my favorite players. Now, he is on the Rangers playing for their minor league team in Hartford. He was great when I met him in Albany in October. He signed a bunch of items for me and took a picture with me then. He's a great guy and I hope he gets another shot in the NHL soon. Although his NHL stats aren't too outstanding, he is somebody I've wanted to meet for a while. That's why he is on this list at #13. 

9. Jason Taylor NFL Defensive Lineman
When Jason Taylor stared working at ESPN following his retirement from the NFL, I figured I would have a chance at getting his autograph. Over the summer, I wrote about getting his autograph in the mail. Taylor should be in the Hall of Fame whenever he is eligible, without a question. He is one of the top defensive linemen in football history, and his autograph is on I am proud to have in my collection.

8. Brandon Phillips Cincinnati Reds All Star 2nd Baseman

Back in May, I went to a Mets game against the Reds at Citi Field. As you can see in the video, Phillips signed autograps for a while. He signed a ball for me that day. He is a great personality, and one of the top fan pleasers in the MLB. 

7. Josh Hamilton MLB All Star for Rangers and Angels
 Just a week ago, I was happy to look through the mail and find that Josh Hamilton signed a car I sent to him in September. Hamilton usually gets all of his fan mail and tries to get it back in time for Christmas season. He tweets about his fan mail often during the late December period, as you can see HERE. If you want to try and get his autograph write to Josh Hamilton at the Angels' stadium and he probably will write back in December. He is a very humble man, and his book is a must read if you haven't read it yet.


6. David Tyree New York Giants Super Bowl Hero
Without a question, David Tyree's CATCH in Super Bowl 42 was the greatest moment of his career. In June, I went to an autograph signing he had at a local sporting goods store. He arrived an hour late, but once he showed up he was generous and signed for everybody. HERE is a video I took of him signing, and HERE is my blog entry from that day.

5. Dick Vitale Basketball Hall of Famer
Who doesn't love Dick Vitale? He has been at ESPN for over 35 years, was a former NBA coach, and is one of the most loved people in the game of basketball. In 2008, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a contributor to the sport. Back in May, I mailed him a couple photos to try and get them signed. Not even two weeks later, I opened up my envelope to find my photos signed as well as a contact card signed by Dickie V himself.

4. Adam Greenberg MLB Player, Inspirational Story

If you haven't hear of Adam Greenberg, click HERE to hear his story. Shortly after that, a campaign was launched to get Greenberg an at bat in the big leagues. In October 2012, Greenberg got another at bat, striking out against eventual Cy Young award winner RA Dickey. He went to spring training in 2013 with the Orioles, and I mailed him some stuff to sign then. I tweeted to him multiple times, and he responded. I found his rookie card from 2005 with the Cubs. I sent that to him as well as a few photos, and he signed everything to me. If you wonder why he is on this list, it's because he is an inspiration to people to never give up on your dream, even when obstacles happen. If you want his autograph, tweet to him, he will probably give you a response. 

3. Ryan Strome New York Islanders Forward

Ever since the Islanders drafted Ryan Strome in 2011, there has been hype surrounding him. He made an amazing move in a shootout in prospects camp just months after that. I met him in Albany in November while he was playing for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. He signed a bunch of stuff for me then, and you can read about that HERE. Just a few weeks after I met him, Strome was finally called up to the Islanders and is still playing there now. He has a bright career ahead of him, and I'm happy I met him. 

2. Curtis Granderson MLB All Star 

At the end of November, I wrote about getting Curtis Granderson's autograph in the mail. In that entry, I said that I hope he goes somewhere where he doesn't kill the Mets. Since then, it looks like he took my advice. If he turns into the next Jason Bay, he could kill the Mets. But I'm happy Granderson signed with my team, and can't wait to see him in the blue and orange. I'm even happier that I have his autograph to add to my collection. If you want to follow him on twitter or like him on Facebook, his information is on the bottom of the picture. I hope he continues to send these pictures out, but hopefully he'll wear a Mets jersey in the next ones. 

1. Matt Harvey Mets All Star Pitcher
Toward the end of August, I got 2013 All Star Game starter Matt Harvey's autograph at Citi Field. Feel free to check out my blog entry from that day HERE. Harvey recently had Tommy John surgery which should keep him out of the lineup during the 2014 season. Hopefully he'll be back and better than ever when he comes back. I wish him best of luck in his recovery. He was kind when I met him, signing for everybody. HERE is a video I took of Harvey signing. He is number one on this list because he is a good player, good guy, and I'm happy I've met him in person.


I will have another Albany Devils autograph recap when they played the Bridgeport Sound Tigers soon. Until then, good luck graphing and have a happy 2014!!