Mike Devereaux, 1994 Upper Deck #356

There's much ado about autographs tonight. Firstly, this is the fourth and final card that I had signed on Friday, August 14 at Oriole Park. I love Mike Devereaux's flashy yet mostly legible John Hancock, and I appreciate his discretion in signing at the bottom of the card so as to not cover up that awesome action shot. In case you were wondering: no, Devo does not sport the high fade hairstyle any more.

I've traded a few cards back and forth with Alan, a loyal blog reader who has seen his share of Atlantic League games. Recently, he's been kind enough to send me cards signed by the last two managers of the York Revolution: ex-O's catchers Chris Hoiles and Andy Etchebarren. He also sent along a ticket stub that was inked by former Baltimore bullpen catcher Sammy Snider, and I can't tell you how awesome and thoughtful that is. I'll do a little "show and tell" with those cards at a later date.

Though I'm really starting to build a tidy little Orioles autograph collection (I've got fourteen or so now), I must bow at the altar of Ryan, a.k.a. "Orioles Magic", whose Great Orioles Autograph Project escaped my radar for far too long. Ryan has collected autographs of 557 of the 871 players in Orioles history, which blows my mind. He's incredibly organized and has lists of autographed cards that he is offering for trade, and players whose autos he seeks in return. If you can help him out, make him an offer. If not, just enjoy the great scans and stories!

I almost forgot that another great trade partner, Max, recently sent me a package that included an autographed Mike Cuellar card. That's another one that I'll wait on, and post it on some future rainy day. How's that for foreshadowing?