2003 Upper Deck, Runelvys Hernandez

#14 Runelvys Hernandez

I ask a ton of players for autographs and I get rejected more often than not. It's just a part of the game and I usually just leave it at that. But that was not the case on the night I got an autograph from Runelvys Hernandez. On that night, I practically had to beg.

Runelvys was the starting pitcher for the Round Rock Express at the lone Express game I attended in 2008. I asked him to sign for me before he took the field and he told me that he had to get ready (he was the starting pitcher that night), but he would sign for me after the game. Well, Elvis didn't stick around for the whole game. He decided to head to the clubhouse during the ejection marathon that ensued in the seventh inning. Luckily, I saw him making his way to the clubhouse in left field and I intercepted him on the concourse and asked for his autograph again.

This time, he told me that he would get me tomorrow. I told him that he already told me that he would get me after the game and that I wouldn't be around tomorrow. So, he then told me that he was tired. After that, I told him that the game he pitched in the Royals home opener in 2002 against the White Sox was probably the best pitching performance that I had ever seen and he finally broke down and signed all three cards for me.

So, it took a bit of begging with a little bit of flattery to get this card signed.

Amazingly, this signature looks the best out of the three.