Buy Local Part 2: Dick Groat

A little Duke flavor for my second Buy Local post features the greatest Duke basketball player to appear in a Major League Baseball game.  I understand that the average sports fan in this country cannot stand Duke and they are one of those teams that attracts all sorts of fair weather fans and all kinds of hate.  Locally, there are plenty of alumni around North Carolina and as a school with billions of dollars in endowment money, they do a lot of good around the community.

As a graduate of the red North Carolina school, Duke is about ten times better than the other blue Carolina school which has problems with agents working as assistant coaches on the football team, football players plagiarizing papers, fake classes, parking tickets,Tyler Hansbrough reading like a third grader, and I could provide four links for P.J. Hairston.  Poke fun at Duke and Coach K all you want, they run a clean program.  If you don't like Duke, click here, and skip the video below.  If you like Duke basketball, click below and enjoy. 

Before the current run of the Coach K lead Duke Blue Devils, the team still had some really good players and some really good NCAA tournament runs.  One of their really good players during the early fifties was Dick Groat.  

Groat was an All-American for the Blue Devils in 1951 and 1952 and his jersey hangs in the rafters of Cameron Indoor Stadium.  He also played a little bit in the NBA for the Fort Wayne Pistons after they used the third overall selection in the 1952 NBA draft to select the guard.  Of course, many people know Groat like this...

1954 Topps Dick Groat

Groat was one of the first North Carolina I took an interest in collecting when I moved here in 2006.  Sure, he's not really from North Carolina, but the connection to Duke makes him quite popular locally.  Basketball fans love him and baseball fans too.  While Groat was a very good baseball player his cards are quite affordable.  Most of his early cards can be pricy if you are looking for great condition, but otherwise they are quite reasonable for 1950s Topps cards.

Groat spent the majority of his career with the Pirates where he made three All-Star teams and won the 1960 National League MVP, but also appeared for the Cardinals and Phillies during the second half of his career.  Of course, I try to pick up the Cardinals cards, which are all under $5 on Ebay, but still really love to dabble in the 50s Pirates cards.  

2000 Fleer Greats of the Game Dick Groat Autograph

Groat has also been a very good signer, especially for some of the early Greats of the Game and Archives releases.  He has a nice signature and the prices of his autographs are quite reasonable.  Groat also signs while he is at work broadcasting basketball games for the University of Pittsburgh.  While I have several baseball autographs of Groat as a Cardinal and Pirate, I do not own a copy of a Duke Blue Devils autograph.  I am hoping to remedy that missing piece of my collection soon. 

My Top 50 On Cardboard- #29 Hideo Nomo

My Top 50 On Cardboard
#29
Hideo Nomo 

1995 Select Certified Hideo Nomo RC 

Nomo actually had several different rookie cards that I could have put in this spot, but I have always liked this one where he is unwinding from his very unique delivery.  People will argue that Nomo was not the talent of some of the other players on my list, but he was the second Japanese player to make the Majors and the first to appear in more than 30 years when he appeared for the Dodgers in 1995.  If you are looking for a high end Nomo rookie card I suggest checking out his 1995 Topps Finest Refractor or tracking down some of his earlier cards issued in Japan.

Hobby Impact- 
There was Nomo-mania followers who went everywhere the Dodgers went in 1995 to see the Japanses right-hander pitch, but the term could also be used to describe the instant popularity of his cards in the hobby.  Nomo rookie cards were issued before wax got too high end, but it had also started to expand out from just a few brands with a set or two.  Instead, 1995 saw several brands issue many sets, and with it, we as collectors have many Hideo Nomo rookie cards to choose from for our collections.

Nomo-mania never really went away.  For a player who ended up having a pretty ho hum career his cards are shockingly popular and sell for way more than what you would think if you took a minute to view his stat sheet.  Basically, anything that is a low print, serial numbered, or hard to find is going to be expensive if Nomo is on the front of the card.

I have owned a few relics of Nomo over the years and have never had a problem moving the cards when I wanted to trade them or sell them and I cannot think of a single time that I was disappointed in the haul of cards or cash the card brought back.  My key for a good Nomo card, relic or non-relic, is for him to be in a Dodgers uniform.  Nomo bounced around a lot during his career, still liked watching him play, but I am not fond of his Brewers, Tigers, Red Sox, or Devil Rays years.  The year on the Royals should just be deleted.

Autographs of Nomo are out of sight.  There are very very few of them floating around and the best of the bunch is a 2000 Fleer Fresh Ink.  The autograph is on-card, but it also picture Nomo as a Tiger.  Not one of the finest moments of his career.  There was a Certified Materials autograph put out in 2005 and the card pictures Nomo as a Dodger, but it's a sticker autograph.

On The Field Impact- 
The first time I ever saw Nomo pitch I was in high school and I watched a Cardinals/Dodgers game on television.  The game was in Dodger Stadium.  Nomo had electric stuff.  Lots of strikeouts, lots of walks, not many hard hit balls.  I believe he ended up only pitching a few innings, but I was really impressed at how unhittable his pitching was, even when he was walking people.  Later that summer,  I actually got a chance to watch Nomo in person, and would describe him as the same:  Great stuff, lots of strikeouts, lots of walks.  The first two seasons of Nomo's North American career were very good, after that he had a lot of struggles.  The good version of Hideo Nomo looked something like this:

Nomo experienced a sharp decline in performance after his third season and would spend a few years bouncing around between the Mets, Brewers, Tigers, and Red Sox.  There were always some bright spots during those years, pitching a no-hitter for the Red Sox, but he was not a really good pitcher.  Nomo had a brief resurgence in the early 2000s after returing to the Dodgers, but he went back to bouncing around to a few teams ending his time in the Majors with the Devil Rays and Royals.  

The last time I saw Nomo pitch was one of those sad Minor League moments which is difficult thing to see, but there are always a few players who hang on a little too long.  I had experienced my first summer of Durham Bulls baseball in 2006 and got to see some incredibly talented players in the International League that year.  At some point that summer I attended a Bulls game against the Charlotte Knights (White Sox-AAA) and got to see Nomo throw a side session before the game.  It was not pretty.  

Still, Nomo's success in Major League Baseball started a steady stream of Japanese players that seem to show up every year and contribute positively to their team's success.  Many fans used to complain that the Japanese players were often over-hyped and were rarely as good as advertised.  However, after almost two decades of Japanese players in MLB there have been several that have lived up to their billing and then some.  In particular, Ichiro and Yu Darvish.  

Favorite Card-

Ask anyone who ever watched Nomo in person what they remember about the pitcher and they will likely tell you about his crazy wind-up.  I am actually tempted to put several cards here, but I will play by my own rules and narrow it down to one.  I like coming across Nomo cards where he is pitching, and specifically, I like cards where he is winding up.  I could have gone with his 1998 Stadium Club here, but this card shows the wind-up a little bit better...

2001 Topps Chrome Hideo Nomo 

If this card were in a Dodgers uniform it would be perfect, but its a really good look at that Nomo windup.  The 1995 Pinnacle Zenith is another really good card with a picture of his windup.  

2013 Topps Traded Cards: 3

Do you remember the beginning of Ferris Bueller's Day Off when Cameron is laying in bed and cannot motivate himself to get out of bed?  I have been having this very same feeling during the past few weeks about buying anything from the Topps Update set.  

I want to buy some Topps Update cards.  They're are staple of the card calendar year.  I've eyed the price of boxes, sets, insert sets, autographs, and anything else that might be cool from this year's release.  The variation thing is still just really bothering me, but I am trying to move past it and just buy the set for the sake of completing my run of Topps baseball cards for the thirtieth year in a row.  Not many people can say they've done something thirty straight years, so I am a little sad that this year's set is so disappointing that I am having trouble being motivated to complete a task that should be an automatic.  

I finally picked up a singular Topps Update card last week when I picked up a Bob Tewksbury autograph from Ebay.  In the middle of the week I added a Ruben Sierra (The Village Idiot) autograph and included it in a post yesterday.  I have been fortunate enough to add another cool card from the Topps Update set.  Did you see...I said cool card and Topps Update set in the same sentence.  I am coming around.  

2013 Topps Update All-Star Stitches Yadier Molina Jersey 

You can never go wrong with a Yadier Molina card and finding a jersey relic or autograph card is just icing on the cake.  Molina is not a big signer, but also does not have a ton of relic cards floating around either.  They are usually limited somehow, disappear quickly, and rarely reappear for resale.  I managed to add this card for $5.  Go search the Completed Items on Ebay and you will find that price is a bargain for a Molina jersey.  

The relic piece itself has a cool texture and is obviously a piece of the warm jersey worn by Molina the night before the All-Star game during the Home Run Derby and other festivities.  Since Molina was not a participant, he really just sat around on the side of CitiField wearing this jersey, but I am still cool with that.  Feeling pretty good about my newest card and getting a little bit closer to pulling the trigger on some more 2013 Topps Update cards.  

1990s Yankees: The Best of the Rest

I have put up two posts about the Championship teams the Yankees put together in the late 90s.  The first day I started out with a few of the mainstays like Paul O'Neill, Bernie Williams, and Jorge Posada.  Yesterday, I posted a second group of Yankees who were some of my favorite veteran additions to the team.  Players like Tim Raines, Wade Boggs, and Mike Mussina were not necessarily the stars of the Yankees teams they played on, but they were key contributors who filled a role an important role for the Yankees. 

There were plenty of other cool names that popped up on the Yankees while they were putting together a string of four World Series titles over a five year period.  Here's a few of my other cool Yankees to look out for on cardboard. 

1982 Topps Chili Davis

Chili Davis
There are not many Jamaicans in the Majors, but Chili was one of the few to make the show.  I first ran into Chili Davis as a Giant when he dubbed St Louis a "Cow Town" which prompted 50,000 people to show up at Busch Stadium with cow bells for the 1987 National League Championship Series.  Jeffrey Leonard took most of the heat for the comment for some reason, but I was not a huge fan of Chili to start.  He moved to the American League later in his career where he hit a lot.  During the 1991 and 1992, playing for the Twins, Chili posted an OPS+ of 141 and 130 helping the Twins to the World Series crown over the Braves in 1991.  During the seven game series Chili hit 2 home runs and drove in 4 runs.  He filled a role with the Yankees, but definitely had some good moments.  His rookie card is pretty inexpensive, but he has signed almost nothing.  A hard autograph to find.   

2004 Upper Deck Yankees Classics Jimmy Key

 

Jimmy Key 

Jimmy Key was not a great pitcher, but was a good pitcher for a long time.  He had a few great seasons along the way, specifically the 1987 campaign with the Blue Jays where he posted a 17-8 mark, but led the American League in ERA, WHIP, H/9, and ERA+.  He also posted a 7.8 WAR that season.  Key came over to the Yankees from the Blue Jays in 1993 and was one of the team's bright spots in the mid 90s.  During the strike shortened season of 1994, Key led the American League in wins and came in second during Cy Young voting.  Key appeared on the 1996 World Championship Yankees team as a starter.  The regular season was so-so for Key, but he started and won the clincher for the team in the 6th game of the World Series.  Key's rookie card is one of the better cards in the 1985 Topps set and he has signed a lot of cards since retiring.  Many are on card.  He signed in the 1997 Donruss Signature Series cards while he was still playing, but the card features him as an Oriole which was brief stop at the end of his career.  

2013 Topps Archives Darryl Strawberry 1983 All-Star

Darryl Strawberry

A big name, but he was past his prime by the time he joined the Yankees for his second stint during the 1996 season.  He was a part-time player for the 1996, 1998, and 1999 World Series Championship teams.  His bat added some nice pop in 1996 adding 11 home runs in 200 at-bats and again in 1998 when he posted 24 home runs in about 250 at-bats.  Straw had his hot streaks and was a nice player after the bench for the pinstripes.  He has a pretty big following with cards.  Popular rookie cards in the 1983 Topps Traded set and 1984 Topps sets.  The Straw man has signed a lot, but his autograph is still pretty valuable and still highly sought after.  

2013 Topps Update Ruben Sierra Autograph

Ruben Sierra
He had a couple of nice seasons early in his career playing for the Rangers, was traded for Jose Canseco, flopped, and then ended up playing for almost (it seems that way) every Major League Baseball team under the sun.  Tony LaRussa once dubbed him "the village idiot" while he was playing for the A's.  Sierra played for the 1996 Yankees where he swung hard and hit home runs.  One of the bigger names to sit on the pine for the 1990s Yankees.  His cards are really affordable and he has a really nice looking autograph. 

1987 Topps Mini Mariano Duncan

Mariano Duncan
You're thinking why?  You remember when October rolled around and Mark Lemke popped up and did something.  Mariano Duncan was a the Dodgers and in the playoffs, the 1990 Reds World Champions, the 1993 Phillies, back to the Reds in 1995 for another playoff run, and then somehow ended up playing second base for the Yankees in 1996 along side Derek Jeter during his first full season in the bigs.  I know you are thinking he was just filling the hole next to Jeter on the infield, but Duncan had an out of nowhere season that year which really boosted the 1996 World Series Champions.  During the regular season Duncan posted a .340 batting average which is pretty spectular when you consider he was a .267 career hitter.  He also managed to bat .313 in the divisional round of the 1996 playoffs against the Rangers before remembering he was Mariano Duncan.  Cards are cheap, autograph is spectacular.  I don't own one, but I have seen several.  High quality. 

1998 Fleer Orlando "El Duque" Hernadez RC

Orlando Hernandez
I always thought of El Duque as a really good version of Dontrelle Willis.  Crazy windup and the guy would throw all kinds of pitches.  I am not sure that he always knew what he was throwing.  It some ways it was like watching a backyard wiffleball game.  He'd throw something up and sometimes it got hit and other times not.  El Duque played for the 1998, 1999, and 2000 World Champions before playing for a lot of other teams.  Here is throwing an eephus pitch to ARod: 

Orlando Hernandez has some pretty nice cards out there.  Nothing expensive, but also not many certified autographs.  Like Mariano Duncan, not much out there, but he's got a nice signature. 

A tip of his authentic Babe Ruth hat to 1998 Yankee starting pitcher David Wells....

My Top 50 On Cardboard-#30- New Guys From New York* Part 2

My Baseball Card Top 50
#30
New Guys From New York* 

*Excludes all players named Derek Jeter, Roger Clemens, or Mariano Rivera (different post)

This first half of this post was actually the really easy part of this of writing about the baseball card impact of the late 90s/early 2000s New York Yankees.  In my opinion, this team was probably the team that I have watched during my lifetime.  They were a complete team in every sense of the word.  The first half of my post featured a few of the really important core players who appeared on the 1996, 1998, 1999, and 2000 World Championships teams.  Tonight, I want to get into some of the other players who appeared for brief moments on the team's journey to their four World Series rings.

One of the big misconceptions about this team was the fact that they were "bought" high end teams.  Yes, there were high end expensive players on the teams, but some of the money that the team spent in assembling their rosters was put into providing a strong group of veterans.  I remember a lot of the players who popped up on these teams, but I am always surprised to find someone I forgot about every time I go and scan over the roster on Baseball Reference.  A lot of names you recognize as a baseball fan, who gave their final productive season/seasons for a shot at a ring and were rewarded for checking their star at the door and accepting a job as a role player.  Let me walk you through a brief list of some of my favorites.  Again, some of these are Hall of Famers, others are not.

1987 Topps Glossy Send-In Tim Raines 

Tim Raines appeared on the 1996 and 1998 World Championship teams and signed with the Yankees after playing fifteen years on the Expos and White Sox.  In my opinion, Raines is a Hall of Fame player and it's not even really worth arguing too much about.  The JAWS rating system puts Raines as the 8th best left-fielder of all-time ahead of Billy Williams, Ralph Kiner, and Manny Ramirez.  Raines was a role player for the Yankees never appearing in more than 109 games in a season with between 200-300 at-bats in a season.  While being a role player Raines did what Raines did as a starter: got on base often.  He posted an almost .400 OBP for the Bronx Bombers during his three seasons.

I have had other Raines cards on my blog and am a big fan of his cards.  Tremedously undervalued on the field and off the field.  Collectors can find autographs of the retired great for less than $10.  Relics cards and copies of his 1981 rookie cards are easy to find for less than $5.  Raines cards are a steal.  Buy them, any of them.

1991 Score Mike Mussina RC 

The Moose was a front line pitcher for years in Baltimore, but gave up his spot as the Orioles top starter to fill a role as a middle of the rotation guy on the Yankees.  Mussina signed with the Yankees at the end of their World Series run in 2001 when they lost to the Diamndbacks.  He actually has no World Series rings with the Yankees, but in my opinion, he still fits in with this era of players.  Mussina pitched eight seasons in Baltimore and won more than 15 games five times while posting four seasons with an ERA+ over 125.  His only 20 win season was actually his final season in 2008.  I am on the fence about Mussina being in the Hall of Fame, but probably give him the nod.  JAWS ranks him ahead of peers such as Glavine and Roy Halladay, but also in front of Hall of Famers such as Bob Feller and Jim Palmer.

Mussina is a pretty inexpensive find on cardboard.  His rookie cards are early 90s junk wax and will cost you $1 to $5.  Autographs are not too difficult to find and are reasonable in price.  Always liked the Moose and there are plenty of cool cards floating around of him.

1987 Topps Traded David Cone 

David Cone was a front line starter on the 1996 and 1998 World Series teams.  He was also on the 2000 team, but the Yankees seemed to win in spite of Cone that season and not because of him.  Cone had actually spent the first half of his career with the Mets, Royals, and Blue Jays helping the Jays to a World Series in 1992 and winning a Cy Young Award with the Royals.  Cone went 6-1 for the Yankees in the postseason and always seemed to pitch well for the team when the playoffs rolled around.  Not a Hall of Famer, but a really good player nevertheless.

Cone's cardboard is somewhere around Mussina's.  Rookie cards are cheap and plentiful.  Autographs will run you a few bucks, but they're out there and can found for a good price.  Cone has been a pretty good signer towards the end of his career and during his retirement.

1983 Topps Wade Boggs

 

I always thought it was odd watching Boggs play for the Yankees, but the long-time Red Sox third baseman made the jump to the Bronx Bombers in 1993.  He helped the team to the World Series in 1996 and then left the team to play for his hometown Tampa Bay Devil Rays.  Boggs hit .311 in 1996, but had a slugging percentage under .400 and only had an OPS+ of 98.  He still made some key contributions to the team and was a productive hitter during the 1996 playoffs.  Boggs is already in the Hall of Fame and the ring he won with the 1996 Yankees seemed to be the icing on the cake to his career.  He was still short of 3000 hits, but picked up that milestone a few seasons later.  

Boggs has a good following in the hobby and his rookie card is one of the better early 80s RCs to chase down.  Boggs has signed a bunch over the years, but his autographs are not always cheap.  I would put him somewhere as a mid-range priced signature, but if he's a Red Sox, it always seems to be worth a little bit more.  

My Baseball Card Top 50- #30 New Guys From New York* Part 1

My Baseball Card Top 50
#30
New Guys From New York* 

*Excludes all players named Derek Jeter, Roger Clemens, or Mariano Rivera (different post)

This might take a little while, but the players in this post definitely deserve a little bit of credit for their impact on the baseball card hobby during my thirty years collecting cards.  I have heard all the garbage arguments about how the Yankees and Red Sox buy their teams and assemble a lot of high end talent with little consideration for home grown talent, but there is so much more to putting together a championship team than just opening up the wallet. 

Just look at the Dodgers the past two years, or the Phillies from a few years ago.  Angels could go into that category too.  Spending money on random players does not equal wins.  The late 90s Yankees were a rather pricey bunch of ball players, but they were also a great team.  Players set aside some of their own personal glory and stats to form, what I would argue to be, the greatest team of the past thirty years. 

Between 1996 and 2001 the Yankees made a total of 5 World Series appearances bringing home a grand total of 4 World Series rings to the Bronx.  The success on the field by the Yankees translated into success and popularity for the Yankees players in the baseball card industry.  None of the players in the post are slam dunk Hall of Famers.  In fact, most should not be at all.   However, the players in this post were all very good and played a key role in helping the Yankees to at least one, or several, of their four late 90s/early 2000s World Championships. 

The Yankees will take a few posts, so here's part one, which features four regular faces from the 1996, 1998, 1999, and 2000 World Series winners. 

1990 Score Bernie Williams RC

Bernie Williams was a homegrown talent, they did exist, who appeared on all four of the World Series winners for the Yankees.  In my opinion, Bernie is not a Hall of Famer, but he was a good player and a great member of the Yankees teams.  He was a solid .300 hitter in his prime with pretty good pop, but Bernie's dWAR was negative for much of his career and he only hit .200 in the World Series including an .063 line against the Padres in 1998 and a .167 mark against the Braves in 1996.  The Bernie Williams rookie cards are all in 1990 products and can be found in abundance for little money.  Autographs and relics are pricy and he's not been a huge signer.  He does have a very nice autograph though if you can find a copy of one. 

1994 Bowman Jorge Posada

Posada fits into many of the same categories as Bernie Williams.  Very good player, appeared on all four World Series teams (only briefly in 1996 and also for the 2009 WS winner), but he is not a Hall of Fame player.  Posada might have been a more important player in some regards than Bernie Williams since he gave the team a plus offensive player while offering above average defense during his prime.  Posada also did a good job of helping to run the pitching staff, which always seemed to pull through when it needed to.  Posada did a decent job of hitting during the postseason too posted 11 career home runs during the playoffs.  Cardboard wise, Posada's rookie card is from the 1994 Bowman set which is one of the cheaper mid 90s products from that line.  The cards are pretty condition sensetive, so high grades can fetch big bucks.  Autographs aren't really plentiful, so again, they fetch a premium. 

1986 Donruss Paul O'Neill RC

Paul O'Neill was not a homegrown Yankees talent, but the prime of career was definitely while he was on the Yankees.  I would even argue that he was actually better his first few years on the Yankees (1994-1995) then the years he helped the team win four World Series titles.  O'Neill tailed off significantly during the 1999, 2000, and 2001 seasons and retired after the team lost the 2001 World Series to the Diamondbacks.  Again, not a Hall of Famer, but a very good player.  I like his 1986 Donruss rookie which is a pretty good set.  Cool card with the polyester Reds jersey.  O'Neill has signed a lot after his retirement, especially the last few years.  Much easier and cheaper to find than Williams and Posada. 

1988 Topps Traded Tino Martinez

This is difficult player for me to write about.  My most profound memories of Tino Martinez the player were formed around his brief time in St. Louis where he performed poorly and complained constantly until the team banished him to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.  He seemed like a pretty uncool person which was only confirmed this past season when the Marlins fired him as their hitting coach after it was revealed he was abusive towards the players.  Now, for his time with the Yankees.

Tino is a perfect example of why the Yankees won often during the late 90s.  The Yankees actually did not sign Martinez as an expensive free agent, but rather traded for him and then kept him around New York.  Honestly, he was a great player for the Yankees.  Not Hall of Fame good, but he was the perfect hitter for the short porch out in right field.  During his career he played about 550 games in Yankee Stadium and hit almost 100 home runs and 100 doubles while slugging nearly .500 in that ballpark.  Other parks?  He hit .239 in Fenway with 6 home runs in 86 career games. 

His best year was actually 1997 when he finished second in the American League in MVP voting and also a career high 44 home runs.  Tino's rookie cards are 1988 and 1989 releases and are valued much like the Bernie Williams rookie cards.  Autographs can be a little bit tricky, but he has signed for a few larger print run sets, like the 2004 Upper Deck USA Baseball autographs.  Tino in a Devil Rays or Cardinals uniform has little value, but Yankees cards are pretty competitive. 

Buy Local Part 1

I was looking through a box of autographed cards the other day and realized that I have put together a pretty nice collection of local, North Carolina, players over the past year.  Despite not having an MLB team, North Carolina has several minor league affiliates, a few top 20 college programs, USA Baseball, and a great high school baseball scene too.  Why not put together a few posts to highlight some of the great players and cool cards coming out of North Carolina.  So, I will start out tonight with a local high school player turned top prospect. 

2012 Bowman Chrome Corey Seager Auto

 

I actually just recently picked up this Corey Seager autograph.  I have the blue version of this card too, but Seager autographs are getting harder and harder to find and also more expensive.  A year ago you could find Seager autographed cards around $20.  After a stellar 2013 campaign in the minors his 2012 rookie cards have taken off in popularity and price.  Off brand Seager autographs, there are actually quite a few, are less expensive, but all of his Bowman cards are very nice cards and could well be worth the price if the shortstop prospect pans out for the Dodgers. 

Seager was selected out of Northwest Carrabus High School in Concord, North Carolina which is west of Raleigh-Durham towards the Charlotte area.  Seager also played for USA Baseball which is located a few minutes from my house in Cary, North Carolina.  The Dodgers selected Seager in the first round of the 2012 draft making him the second of the three Seagers to be drafted.  His older brother Kyle is the Mariners third baseman, he'll be in another post, and another older brother Justin played for UNC-Charlotte and was drafted by the Mariners in 2013.