Former Dodger catcher Paul Lo Duca made an appearance at The Optometry Practice of Dr. Alex Corbin Liu. The event started early at 10:00am and lasted a little over an hour.

Paul engaged in conversations with all fans when they were at the autograph table. Everyone that attended had the privilege of a true meet and greet with the former star. It was obvious that even after his retirement, Paul is still a fan favorite.

Paul was one of my favorite Dodgers when he played in L.A.

After the event, Paul picked out a few glasses from the practice.

Facts about Paul

• Full name is Paul Anthony Lo Duca.
• Was drafted in 25th round of the 1993 Amateur Draft.
• 4X MLB All Star.
• Was married to Sonia Flores, a former playboy playmate.
• Had an 11 year Major League career.

Wikipedia

I must add that it was also nice seeing Jack from JD Legends Promotions.

The Optometry Practice of Dr. Alex Corbin Liu hosted another public autograph signing at their Rowland Heights location. Last weeks event featured former NFL quarterback Vince Ferragamo. This time the special guest was former MLB star and fan favorite Steve Sax.

The event brought out many Dodgers fans who didn’t mind paying a very reasonable $20 per autograph. The meet and greet lasted a few hours with Steve taking the time to talk to fans and pose for photos. The event was just as successful as last weeks event with over 100 people attending.

Fans also had the opportunity to purchase a copy of Steve’s motivational book SHIFT. If you would like to purchase your own copy of SHIFT, click the link here.

Steve’s waving hello to my camera as he patiently waits for the event to start.

 I have a post on my old blog from the last time that I met Steve linked here.

Even after a very successful MLB career, Steve remains a workaholic. He does a lot of motivational speaking engagements and will soon be joining MLB Advanced Media and MLB Radio Network on Sirius Satellite. 

stevesaxspeaks.com
stevesaxcoaches.com

Facts about Steve

• Full name is Stephen Louis Sax.
• Was drafted in the ninth round of the 1978 Amateur Draft.
• 1982 National League Rookie of the Year.
• 2x World Series Champion.
• 5x All Star.
• Had a 14 year Major League career.

Wikipedia

I attended the final home game of the 66ers as they played the San Jose Giants for the California League Championship. After the game I waited outside the 66ers clubhouse since it would be my last chance to receive autographs this season.

As I waited for the team to come out I noticed a man posing for photos with some fans. I made my way closer and recognized exactly who he was. It was Angels General Manager Jerry Dipoto. Jerry posed for photos and signed autographs for the people that did recognize him.

Bill Haselman was the main reason I waited outside the clubhouse.

Facts about Bill

• Full name is William Joseph Haselman.
• Drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 1st round of the 1987 amateur draft.
• Was backup quarterback to Troy Aikman at UCLA. 
• Was on the coaching staff of the 2004 World Series Champion Boston Red Sox team.
• Had a 13 year major league career.

Wikipedia

The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes made a visit to San Bernardino to play the 66ers in what was the final game of the season for the Quakes. Before and during the game I did some autograph seeking since that was the main purpose of attending.

Quakes pitching coach Matt Herges signed a couple of photos for me.

I’v been obtaining autographs from top prospects in San Bernardino for a number of years. Many of those prospects have went on to play in the big show such as Trayvon Robinson, Scott Van Slyke, and Ethan Martin to name a few.

I never write about any minor leaguers I meet. This time I will make an exception since these two prospects are in the organization of my favorite team, the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Outfielder Scott Schebler is ranked 16th in the Dodgers organization according to MLB prospects watch. This season Scott was 2nd in the California League with 27 home runs.

According to MLB prospects watch, Corey Seager is the 2nd ranked prospect in the Dodgers organization. Corey struggled after being promoted to the California League, but he’s still a teenager and has plenty of time to develop.

An announcement was made when the game started that caught me by surprise. Former major leaguer Jay Johnstone was in attendance and would be signing autographs for the first few innings of the game.

The purpose of Jay’s visit was to raise funds for his charity, Hope 4 Heroes. If you would like to read about the charity that Jay is heavily involved in, then click on the document below.

Jay brought a very nice trophy with him.

The Visalia Rawhide made a visit to San Bernardino for a three game series against the 66ers. I took baseball cards of former major leaguer Gil Heredia with me since he is the current pitching coach for the Rawhide.

I arrived early and waited for Gil to come out of the dugout. When Gil made his way onto the field I called him over to sign my items.

I honestly believe Gil has a strong resemblance to former major league star Nomar Garciaparra, except Gil is much larger around the waist area.

Facts about Gil

• Full name is Gilbert Heredia.
• Drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 1987 amateur draft.
• Member of the Arizona Wildcats 1986 College World Series team.
• Had a career high 15 wins in 2000 with the Oakland A’s.
• Had a 10 year major league career.

Wikipedia