Josh Breaux

I met him at Paul Owens Training Facility at Carpenter Complex, the Philadelphia Phillies spring training facility in Clearwater, Florida in 2025.

Josh signed a 2019 Bowman Platinum Top Prospects card #TOP-69.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=breaux000jos

John Cruz

I met him at a Minor League game at BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater, Florida, in 2024, when the Jupiter Hammerheads came to play the Clearwater Threshers.

John signed a 2024 Bowman Chrome Prospects card #BCP-77.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=cruz--002joh

D.J. LeMahieu

I met him at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida in 2024, when the New York Yankees came to play the Tampa Bay Rays.

D.J. signed a 2024 Topps card #641.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lemahdj01.shtml

Carlos Rodón

I met him at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida in 2024, when the New York Yankees came to play the Tampa Bay Rays.

Carlos signed a 2024 Topps card #593.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rodonca01.shtml

Enmanuel Tejeda

I met him at a Minor League game at BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater, Florida in 2024, when the Tampa Tarpons came to play the Clearwater Threshers.

Enmanuel signed a 2024 Bowman Prospects card #BP-103.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=tejeda000enm

Ocean Gabonia

I met him at a Minor League game at BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater, Florida in 2024, when the Tampa Tarpons came to play the Clearwater Threshers.

Ocean signed a 2023 Tampa Tarpons Team Set card.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=gaboni000oce

Daury Arias

I met him at a Minor League game at BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater, Florida in 2024, when the Tampa Tarpons came to play the Clearwater Threshers.

Daury signed a 2023 Tampa Tarpons Team Set card.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=arias-000dau

James Cooper

On April 30, 2024, I went to see the Tampa Tarpons play the Dunedin Blue Jays in Dunedin, Florida. I had a few cards of the Tarpons players that I was hoping to get signed, including their manager, James Cooper. When I saw Mr. Cooper approaching, I held out my card and asked for an autograph. He stopped, looked at the card in my hand, shook his head, and said, "That's not me." 

Now, when I ordered this card, I knew that there were two James Cooper's who were roughly the same age and played around the same time frame. There was a James Cooper who came up in the Yankees organization and spent time playing at their Tampa affiliate, and the other James Cooper came up with the Astros. Not knowing a single thing about James Cooper, I felt the odds were in my favor to get a card of the guy who came up with the Yankees. 

Even Google's A.I. search engine, Gemini, mistakes the two James Cooper's.

When Mr. Cooper told me that it wasn't him, I jokingly replied, "Doesn't it make sense that a guy who once played for Tampa would come back to manage them?" He said, "I came from the Astros but I do know the guy." I held out the card again and said, "Want to send it to him?" He laughed and said, "I don't know him like that."

The next day I ordered a card of the James Cooper that I had spoken to.

Having this Yankees card of James Cooper, I decided to see if I could find an address for him to request his autograph. With such a common name, it was challenging but I felt confident with one particular address I found so I sent him my card and the following letter.

19 days later my card came back signed and he included a nice note.

James signed a 2007 Tampa Yankees Team Set card.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=cooper007jam

Preston Claiborne

I met him at a Minor League game at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Florida in 2024, when the Tampa Tarpons, whom he was the pitching coach for, came to play the Dunedin Blue Jays.

Preston signed a 2013 Topps Update card #US252.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/claibpr01.shtml

Osiel Rodriguez

I met him at a Minor League game at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Florida in 2024, when the Tampa Tarpons came to play the Dunedin Blue Jays.

Osiel signed a 2018 Panini Elite Extra Edition card #162 (999/999).

https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=rodrig000osi

George Lombard, Jr.

I met him at a Minor League game at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Florida in 2024, when the Tampa Tarpons came to play the Dunedin Blue Jays.

George signed a 2023 Tampa Tarpons Team Set card #21.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=lombar002geo

Scott Seabol

I met him at a Minor League game at BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater, Florida in 2024, when the Bradenton Marauders, whom he was the hitting coach for, came to play the Clearwater Threshers.

Scott signed a 2001 Bowman Heritage card #288.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/seabosc01.shtml

Brando Mayea

I met him during extended spring training at Yankees Player Development & Scouting Complex in Tampa, Florida in 2024.

Brando signed a 2023 Bowman Chrome Prospects Mojo Refractor card #BCP-188.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=mayea-000bra

Fidel Montero

I met him during extended spring training at Yankees Player Development & Scouting Complex in Tampa, Florida in 2024.

Fidel signed a 2022 Bowman Prospects card #BP-74.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=monter000fid

Hans Montero

I met him during extended spring training at Yankees Player Development & Scouting Complex in Tampa, Florida in 2024.

Hans signed a 2023 Bowman Draft Chrome card #BDC-12.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=monter000han

Keiner Delgado

I met him during extended spring training at Yankees Player Development & Scouting Complex in Tampa, Florida in 2024.

Keiner signed a 2023 Bowman Draft Chrome card #BDC-119.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=delgad000kei

Roderick Arias

I met him at a Minor League Tampa Tarpons game at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida in 2024.

Roderick signed a 2023 Bowman Prospects card #BP-135.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=arias-003rod

Brenny Escanio

I met him at a Minor League Tampa Tarpons game at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida in 2024.

Brenny signed a 2023 Tampa Tarpons Team Set card #20.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=escani000bre

Luis Serna

I met him at an autograph signing at a Minor League Tampa Tarpons game at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida in 2024.

Luis signed a 2023 Bowman Chrome Prospects card #BCP-168.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=serna-000lui

Edwar Gonzalez

I met him at Paul Owens Training Facility at Carpenter Complex, the Philadelphia Phillies spring training facility in Clearwater, Florida in 2024.

Edwar signed a 2005 Charleston RiverDogs Team Set card.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=gonzal001edw