Hometown Hero Station Hall of Fame cover

     I picked this one up awhile ago and forgot to post anything for it.  I'd seen several copies on eBay for awhile, but finally found one at a price I liked (under $10) and pulled the trigger.  This is another Hall of Fame Induction Day cover, this time in a series with Kirby Puckett, called Hometown Hero Station.  This is another full size #10 envelope with the art printed directly on the card.

     As I mentioned, there is also a similar cover for Kirby Puckett and I've also seen a Roger Maris cover from this Hometown Hero Station series from 1999, so there may be more out there.  Unlike others, I don't think this would qualify as a true "first day cover" as it doesn't feature a USPS cancellation over the stamp.  Looking back at the other covers from Photo File, it would appear none of them have postal cancellation, just the "induction pictoral cancellation" which would be the stitches and National Baseball Hall of Fame mark.

Now managing for the Bravos de Margarita...."Bam-Bam" Meulens!

Bravos con nuevo mánager

      Congratulations are in order for Mr. Meulens as he has been appointed manager of the Bravos after the sacking departure of Luis Dorantes, manager for most of the season (but who apparently missed three days with the team for organizational meetings with the Pittsburgh Pirates), who led the team to 4th place after 61 games of the 74 game Venezuelan Winter League season.  While it is perhaps not the best way to land one's first professional managerial posting, it counts nonetheless, and puts Meulens in the unenviable position of reviving his team's offense and pitching in a last ditch effort to make it to the Venezuelan championship series.

      With this achievement in mind, coupled with his role of hitting coach, helping the Giants to their World Series title this fall, let's have a look at the coaching career of one Hensley Filemon Acasio Meulens.

Minor Leagues
2003-2004 Bluefield Orioles (App)

Both cards produced by Grandstand Cards

2005-2008 Indianapolis Indians (IL)
It would seem Mr. Meulens spent a good portion of his time in Indianapolis testing the sturdiness of the dugout guard rails. 

All Indianapolis cards by Choice Marketing

 2009 Fresno Grizzlies (PCL)

By MultiAd Sports

Winter Leagues
2005 Peoria Saguaros (AFL)
If I could find any photos of Bam Bam in his Peoria Saguaros uniform, I'd make my own custom card to fill this glaring hole in the baseball card chronicles of his illustrious career.

2006 Honolulu Sharks (HWB)

Hawaii Winter Baseball apparently produced all of their own card sets in-house.

2009 Bravos de Margarita (LVBP)
The photo at the top of this post was taken shortly after Meulens arrived with the team last year.  He wasn't there long as shortly after the Winter League season began, the Giants vacated their hitting coach position and promoted Meulens into the role, subsequently asking him to report to Arizona to oversee the development of San Francisco's minor league talent participating in the Arizona Winter League season as a roving instructor.  As a result, he only got to spend a couple of weeks with the Bravos.

Major Leagues
2010 San Francisco Giants (NL)

Topps/Emerald Nuts Giants Stadium Giveaway

International
2004 Netherlands (Summer Olympics)
2009 Netherlands (WBC)