2010 Topps Team USA John Simms

Who is this? Rice Sophomore Pitcher John Simms
What is this? An autograph card from 2010 Topps Team USA Box set.
Where'd I get it? I got this card signed by John before a Falmouth Commodore v. Wareham Gatemen Cape Cod Baseball League game last summer.
How much did it cost? I bought two 2010 Topps Team USA sets last year for about $15.00.

Why is this so special? John Simms has the potential to become a top prospect for the 2013 MLB Draft. In his first year at Rice, Simms earned Conference USA All-Freshman Team Honors and was named National Pitcher of the Week on April 19 after he struck out 11 batters in in 7.2 innings to lead Rice to a 2-0 victory over #5 Texas A&M on April 12 and then came out of the bullpen just five days later to pitch 1.2 scoreless innings to help Owls defeat Tulane on April 17.

That spectacular regular season might have been enough for most freshman, but not for Simms. After Rice's season ended, Simms headed east to pitch for the Falmouth Commodores of the Cape Cod Baseball League. Most Cape League hitters would have preferred that Simms stayed at home, as he did not allow a single earned run all summer in 24.2 innings pitched!

Before attending Rice, Simms pitched for College Park High School in The Woodlands, California (a baseball prospect factory) and also pitched for the Team USA 18 and Under squad in the summer of 2010. He was drafted by the Washington Nationals in the Thirty-Ninth Round of the 2010 MLB Draft, but turned down the chance to go pro in favor of Rice.

Simms was nice enough to also sign this 2010 Bowman Chrome Team USA 18U card for me:

2000 SAGE Autograph Jamal Lewis

Who is this? Former Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns Running Back Jamal Lewis.
What is this? An autograph card from 2000 Sage.
Where'd I get it? I got it at the Mansfield Holiday Inn Card Show on January 29, 2012.
How much did it cost? $1.50 (That's right, One-dollar and fifty-cents!)

Why is this so special? Jamal Lewis was drafted in the first-round (5th overall) by the Baltimore Ravens in the 2000 NFL Draft out of the University of Tennessee and played nine seasons (he missed the entire 2001 season) in the NFL and when he retired he was ranked #21 All-Time in career rushing yards with 10,607.

As a rookie, Lewis was the Ravens starting running back on their Super Bowl XXXV winning team. In the Ravens victory over the Giants, Lewis became only the second rookie to rush for over one-hundred yards and the youngest player to ever score a touchdown in a Super Bowl.

Lewis' best season was in 2003, when he rushed for 2,066 yards and 14 touchdowns. At the time, Lewis was one of only five running backs to ever rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season. The highlight of the season was when Lewis set a new NFL record for rushing yards in a single game when he ran for 295 yards against the Cleveland Browns on September 14, 2003. At the end of the season, Lewis was named the AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year, AFC Player of the Year, and was named to the All-Pro and Pro Bowl teams. (Suprisingly, 2003 was his only Pro Bowl season.)

Before the 2010 NFL Pro Bowl, it was announced that Jamal Lewis was named to the NFL's 2000s All-Decade Second-Team.

To be honest, I was shocked to see this Jamal Lewis 2000 Sage Autograph rookie card in a $1.50 bargain box. I have found lots of great deals in bargain boxes over the years, but a rookie autograph of one of the best running backs of the 2000s for less than a pack of cards might be one of the best deals around.

2003 Topps All-American Fabric of the Game Ty Warren

Who is this? Former New England Patriots Defensive Lineman Ty Warren
What is this? An autograph card from 2003 Topps All-American Fabric of America.
Where'd I get it? I got this card signed by Ty Warren at Patriots' Training Camp in 2003.
How much did it cost? I pulled this card from a blaster box of 2003 Topps All-American in 2003.

Why is this so special? Ty Warren was the Patriots first-round pick (13th overall) in the 2003 NFL Draft out of Texas A&M. Warren made an immediate impact, playing in every game his rookie season, including the Patriots' victory in Super Bowl XXXVIII. The next year, Warren became a starting defensive end on the Patriots' team that won Super Bowl XXXIX.

Although he did not become as popular as his fellow Patriots' defensive linemen Richard Seymour and Vince Wilfork, Warren was a team leader and key piece of the Patriots' potent defenses. Warren was elected a team captain in 2007, earned All-Pro honors in 2007, and was named to the Patriots All-2000s Decade Team.

Regarded by coaches and teammates as a hard worker and a dedicated member of the community, Warren's career suffered a steep decline due to injuries beginning in 2009, when he missed most of five games because of injuries. The injury bug found Warren again in 2010, when a hip injury during training camp forced him to miss the entire season. After being released by the Patriots on July 29, 2011, Warren signed with the Denver Broncos, but missed his second consecutive season, this time with a tricepts injury.

Given his recent injury history, I think that it is fair to question whether or not Warren will ever again play in an NFL game. But, regardless of what happens in the future, Warren will always have a place as a fan favorite and productive member of the Patriots' 2000s Dynasty.

I was lucky enough to get Ty to sign at least one card almost every summer at Patriots Training Camp, but the signed 2003 Topps All-American Fabric of the America card is my favorite. Unlike some of the other cards that he signed, his signature is clear, easy to see, and well-placed on the Fabric of America card. In addition, I really like that the game-used jersey piece is from a painted part of the jersey and that you can see the white paint. Here are three more cards that Ty signed for me over the years:

2009 TriSTAR Prospects Plus Seth Schwindenhammer

Who is this? Red Sox Minor League Outfielder Seth Schwindenhammer
What is this? An autograph card from 2009 TriSTAR Prospects Plus
Where'd I get it? I got this card signed by Seth at the 2011 New York-Penn League All-State Game in Lowell, MA in August.
How much did it cost? I got it when I bought a set of 2009 TriSTAR Prospects Plus.

Why is this so special? If he ever reaches the Major Leagues, Seth Schwindenhammer (15 letters) will break Jarrod Saltalamacchia's (14 letters) record for the longest last-name in the history of Major League Baseball. Fortunately for Salty, that record seems safe for at least a few years.

Seth Schwindenhammer was drafted in the Fifth-round of the 2009 MLB Draft out of Limestone Community High School (IL) and given a $140,000 signing bonus. Since then, he has spent his first three professional seasons playing in the rookie Gulf Coast and New York-Penn Leagues.

Seth's best season came in 2011, when he hit .213 with 9 homeruns for the Lowell Spinners, the Red Sox Short-Season affiliate. For that, he earned a spot on the New York-Penn League's American League All-Star team.

And while his statistics may not stand out, his last name has made quite a "name" for itself. In fact, Seth Schwindenhammer was a candidate in Milb.com's 2010 and 2011 Minors Moniker Maddness, a competition that allowed fans to choose their favorite player name in Minor League Baseball.

2005 Press Pass SE Alex Smith

Who is this? Cleveland Browns Tight End Alex Smith.
What is this? An autograph card from 2005 Press Pass Signature Edition.
Where'd I get it? I got this card signed by Alex at Patriots' Training Camp in 2009.
How much did it cost? I got it when I bought a set of 2005 Press Pass SE in 2005.

Why is this so special? On the day of the NFC Championship Game when QB Alex Smith will lead his 49ers against the Giants, I am shamelessly trying to generate a little site traffic with some old-fashioned "bait-and-switch."

But, since you're already here and reading this, why not learn a little bit about Edwin Alexander "Alex" Smith?

First, he was born Edwin Alexander Smith on May 22, 1982 in Nassau, Bahamas. His father, Ed Smith, played for the Denver Broncos and is believed to be the first player born in the Bahamas to be drafted in the NFL.

Second, Alex Smith attended Stanford University, where he was a three-year starter. In 2004, Alex was a runner-up for the John Mackey Award, given to the nation's top collegiate Tight End and a second-team All-American.

After college, Smith was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Third-round (71st overall) in the 2005 NFL Draft. That was 70 picks after QB Alexander Douglas Smith from the University of Utah was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers with the First-overall pick.

Overall, Alex Smith has had a solid career. So far, Smith has spent seven years in the NFL, playing for the Tampa Bay Bucaneers, Philadelphia Eagles, and Cleveland Browns catching a total of 147 passes for 1,414 yards 12 touchdowns.

In April of 2009, Smith was traded by the Bucs to the New England Patriots, but he was cut at the end of the preseason and signed with the Eagles a few days later. It was during his brief stint with the Patriots that Alex signed these cards for me. He seemed like a nice guy and cool enough to sign a total of four cards for me.

2006 Topps Total Matt Light, Dan Koppen, and Stephen Neal

Who is this? New England Patriots Offensive Linemen Matt Light, Dan Koppen, and Stephen Neal.
What is this? An autograph card from 2006 Topps Total
Where'd I get it? I got this card signed by Light, Koppen, and Neal after a practice at Patriots Training Camp in 2010.
How much did it cost? Not much.

Why is this so special? These three offensive linemen have a combined eleven AFC Championships(4 Light, 3 Koppen, 3 Neal), eight Super Bowl Rings (3 Light, 2 Koppen, 3 Neal), four Pro Bowls (3 Light, 2 Koppen), two members of the Patriots All-2000s Decade Team (Light and Koppen), and one member of the National Wrestling Hall-of-Fame (Neal).

Matt Light was drafted by the New England Patriots in the second-round of the 2001 NFL Draft out of Purdue University, where he was a First-Team All-Big 10 selection in 2000. He was the starting Left Tackle on the New England Patriots Super Bowl XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX, and XLII teams.

Stephen Neal did not play football in college; he was a Division I Wrestling Champion at Cal State-Bakersfield, where he won the NCAA Division I Collegiate Champion as a Junior and Senior. In fact, in his last championship match in 1999, Neal defeated future WWE and UFC legend Brock Lesner, who was wrestling for the University of Minnesota.

Despite not having played football since High School, the Patriots invited Neal to Training Camp in 2001, but cut him on August 26. He was then signed to the Philadelphia Eagles Practice Squad until the Patriots claimed him and added him to their 53-man roster on December 12, 2001. Neal continued to improve on the field and eventually became the Patriots starting Guard, including a start in Super Bowls XXXIX and Super Bowl XLII. He retired from football after the 2010 season.

Dan Koppen was drafted in the fifth-round of the 2003 NFL Draft out of Boston College and quickly became the Patriots' starting Center. He was the Patriots' starting Center in Super Bowls XXXVIII, XXXIX, and XLII.

I am a fan of multi-player cards, especially if I can get them signed. I think that this card looks cool, even though Neal's signature is king of smushed-in. (Neal was the last of the three that I got to sign) With three important members of the New England Patriots Dynasty, this signed card is a nice addition to my collection.

1980 Topps Steve Grogan

Who is this? Former New England Patriots Quarterback Steve Grogan

What is this? An autograph card from 1980 Topps.
Where'd I get it? I got this card signed by Grogan at the 2011 Patriots' Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in September 2011.
How much did it cost? 5 or 10 cents for the card.

Why is this so special? Steve Grogan was (when healthy) the Patriots starting Quarterback from 1975 until 1990. After being drafted in the fifth-round of the 1975 NFL Draft out of Kansas State University, Grogan wasted no time and successfully overtook former Heisman Trophy Winner and Number-One Pick Jim Plunkett as New England's starting Quarterback.

In his second season, Grogan led the Patriots to an 11-3 record, the best season in franchise history and their first playoff appearance since 1963. In addition, Grogan set a NFL single-season record for Quarterbacks by rushing for 12 touchdowns. (The record stood for 35 years until Cam Newton rushed for 14 in 2011.)

Grogan went on to lead the Patriots to the playoffs again in 1978, 1982, and 1985. In 1985, Grogan completed 17 of 30 passes for 177 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions after relieving struggling starter Tony Eason in the Patriots' 46-10 loss to the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XX in 1985.

When he retired in 1990, Grogan was the Patriots All-Time leader in passing yards (26,886) and passing touchdowns (182). Since then, Grogan has been honored as a member of the Patriots' 35th Anniversary Team in 1994, All-Decade Teams for the 1970s and 1980s, and elected to the Patriots' Hall-of-Fame in 1995. In addition, Grogan had his #11 retired and he was added to the Wildcats Football Ring of Honor at Kansas State

While his records have since been broked by Drew Bledsoe and Tom Brady, Steve Grogan remains a fan favorite and Patriots' legend. He has returned that affection by being very friendly and generous to Patriots' fans and the community. Grogan brought his own sharpie to the Hall-of-Fame ceremony in September and seemed more than happy to sign autographs for fans of all ages.

Steve was nice enough to also sign a 1986 Topps card for my wife.