Saturday, July 17, 2010

2009 Bowman Patrick Ryan


Who is this? Salem Red Sox pitcher Patrick Ryan
 
What is this? An autographed card from the 2009 Bowman set
 
Where'd I get it? I got it signed before a game between the Bridgeport Bluefish and Newark Bears in Newark earlier this year.
 
How much did it cost? A quarter?  

Why is this so special? Patrick Ryan was a 19th round pick of the Milwaukee Brewers in 2005, and was a good enough prospect for somebody at Topps to decide to put him in last year's Bowman set.


Of course, Ryan wasn't in the Brewers organization by the time the card came out. He started the season with the West Tennesee Diamond Jaxx in the Seattle Mariners' organization, and he struggled. He eventually got released and joined the Bridgeport Bluefish last summer.

This season, Ryan returned to the Bluefish and had a 5-1 record with 2 saves and a 1.39 ERA, working out of the bullpen and in the starting rotation. He was signed by the Red Sox and assigned to Salem in the Class A Carolina League, though he's only pitched once so far.

Ryan's autograph looks very different than the facsimile signature on the card, which was probably lifted from the contract he signed with Topps.

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