Friday, September 24, 2010

2010 Lancaster Barnstormers Eric Ackerman



Who is this? York Revolution pitcher Eric Ackerman
What is this? An autographed card from the 2010 Lancaster Barnstormers team set
Where'd I get it? Ackerman signed it for me before a game in Newark this summer
How much did it cost? The team set was $5 or $6 shipped.

Why is this so special? Ackerman was a two-sport star in high school, playing both baseball and football. He was drafted in the 16th round by the Kansas City Royals in 2002. Ackerman spent four seasons in their farm system, but never made it further than A-ball.

In 2006, Ackerman joined the Lancaster Barnstormers in time to be part of their only Atlantic League championship season. In five Atlantic League seasons, he's won 28 and lost 28.  This season, the Barnstormers cut him after he went 2-0 with a 6.86 ERA in 16 relief appearances for them.

Ackerman signed with the York Revolution and pitched better, going 3-3 with a 3.26 ERA in 17 appearances. In two playoff games this year, Ackerman has not allowed a run. York currently leads Somerset 2 games to 1 in a best-of-five first round playoff series.

Ackerman has a distinctive autograph, made up of a series of lines that give it a very angular look. I think he's another player who put some thought into designing his autograph. I like that you can still read his initials, even with all the stylization.

2 comments:

Sumosid said...

When I read about Ackerman, Ross Peeples comes to mind. A former Brooklyn Cyclone who has remained on the Barnstormers from their inaugural season.

http://www.examiner.com/brooklyn-cyclones-in-new-york/former-brooklyn-ace-peeples-loving-life-lancaster

Paul Hadsall said...

Thanks for sharing that article. I was disappointed that I couldn't get this year's Ross Peeples card signed. He's great about autographs, but the night I went he headed straight to the bullpen, so I never had the chance to ask.

Maybe next year.