2004 Topps Total Brian Boehringer

Who is this? Former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Brian Boehringer
What is this? An autographed card from the 2004 Topps Total set
Where'd I get it? I wrote to Boehringer earlier this month and asked him to sign it. I got it back on Monday.
How much did it cost? Postage, basically.


Why is this so special? Brian Boehringer spent time in the Atlantic League in 2006 and 2007, winding down his professional career as a member of the Bridgeport Bluefish. I never had any luck getting anything signed. In 2006, he got picked up by an affiliated team before I ever saw the Bluefish. If I recall correctly, he spent most of 2007 on the DL - he only appeared in 5 games. And in independent baseball, teams rarely pay hotel bills for players on the DL to travel.

Boehringer made his major league debut with the Yankees in 1995. A year later, he was pitching in the World Series. In 1997, Boehringer was selected in the expansion draft by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, but he never played for them - he was traded to San Diego that same day.

In 1998, Boehringer got to pitch in another World Series... but this time he ended up on the wrong side. He would go back to the Yankees briefly in 2001, but they traded him to the Giants midway through the year. Boehringer finished his major league career with the Pirates.

In a 10-year career that spanned from 1995-2004, Boehringer appeared in 356 regular season major league games. He was never a star, but he was a useful contributor out of the bullpen.

For a player with a long name, Boehringer has a decent autograph. Here's a 2004 Fleer Tradition card that he signed and personalized for me.