2010 Topps Chrome Eric Young Jr.

Who is this? Colorado Rockies outfielder Eric Young Jr.
What is this? An autographed insert card from Topps Chrome
Where'd I get it? I bought it from a dealer at this month's local card show.
How much did it cost? $5


Why is this so special? I may have been able to get a better deal, but this was an impulse purchase. I haven't made any organized effort to collect autographs from players who are from New Jersey, but I will pick up their cards when I have the opportunity.

Young went to Piscataway High School and is the first alumni from the school to reach the major leagues. (Corey Smith, a first round draft pick of the Cleveland Indians in 2000 and former Newark Bear, had a chance to reach the majors but hasn't gotten past AAA yet.)

The Rockies chose Young, son of original Colorado Rockies second baseman Eric Young, in the 30th round of the 2003 draft. He didn't make his minor league debut until 2004, but he moved through the minor leagues quickly. In 2009, Young made his major league debut with Colorado.

Speed is a big part of Young's game - he stole 17 bases in 51 games at the major league level this year. In one minor league season, he stole 87 bases. The Rockies outfielder will have to improve his on-base percentage if he is to make full use of his speed, though.

Eric Young Jr. is one of the many professional baseball players who use Twitter.

Young has a reasonably clear signature... he even included his uniform number.

2000 Fleer Tradition Chris Stynes

Who is this? Former major leaguer Chris Stynes
What is this? An autographed card from the 2000 Fleer Tradition set
Where'd I get it? I wrote to Stynes and asked him to sign it.
How much did it cost? postage, basically

Why is this so special? Chris Stynes may not be a household name, but he did have a good major league career. In ten seasons from 1995-2004, he played for the Royals, Reds, Red Sox, Cubs, Rockies and Pirates. He retired with a .275 career average, 51 home runs and 265 RBI.

Stynes also has one neat record - in 1996, he stole second, third and home in the same inning during a game between the Royals and Mariners.

Stynes has a clear, easy-to-read autograph. Here are a few other cards:

1996 Topps Bill Swift

Who is this? former major league pitcher Bill Swift
What is this? An autographed card from the 1996 Topps set
Where'd I get it? I wrote to Swift and asked him to sign it; I got it back a couple of weeks later.
How much did it cost? Postage, basically

Why is this so special? Bill Swift was never an All-Star, but he did have a good major league career. In 13 seasons from 1985 through 1998, he won 94 games while losing only 74 and his career ERA was 3.95. He pitched for the Seattle Mariners, San Francisco Giants and Colorado Rockies.

In his best season, Swift won 21 games while losing 8 for the 1993 San Francisco Giants. The year before, he led the National League with a 2.08 ERA.

Swift's autograph is quick, but hie initials are easy to decipher. Here is a 1987 Topps card:

2004 Upper Deck Vintage Denny Stark

Who is this? Bridgeport Bluefish pitcher Denny Stark
What is this? An autographed card from the 2004 Upper Deck Vintage set
Where'd I get it? Stark signed it for me at a Newark Bears game this year.
How much did it cost? I probably got it out of a pack; I used to buy at least one blaster of any non-glossy finish set.

Why is this so special? Denny Stark was selected by the Seattle Mariners in the 4th round of the 1996 draft. He pitched in the major leagues for both the Mariners and the Colorado Rockies. As recently as 2009, he appeared in a game with the Mariners.

In 73 major league appearances, including 42 starts, Stark has a 15-14 record and a 5.81 ERA. This year for Bridgeport, Stark had an 8-4 record with a 4.68 ERA in 37 games (17 starts).

For a modern player, he has a fairly decent autograph.

2007 Bowman Heritage Joe Gaetti

Who is this? Lancaster Barnstormers outfielder Joe Gaetti


What is this? An autographed card from the 2007 Bowman Heritage set

Where'd I get it? Gaetti signed it for me at a game in Newark earlier this year

How much did it cost? 50 cents

Why is this so special? Joe Gaetti, son of former Minnesota Twins star Gary Gaetti, was the 12th round draft pick of the Colorado Rockies in 2003. He spent five years in their farm system, making it as far as AAA.  In 2008 and 2009, Gaetti played in five different major league affiliated organizations, as well as for Joliet in the Northern League.

This year, Gaetti is hitting .219 with 10 home runs and 33 RBI in 79 games for the Lancaster Barnstormers. Compared to many modern ballplayers, Gaetti has a pretty nice signature.

2009 Topps Update Jason Marquis

Who is this? Washington Nationals pitcher Jason Marquis
 
What is this? An autographed card from the 2009 Topps Update and Highlights set

Where'd I get it? I wrote to Marquis and asked him to sign it last month. I got it back a few weeks later.
 
How much did it cost? About $1 for the card and postage
 
Why is this so special? Jason Marquis signed a two-year, $15 contract with the Washington Nationals this off-season. I had wanted the Mets to sign the New York native to add some stability to their starting rotation, but they never showed any interest in doing so.

The Mets probably made the right call -- Marquis had surgery last week to remove bone chips from his elbow, and he won't be back until sometime after the All-Star break.

Marquis was an All-Star last season for the Colorado Rockies. He's played for five teams in an 11-year major league career that began with the Atlanta Braves in 2000. He has a 94-86 career record with a 4.57 ERA.

Marquis has an interesting signature, but I can only make out the "J" in his first name.

2003 Topps Total Todd Jones

Who is this? Todd Jones, a retired relief pitcher

What is this? An autographed card from the 2003 Topps Total set

Where'd I get it? I wrote to Jones around New Year's and asked him to sign it; I got it back in the mail today.

How much did it cost? Less than $1

Why is this so special? Even though Todd Jones was rarely thought of as one of the best closers in baseball, he managed to record over 300 saves during his 16-year career. He was an All-Star in 2000 for the Detroit Tigers, when he led the American League with 42 saves.

Jones also has the distinction of being the last player to throw a pitch at Tiger Stadium, according to his Wikipedia article. Since 2002, Jones has been a columnist for The Sporting News.

Todd Jones has a quick autograph, but if you use your imagination you can almost make out his initials.

1997 Leaf Signature Series Jorge Brito

Who is this? Jorge Brito, a former catcher for the Colorado Rockies

What is this? An autographed card from the 1997 Leaf Signature Series

Where'd I get it? This month's baseball card show

How much did it cost? $1

Why is this so special? There's not much to say about Jorge Brito. He was a backup catcher for the 1995 & 1996 Colorado Rockies teams, but he only appeared in 26 Major League games. His lifetime numbers are a .185 batting average, no home runs and seven RBI.

Brito spent 14 seasons as a pro, beginning in 1986 with the Medford A's and finishing with the Louisville RiverBats in 1999. He had over 2,200 minor league at-bats, finishing with a .240 lifetime average, 51 home runs and 276 RBI. That's a lot of baseball for what turned out to be a pretty brief shot.

Brito's signature is legible, but it's an interesting mix of cursive and printed characters.