1999 Just Minors Grant Roberts

Who is this? former Binghamton Mets pitcher Grant Roberts
What is this? An autographed card from the 1999 Just Minors set
Where'd I get it? From a dealer at the local card show on Sunday
How much did it cost? I got it as part of a group of cards for $5


Why is this so special? Grant Roberts was a middle reliever for the New York Mets. From 2000-2004,  he appeared in 76 games and posted a 4-4 record with a 4.25 ERA. In the minors, he was a starting pitcher. For the Binghamton Mets in 1999, he was 7-6 with a 4.87 ERA in 23 games.

Roberts' career was plagued by shoulder issues for much of his career. He also had his share of off-field issues.

In 2002, Newsday printed allegations that Roberts and some of his Mets teammate used marijuana during the season, but team officials denied the report. Newsday also printed a photo of Roberts allegedly using marijuana in 1998. In 2005, Roberts was suspended for 15 games for violating baseball's minor league steroids policy.

Roberts didn't really drop letters from his name in his autograph, but it's a bit sloppy.

1999 Just Minors Geoff Goetz

Who is this? former minor league pitcher Geoff Goetz
What is this? An autographed insert card from the 1999 Just Minors set
Where'd I get it? from a dealer's dollar box at the local card show
How much did it cost? $1

Why is this so special? Geoff Goetz was a Mets prospect in the late 1990s who was part of the trade that brought Mike Piazza to New York. At the end of his career, I got to see him pitch for the Nashua Pride in the Atlantic League.

He's got an interesting autograph - if you use your imagination, you can pick out most of the letters of his name.

2008 Just Minors Dustin Richardson

Who is this? Red Sox prospect Dustin Richardson

What is this? An autographed card from the 2008 Just Minors set

Where'd I get it? I wrote to Richardson c/o his Arizona Fall League team and asked him to sign some cards. I got them back last week.

How much did it cost? This one was completely free. Richardson included it along with the ones I had originally sent.

Why is this so special? Richardson, 26, made his major league debut last September. He appeared in three games and didn't allow a run. He could compete for a bullpen role in 2010, but I think he'll probably open the season in Pawtucket.

Richardson is pictured with his 2007 club, the Carolina League Greenville Drive. He was still working as a starting pitcher, and he went 5-7 with a 3.34 ERA in 21 games. Just Minors was not licensed by Minor League Baseball in 2008, so they removed the cap logo from the photo. You'll be able to get a better look at the Greenville Drive uniform tomorrow.

Richardson probably won't win any penmanship awards, but he has a nice autograph that is fairly legible.

2000 Just Gold Shane Heams

Who is this? Shane Heams, a former minor league pitcher and U.S. Olympic Gold Medal winner

What is this? An autograph card from the gold parallel of the 2000 Just minor league prospect set

Where'd I get it? I got the card signed at a Somerset Patriots game in 2005

How much did it cost? I got the card in a trade; the autograph was free

Why is this so special? Shane Heams was drafted as an outfielder by the Seattle Mariners in 1994, but he didn't hit. So the Mariners tried making him a pitcher, and it worked out fairly well. For most of his career, he averaged better than a strikeout per inning.

In 2000, Heams pitched for the U.S. Olympic Gold Medal-winning baseball team. He was not able to translate Olympic success into a major league career, though. He finished his professional career with the independent Somerset Patriots in 2005, retiring at age 30

Shane Heams was very good about signing autographs, but he was efficient. He simplified his signature to just "Sh H."

2002 Just Minors Matt Cain

Who is this? Giants pitcher Matt Cain.

What is this? An autograph card from 2002 Just Minors, card number 3. The card is serial numbered 52/100.

Where'd I get it? Atlanta Sports Cards.

How much did it cost? Three bucks.

Why is this so special? I think Matt Cain is a really good pitcher that's just gotten stuck on a bad team. Yeah, he's lost 30 games the past two years, but check out the other stats. He's got a career ERA of 3.74. He racks up strikeouts and has a reasonable amount of walks. He's averaged over 200 innings a year over his three full seasons. And the guy is only twenty-three. That's why I was surprised to see it in the cheapo binder for only three bucks. A few years from now he could be a Cy Young contender and the card is getting blown out the store. Granted, it's a Just Minors auto. And the signature is kinda scroungy to be honest. And he isn't really a superstar by any stretch of the imagination right now. But isn't that what prospecting is all about? Finding diamonds in the rough for cheap? Why should an autograph card of one of this year's draft picks go for big bucks when an established young pitcher in the majors doesn't even deserve a toploader or a spot in the display case? Why am I complaining about getting a card of a player I think will be a star for so cheap? I guess it's just stupid expectations blinding me and the rest of the collectors out there. The brand new hotness? Gotta pay big bucks for their cards. Established players, not so much. Former dominating pitchers, can't even give them away. That's one thing about this hobby that some people know... While everyone else is chasing down the big hit from that brand new product, there are neglected gems out there that can be gotten for a song.

1999 Just Minors Sean Burroughs

Who is this? Padres prospect Sean Burroughs.

What is this? An autograph card from 1999 Just Minors, serial numbered #77/200.

Where'd I get it? Atlanta Sports Cards.

How much did it cost? A buck.

Why is this so special? I was surprised to see that Sean was out of the league while looking up his stats. A few years ago he was a solid third base prospect for San Diego, but got injured and fell out of favor due to his lack of power. I thought he would at least be playing somewhere, but I don't see any stats for him for 2008. He's the son of unlikely MVP candidate Jeff Burroughs and Sean was born in Atlanta while Jeff was a member of the Braves. The card is ok looking, typical Just Minors. The signature is clear, on card and on a nice white background. Just got that part right at least. This must be some sort of parallel as it is die cut with round corners and hand numbered 77 out of 200. He's out of the majors but he's still got memories of the Little League World Series and his interview with Letterman.

1999 Just Minors Juan Melo

Who is this? Giants second baseman Juan Melo.

What is this? An autograph card from 1999 Just Minors.

Where'd I get it? Atlanta Sports Cards.

How much did it cost? A buck.

Why is this so special? Juan only played 11 games in the majors, getting one hit as a second baseman for the Giants. He played 12 years in the minors before apparently retiring in 2008. It's a great looking card though, Melo is making a play at second for the Mobile Baybears. Nice signature too. That's really all I have to say about him though, so in lieu of snarky commentary here's some Donovan in honor of Melo.



One other thing... I strongly recommend opening a pack of 1991 Fleer instead of what the hippies in the video are doing. Do cards, not drugs, kiddos!