2009 Bowman Johnny Giavotella

Who is this? Kansas City Royals prospect Johnny Giavotella
What is this? An autographed card from one of the 2009 Bowman sets
Where'd I get it? Zach of Autographed Cards fame sent it to me last year.

Why is this so special? Gavotella was a second round draft pick in 2008. The 22-year-old Louisiana native played for the Northwest Arkansas Naturals in the AA Texas League last year, where he hit .322 / .395 /.460. He had nine home runs and 13 stolen bases in 20 attempts.

I'm not quite sure where Giavotella ranks in the Royals' long-term plans. He didn't make Baseball America's Top 10 Royals' prospects list, but he is the second baseman in their projected 2014 lineup.

After I got this card from Zach, I pulled another Giavotella autograph from my box of Topps Pro Debut Series II.

There's quite a bit of difference between what I presume is Giavotella's ballpark signature vs. his paid "sit down" one, but I'm glad I don't have to read either one.

Questionable 1983 Topps Dan Quisenberry

Who is this? former Kansas City Royals closer Dan Quisenberry
What is this? A signed card from the 1983 Topps set
Where'd I get it? I picked it up from a card show dealer who buys up collections and re-sells the cards  How much did it cost? Not much... I got it and a bunch of other cards for $5


Why is this so special? I have my doubts that this card was actually signed by Quisenberry, but I'm not familiar enough with his autograph to have an informed opinion. A look at the PSA-slabbed cards on eBay didn't do much to clarify the matter - just take a look at the variety of autographs there.

If anybody is familiar with Quisenberry's autograph, I'd welcome your opinion. I'd also be interested in seeing photos/scans of items that were signed in-person.

Quisenberry was a submarine-style closer in the early 1980s. A three-time All-Star, Quisenberry led the American League in saves five times and won five Rolaids Relief Man awards. He died in 1998 at the age of 45.

1988 Donruss Greg Gagne

Who is this? former Minnesota Twins shortstop Greg Gagne
What is this? An autographed card from the 1988 Donruss set
Where'd I get it? Last year, I wrote to Gagne and asked him to sign it.
How much did it cost? Postage, basically


Why is this so special? Greg Gagne was the shortstop for two World Championship Minnesota Twins teams. He spent 15 seasons in the big leagues - 10 with the Twins, 3 with the Kansas City Royals and 2 with the Los Angeles Dodgers. During that time, he appeared in 1,798 games and had 1,440 hits.

Last year, he was inducted into the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame.

It's a bit difficult to read Gagne's signature, but his initials seem recognizable enough. It looks like he may have included a Bible verse inscription, but I can't quite make it out.

Here is a 1994 Pinnacle card picturing him with the Royals that he signed for me last year as well:

2008 Bowman Chrome Clint Robinson

Who is this? Northwest Arkansas Naturals first baseman Clint Robinson
What is this? An autographed card from the 2008 Bowman Chrome set
Where'd I get it? From Zach, who probably got it signed at a Kansas City Royals fanfest event or a minor league game.


Why is this so special? The Royals selected Robinson in the 25th round of the 2007 draft. He has progressed through the Kansas City farm system and had a solid year in AA in 2010, hitting 29 home runs for the Naturals and finishing with a 1.035 OPS.

Aside from the angle, Robinson's autograph looks just like the facsimile signature on the card.

2007 Topps 52 Rookies Fernando Cortez

Who is this? Birmingham Barons infielder Fernando Cortez
 
What is this? An autograph card from the 2007 Topps 52 Rookies set
 
Where'd I get it? I got it signed before a Newark Bears game earlier this year.
 
How much did it cost? Not sure -- maybe a quarter?
 
Why is this so special? Fernando Cortez was a ninth round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2001. He worked his way up through the farm system and earned a cup of coffee in 2005. He was traded to Kansas City in 2006 as part of the deal for J.P. Howell.

Cortez earned another brief shot in the majors with the 2007 Royals, and that was it. Since then, he's played for a number of minor league teams and even found himself in independent ball this year. In 35 games for the Newark Bears, he hit .313 with 3 home runs and 14 RBI.

Earlier this month, the Chicago White Sox signed Cortez and assigned him to AA Birmingham.

Cortez has an illegible autograph, but maybe it looks better if he has more time to sign. He was quickly signing for me and a few other people before he had to get ready for the game.

2007 Topps Heritage Joselo Diaz

Who is this? Long Island Ducks pitcher Joselo Diaz
 
What is this? An autographed card from the 2007 Topps Heritage set

Where'd I get it? I got it signed before a game between the Long Island Ducks and Newark Bears last week.
 
How much did it cost? The card cost 50 cents.
 
Why is this so special? Diaz signed with the Dodgers as an undrafted free agent in 1996 as a catcher. After a few years in the minors, he was converted to pitching. He has played for seven different organizations in the minors and even spent a season as a Yokohama Bay Star in Japan.

Diaz has pitched in five major league games: four for the 2006 Kansas City Royals and one for the 2008 Texas Rangers.

Diaz has a neat autograph, which manages to be both distinctive and somewhat legible at the same time.

1991 Leaf Mike Macfarlane

Who is this? Mike Macfarlane, a former catcher for the Kansas City Royals, Boston Red Sox and Oakland Athletics

What is this? An autograph card from the 1991 Leaf set

Where'd I get it? Zach from Autographed Cards got it signed for me at the Kansas City Royals fanfest earlier this month

How much did it cost? I bought a wax box of 1991 Leaf cards for $8 a few years ago. I still have a ton of them.

Why is this so special? Mike Macfarlane had a solid major league career. He played for 13 seasons, and has caught the most games in Royals history. He retired with a .252 lifetime average, 129 home runs and 514 RBI.

Mike Macfarlane does not have the neatest autograph in the world, but with my penmanship I shouldn't really complain. :)

2010 Kansas City Royals Postcard Mitch Maier

Who is this? Mitch Maier, an outfielder for the Kansas City Royals

What is this? An autographed Kansas City Royals postcard

Where'd I get it? Zach of Autographed Cards sent it to me; I think he probably got it signed at the Kansas City Royals fan fest.

How much did it cost? You'd have to check with Zach

Why is this so special? When I went to out new Yankee Stadium last year, I saw the Yankees play a couple of games against the Kansas City Royals. The fans in left field abused Mitch Maier mercilessly, but I liked him. He hustled in both games that I saw.

Of course, hustle only gets you so far. He hit .243, with a .333 on base percentage and a .331 slugging percentage in 127 games last year. Hopefully he will have a better season in 2010.

I find it interesting the Maier was drafted as a catcher and converted to third base before finally settling in as an outfielder.

I'm not sure when or why Maier switched to uniform number 12. He was wearing number 35 when I saw him last season, but he signed number 12 next to his signature.

1997 Leaf Signature Series Mike Magnante

Who is this? Mike Magnante, a former reliever for the Kansas City Royals, Houston Astros, Anaheim Angels and Oakland Athletics

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? Mike Magnante spent parts of 12 seasons in the Major Leagues, primarily as a middle reliever. According to his Wikipedia entry, Magnante once struck out the side on nine pitches.

Donruss undoubtedly overestimated the value that collectors would place on autographed cards of players like Magnante, but they designed some nice cards that really showcase the autograph. And the players -- for the most part -- made sure to sign them with nice, clear autographs. Magnante is no exception.

1996 Leaf Signature Series Chris Haney

Who is this? Chris Haney, a former pitcher with the Montreal Expos, Kansas City Royals, Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox

What is this? An autographed card from the 1996 Leaf Signature Series

Where'd I get it? This is another purchase from last weekend's card show

How much did it cost? $1

Why is this so special? Chris Haney is the son of former catcher Larry Haney and cousin of former infielder (and Mets coach) Mike Cubbage. He spent parts of 8 seasons in the majors, compiling a 38-52 lifetime record with a 5.07 ERA.

His most notable "accomplishment" is being the pitcher who gave up Wade Boggs' 3000th hit.

The grey KC hat really made the card stand out. I'm not sure how long it lasted, but I hope it wasn't much longer than the white "ice cream man" cap that the Mets experimented with in the 1990s. The letters "MIK" are a tribute to owner Muriel Irene Kauffman, who died during the 1995 season.

Chris Haney has a fairly simplified autograph, but I guess I can't blame him since he had to sign a few thousand of these cards.

1969 Topps Dennis Ribant

Who is this? Dennis Ribant, a pitcher for the New York Mets, Pittsburgh Pirates, Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox, St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds (but not the Kansas City Royals) in the 1960s

What is this? An autographed 1969 Topps card

Where'd I get it? Dennis Ribant signed and returned a card that I mailed to him.

How much did it cost? 40 cents for the card, plus 84 cents postage

Why is this so special? Ribant had an unspectacular career in the Major Leagues, but he was the first Mets starting pitcher to finish a season with a winning record. In 1966, Ribant went 11-9 for a team that finished at 66-95. It was his best season in the big leagues. 

This card is interesting because Ribant never played a single regular season game for the Royals. After the 1968 season, Kansas City purchased Ribant from the Detroit Tigers. He went to spring training with them in 1969, and Topps managed to get his photo for this card. However, before Opening Day, the Royals sold Ribant to St. Louis.

Ribant has a nice, clean signature. You can make out every letter of his name. Try to do that with some modern players.