2008 TriSTAR PROjections Austin Jackson

Who is this? Detroit Tigers Centerfielder Austin Jackson
What is this? An autograph card from 2008 TriSTAR PROjections
Where'd I get it? I got this card signed by Austin Jackson when he was a member of the Scranton-Wilkes Barre Yankees in 2009.
How much did it cost? I got the card when I bought a set of 2008 TriSTAR PROjections.

Why is this so special? Austin Jackson has emerged as one of the top young players in Major League Baseball. As a rookie in 2010, Jackson hit .293 and was second in the American League with 10 triples. In his second season in 2011, Jackson continued to show that he belonged in the Majors, hitting .249 and leading the American League with 11 triples.

At the time that I got this card signed, Jackson was the New York Yankees Top Prospect and was on his way to winning the 2009 International League Rookie of the Year Award. After that season, Jackson was sent to Detroit as part of the trade that brought Curtis Granderson to New York.

Jackson is off to a hot start in 2012. On Opening Day, Jackson hit a walk-off single that drove in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth-inning to defeat the Boston Red Sox.

2010 Bowman Topps 100 Jesus Montero

Who is this? New Seattle Mariners Catcher/Designated Hitter Jesus Montero.
What is this? An autograph card from 2010 Bowman Topps 100.
Where'd I get it? I got this card signed by Jesus Montero before a Pawtucket Red Sox v. Scranton-Wilkes Barre Yankees game last Spring.
How much did it cost? I paid about 25 cents for this card last winter.

Why is this so special? Jesus Montero has been one of the most highly-touted and closely scrutinized prospects in the Minor Leagues for the last few seasons. Montero has been championed as an elite power-hitter who can handle advanced pitching, while his critics point to his lack of a clear defensive position as a weakness.

After two years of trade talks and rumors, the Yankees (finally) traded Jesus Montero to the Seattle Mariners on January 14, 2012 for Pitcher Michael Pineda. Looking forward, Montero could help bring some offensive fire-power to that Seattle has been lacking in recent years.

In my experience, Montero is a reluctant signer, AT BEST. In the four or five times that I tried to get him to sign some cards, he only signed once. Luckily, I had two clipboards hanging over the SWB Yankees dugout during batting-practice and he signed two cards on each.

Unfortunately, Montero's signature isn't much to look at and he smudged his autograph on the 2009 TriSTAR Obak card. Nonetheless, I am happy to have these cards signed and I (reluctantly) wish Jesus good luck with the Mariners.

2008 TriSTAR Prospects Plus Ray Kruml and Addison Maruszak

Who are these guys? New York Yankees Minor Leaguers Ray Kruml and Addison Maruszak.
What is this? An autograph card from 2008 TriSTAR Prospects Plus.
Where'd I get it? I got this card signed by Addison in July and Ray in August when they were playing for the Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre Yankees against the Pawtucket Red Sox.
How much did it cost? I got this card when I bought two sets of 2008 TriSTAR Prospects Plus a few years ago.

Why is this so special? Neither Kruml nor Maruszak are top prospects, but both took the time to sign this card, which means that, regardless of whether or not either of them ever make it to the Bronx or become big-leaguers, both will always have a place in my autograph collection.

All too often, fans and autograph collectors are focused on chasing the "big fish," allowing players like Ray Kruml and Addison Maruszak to pass their entire careers barely noticed playing in half-empty ballparks across America. I like the inclusion of Kruml, a 2008 11th round-pick out of the University of Southern Alabama, and Maruszak, a 2008 17th round-pick out of the University of South Florida, in sets like TriSTAR Prospects Plus and Donruss Elite Extra Edition not just because they provide me something to get signed, but also because they memorialize their baseball careers on cardboard for all-time.

Ray Kruml was also nice enough to sign two copies of his 2008 Donruss Elite Extra Edition and two copies of his 2008 TriSTAR Prospects Plus card for me.

I thank Ray and Addison for signing my cards, and I wish they both long and successful careers in the future.

2009 Topps David Robertson

Who is this? New York Yankees relief pitcher David Robertson
What is this? An autographed 2009 Topps card
Where'd I get it? I wrote to Robertson and asked him to sign it during spring training.
How much did it cost? I got the card out of a pack in 2009, and I spent 88 cents for postage.

Why is this so special? Robertson is having a career year for the Yankees, leading some to believe he should have been selected for the All-Star team. I think he was a victim of his teammates' success - there are only so many spots on the team, and they can't all go to Yankees.

That takes nothing away from Robertson's success. In 33.1 innings, he struck out 53 batters while allowing 23 hits and 20 walks. His record is 1-0 with a minuscule 1.08 ERA through Saturday's games.

Robertson is in his fourth year with the Yankees. He pitched in Trenton briefly in 2007 and 2008, but I don't think I ever saw him as a member of the Thunder. He is the brother of former Athletics and Diamonbacks pitcher Connor Robertson.

I'm impressed with Robertson's autograph. It is legible, which is not the case with many current ballplayers. I'm more impressed that he's still taking time to answer fan mail during this fantastic run of success.

1995 Fleer Rookie Exchange Set Brian Boehringer

Who is this? former New York Yankees pitcher Brian Boehringer
What is this? An autographed card from the 1995 Fleer Rookie Exchange Set
Where'd I get it? Boehringer signed it for me at the MAB Celebrity Services Pinstripe Passion show in Secaucus yesterday.
How much did it cost? $10


Why is this so special? I wrote about Brian Boehringer for Dec. 22, 2010.

This card is one of nine in a rookie mail-away set produced by Fleer in 1995. It included Edgardo Alfonzo and 1996 NL Rookie of the Year Todd Hollandsworth, but Fleer did not choose a bunch of future stars. I bought my set for a quarter at a baseball card show in 2008, mainly for the Alfonzo card.

When I looked through the cards, I realized that I'd seen 5 of the 9 players in the Atlantic League after their major league careers ended. I was able to get Alfonzo and Frank Rodriguez to sign their cards before or after Newark Bears games, but Boehringer, Darren Bragg and Brad Clontz were long out of the league.

After getting Boehringer's autograph, I now have a third of the set signed.

1976 Topps Graig Nettles

Who is this? former New York Yankees 3rd baseman Graig Nettles
What is this? An autographed card from the 1976 Topps set
Where'd I get it? Nick from Baseball Happenings got it signed for me last year.


Why is this so special? Happy New Year! Graig Nettles' autograph is the first one that I'm posting in 2011.

Nettles was a six-time All-Star and a two-time Gold Glove winner, but I know him best as the father of Somerset Patriots third baseman Jeff Nettles. (What can I say -- I watched Jeff Nettles play in the Atlantic League for years... Graig Nettles was a role player at the end of his career by the time I started to follow baseball.)

Nettles occasionally attended Somerset Patriots games to watch his son play, but he was usually mobbed by autograph seekers if he didn't go up to one of the stadium's luxury boxes. It never really felt appropriate to me to bother a father trying to watch his son's game, so I never approached him to ask for an autograph. (plus I wanted to watch the game, too)

Graig Nettles has two World Series rings, 2,225 hits, 390 home runs and 1,314 hits for his career. He received 8.3 percent of the votes in the 1994 Hall of Fame election, his first year on the ballot. Each year, his support dropped until he was removed from the ballot after receiving just 4.7 percent of the vote in 1997.

Baseball Reference tracks a stat called Wins Above Replacement, which attempts to measure how much more valuable a player is than a hypothetical "average" player. Nettles was worth 61.6 WAR during his career, more than Hall of Famers Harmon Killebrew, Dave Winfield and Willie Stargell, among others.

Nettles' autograph looks like it was a little cramped because he signed it on card... perhaps on a larger item it would look a little neater.

2010 Wichita Wingnuts Gabe Medina

Who is this? Wichita Wingnuts pitcher Gabe Medina
What is this? An autographed card from the 2010 Wichita Wingnuts team set
Where'd I get it? From Zach at Autographed Cards


Why is this so special? This is another signed card from the Wichita Wingnuts team set that Zach sent me a few weeks ago. I really like the classic vest style uniform that Medina is wearing, but I'm glad I don't have to decipher his autograph. I'd be thinking it was signed y someone whose last name began with the letter "C."

Medina, a native of Venezuela, had a 5-7 record in 20 starts for the Wingnuts this year, his second season with Wichita. Medina also pitched very briefly for the Camden Riversharks in 2010, though I didn't realize this until now.

The New York Yankees selected Medina in the 15th round of the 2006 draft, but in three seasons he never advanced past the South Atlantic League. Here's another card that shows him in his Yankees garb, also courtesy of Zach.

1988 Pacific Legends Bobby Shantz

Who is this? Former New York Yankees pitcher Bobby Shantz

What is this? An autographed card from the 1988 Pacific Legends set

Where'd I get it? I bought it at a baseball card show last month

How much did it cost? $3

Why is this so special? Bobby Shantz was born in Pottstown, Pa. – the same town where my father grew up.

Shantz spent 16 seasons in the major leagues, from 1949-1964. His lifetime record is 119-99, with a 3.38 ERA.

In 1952, he went 24-7 with a 2.48 ERA. In 33 starts, Shantz pitched a remarkable 27 complete games. He won the AL Sporting News Pitcher of the Year Award and the American League MVP. Amazingly, another pitcher – Allie Reynolds – was the runner-up. Mickey Mantle was the only position player to win a first place vote.

Shantz also won 8 Gold Gloves and was a three-time All-Star.

Shantz seems to enjoy signing autographs through the mail – he generally responds to requests sent to his Ambler, Pa. home in about a week. Unlike many modern ballplayers, you can even read his signature.

2008 TriStar Prospects Plus Corban Joseph

Who is this? Trenton Thunder second baseman Corban Joseph
What is this? An autographed card from the 2008 TriStar Prospects Plus set
Where'd I get it? Joseph signed it for me before a Trenton Thunder game this summer
How much did it cost? The card came from a discounted blaster double-pack

Why is this so special? The Yankees selected Corban Joseph in the fourth round of the 2008 draft. He rose through the ranks in the farm system, earning a late-season call-up to AA at the age of 21. He struggled in Trenton, and is likely to start the season there again in 2011.

I had two cards that featured Joseph, but neither was really ideal for getting signed - there just isn't any room for a signature except right over the players' face.

1993 Topps Stadium Club Yankees Sam Militello

Who is this? Former New York Yankees pitcher Sam Militello
What is this? An autographed card from from the Stadium Club Yankees set.
Where'd I get it? Out of a dealer's $1 box at the local card show
How much did it cost? $1


Why is this so special? Even though I'm a Mets fan, I have a certain degree of fondness for the Yankees teams of the late 1980s & early 1990s. Something about rooting for underdogs, I guess.

Sam Militello was an August call-up for the 1992 Yankees, a team that finished 20 games behind Toronto with a 76-86 record. I'm not sure whether Militello's promotion was due to an injury or a youth movement, but I suppose it doesn't really matter.

He won his major league debut, pitching seven innings of one-hit ball against the Boston Red Sox. Millitello made eight more starts in his rookie year, finishing with a 3-3 record and a 3.45 ERA. He looked like he would become a solid major league pitcher, maybe even a star.

Unfortunately, he got hurt in 1993 and only pitched in three major league games. He tried to make a comeback, but it never really worked out. Militello went into coaching - he is currently an assistant at the University of Tampa.

Militello has a neat-looking autograph. It wouldn't have gotten him a good grade in penmanship, but it is easily readable.

2010 Bowman Topps 100 Austin Romine

Who is this? Trenton Thunder catcher Austin Romine
What is this? An autographed card from Topps 100 insert in this year's Bowman set.
Where'd I get it? Romine signed it before last Sunday's Trenton Thunder game.
How much did it cost? I spent $1 for the card, the curse of living in the New York metro area.

Why is this so special? Romine was ranked as the 2nd best prospect in the Yankees' farm system and the 86th best in all of baseball by Baseball America at the beginning of the 2010 season.

Despite the hype (and the daily demand of autograph seekers), he seemed like a pleasant enough kid. Since he had the day off on Sunday, he spent 5-10 minutes signing autographs along the stands by the dugout. I don't think he stopped before everybody got one.

In 101 games, Romine is batting .266 with 8 home runs and 58 RBI. If he played any other position, I don't think those numbers would have anybody excited. But he is a catcher, and from the one game I saw him play in the field he looked like a pretty good one.

Romine has a very angular, compressed autograph. It's perfect for baseball cards, but I think he should probably work on it a little more before he starts signing sweetspot baseballs for Steiner. :)

Here's Romine's 2010 Trenton Thunder team set card, which I also got signed last Sunday.

2001 Bowman Heritage John-Ford Griffin

Who is this? Newark Bears outfielder John-Ford Griffin
 
What is this? An autographed card from the 2001 Bowman Heritage 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 - I probably spent about 50 cents for the card.
 
Why is this so special? John-Ford Griffin was the first round draft pick of the New York Yankees in 2001. The next year, he was included in a complicated three-team deal that sent Jeremy Bonderman to Detroit and brought Jeff Weaver to the Yankees. Griffin spent less that a year in Oakland's system before being traded to Toronto for Jason Perry.

Griffin finally reached the majors for a cup of coffee in 2005, and got another brief shot in 2007. Since then, he's played in the minors for the Dodgers and the Cubs. This year, he's a Newark Bear. In 44 games, he's hit .260 with 4 home runs and 20 RBI.

Griffin's signature is a bit of a muddle, but if you try I think you can at least pick out his initials.

2005 Topps D'Angelo Jimenez

Who is this? Former Newark Bears middle infielder D'Angelo Jimenez.

What is this? An autograph card from the 2005 Topps set.

Where'd I get it? In person before a Bears game last season.

How much did it cost? The card cost around 50 cents.

Why is this so special? D'Angelo played 8 years in the major leagues, starting with the Yankees in 1999. Throughout his career, he played for 7 different big league teams; the Yankees, Padres, White Sox, Reds, Rangers, A's, and Nationals. He had a career batting average of .263, with 568 hits, 228 RBIs, and 36 home runs.

Last season was his first season in the Atlantic League. He played in 38 games for Newark, batting .326 while collecting 47 hits.

D'Angelo's signature used to be longer and more detailed, but it is understandable that he shortened it. He has probably signed thousands of autographs in his career. He has an interesting way of signing the D in his first name, but I like his signature because it's short and recognizable.

2010 Topps Michael Dunn

Who is this? Michael Dunn, a pitcher for the Atlanta Braves

What is this? An autographed card from the 2010 Topps set... I think it's the first regular 2010 card posted on this blog.

Where'd I get it? I wrote to Dunn at the Braves spring training camp and asked him to sign it; I got it back this week

How much did it cost? About a dollar, between the card and postage.

Why is this so special? When I pulled this card out of a pack, I recognized Dunn's name from last year's Trenton Thunder team. He had a good year, moved up to AAA and got to make his big league debut for the Yankees in September.



During the off-season, Dunn was traded to the Atlanta Braves with Melky Cabrera for Javier Vasquez.

Dunn began his professional career as an outfielder, but didn't switch to pitching until the 2006 season.

He's got an interesting stylized autograph, and you can still almost still read a few of the letters. I wonder what it will look like in a couple more years.

2004 Upper Deck Yankees Classics Bobby Richardson

Who is this? Bobby Richardson, a former New York Yankees infielder

What is this? An autograph card from the 2004 Upper Deck Yankees Classics set

Where'd I get it? I wrote to Bobby Richardson earlier this summer and asked him to sign it.

How much did it cost? 33 cents for the card; 88 cents for postage

Why is this so special? Richardson was a key part of the late 1950s-early 1960s Yankees dynasty. He was an 8-time All-Star, 5-time Gold Glove winner and the MVP of the 1960 World Series. He played in the majors for 12 seasons, amassing 1,400+ hits.

And even with all of those accomplishments, Richardson still signs autographs through the mail. He's got a nice, clear signature that really stands out on the black & white card.

1997-98 Fleer Million Dollar Moments Bobby Richardson

Who is this? Bobby Richardson, a former second baseman for the New York Yankees

What is this? An autographed card from the 1997-98 Fleer Million Dollar Moments insert set

Where'd I get it? I wrote to Bobby Richardson in June and asked him to sign it. He sent it back earlier this month

How much did it cost? The card was 33 cents at the local card shop. Postage was 88 cents.

Why is this so special? Bobby Richardson is a three-time World Series champion with the New York Yankees. As this card commemorates, he caught Willie McCovey's line drive to end the 1962 World Series, preserving the win for the Yankees and giving them their 20th title.

Like many older players, Richardson appears to take pride in his autograph and has a very readable signature. I like how he included his uniform number on the card.

Fleer ran a contest between 1997 and 1998. If you collected all 50 cards in the Million Dollar Moments set you could win $1 million. The first 45 cards were easily obtainable, but the final five were short prints to determine the contest prizes. Fleer also issued a full 50-card redemption set. I wonder if anyone claimed the top prize.