2009 Bowman Chrome WBC Ray Chang

Who is this? Minor League journeyman Ray Chang, most recently of the Rochester Red Wings.

What is this? An autograph card from 2009 Bowman Chrome.
Where'd I get it? I got this card signed by Ray after a Rochester Red Wings v. Pawtucket Red Sox game at McCoy Stadium in September 2011.
How much did it cost? I got this card for about five cents at a local card show last year, when Ray was playing for Boston's Double-A affiliate, the Portland Sea Dogs.

Why is this so special? Ray was one of the few bright spots on an otherwise forgetable 1-and-2 Chinese WBC team in 2009. In China's three games, Ray went 5-for-11 at the plate, including a homerun. That performance brought two critical facts to light: Chang was the only member of China's WBC team to have professional baseball experience in the United States, and that he was an American citizen, born in Kansas City, Missouri.

Now twenty-eight years-old, Raymond Bo-Shue Chang has played seven seasons of Minor League baseball with affiliates of the San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates, Boston Red Sox, and Minnesota Twins. In 2010, playing for Boston's Double-A affiliate, Chang was a member of the Eastern League All-Star team and was named the Best Defensive Third Baseman in the Eastern League by Baseball America.

Whether or not Change ever makes it to the Major Leagues is unclear, but he will always have a tiny spot in baseball history as the lone American that helped the Chinese WBC team scratch out some level of dignity in 2009.

Chang was nice enough to sign his 2009 Topps Chrome WBC card for me, too.

1984 Topps Nestle Bob Gibson

Who is this? Former Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Bob Gibson
What is this? An autographed card from the Nestle's version of the 1984 Topps set.
Where'd I get it? Nearly two years ago, I wrote to Gibson and asked him to sign it. I got it back today.
How much did it cost? The card cost less than 50 cents.

Why is this so special? Robert Louis Gibson made it to the major leagues after beginning his career as an undrafted amateur free agent. In four seasons with the Brewers, he appeared in 97 games. He finished with a 12-18 record and a 4.24 ERA.

I needed a Gibson autograph for my collection because his 98th and final major league appearance came in 1987, when he was called upon to temporarily bolster a Mets pitching staff that had been ravaged by injuries and off-field issues. Gibson's New York Mets career lasted just one inning. He faced four batters, walking one and striking out two.

The card Gibson signed is somewhat unusual. In 1984, Topps produced a parallel set for Nestle to use for a sendaway promotion. The Nestle cards are identical to the regular Topps cards, except the Nestle logo replaces the Topps logo on the card front.

The Nestle cards were only distributed in 132-card uncut sheets, but many of the sheets were cut and sold as individual cards.

Gibson has a neat autograph, and he took care to sign the card so that he wouldn't write over his face. He also signed a 1988 CMC Rochester Red Wings card for me in more conventional fashion.