1991 Topps Stadium Club Chuck McElroy

Who is this? former Chicago Cubs pitcher Chuck McElroy
What is this? An autographed card from the 1991 Topps Stadium Club set
Where'd I get it? It came in a care package from Ryan of the Great Orioles Autograph Project last week.  


Why is this so special? I wrote about Chuck McElroy before Christmas, when I posted a Leaf Signature Series card.

I love any cards from the 1991 Stadium Club set, possibly because they were all but impossible to find that year. It was a set with no autographs, no relics (they didn't exist yet), no parallels and no inserts of any particular note. Yet pack prices soared to the $5 mark (or higher) and the cards still sold out on the strength of the design and the photography.

I don't have many personalized baseball card autographs in my collection, and this is the only one made out "For Bill" (Coincidentally, my middle name is William.)

Thanks Ryan!

1999 Topps Stadium Club Brian McRae

Who is this? Former Mets outfielder Brian McRae
What is this? An autographed card from the 1999 Topps Stadium Club set
Where'd I get it? Nick from Baseball Happenings got it signed for me last month.

Why is this so special? Brian McRae, son of former Kansas City Royals All-Star Hal McRae, played for the New York Mets from 1997-99. During that time, he was one of the team's better players. In 1998, he set career highs with 21 home runs and 79 RBI while leading the Mets in doubles, triples and stolen bases.

McRae is best remembered as a Kansas City Royal, where he played for the first five seasons of his major league career. McRae retired with 1336 career hits, 103 home runs, 532 RBI and 196 stolen bases.

McRae doesn't have the prettiest autograph, but I love the Stadium Club card that he signed. It's got a simple, classy design with a great photo taken at Shea Stadium. I wish Topps hadn't killed the brand with their attempt at resurrecting it in 2008.

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.

2008 Topps Stadium Club Jeff Niemann

Who is this? Tampa Bay Rays prospect Jeff Niemann

What is this? An autograph card from 2008 Topps Stadium Club, card number 159

Where'd I get it? Out of a pack of Stadium Club

How much did it cost? $29/pack

Why is this so special? When I got to my local card shop (J&L SportsCards in Charlottesville, VA), I was tempted into purchasing two packs of the new high-end Stadium Club. The price is a little steep for a prospect auto and two or three numbered cards, but the photography is great, as usual.

Niemann is one big dude - 6'9" 280 lbs. He was the fourth overall draft pick of the former Devil Rays in 2004 out of Rice University. He made his major league debut with the Rays back in April but was optioned back to Durham a week later. His minor league stats show that he's still a pretty solid prospect, averaging about a strike out an inning with a sub 4.00 ERA. Despite his impressive minor league numbers, he's probably blocked by that solid, young rotation in Tampa Bay. Look for him to show up elsewhere in the next year or two.