Signed 8x10 Brandon Laird photo

Who is this? New York Yankees prospect Brandon Laird
What is this? An autographed 8x10 photo
Where'd I get it? I took the photo last summer at a Trenton Thunder game. I  mailed a copy to Laird at Yankees camp this spring and asked him to sign it. I got it back yesterday.
How much did it cost? About $5 for the print and postage

Why is this so special? Brandon Laird, the younger brother of St. Louis Cardinals catcher Gerald Laird, was a 27th round draft pick of out junior college in 2007.

He played in Trenton for most of last season, though he moved up to Scranton for the last month or so. Despite missing that time, Laird was named the 2010 Eastern League MVP. He hit .291 with 23 home runs and 90 RBI in 409 at-bats for the Thunder.

Laird has primarily played third base in the minors, with few games at first for good measure. He is playing some outfield this spring and has an outside chance of making the Yankees as a bench player. I suspect he will be a trade chip to help the Yankees improve their rotation sometime this summer.

Laird's got a neat-looking autograph. I like the way he interlocks his initials.

2010 Trenton Thunder Edwar Gonzalez

Who is this? Trenton Thunder outfielder Edwar Gonzalez  
What is this? An autographed card from the 2010 Trenton Thunder team set
Where'd I get it? Gonzalez signed it for me at a Trenton Thunder game this summer
How much did it cost? The team set was $10.

Why is this so special? Edwar Gonzalez is a nine-year minor league veteran. He began his pro career in 2002 with the Gulf Coast League Yankees at the age of 19. He advanced through the farm system, first arriving at Trenton in 2008.

In a part-time role in 2010, Gonzalez hit .235 with a .707 OPS in 74 games. He had 6 home runs and 35 RBI. For the first time in his career, Gonzalez played at the AAA level ... four games with the Scranton Wilkes-Barre Yankees.

He is currently a minor league free agent, so his time in the Yankees' system has likely reached an end. He could catch on with another organization, but I think independent ball is in his future if Gonzalez wants to play in 2011.

Gonzalez has an autograph that would drive collectors nuts if they were trying to identify it on a team-signed baseball - I would swear that it belongs to somebody with the initials "L.L."

Site Stats Fun
Our most-viewed posts last week were:

1. 2010 Wichita Wingnuts Brandon Mathes
2. 2010 Wichita Wingnuts Brian Rose
3. 1972 Topps Dock Ellis "In Action"
4. Star Driver Autograph Board signed by Masahiko Minami
5. 2006 Fleer Greats of the Game Don Newcombe

GCRL's post from February 2009, john wooden - through the mail success, is still the all-time most popular since Blogger started keeping track of stats, but the Star Driver autograph board is rapidly closing in.

2010 Trenton Thunder D.J. Mitchell

Who is this? Trenton Thunder pitcher D.J. Mitchell
What is this? An autographed card from the 2010 Trenton Thunder team set
Where'd I get it? Mitchell signed it for me after a Trenton Thunder game this summer
How much did it cost? The team set was $10.


Why is this so special? Mitchell, a 10th round draft pick in 2008, was one of the better-regarded prospects on the Trenton Thunder team this year. He had an 11-4 record with a 4.06 ERA in 23 games before earning a promotion to AA.

I'm not sure if this was a quick version because he was rushed, or if this is Mitchell's normal autograph. It's not especially pretty, either way.

2010 Trenton Thunder Daniel Brewer

Who is this? Trenton Thunder outfielder Daniel Brewer
What is this? An autographed card from the 2010 Trenton Thunder team set
Where'd I get it? Before a Trenton Thunder game this summer.
How much did it cost? The team set was $10.

Why is this so special? The Yankees selected Brewer in the 8th round of the 2008 draft, and he's been steadily moving through the farm system. In 136 games with Trenton this year, he batted .270 /.346 /.407 with 10 home runs and 84 RBI while stealing 29 bases.

I don't particularly remember getting this autograph. The day I tried to collect signatures from Trenton Thunder players, I was starting to get sick and I probably had a low-grade fever by the time we left the ballpark. If it weren't for my friends identifying the Thunder players as they came out on the field or out of the stadium after the game, I wouldn't have gotten any cards signed that day. (Of course, if I had been on my own, I probably would have been smart enough to stay home. :) )

Brewer's autograph is pretty much just a scribbled "DB 8"

2009 Trenton Thunder Wilkin de la Rosa

Who is this? Trenton Thunder pitcher Wilkin de la Rosa
What is this? An autographed card from last year's Trenton Thunder team set
Where'd I get it? de la Rosa signed it for me after a game in Trenton earlier this month.
How much did it cost? I believe the team set cost $10.


Why is this so special? Wilkin de la Rosa made the news yesterday because Major League Baseball is investigating him and New York Yankees pitcher Ivan Nova for allegedly injecting each other with vitamin B-12. While B-12 is not on Major League Baseball's list of banned substances, only licensed doctors are supposed to inject medication.

De la Rosa made his professional debut with the Gulf Coast League Yankees in 2007. He has pitched for the Trenton Thunder for the past two seasons. In 33 games (8 starts), he has a 2-4 record with a 5.00 ERA this season.

De la Rosa has an interesting autograph, but I really can't make out many of the letters. Here's another example, on this year's Trenton Thunder team set card.

2010 Trenton Thunder Cory Arbiso

Who is this? Trenton Thunder pitcher Cory Arbiso
What is this? An autographed card from the 2010 Trenton Thunder team set
Where'd I get it? Arbiso signed it for me after a Trenton Thunder game earlier this month.
How much did it cost? The team set cost $10.

Why is this so special? If Austin Krum's card that I posted on Wednesday is the coolest card in this year's Trenton Thunder set, Cory Arbiso's just might be the worst. Just what's going on with his right arm? I can't be completely positive that it's not just a weird photo angle, but it looks like there were some odd photo editing issues there.

Arbiso was selected in the 22nd round of the 2008 draft by the New York Yankees. He made his debut with the Staten Island Yankees in 2008, and in his three professional seasons he has played at least one game at every level of the farm system.

Arbiso works as a swingman, pitching in the rotation and out of the bullpen.That generally means the organization doesn't consider you a true prospect, but who knows? Arbiso is 24 and is having a decent year in Trenton. He has a 5-2 record with a 3.42 ERA in 29 games (8 starts).

Arbiso's autograph would be devilish to use in a "Spot the Sig" style contest. It almost looks like his last name starts with the letter "C" the way he signed my card.

2010 Trenton Thunder Austin Krum

Who is this? Trenton Thunder outfielder Austin Krum
What is this? An autographed card from the 2010 Trenton Thunder team set
Where'd I get it? Krum signed it for me before a Trenton Thunder game earlier this month.
How much did it cost? The team sets sell for $10.

Why is this so special? This is the coolest card in the Trenton Thunder team set this year. Krum is attempting to make a diving catch, which is much more interesting than the more standard shots of hitters at bat or pitchers throwing.

The Yankees selected Krum in the 9th round of the 2007 draft. Although he has never shown a lot of skill at the plate, Krum has steadily moved through the Yankees farm system. This year, he is batting .235 with five home runs and 38 RBI in 108 games for Trenton.

Krum has a neat-looking -- if mostly illegible -- autograph.

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.

2009 Trenton Thunder James Cooper

Who is this? James Cooper, a minor league outfielder

What is this? The last autographed card from the 2009 Trenton Thunder team set I will be showing you this year.

Where'd I get it? I got it signed at a Trenton Thunder game this summer

How much did it cost? The team set cost $10

Why is this so special? I had to scan this one because Cooper has the best autograph of any of the Trenton Thunder players who signed cards for me this year. How often do you see an active player who gives you a letter-perfect autograph?

Unfortunately, Cooper is more likely to be headed to independent ball in 2010 than the majors. In a part-time role, Cooper hit .240 with one home run and 31 RBI for the Thunder in 2009.

2009 Trenton Thunder Wilkins Arias

Who is this? Wilkins Arias, a minor league pitcher

What is this? Another autographed card from the 2009 Trenton Thunder team set

Where'd I get it? I got the card signed at a Trenton Thunder game this summer

How much did it cost? The team set cost $10

Why is this so special? I scanned this one because I confused Wilkins Arias with Wilkins De La Rosa, who is actually on the Yankees 40-man roster. (What are the odds of having two left-handed pitchers named Wilkins on the same team?)

Arias had a 5-4 record with a 3.65 ERA in relief for Trenton this year, but at age 29 he's unlikely to reach the majors. He walked 3.2 batters per nine innings, so that won't exactly help his cause. He did strike out 9.6 batters per nine innings.

Arias has a neat looking autograph, but he's left out a few letters to save space or time.

2009 Trenton Thunder Kanekoa Texeira

Who is this? Kanekoa Texeira, a minor league pitcher

What is this? Another autographed card from from the 2009 Trenton Thunder team set

Where'd I get it? I got the card signed at a Trenton Thunder game this summer

How much did it cost? The team set was $10.

Why is this so special? Kanekoa Texeira came to the Yankees organization last season as part of the the Nick Swisher trade; earlier this month, he was chosen by the Seattle Mariners in the Rule V draft. He'll either become a major leaguer next season or be headed back to the Yankees.

Texeira had a 9-6 record with a 2.84 ERA as a swingman for the Trenton Thunder this year. The 23-year-old righthander appeared in 41 games, six as a starter.

Texeira has an interesting autograph... it looks like "Ka_Ko_ Te" to me.

I'm not sure what the Thunder were thinking with this card design. On some of the cards, the player photo silhouetted in front of the Thunder logo makes for a cool-looking card. On others, it just looks downright goofy. Texeira's card falls somewhere in between, I think.

2009 Trenton Thunder Reegie Corona

Who is this? Reegie Corona, a minor league infielder

What is this? An autographed card from the 2009 Trenton Thunder team set

Where'd I get it? I got the autograph at a Trenton Thunder game this summer

How much did it cost? The team set cost $10 at the Thunder gift shop

Why is this so special? I picked this card to scan because of Mr. Corona's unusual first name, but it turns out that he's the only one in the set (of the cards I was able to get signed, anyway) that is actually on the Yankees' 40-man roster.

Corona, 23, is a middle infielder who split the 2009 season between Trenton (AA) and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (AAA). His combined stats are .257-6-40, with 16 stolen bases. (I guess somebody has to be waiting in the minors to back up Derek Jeter.)

Corona was nice enough to sign his card for me at a Trenton Thunder game this summer, but I'm glad I don't have to try to decipher his autograph. I like the nice action photo that was chosen for his baseball card.

2009 Trenton Thunder Zach McAllister

Who is this? Zach McAllister, a minor league pitching prospect

What is this? An autographed card from the 2009 Trenton Thunder team set

Where'd I get it? I got it signed after a Trenton Thunder game this summer

How much did it cost? The team set cost $10 in the Thunder gift shop

Why is this so special? Baseball America has ranked McAllister as one of the Yankees' top 10 prospects for the two years. A 22-year-old left-hander, McAllister went 7-5 with a 2.23 ERA for Trenton this year. His ERA was more than a full run better than the next qualifying Eastern League pitcher.

McAllister should start the season in AAA in 2010, and most scouts seem to project him as a solid mid-rotation starter in the majors. I wish I had gotten to see him pitch this year, but I suppose I'll have the chance to watch him on TV in a year or two if the scouts are right.

There were two well-known prospects on the Trenton Thunder this season: McAllister and catcher Jesus Montero. While Montero ducked the autograph seekers after the game I went to, McAllister graciously signed for the dozen or so people who approached him after the game. He's got a pretty legible signature for a lefty. ;-)

2009 Trenton Thunder Tony Franklin

Who is this? Tony Franklin, manager of the Trenton Thunder

What is this? An autographed card from the 2009 Trenton Thunder team set

Where'd I get it? I got the card signed before a Trenton Thunder game this summer

How much did it cost? The card came from the 2009 Trenton Thunder team set, which was $10 in the team gift shop.

Why is this so special? Tony Franklin played for eight seasons in the minor leagues, but he never reached the majors. Since the 1980s, he's been a minor league manager in the Cubs, White Sox, Padres and Yankees systems.

In 2007, he got the job managing the Trenton Thunder, and he won back-to-back Eastern League titles in 2007 and 2008. Even though his team had a losing record in 2009, the Yankees announced this week that Franklin will be back for the 2010 season.

From everything I've heard from other autograph collectors at Trenton Thunder games, Tony Franklin does not particularly like to sign autographs. I would never have guessed that from my experience.

On a hot Sunday afternoon in late July, not very many players wanted to spend a minute more on the field than absolutely necessary. There was some sort of kids-only giveaway item, so there were even more autograph seekers than usual. So not too many players came anywhere near the stands, just a couple of relief pitchers and guys who weren't playing.

Franklin went out to check on his players during warmups, and then he went over to the rightfield corner stands. He started signing autographs, and he kept going as he made his way back to the dugout. It must have taken a good 10 or 15 minutes, but he signed for everybody who asked. Considering how many autographs he signed before he got to me, his signature looks pretty good, too.