2008 TriStar Projections Kirk Nieuwenhuis

Who is this? Buffalo Bisons outfielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis
What is this? An autographed card from the 2008 TriStar Projections set
Where'd I get it? Nieuwenhuis signed it after a game between the Binghamton Mets and Trenton Thunder earlier this year, before he was promoted.
How much did it cost? I got the card out of a discounted blaster box.

Why is this so special? I caught the Buffalo Bisons game on SNY tonight, so I thought it would be fun to post a card of somebody that played in the game. Kirk (I'm going to go with his first name because I'm not very good at spelling his last name yet) went 1-for-5 with a double and an RBI tonight.

The Mets made Kirk a third round selection in the 2008 draft. He began his pro career in Brooklyn that year, moving up to St. Lucie in 2009 and starting 2010 in Binghamton. A few weeks ago, Kirk got promoted to AAA Buffalo, though he's struggled a bit there. Through 13 games, he was hitting .235 (12-for-59) with one home run and 9 RBI.

Kirk is generally thought to have passed Fernando Martinez as the Mets' best outfield prospect, but there isn't likely to be an opening in New York before the 2012 season.

As you might expect, Kirk has an abbreviated version of his name that he signs for autograph seekers.

It even varies a little from card to card, as you can see on the 2009 TriStar Projections card that I got signed on the same day.

2008 TriStar Projections Eric Niesen

Who is this? Binghamton Mets pitcher Eric Niesen

What is this? An autographed card from the 2008 TriStar Projections set


Where'd I get it? Niesen signed it for me after a game in Trenton earlier this year.

How much did it cost? About a quarter.


Why is this so special? Niesen, yet another Mets farmhand, was a third round draft selection in 2007. Although he's never put up eye-popping stats, Niesen has progressed steadily through the farm system. Until this year, he's worked exclusively as a starting pitcher.

I'd guess his best shot of reaching the majors is as a situational lefty, though I have no idea if he's actually effective against left-handed batters. (Then again, that's never mattered much to Jerry Manuel)

Niesen's signature is very angular ... and almost illegible.

2008 TriStar Projections Richie Robnett

Who is this? Camden Riversharks outfielder Richie Robnett

What is this? An autographed card the 2008 TriStar Projections set

Where'd I get it? Robnett signed it for me before a game in Newark earlier this year.


How much did it cost? The card came out of a clearance blaster.

Why is this so special? Robnett was a first round draft pick by the Oakland Athletics in 2004, and was once regarded as a top prospect in Oakland's farm system. Through 2008, Robnett remained with Oakland, but last year he spent time in the Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees organizations.

In 2010, he's playing independent baseball for the Camden Riversharks, where he's hitting .273 with 6 home runs and 38 RBI through 87 games.

Robnett has an interesting, stylized autograph.

2008 TriStar Projections Barry Enright

Who is this? Mobile Bay Bears pitcher Barry Enright
 
What is this? An autograph card from the 2008 TriStar Projections set
 
Where'd I get it? I pulled it out of a discount blaster box
 
How much did it cost? I bought a box of 2008 Projects and 2008 Prospects Plus that were shrink wrapped together on closeout in the Newark Bears gift shop for $10.
 
Why is this so special? Barry Enright was the second round pick of the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2007 draft. A starting pitcher, he's shown some promise at every level.

In his second year with Mobile, Enright is 4-1 with a 3.07 ERA in 11 games so far. The Diamondbacks honored him as their top minor league pitcher for the month of May.


I'm not a big fan of Enright's "autograph", which is just "B y E _ t." I'm betting his signature is very nice, when he signs his full name instead of just a few letters.

2008 TriStar Projections Dustin Richardson

Who is this? Dustin Richardson, a Boston Red Sox prospect

What is this? An autograph card from the 2008 TriStar Projections set

Where'd I get it? I wrote to Richardson c/o his Arizona Fall League team and asked him to sign some cards. I got them back last week.

How much did it cost? This card came from a half-price blaster, purchased at the Trenton Thunder gift shop last summer.

Why is this so special? Dustin Richardson was nice enough to sign a bunch of cards for me, and this is the second of four.

In 2008, Tri-Star had the minor league baseball card license, so they were able to produce cards without removing logos. I like the Projections card a little better than the Just Minors one I showed you yesterday. The Just Minors card has a more interesting photo, but the Tri-Star one is seemingly designed to be autographed.

Of the four cards I have signed, this one has the clearest autograph.

2008 TriStar Projections Donald Veal

Who is this? Donald Veal, a pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates

What is this? An autographed card from the 2008 TriStar Projections set, #123

Where'd I get it? I wrote to Donald Veal c/o his Arizona Fall League team and asked him to sign it. I got it back yesterday.


How much did it cost? The card came out of a half-price blaster box, and postage was 88 cents.

Why is this so special? Donald Veal was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the second round of the 2005 amateur draft. He was left off the Cubs 40-man roster last winter, so the Pittsburgh Pirates were able to take him in the Rule V draft.

Veal spent most of the season in the majors, but didn't really pitch much. He appeared in just 19 games, and was generally ineffective. The Pirates sent him to the Arizona Fall League, and Veal had success there. At age 25 entering the 2010 season, there is still time for Veal to become a productive Major League pitcher. Mostly, though, I was amused by his name.

I wasn't very impressed with the design of the 2008 TriStar Projections set when I opened the blaster box. Now I understand why. They were designed to be autographed, and they just don't look complete without a signature.

Veal has an autograph that's mainly made of of loops, but it works and is even somewhat legible. It's a cool-looking, stylized version of his name. He gets bonus points for personalizing my card.