2009 Upper Deck Signature Stars Garin Cecchini

Who is this? Red Sox Third Base Prospect Garin Cecchini.
What is this? An autograph card from 2009 Upper Deck Signature Stars.
Where'd I get it? I got this card signed by Garin before the New York-Penn League Short-Season A-League All-Star Game in Lowell, MA on Tuesday.
How much did it cost? I bought this card for about ten cents a year ago.

Why is this so special? Garin was the Red Sox fourth-round pick in 2010 and he received a $1.31 million signing bonus to lure him away from attending LSU. A former member of the Team USA 18U squad, Cecchini lead the team in doubles and slugging percentage during the Pan Am Junior Championships, besting teammates Bryce Harper and Manny Machado.

Garin made his professional debut this season for the Red Sox Short-Season Affiliate Lowell Spinners. In 32 games, Cecchini batted .298 with 3 HR, 12 2B, 23 RBI, 12 SB, and an .898 OPS, impressive enough to earn a spot on the NYPL American League All-Star Team. Unfortunately, Garin injured his forearm on July 23 and is likely to miss the rest of the season. Nonetheless, even in his limited time, Cecchini demonstrated the above-average tools that made him a Top 10 Prospect for the Red Sox before the 2011 season and he should begin next season with the Low-A Greenville Drive.

Garin signed a total of six cards for me. Knowing that he is religious and that he used religious themes for his 2009 Upper Deck Team USA Inscriptions cards, I asked him to include a bible verse on some of the cards. He signed my 2011 Bowman card with Psalm 83:18 (That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.), telling me that he has that verse on his glove.

I had heard rumors that Garin was a tough sign, but he was very friendly and talkative with fans.

2009 Upper Deck Sean Burnett

Who is this? Washington Nationals reliever Sean Burnett
What is this? An autographed 2009 Upper Deck card
Where'd I get it? I wrote to him this spring and asked him to sign it.
How much did it cost? I got the unsigned card out of a $1.99 pack.

Why is this so special? Sean Burnett was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates with the 19th overall pick in the 2000 draft. He made his major league debut with Pittsburgh in 2004 and finished the season with a 5-5 record in 13 starts.

Burnett missed the entire 2005 season due to injury and spent the next two years trying to get back to the majors. In 2008, Burnett appeared in 58 games out of the Pirates' bullpen. In 2009, Pittsburgh traded Burnett and Nyjer Morgan to the Washington Nationals for Joel Hanrahan and Lastings Milledge.

In Washington, Burnett has enjoyed a measure of success as a lefty specialist. He was unlucky enough to finish last season with a 1-7 record despite having a 2.14 ERA, a 189 enhanced ERA+ and averaging a strikeout per inning.

Burnett's autograph isn't pretty - it looks like a bunch of overlapping ovals.

2010 Upper Deck Luke Gregerson

Who is this? San Diego Padres reliever Luke Gregerson
What is this? A signed 2010 Upper Deck baseball card
Where'd I get it? I wrote to Gregerson this spring and asked him to sign it.
How much did it cost? I got the card out of a pack last year.

Why is this so special? Gregerson is a hard-throwing right-hander who averages 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings during his major league career. He was selected in the 28th round of the 2006 draft by the St. Louis Cardinals, but was traded to San Diego in 2009 in exchange for Khalil Greene. He made his major league debut later that year for the Padres.

Gregerson has a great looking autograph, especially for a modern player.

2000 Upper Deck SP Top Prospects Chirography: Pablo Ozuna

Who is this? Former Portland Sea Dogs shortstop Pablo Ozuna
What is this? An autograph card from 2000 Upper Deck SP Top Prospects Chirography
Where'd I get it? eBay
How much did it cost? $1.

Why is this so special? When the Newark Bears signed Pablo Ozuna this season, I looked to see if I had any of his cards. When I found that I did not, I check online and found this one for less than it would have cost to acquire any to get signed myself. Ozuna only stayed around long enough to get into 28 games, so it's probably for the best - I may not have had a chance to get him to sign anything.

I've got a couple of these Chirography cards in my collection, but I still haven't decided if I like the design. It does place the focus on the autograph, but it's not especially attractive and it doesn't leave much room for a player photo. I find it interesting that Ozuna signed "P. Ozuna" even with all that space to fill.

Ozuna played in the majors for parts of seven seasons. He earned a World Series ring with the Chicago White Sox in 2005. Ozuna also played for the Florida Marlins, Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Dodgers. In 309 games, Ozuna had 191 hits, 3 home runs, 45 RBI and 29 stolen bases.

2004 Upper Deck Team USA Scott Spiezio

Who is this? Newark Bears infielder Scott Spiezio
 
What is this? An autographed card from Upper Deck's 2004 Team USA 25th Anniversary set
 
Where'd I get it? Spiezio signed it for me before a Newark Bears game earlier this year.
 
How much did it cost? I traded a duplicate card with another autograph collector at the ballpark
 
Why is this so special? Scott Spiezio spent 12 seasons in the major leagues and won two World Series rings, with the 2002 Angels and the 2006 Cardinals. He is the son of former major leaguer Ed Spiezio.

I've never seen another picture of Spiezio without his silly beard, so this card amuses me. Although it smeared a little, Spiezio's signature here looks a lot nicer than the one on the card I posted yesterday.

2008 Upper Deck Antonio Alfonseca

Who is this? Bridgeport Bluefish pitcher Antonio Alfonseca
 
What is this? An autographed card from the 2008 Upper Deck set
 
Where'd I get it? I got it signed before a game between the Bridgeport Bluefish and Newark Bears earlier this year.
 
How much did it cost? I think I got the card out of a pack.


Why is this so special? I already wrote about Alfonseca yesterday, so I won't repeat myself. While I like the 2001 Bowman Heritage cards for autographs, I think Alfonseca's signature works better on this 2008 Upper Deck one.

2001 Upper Deck Victory Toshihisa Nishi

Who is this? Lancaster Barnstormers second baseman Toshihisa Nishi
 
What is this? An autographed card from the 2001 Upper Deck Victory set

Where'd I get it? I got it signed before a doubleheader between the Lancaster Barnstormers and Newark Bears last month
 
How much did it cost? The card cost $2.50.

Why is this so special? I wrote about Toshihisa Nishi last week, when I posted the other card he signed for me. In 12 games for Lancaster this season, Nishi is hitting .163 (7-for-43) with a double, a home run and 10 strikeouts. I guess he probably won't be getting signed by an affiliated team anytime soon, which is a little bit sad.

You can't really tell from the scans, but the Japanese Upper Deck Victory cards are a bit unusual. They're just a tiny bit smaller than a standard baseball card and they have rounded corners.

I really can't read Nishi's signature, but I think he did a better job of rendering his name in the Roman alphabet than I could do writing mine in Katakana. I just wish he'd left his uniform number off, or written number 8 like he is clearly wearing on the card.

2008 UDX Signatures Frank Catalanotto

Who is this? Frank Catalanotto, a former Texas Rangers' utility player who is trying to win a job with the New York Mets this spring

What is this? An autographed card from the 2008 UDX Signatures insert set

Where'd I get it? Purchased at a local card show

How much did it cost? $5 (yes, I know I probably could have found a Frank Catalanotto autograph on eBay for 99 cents, but by the time I paid for shipping I wouldn't have saved that much.)

Why is this so special? Frank Catalanotto is a scrappy utility player who managed to make a nice career for himself in Major League Baseball. In 13 seasons, he has a career .292 batting average, 84 home runs an 456 RBI.

Catalanotto once went 6-for-6 in a game for the Toronto Blue Jays, setting a team record, and he's played for Italy in both World Baseball Classic tournaments.

For a guy with a long name, Catalanotto has a nice autograph. It might even look a little better if he wasn't trying to squeeze it on to Upper Deck's sticker.

2002 Upper Deck Jeremy Reed

Who is this? Jeremy Reed, an outfielder in the Toronto Blue Jays minor league system

What is this? An autographed card from the 2002 Upper Deck set

Where'd I get it? From a blog reader

How much did it cost? Around $2

Why is this so special? Jeremy Reed was once a highly regarded prospect in the Chicago White Sox and Seattle Mariners farm systems. He never quite lived up to those expectations, but he has been a productive reserve outfielder.

Reed spent last season with the Mets, but even with all their injuries Jerry Manuel never gave him a chance to start on a regular basis. He hit .278 as a pinch hitter for the Mets in 2009,

Reed has a very angular signature, but it requires some imagination to make out any letters.

2008 Upper Deck Lenny DiNardo

Who is this? Lenny DiNardo, a pitcher for the Oakland Athletics, formerly of the Boston Red Sox and Kansas City Royals

What is this? An autographed card from the 2008 Upper Deck set

Where'd I get it? Zach from Autographed Cards sent it to me.

How much did it cost? You'd have to check with Zach.

Why is this so special? Lenny DiNardo began his pro career in the Mets' minor league system, but the Boston Red Sox selected him in the Rule V Draft prior to the 2004 season. They managed to keep him on their roster throughout the whole season, so they got to keep him and he earned a World Series ring.

DiNardo played in a few games for the Red Sox in 2005 and 2006, but he spent more time in the minors. During spring training in 2007, Oakland claimed DiNardo on waivers. They used him as a starter for a bit more than half of the season, but he also worked out of the bullpen. DiNardo remained in Oakland in 2008, but signed with the Royals for 2009. This year, he's back in Oakland's system again.

DiNardo has been a member of Italy's team in both the 2006 and 2009 World Baseball Classics.

I'm very happy that I do not have to try to read Lenny DiNardo's handwriting.

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.

1994 Upper Deck Derek Wallace

Who is this? Derek Wallace, a former relief pitcher for the Kansas City Royals and New York Mets

What is this? An autograph card from the 1994 Upper Deck MInor League set, #201

Where'd I get it? From Nick of Baseball Happenings

How much did it cost? $1
Why is this so special? Derek Wallace was the first-round draft pick of the Chicago Cubs in 1992; he was the 11th player chosen overall. He struggled, and soon found himself in a new organization.

The Cubs included Wallace in the 1996 trade that brought Brian McRae from Kansas City to Chicago. Later that year, the Royals traded him to the Mets in a deal for pitcher Jason Jacome.

In New York, Wallace made his Major League debut. He wasn't particularly impressive in 19 relief appearances, but he was only 25 and showed some promise. There was even some thought that he could eventually assume the closer's role held by John Franco.

The next spring, Wallace was diagnosed with an aneurysm that caused him to miss much of the 1997 season. He worked his way back after surgery, but he didn't appear in another Major League game for the Mets.

Late in the 1999 season, the Mets sent Wallace back to Kansas City in a minor league deal. He appeared in eight games for the Royals in what turned out to be his final season as a professional baseball player.

You've got to admire Wallace's persistence. It's just too bad that his baseball career didn't work out quite the way he probably would have hoped.

His signature is a little bit sloppy on this card, but I've seen a lot worse.

2001 Upper Deck Legends of New York Carl Erskine

Who is this? Carl Erskine, a former pitcher for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers

What is this? An autographed card from the 2001 Upper Deck Legends of New York set, #2

Where'd I get it? I wrote to Carl Erskine earlier this month and asked him to sign it; I got it back yesterday.

How much did it cost? The card was free. (I got it from the same dealer who sold me all of the Leaf Signature Series cards I've been posting this month.) Postage was 88 cents.

Why is this so special? Carl Erskine was a major league pitcher for 12 seasons. He had a lifetime 122-78 record with a 4.00 ERA. He threw two no-hitters and appeared in 11 World Series games. For a time, he held the record for strikeouts in a World Series game with his 14 strikeout performance in game 3 of the 1953 World Series.

Erskine authored two books about his playing days: "What I Learned From Jackie Robinson: A Teammate's Reflections On and Off the Field" and "Carl Erskine's Tales from the Dodgers Dugout: Extra Innings"

I'm not sure how much fanmail Erskine still receives (SportsCollectors.Net has logged 26 autograph requests in the past two months), but I'm amazed that he seems to take the time to carefully sign everything that people send to him. I'm happy to have an autograph from one of the great names of New York National League baseball.

1990 Upper Deck Joe Boever

Who is this? Joe Boever, a former relief pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, Houston Astros, Oakland Athletics, Detroit Tigers and Pittsburgh Pirates

What is this? An autographed card from the 1990 Upper Deck set

Where'd I get it? I wrote to Joe Boever after Christmas last year and asked him to sign it. I got it back today.

How much did it cost? I'm not sure where the card came from; the only real cost was the 84 cents for postage.

Why is this so special? The Atlanta Braves weren't very good when Joe Boever was their closer, so it was ok to root for "Boever the Saver." It was a good story... a journeyman reliever got a chance to be a closer and saved 21 games for an Atlanta team that only won 67 in 1989.

By 1990, the league started to catch up with Boever's palmball. The Braves traded him to Philadelphia for "Starvin' Marvin" Freeman. Boever pitched in the big leagues for another six seasons, but he was never a closer again after 1990.

After he retired, Boever went into coaching. He is now a real estate agent in Tennessee.

Boever has a nice autograph. I like how the letter "B" loops around part of his last name.

2009 upper deck adam (andy) laroche

Who is this? good question. the card and auto sticker say adam laroche, 1st baseman for the pittsburgh pirates. the picture tells a different story

What is this? an autograph card from 2009 upper deck baseball

Where'd I get it? in 1 of 4 hobby packs i picked up a couple of days ago

How much did it cost? packs were $5.99 each. 20 cards per.

Why is this so special? i suppose i could call it an error card. the picture is of adam's little brother andy, who was involved in the manny ramirez trade last july. seriously, upper deck. where is the quality control? it's reminiscent of the 95 topps juan lebron/carlos beltran bait and switch.

it's a sticker auto, by the way.

actually i would rather have a card of andy than adam, but that's just me.

2008 upper deck documentary chris perez

who is this? cardinals' closer in waiting chris perez

what is this? an autograph card from 2008 upper deck documentary aka the worst issue of 2008

where'd i get it? from the hobby box i busted before i knew that documentary was the worst issue of 2008

how much did it cost? one of 300 cards in the box, so maybe a nickel.

why is this so special? well, i don't really care for this issue. i had such high hopes, too. however, i do like this card for the arm angle and the way his arms look like mirror images of each other. the colors are nice - good placement of the team logo - and perez seems to be a decent closer prospect.

the autograph itself is a sticker auto. nice blue sharpie, but it seems cramped.

it still carries the stain of documentary, though, so i probably won't be keeping this one.

1992-93 Upper Deck Wayne Gretzky

Who is this? The Great One, Wayne Gretzky.

What is this? An autograph card from 1992-93 Upper Deck, card number 33.

Where'd I get it? Out of a pack of 92-93 Upper Deck.

How much did it cost? Whatever the pack cost, plus two stamps.

Why is this so special? Because it's WAYNE GRETZKY!!! As a kid growing up in Kansas, I only knew of one hockey player and it was the Great One. Gretzky revolutionized the sport of hockey. There was never anybody better before him and there will never be another one like him again. He scored over 200 points four times (that's averaging about 2.5 points per game) and had at least a point a game every season, except his final one. In the 1981-82 season, he scored 92 goals in 80 games. He currently holds 60 NHL records, including most goals, points, and assists in the regular season and career. In fact, he has over a 1000 more points than the second place guy (Mark Messier) and even has more assists than Messier has points. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame eight months after hanging up the skates. These days, he's the head coach of the Phoenix Coyotes (and part owner, I believe).

I got this card signed through the mail in the early '90s. In fact, just about every card I will be showing on here was signed through the mail in the early '90s. The card was a pretty cool card that celebrated him getting 1500 assists. On the front is a painted picture with three Gretzky's on it. One was a close-up of his face and the other two were full-bodies of him, one as a King and one as an Oiler. There was 1500 in the background. You can see the card front here. As you can see, it would have been a great card to get signed. And it was, but on the back? WTF Wayne? Who the Hell signs the back of their cards? Oh well, it is the Great One.

I read somewhere that Wayne still signs through the mail, but some people think that it is done with an autopen. That may be the case now. But if you compare the suspected autopen signature to the one on this card, they are completely different. Do I know %100 that this card was signed by Wayne? Of course not. But it is still my prime hockey autographs and I am very glad to have it in my collection.

2008 Timelines Nick Blackburn

Who is this? Twins pitcher Nick Blackburn.

What is this? An autograph card from 2008 Upper Deck Timelines, card number 201.

Where'd I get it? Retail pack from Wal-Mart.

How much did it cost? $1.99 for the pack.

Why is this so special? Last night I realized I hadn't bought the onions for Thanksgiving. I needed to bring a side to dinner and I was going to bring some creamed onions. I like onions, it's easy to make and it's something that no one else would make. Here's how to make it:

1lb pearl onions
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
2 cups milk
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
salt & pepper to taste

Get about a pound of pearl onions. I bought two packages of them at Wal-Mart which I think was a pound.
Boil some water. Put the onions in the water for about three minutes. A little longer will make them more tender, but harder to work with.
Take out the onions and rinse them in a cold water bath until they are cool.
Cut off the top and bottom of each onion and remove the peel.
Once the onions are all peeled, melt the butter in a pan on low heat.
When the butter is melted, slowly add the flour, stirring the whole time to make a roux. I didn't exactly measure the flour and butter, I just kind of eyeballed it. Don't cook too long because burned roux is not Good Eats. Stir it until it combines into a golden paste.
Sloooowly add the milk, stirring like mad the whole time. If you add the milk too fast you'll have lumpy gravy. Great album, lousy dinner. This I eyeballed as well, just add milk to the roux until it's the thickness you want. I like it thick.
Add salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste and stir in the parmesan.
Once the sauce is complete, add the onions and let it simmer for a few minutes.
Plate and eat!

So the plan was to make that, but I had no onions. I trucked out to Wally World late last night grumbling the whole way since I hadn't planned this out properly as usual. I got the onions, a couple of other things I was low on and swung by the card aisle, hoping to find some Stadium Club. No dice. This Wal-Mart always gets things two or three weeks after everyone else. They had some Timelines though, so I picked up three packs hoping to get a Timeless Teams short print to add to my Stadium collection. I got home and ripped. First pack, CC Sabathia with a Miller park back, sweet! Second pack, Jed Lowell, Fenway back. Dang, I've got Jacoby Ellsbury already. Third pack, rats. '94 All-Time Heroes Ryan Braun. No stadium back in that pack. Well, let's look at the other short print - whaaa? Autograph?

So that's how my Thanksgiving creamed onions dish got me an autographed card of Nick Blackburn, who looks like he could be a pretty decent major league pitcher for the Twins. It's a nice readable blue autograph on a shiny clear sticker that is placed in the dead center of a lightned space on the card reserved for the signature. Not bad, eh? There's one more reason to love onions.

2008 Upper Deck J.R. Towles

Who is this? Houston Astros catcher J.R. Towles

What is this? A signed 2008 Upper Deck season highlights cards

Where'd I get it? One of my trading partners got it signed at a Round Rock Express game this summer.

How much did it cost? I forget what I traded for it.

Why is this so special? J.R. Towles went all the way from A-ball to the majors in 2007. In September, Towles set a new Astros team record by driving in 8 runs in an 18-1 win against the St. Louis Cardinals. It looked like he would be a future star.

Well, he still might -- Towles doesn't turn 25 until June. But he didn't help his cause in 2008.  Towles was expected to be Houston's primary catcher this year, but he struggled at the plate. He batted just .137 with 4 home runs and 16 RBIs in 54 games over three different stints in the big leagues this year.

Towles doesn't have the best signature... it's really not much more than some squiggles.

2004 upper deck legends timeless teams mickey hatcher

Who is this? mickey hatcher

What is this? an autograph card from 2004 upper deck legends timeless teams

Where'd I get it? ebay

How much did it cost? about $6

Why is this so special? mickey hatcher is one of the stunt men. the backups, pine-riders, role players - whatever you want to call the guys who come of the bench and/or spot start. in 1988, he got the start in left field when kirk gibson couldn't play in game 1 of the world series. all the hatch did was hit a 2-run homer in the bottom of the first, and almost overtake steve sax on the basepaths.

mickey came up through the dodgers' organization. i remember listening to the game he made his major league debut in - i believe his first at bat was with the bases loaded. a chance to do something special. he walked.

traded to the twins for ken landreaux, hatcher missed out on the dodgers 1981 world series championship. then, he was released by the twins and signed with the dodgers prior to the 1987 season. this means, of course, he missed out on the twinkies' first championship, too. so it was nice to see hatcher get his ring in 1988 after just missing out twice.

now a coach with the angels, i had a chance to meet him at spring training this past season. a nice guy all around.

the auto here is nice and clean, on the card and pretty darn cool looking. i love this set, and am glad upper deck is using it again in their current timeline release.